The ASX dividend stock Charter Hall Long WALE REIT (ASX: CLW) could be one of the best opportunities for Australians right now.

The real estate investment trust (REIT) may not be as famous as names like Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) and BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP). But, in some ways, Charter Hall Long WALE REIT could be more appealing.

For a few different reasons, I think it’s a better buy for the foreseeable future.

Strong dividend yield

I think the Charter Hall Long WALE REIT dividend yield is very attractive compared to many other ASX dividend stock options.

It’s able to deliver such a good dividend yield because it pays out 100% of its operating rental profit each year, making it a very rewarding holding for passive income.

The business can still experience profit and distribution growth while paying out 100% of its operating profit due to contracted rent increases with its tenants.

It increased its FY26 annual payout by 2% to 25.5 cents per security. That translates into a forward distribution yield of 6.7%, at the time of writing. To me, that’s a much more appealing yield than what CBA or BHP have to offer.

Diversification

One of the best things about this ASX dividend stock is its highly diversified portfolio across multiple property sectors. I like that strategy because it reduces the risk of being overly exposed to one area while also giving it the largest investment hunting ground to find the best opportunities.

The business is invested in a number of defensive tenant industries, including government tenants (such as Geoscience Australia), pubs and hotels, grocery and distribution, telecommunications exchanges, data centres, service stations, food manufacturing, waste and recycling management, and so on.

In terms of tenants, some of its key tenants include government tenants, Endeavour Group Ltd (ASX: EDV), Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS), BP, Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL), Metcash Ltd (ASX: MTS), Westpac Banking Corp(ASX: WES) and Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES).

Long-term rental income

What links all of the properties in the portfolio together is that they have long-term rental agreements with tenants. As of December 2025, it had a weighted average lease expiry (WALE) of more than nine years.

That means it has close to a decade of rental income already signed with tenants, giving the business compelling security for its future distributions.

Its rental income is steadily growing, with the rent either rising at a fixed rate annually or linked to inflation. With that rental income tailwind, the business has a compelling future, barring the short-term headwind of rising interest rates.

It looks like great value to me after reporting net tangible assets (NTA) of $4.68 per security at 31 December 2025, which means it’s trading at a 19% discount to this.

The post Is this the best ASX dividend stock to buy for passive income? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Telstra Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended BHP Group and Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Superannuation balances can vary enormously from person to person, depending on income, career breaks, investment choices, and extra contributions.

But averages still give us a useful guide.

Looking at ages 45, 55, and 65 shows how super can build through the later stages of working life, and whether Australians are getting closer to the level needed for retirement.

How do you compare to the average? Let’s find out.

First, what is the end goal?

Before looking at the averages, it helps to understand what those balances are supposed to fund.

According to the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA), a comfortable retirement requires around $630,000 in super for a single person and $730,000 for a couple. This assumes the retiree owns their home outright and receives some Age Pension support over time.

A comfortable retirement is not about living extravagantly. It is about having enough money for private health insurance, a reliable car, regular leisure activities, household repairs, domestic travel, and the occasional overseas trip.

A modest retirement requires far less, at around $110,000 for singles and $120,000 for couples. But this lifestyle is much more constrained and relies heavily on the Age Pension.

With that in mind, the average balances at 45, 55, and 65, according to recent data, tell an interesting story.

The average superannuation balance at 45

At age 45, the average Australian woman is likely to have approximately $130,000 in superannuation, while the average Australian man is likely to have around $170,000.

This is the stage where super starts to become more noticeable. The balance is no longer insignificant, but it may still feel a long way short of what is needed for retirement.

That is completely normal. At 45, most people still have two decades or more before Age Pension age. The priority is not whether the balance is enough today, because it almost certainly is not. The priority is whether the account is set up to keep growing.

This is often a good age to review investment options, check fees, consolidate any old accounts, and consider whether extra contributions are possible.

The average super balance at 55

By age 55, the numbers have usually moved materially higher.

The average Australian woman is likely to have roughly $220,000 in super, while the average Australian man is likely to have about $290,000.

This is where retirement planning starts to feel more personal. The finish line is not right around the corner, but it is close enough that decisions begin to matter more.

For many Australians, the 50s can be a powerful decade for superannuation. Incomes may be higher, mortgage pressure may have eased, and compulsory employer contributions are being added to a larger balance.

The key point is that a balance at 55 is not the final result. There is still time for contributions and investment returns to make a meaningful difference.

The average super balance at 65

By age 65, superannuation is usually front and centre.

The average Australian woman is likely to have around $360,000 in superannuation, while the average Australian man is likely to have approximately $425,000.

For couples, combining two average balances can put retirement much closer to ASFA’s comfortable benchmark. For singles, the average balance is more likely to sit somewhere between modest and comfortable, depending on housing, spending needs, health, and access to other assets.

This is why averages need to be treated carefully. A homeowner with low expenses may feel comfortable on less than someone renting or carrying debt. Two people with the same super balance can have very different retirement experiences.

Foolish takeaway

The average super balance at 45 is likely to be around $130,000 for women and $170,000 for men. By 55, that rises to around $220,000 and $290,000. By 65, it increases again to roughly $360,000 and $425,000.

Those numbers are useful, but they are not the whole story.

What is important is not whether your balance matches the average. It is whether your super, combined with the Age Pension and any other assets, can support the retirement you actually want.

The post Here is the average Australian superannuation balance at ages 45, 55, and 65 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) is one of those ASX shares that can look expensive for long periods.

That can make it easy to put in the too hard basket. But I think patient investors should keep paying attention to the business behind the share price.

Wesfarmers has a rare combination of scale, operating discipline, customer understanding, and balance sheet flexibility. Those qualities can be valuable across many years.

A culture of improvement

The reason I like Wesfarmers is not simply that it owns well-known retail businesses.

The more interesting point is how the company tends to operate them.

Wesfarmers has built a reputation for focusing on returns, productivity, supply chains, customer value, and sensible capital allocation. That culture can show up in small ways: better store layouts, sharper ranging, stronger digital tools, inventory discipline, supplier negotiations, and a willingness to keep refining what already works.

Those details may not sound meaningful, but over time, they can become a major advantage.

Retail is often won through execution rather than grand strategy. A business that keeps getting the basics right can defend margins, win repeat customers, and reinvest from a position of strength.

Optionality is part of the appeal

I also like the optionality inside Wesfarmers.

The company has never been just a passive owner of assets. It has shown a willingness to buy, build, improve, and occasionally exit when the opportunity set changes. That gives the company more ways to create value than a business locked into one narrow path.

That flexibility could be useful in FY27 and beyond.

Consumer conditions may remain uneven. Interest rates, housing turnover, and household budgets can affect parts of the company. But Wesfarmers has a long history of adjusting to changing conditions while keeping a firm eye on returns.

I think that adaptability deserves a premium.

Why I’d buy

The main challenge is valuation.

Wesfarmers is rarely priced like an unloved bargain. Investors often pay up for the company’s quality, and that can limit short-term upside when expectations are already high.

Even so, I think some businesses are worth watching closely because they can keep compounding through repeated improvements rather than one explosive growth event.

Wesfarmers fits that description for me. It has brands people know, operations that can keep improving, and management that has generally treated capital as something to be earned and redeployed carefully.

Foolish takeaway

Wesfarmers is the kind of ASX share I would be comfortable owning with a long time horizon.

The market often focuses on the valuation, and that is fair. But the reason I keep coming back to the business is its ability to adapt, reinvest, and improve.

The best long-term investments often look a little ordinary while they are working. Wesfarmers sells into everyday parts of the economy, but the discipline behind the scenes is what gives the company its edge. For patient investors, I think that remains a compelling reason to consider buying.

The post Why Wesfarmers shares still look like a top buy to me appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Chasing early retirement at 55? These ASX shares and ETFs could help
• ASX 200 retail shares outperform on growing hopes interest rates have peaked
• Where should I invest inside SMSFs instead of property?
• How to invest $500, $5,000, and $50,000 on the ASX
• 3 top ASX shares to buy for an SMSF

Motley Fool contributor Grace Alvino has positions in Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.