Thought you were saving to fund your retirement?...Think again!

Some insight from +Kris Sayce to start your day, and if you haven't already, get you planning for safer investment and strategies for your retirement. - View the original article here

Be warned, there’s trouble on the horizon. And it could have major implications for every Aussie wage earner, saver and investor…

Two worrying news stories came across our desk this morning. First this from ABC News:

‘Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan has refused to rule out increases in income tax as the Government tries to plug a revenue shortfall in its budget.’

And this from the Australian:

‘Treasury officials are sharpening their focus on the $460 billion held in self-managed superannuation funds as the Gillard government searches for ways to recoup tax revenue to pay for disability services and school reforms.’

Got that? We bet you thought you were saving to fund your retirement so you don’t have to live off tinned hot dogs and two-minute noodles.

But what’s really happening is that the Australian government needs your retirement money so it can fund its wasteful and excessive spending.

Four years ago we warned about the government’s plan to raid your retirement savings. Few people believed us, but now it’s happening.

Last year we decided we’d had enough. So we founded and set up the Hands Off My Super petition. You can sign it here.

Maximising Your Returns Safely

But there was a key paragraph in the Australian article. It’s this:

‘Critics of self-managed funds believe they use the capital gains tax exemptions more aggressively than others because they usually have only one or two members who can move quickly to buy investment properties, while big funds hold large property portfolios over longer terms with benefits shared by hundreds of thousands of members.’

We've got one word for you: Socialism. If you want to take care of your own life, savings and retirement, then clearly the government and lobby groups consider you to be selfish and a threat to society.

This is why it’s more important than ever that you fight back against the incursion of the State into your private affairs. A topic we've discussed in Pursuit of Happiness is the opportunity for Aussies to live overseas when they hit retirement.

Our old pal Nick Hubble has even come up with four top overseas locations where Aussies can live almost like a king.

But living overseas isn't practical while you’re working and trying to save for retirement. That’s why it’s important you use the period of your working life to safely maximise your investment returns.