How Much Super Should You Have at 60? (Australia 2026)

How Much Super Should You Have at 60? (Australia 2026)

If you are 60 and wondering whether you have enough super, there are two useful numbers to start with.

Moneysmart currently reports an average super balance of $270,800 for Australians aged 60 to 64.

ASFA published an illustrative $469,000 balance at age 60 in February 2026 for someone tracking towards its Comfortable Retirement Standard at 67.

Those numbers are useful, but they answer different questions.

The average tells you roughly what other Australians around your age have. The ASFA figure was designed to show one possible path towards a particular retirement standard.

At 60, I would move beyond both fairly quickly.

The more important question is:

What income can your current position support, and is that enough for the retirement you are actually considering?

For the broader framework, see Retirement Readiness: Are You on Track?.

Key takeaways

• Moneysmart currently reports an average super balance of $270,800 for ages 60 to 64.
• ASFA published an illustrative $469,000 age-60 milestone in February 2026 for someone tracking towards its Comfortable Retirement Standard at 67.
• Neither figure tells you whether you can afford to retire now.
• At 60, expected spending, housing, other assets and the date you actually stop work matter more than whether you sit above or below an age benchmark.
• Age 60 is preservation age for anyone born after 30 June 1964, but being able to access super and being financially ready to retire are two different questions.

What are the useful super benchmarks at 60?

Moneysmart's latest figures, using APRA data from June 2026, show:

Source: Moneysmart, using APRA Quarterly Superannuation Statistics. Figures accessed 21 September 2026 and rounded to the nearest $100.

ASFA gives us a different type of reference point.

In February 2026, it published an illustrative $469,000 balance at age 60 for someone progressing towards its Comfortable Retirement Standard at age 67.

ASFA's current Comfortable Standard uses a retirement balance of:

ASFA assumes the retiree owns their home, draws down capital over retirement and receives some Age Pension where eligible.

Its published age-60 pathway also assumed future pre-tax income of $65,000 a year keeping pace with inflation.

ASFA's current Super Balance Detective now uses income-specific scenarios rather than one universal age target.

So I would treat $469,000 as a useful illustration, not a pass mark.

Is $300,000 enough at age 60?

Someone with $300,000 can truthfully say two things.

They are above the current average for ages 60 to 64.

They are also below ASFA's published $469,000 age-60 milestone.

Neither statement tells me whether they can retire.

Consider two people who each have $400,000 in super at age 60.

One owns their home outright, has $80,000 outside super, expects to spend around $50,000 a year and plans to keep working two days a week for another few years.

The other rents, has no meaningful investments outside super, wants to stop work now and expects spending of around $80,000 a year.

Same super balance.

Very different retirement position.

That is why, at 60, I would stop asking whether a balance looks "good for your age" and start asking what it actually needs to fund.

What matters more than the benchmark?

Four things usually tell me far more than the age-group average.

Your spending. A retirement costing $50,000 a year asks far less of a portfolio than one costing $90,000. Include normal household costs, but also allow for travel, cars, home repairs, health costs and other irregular spending.

Your housing position. A mortgage-free homeowner has a very different retirement cash flow from someone paying rent or carrying a large mortgage. ASFA's standard lump-sum benchmarks assume home ownership.

Your wider household assets. A partner's super, cash, investments, property and other income all matter. For a couple, looking at one person's balance against an individual average can be particularly misleading.

When work actually stops. Turning 60 does not mean you need to retire at 60. Someone who works until 65 may have another five years of employment income, employer contributions and investment time before relying heavily on retirement savings.

At 60, those questions are no longer theoretical. They can materially change what happens next.

What changes with super when you turn 60?

Age 60 is preservation age for anyone born after 30 June 1964.

But your super does not automatically become an unrestricted bank account on your 60th birthday.

The ATO says unrestricted access depends on satisfying a condition of release. For example, ceasing an employment arrangement on or after age 60 is a condition of release. Turning 65 also provides unrestricted access even if you continue working.

If you have reached preservation age and remain working, a transition to retirement income stream may allow limited access to super without fully retiring.

I will not repeat those mechanics here because they are covered in the existing guides:

• Transition to Retirement Pension Explained
• TTR vs Account Based Pension
• Account Based Pension Explained

If you are specifically considering TTR, the Transition to Retirement Pension Calculator can help illustrate how the numbers may work.

The important distinction for this article is simpler:

Accessing super is a rules question. Affording retirement is a financial-planning question.

Meeting the access rules does not tell you whether retiring now is sustainable.

What if your balance looks too low?

At 60, there is less time for course correction than there was at 50 or 55.

That does not mean there are no options.

If the projected income looks tight, some of the things worth testing may include working longer, reducing work gradually, spending less, reducing debt, making further super contributions where appropriate or reviewing how the portfolio is invested.

Retirement timing can be particularly powerful.

Someone who delays full retirement from 60 to 63 may gain three more years of employment income and contributions, while also reducing the number of years their retirement assets need to fund.

That is not automatically the right answer. Health, family and quality of life matter too.

The point is to test the trade-offs before concluding that a balance at 60 is either enough or not enough.

How much super should a couple have at 60?

There is no universal combined target.

ASFA's Comfortable Standard uses a combined balance of $730,000 at age 67 for a homeowner couple, but that is a retirement benchmark built around ASFA's assumptions, not an age-60 target.

A couple aged 60 with $600,000 combined, a paid-off home and moderate spending may have a very different outlook from a couple with $900,000, significant debt and much higher spending.

For retirement planning, I would generally bring both partners' super, other assets, debt and expected spending together rather than judge each account separately.

So, how much super should you have at 60?

If you want two useful reference points:

• $270,800 is the current average for Australians aged 60 to 64.
• $469,000 is ASFA's February 2026 illustrative age-60 milestone for someone progressing towards its Comfortable Retirement Standard at 67 under its stated assumptions.

Use those numbers to orient yourself.

Do not use them as a retirement verdict.

At 60, the better test is what your super, other assets and future income can support from the point you actually stop working.

Someone below $469,000 may still have a workable retirement plan.

Someone above it may still find that their preferred retirement date or spending does not stack up.

The Retirement Readiness Quiz looks beyond the balance and considers your goals, spending, super, financial resilience and understanding of retirement income.

FAQs

What is the average super balance at age 60 in Australia?

Moneysmart currently reports an average super balance of $270,800 for Australians aged 60 to 64, using APRA data from June 2026. It is an average for the age group, not a recommended retirement target.

Is $300,000 in super enough to retire at 60?

It can be enough for some retirement plans and not for others. $300,000 is above the current average for ages 60 to 64 but below ASFA's February 2026 illustrative age-60 milestone of $469,000. The answer depends more on spending, housing, other assets, retirement timing and future income.

How much super should a couple have at 60?

There is no universal combined target for a couple at age 60. It is usually more useful to look at both partners' super, other assets, housing, expected spending and when each person plans to retire.

Can you access all of your super at 60?

Not automatically. Preservation age is 60 for anyone born after 30 June 1964, but unrestricted access generally requires a condition of release. A transition to retirement income stream may be available while you continue working.