As retirement nears and you begin thinking about the retirement lifestyle you would like, your super comes more into focus. Depending on when you plan to retire – at age 50, 55 or 60 – you may start thinking about putting extra money into super, maximising your investments, balancing risk and return, and looking at your wealth protection needs.

The right financial advice in the early stages of aged care considerations can potentially make a big difference to a person’s Centrelink income and aged care costs. It’s a complex area and people often feel lost in the mire of varying information and rules. Ideally the earlier we can start advising the better the end outcome, particularly prior to the sale of property.

There are many options available but always remember – it’s your choice. Some people choose to have 100% of their investments and retirement plans in ethical investments. Others choose a percentage, which they can easily change over time.

Responsible investment is an umbrella term to describe an investment process that takes environmental, social, governance (ESG) or ethical considerations into account. This process is in addition to the fundamental investment selection and management process.

There is empirical evidence showing that ethical investments provide returns as good as normal investments. Consider the following: “There is growing evidence that Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) reduces risk and leads to superior long-term financial returns.”

This is when organisations present a facade of being deeply environmental and ethically conscious, but there is a danger that they are a wolf in sheep’s clothing Some companies score very highly because they are good corporate citizens and they have strong governance.