Five years can pass surprisingly quickly, but between the ages of 60 and 65 they can completely reshape a person’s retirement position.

At 60, many Australians are still working, receiving employer contributions, and giving their investments more time to grow. By 65, retirement may have already begun, or at least moved from a distant plan to an immediate financial decision.

So, how much superannuation does the average Australian have at these two important ages?

The average superannuation balance at 60

The available superannuation data from Rest Super is reported in five-year age groups rather than for individual birthdays, which means an exact figure for age 60 needs to be estimated from the surrounding averages.

Based on the latest figures, the average Australian woman is likely to have around $285,000 in super at age 60, while the average Australian man may have approximately $365,000.

Those balances are substantial, although they do not necessarily mean someone is ready to retire immediately. A person stopping work at 60 may need to fund seven years before becoming eligible for the Age Pension, placing much greater pressure on their savings than retiring later.

This makes age 60 an important financial checkpoint. There may still be time to make additional contributions, review investment settings, reduce unnecessary fees, and reconsider whether retirement should happen all at once or gradually.

The average super balance at 65

By age 65, the average balance is likely to have grown meaningfully.

Data suggests the average is approximately $361,000 for women and $427,000 for men.

This increase reflects another five years of employer contributions, potential investment returns, and the fact that many Australians earn some of their highest incomes during the final stage of their careers.

How do these balances compare with retirement targets?

The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) estimates that a homeowner needs around $630,000 at retirement to support a comfortable lifestyle as a single person. A couple needs approximately $730,000 combined.

On that basis, an average single 60-year-old or 65-year-old may remain below the comfortable benchmark, although the eventual Age Pension, home ownership, other savings, and personal spending needs can all change the outcome.

The picture can be considerably better for couples. Two people retiring at 65 with balances close to the averages could have more than $700,000 combined, placing them around the current comfortable retirement target.

This is one reason superannuation balances should probably not be judged in isolation. Housing costs, relationship status, retirement timing, and expected spending can matter just as much as the number shown on an account statement.

Is it enough?

The movement between ages 60 and 65 shows that superannuation can still make meaningful progress late in a working life.

Continuing to work for several more years does more than provide another salary. It allows further contributions, gives investments more time to compound, and reduces the number of years that retirement savings need to support.

The average balance at 60 is approximately $285,000 for women and $365,000 for men, rising to around $361,000 and $427,000, respectively, by age 65.

Those numbers offer a valuable point of comparison, but the more important question is whether your balance can support your own retirement plans. The average can show where other Australians are sitting, but only a personal budget can reveal whether you are genuinely ready to stop working.

The post What’s the average Australian superannuation balance at ages 60 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.

A new report from Betashares has provided a snapshot of what is set to be a record-breaking year for ASX ETFs. 

According to the report, the Australian ETF industry closed the financial year at a record $372 billion in funds under management, with $400 billion now firmly in sight. 

Net flows of $30 billion for the half matched the entirety of 2024, while AI-driven tech exposures led performance.

Market insights 

According to the report, global equity markets rallied through the first half of 2026, powered by evidence that AI capital expenditure is starting to convert into profit. 

Microsoft, OpenAI, and Anthropic all reported AI revenue run rates up more than 100% year on year, while Nvidia and the major memory makers, Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron, were the clearest beneficiaries of the compute build-out. 

Asian semiconductor markets captured this directly, with North Asian chipmakers driving the MSCI Emerging Markets Index to the strongest returns of any major market, even as an Iran-triggered oil spike and a US$1.5 trillion software sell-off tested the rally’s nerve during the half. 

Domestically, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) managed just 2.4% over the same six months, the weakest of the major developed markets. 

Three RBA rate hikes in the half pushed inflation and unemployment back into focus, rewarding income and value over growth. 

Materials carried the bulk of the market’s earnings growth, benefiting from elevated iron ore and gold prices and from critical mineral demand driven by the AI rollout. 

The May budget’s proposed removal of the CGT discount added further uncertainty for households already absorbing higher borrowing costs, and the combination has weighed on consumer sentiment through the half. 

Performance – Half Year 2026

The Betashares Australian ETF Review revealed that the half-year performance was led by semiconductors, with AI-related hardware demand driving standout returns over the period. 

South Korea’s technology-heavy market also featured prominently, alongside broader Asian technology exposure, reinforcing a theme of innovation-driven outperformance. 

Hydrogen and clean energy themes made a strong showing, pointing to renewed appetite for energy transition plays. 

Crude oil rounded out the top five, with prices driven sharply higher by the Middle East conflict and resulting disruptions to the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil transit route.

Top 5 performing funds for the half year to June 2026: 

• Global X Semiconductor ETF (ASX: SEMI) rose almost 102%
• iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (ASX: IKO) climbed 94%
• Global X Hydrogen ETF (ASX: HGEN) rose 70% 
• Betashares Capital – Asia Technology Tigers ETF (ASX: ASIA) increased by 59%
• BetaShares Crude Oil Index ETF – Currency Hedged (Synthetic) (ASX: OOO) rose over 44%

The post The ASX ETF market is set for a record year – Here are the best performers so far in 2026 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Aaron Bell has positions in Betashares Capital – Asia Technology Tigers Etf. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Micron Technology, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Microsoft and Nvidia. 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 the kind of ASX share that can be hard to judge.

The business quality is obvious. The price is the harder part.

So, should investors buy, hold, or sell Wesfarmers shares today?

Why selling feels too harsh

I would find it difficult to call Wesfarmers a sell.

This is one of the strongest long-term operators on the ASX, and I think that still counts for a lot.

Bunnings remains one of the best retail businesses in Australia. It has strong customer trust, a dominant market position, and a role in home improvement that is hard for rivals to replicate at scale.

Kmart is also a much better business than it was many years ago. Its value focus has made it highly relevant at a time when households are watching spending more carefully.

I also like that Wesfarmers keeps looking for ways to make the group stronger. Health, data, digital initiatives, OnePass, and other growth options may not transform the business overnight, but they give the company more ways to deepen customer relationships and reinvest over time.

That is the part of Wesfarmers I find most appealing. It is not just a collection of retail brands. It is a management culture that has demonstrated a long-term ability to improve assets, make disciplined decisions, and allocate capital to better opportunities.

Why buying aggressively is harder

The issue is valuation. Wesfarmers shares are trading at around $91.67 at the time of writing, which is close to the upper end of their yearly range of $70.80 to $95.18.

According to CommSec consensus estimates, Wesfarmers is expected to generate earnings per share of $2.55 in FY26 and $2.74 in FY27.

That puts the stock on a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of around 36 times FY26 earnings and 33.5 times FY27 earnings.

I can justify a premium for Wesfarmers. I have much more trouble justifying any price.

At this level, investors are paying upfront for a lot of future success. That can work if Bunnings stays strong, Kmart keeps performing, the health division improves, and newer digital initiatives add value.

But the starting point is important for future returns. When a high-quality company is priced this fully, even a good business can deliver more modest shareholder returns if earnings growth is only steady rather than exceptional.

The forecast dividend yield also does not make the valuation look cheap. CommSec estimates dividends per share of $2.16 in FY26 and $2.33 in FY27, implying forward yields of around 2.4% and 2.5%.

That income is attractive enough, but it is not the reason I would own Wesfarmers.

My verdict

My verdict is hold. If I already owned Wesfarmers shares, I would be happy to keep them. The company has too many strengths for me to want to step away just because the valuation looks full.

For new money, I would be more patient. I could understand buying a small amount now for a long-term position, especially for investors who like building into quality companies over time.

But I would prefer to buy more meaningfully during a pullback.

Foolish Takeaway

Wesfarmers remains one of the ASX businesses I would trust to keep improving over the long term.

The company has strong brands, experienced management, and several areas where it can keep reinvesting for growth.

The share price already reflects a lot of that quality. That is why I would hold Wesfarmers shares today. I would keep it high on my long-term watchlist, stay patient, and look for a better chance to buy more when the market offers one.

The post Should you buy, hold, or sell Wesfarmers shares? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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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.