If you are 55 and wondering whether your superannuation is on track, you are not alone.

It is one of the most common questions Australians ask.

The good news is that there are clear benchmarks to aim for. The less good news is that many people fall short.

Let’s break it down.

What a comfortable retirement actually costs

The most widely used benchmark comes from the ASFA Retirement Standard.

This tool estimates what retirees actually spend.

According to this standard, a single homeowner needs about $54,240 a year for a comfortable lifestyle. A couple needs roughly $77,375 a year.

To fund that, ASFA suggests a lump sum of around $630,000 for a single person.

Couples need about $730,000 between them.

Both figures assume you own your home and draw a part Age Pension.

How much superannuation you need at 55

Here is the important part.

Those targets apply at retirement age, which is typically 67. At 55, you still have time on your side.

You generally cannot access your superannuation until age 60, and the Age Pension does not kick in until age 67.

So a 55-year-old has roughly a decade of compounding still to come.

That is quite important. Money invested today has years left to grow. A balance that looks light at 55 can still reach the target by 67.

The catch is that many Australians are behind.

Typical balances in the 55 to 64 age bracket sit well below the ASFA figure.

Building your superannuation from here

If you are behind, you have several levers to pull.

Salary sacrificing extra into superannuation is one of the most powerful. Concessional contributions are taxed at just 15% for most people, which is well below most marginal tax rates.

Making sure your money is invested sensibly is just as important. Many funds let you choose your investment mix.

Some investors also hold ASX shares and funds directly.

One popular option is the Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAS). This ETF tracks the 300 largest companies on the ASX, giving you instant diversification in a single trade.

VAS also pays regular dividends, which can be reinvested to compound over time.

Low-cost index funds like VAS are a common building block for growth-focused portfolios.

They are simple, cheap, and broadly diversified.

Foolish Takeaway

So how much superannuation does a 55-year-old need?

Aim for the path to roughly $630,000 as a single, or $730,000 as a couple, by age 67.

The exact number depends on your lifestyle, health, and whether you own your home.

At 55, the decisions you make now still count for a lot.

Contribute more where you can. Invest for growth while you still have time. And check in on your superannuation regularly.

The post How much super does a 55-year-old need to retire comfortably? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Mark Verhoeven 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.

Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) shares may be one of the most popular options for dividends on the ASX due to the company’s perceived stability and dividend yield.

The ASX bank share typically has a larger dividend yield than competitors like Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) and Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG), which remains the case. It also usually has a similar dividend yield to stocks like ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: ANZ) and National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB).

Thankfully, Westpac has increased its payout substantially since 2020, when it was forced to reduce it.

The bank’s dividend grew again in the FY26 half-year result as the business delivered a slight 1.3% rise of the dividend per share to 77 cents. This was funded by a 1% increase of the underlying net profit after tax (NPAT).

In this article, we’re going to look at Westpac’s potential 2027 financial year annual dividend, which will be paid during 2027.

2027 dividend projection for owners of Westpac shares

According to Commsec’s projection, the ASX bank share is expected to pay an annual dividend per share of $1.55 in FY27. That would represent a year-over-year increase of less than 1%. But growth is growth.

At the time of writing, this forecast translates into a dividend yield of 4.25% excluding franking credits and 6.1% including franking credits.

If someone were to invest $10,000 in Westpac, they would be able to buy 274 Westpac shares, with a little bit of cash left.

With those 274 Westpac shares, investors may receive $424.70 of cash dividends and $606.71 overall, including the franking credits.

Is this a good time to invest in the ASX bank share?

According to CMC Invest, there have been nine analyst ratings calls on the business in the last three months.

Of those nine, six of them were a sell and three of them were a hold. Therefore, the investment professionals are mostly negative about the appeal of the ASX bank share’s valuation right now.

The average price target of those nine ratings is $32.70. That means, collectively, those analysts are projecting the Westpac share price could drop by around 10% within the next year.

The Westpac share price was last that low in July 2025 – within the last 12 months – so it’s not crazy to think the bank could drop back to that level.

For now, there seem to be more appealing ASX shares out there to buy.

The post If I invest $10,000 in Westpac shares, how much passive income will I receive in 2027? 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 Macquarie Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Macquarie Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL) and Cochlear Ltd (ASX: COH) have both tested investors’ patience recently.

That may be discouraging for existing shareholders, but I think it has also created an opportunity for investors willing to look well beyond the next result.

Here is why I would buy and hold both ASX healthcare shares.

CSL shares

Many investors see CSL simply as a collection of medicines. I think its real strength is the global biological supply chain it has built over decades.

Collecting plasma at scale, turning it into specialist therapies, meeting demanding regulatory standards, and reliably supplying patients around the world requires infrastructure and expertise that cannot be created quickly.

The biotechnology company’s recent performance has clearly fallen short of expectations. CSL lowered its FY26 outlook in May and acknowledged problems including weaker financial returns, operational complexity, disappointing research productivity, and the underperformance of the Vifor acquisition.

Those issues explain why confidence has fallen so sharply. Management now needs to simplify the organisation, improve plasma and manufacturing efficiency, and become more disciplined with capital.

I still think the foundations are attractive. CSL expects immunoglobulin demand to grow at a mid to high single-digit rate, supported by significant unmet medical need. Its May update suggested only around 35% of potential patients across major immunoglobulin indications are diagnosed, which leaves a large long-term opportunity if CSL can improve execution.

The next few years may be more about repairing the business than returning immediately to its former growth rate. But I think the company’s plasma network, rare disease franchise, scientific capabilities, and global reach still give it the ingredients for a recovery over time.

Cochlear shares

Cochlear is another ASX healthcare share I’d buy and hold. 

The appeal of the global leader in implantable hearing solutions goes well beyond selling industry-leading products.

A recipient can remain connected to the company for years through sound processor upgrades, accessories, digital services, clinical support, and new technology. That creates a relationship that can deepen long after the original procedure.

Cochlear has also spent years developing its next generation of products. The Nucleus Nexa System, launched in 2025 after two decades of research and development, is the first cochlear implant system with upgradeable firmware.

The current year has been challenging. Cochlear reduced its FY26 underlying profit guidance after softer implant demand in developed markets, hospital capacity constraints, weaker referrals, Middle East disruption, currency movements, and restructuring costs.

I see those pressures as important near-term obstacles rather than a reason to abandon the long-term story. Ageing populations, improving awareness, and better referral pathways could help more people receive treatment over time.

Foolish takeaway

Healthcare compounders rarely reward investors evenly.

Years of research, infrastructure investment, regulatory work, and market development can be followed by periods when growth slows and confidence disappears.

I think that is where CSL and Cochlear currently sit. Their immediate problems are highly visible, while the capabilities built over decades are easier for the market to overlook.

Both companies need to execute better from here, and patience could be required. But I believe their positions in global healthcare remain difficult to recreate.

That is why I would be comfortable buying CSL and Cochlear shares today and holding them through the next stage of their development.

The post Here’s why I’d buy and hold CSL and Cochlear shares for 10 years appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here’s what brokers tip for CSL shares over the next 12 months
• How have CSL shares performed over 10 years?
• Cochlear shares have bounced 16%. Should you buy, hold, or sell now?
• What did the market look like 10 years ago? Here’s what’s changed for the ASX 200
• Would Warren Buffett buy CSL shares?

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