Australians aged 67 years old (or over) might be eligible to receive the Age Pension payment.

The fortnightly sum, of up to $1,237.70 for individuals and up to $933 per person for couples, is designed to help cover basic retirement costs. 

Your eligibility depends on where you fall under the income and asset tests. You’ll also need to be an Australian resident who has lived here for at least 10 years, with at least five of those years in a single continuous period.

The problem is, the rules are strict. And one small error could see your payment reduced dramatically, or even be eliminated entirely.

Here are six expensive mistakes that Australian retirees often make when it comes to the Age Pension, and how to avoid them.

1. Procrastinating

Many Aussies wait until they turn 67 before they start doing their paperwork. It’s logical, given that this is the age when you meet eligibility requirements. But did you know that you can actually apply 13 weeks earlier?

This ensures the application is completed before you reach the eligibility age, so you can start receiving payments the day you turn 67. Procrastination means you’ll miss out on weeks of income because Centrelink does not backdate payments prior to your successful lodgement date.

2. Overlooking your income limits

To receive the full Age Pension, single Australians can earn up to $226 per fortnight. Meanwhile, couples can earn up to $396 per fortnight.

For every dollar earned over the free area, a single person’s pension reduces by 50 cents, and a couple’s pension reduces by 25 cents each (combined).

If you earn over the threshold, you could end up with a much lower payment rate, if anything at all. It’s important that you’re aware of the income levels before you apply for your Age Pension.

3. Failing to declare all your assets

The Age Pension asset test includes everything you own, whether it’s in full, in part, or you have an interest in. This excludes the home you live in, but includes any stocks, like S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares, property, superannuation, an SMSF, or any possessions you own locally or outside Australia. Failing to declare your assets correctly will result in you failing the asset test.

In order to receive the full Age Pension, single homeowners can now own assets (including superannuation) up to a value of $333,000, and non-homeowners can own assets up to $600,000 in retirement.

A couple combined can own up to $499,000 in total if they own a property, or $766,000 if they don’t.

If you’re over these limits, a part payment is assessed on a sliding scale.

4. Double reporting

It can be difficult to understand the rules around where to declare your superannuation balance. The mistake many Aussies make is that they end up accidentally reporting it twice, as an asset and the pension drawdown as an income. This can delay your payment, reduce your entitlement, or mean you’re not eligible for anything at all.

Instead, you should list your superannuation balance as a financial asset. Centrelink will then apply its own deeming rates. 

5. Gifting money or assets to family or friends

It can be tempting to give a portion of your assets to close friends or family if you’re approaching the Age Pension age and are worried you’ll be over the thresholds. 

But Centrelink has rules against this. If you give away your income or assets, they may still count towards your income and asset tests. This also applies if you sell them for less than they’re worth.

You can choose to give away any amount and as many gifts as you like. If the total value of your gifts is more than the value of the gifting-free area, your Age Pension payment may be affected.

You can gift up to $10,000 in one financial year and $30,000 over five financial years. The $30,000 can’t include more than $10,000 in a single financial year. 

6. Downsizing your home

Similarly, it can be tempting to downsize your home to free up some cash, but this can be a bad idea too. 

The property you live in is generally not included as part of the Age Pension asset test. But if you decide to downsize to something smaller and either invest or bank the rest, it could push you over the asset thresholds. 

For example, if you sell your $2 million home and downsize to a $500,000 property, that $1.5 million difference then becomes an assessable asset under Age Pension rules.

The post 6 costly mistakes that will slash your Age Pension payment appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Samantha Menzies 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.

Despite never actually owning it (much to my detriment), the BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK) has long been one of my favourite exchange-traded funds (ETFs) on the ASX.

For one, it exclusively invests in the world’s most exciting cybersecurity companies. That’s an arena I’m sure we can all agree has a reasonably bright future in front of it.

For another, this ETF has one of the best ticker codes on our markets, hands down.

But let’s get to the really impressive stuff.

This ASX ETF has consistently generated some of the best returns among funds on the Australian market. To illustrate, let’s get into the latest figures. So as of 31 August, the Betashares Global Cybersecurity ETF had returned an astonishing 24.85% over the previous 12 months. That’s just one year, you might say. No investment, particularly one so grounded in the volatile tech space, should be judged from one year’s performance. Fair enough. So consider that over the past three years, HACK units have delivered a near-identical result, delivering an average of 24.28% per annum.

That stretches to a still-respectable 14.76% per annum over the past five years, and to 19.04% per annum over ten. That’s a truly astonishing track record. An annual return of 19.04% is enough to turn a $10,000 investment into over $66,000 in a decade. True wealth-building stuff.

So with that in mind, can we call this ASX ETF a best buy for the ASX today?

Is this high-flying BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF still a buy today?

Well, I would say that it is. This ASX ETF’s extraordinary performance indicates that its process is a successful one. As we’ve mentioned, cybersecurity is an industry that is not going anywhere. In fact, we can comfortably argue that its importance continues to grow every day. With more and more personal, business, and government interactions moving online, cybersecurity will only become an increasingly essential service. And given how damaging a hack or intrusion can be to an entity’s reputation, individuals, companies, and governments are likely to become even more willing to spend whatever it takes to protect their customers, clients, and reputations.

The shares that HACK holds in its portfolio are truly some of the best in the business. On the latest data, these include the likes of CrowdStrike Holdings, Fortinet, Palo Alto Networks, Broadcom, Okta, and Cloudflare. All top-tier companies that have shown that they have what it takes to capture and keep customers.

HACK will always be a volatile ETF – you shouldn’t be surprised to see its units take a big hit whenever there are wobbles in the market. But even so, its track record and exposure to one of the world’s hottest growth industries make it, at least in my view, a top buy for any long-term investor today.

The post 25% per annum: Is the BetaShares Cybersecurity ETF (HACK) a buy today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen 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 Broadcom, Cloudflare, CrowdStrike, Fortinet, and Okta. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Palo Alto Networks. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended CrowdStrike and Okta. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Ramsay Health Care vs Sonic Healthcare shares

If you’re weighing up Ramsay Health Care Ltd (ASX: RHC) and Sonic Healthcare Ltd (ASX: SHL) shares, you’re not alone — these two are among the brightest lights in Australian healthcare. Yet, their business models, dividend policies and current market valuations are quite different. For value-seeking investors, there’s a lot to unpack, so let’s compare their fundamentals, dividend history, recent share price performance and what I think is the smarter buy right now.

The case for Ramsay Health Care

Ramsay Health Care is one of the world’s largest private hospital operators, with a vast portfolio spanning around 500 facilities — including hospitals, day surgeries, clinics, and mental health services — across 11 countries. Beyond Australia, Ramsay has substantial operations in Europe and the UK, and, according to its company profile, derives most of its revenue from Australia and Europe. This makes it a genuine global healthcare heavyweight, with a long track record in running complex, capital-intensive medical infrastructure.

A couple of key numbers stand out. First, Ramsay’s market cap sits at $12.58 billion, above Sonic’s, marking it as the larger of the two companies. Its P/E ratio is 41.00, reflecting a rich valuation, especially compared to most of the market. Dividend hunters will note its 1.63% yield, but every cent of that payout is fully franked (100%). Its dividend per share for the most recent period was $0.97, again, all franked.

The case for Sonic Healthcare

Sonic Healthcare is a global leader in pathology and diagnostic services. It’s the largest private medical laboratory and pathology provider in key markets including Australia, the UK, Germany, and Switzerland. Most of Sonic’s revenue comes from pathology, but the business also has a significant footprint in diagnostic imaging and medical centre operations in Australia, making it a diversified diagnostics powerhouse.

Fundamentally, Sonic’s story right now is quite different to Ramsay’s. Its market capitalisation is $9.20 billion, a fair bit smaller than Ramsay’s. But here’s where things get interesting for value investors: its P/E ratio is 15.44, easily less than half of Ramsay’s, suggesting Sonic shares are much more modestly valued at current earnings levels. Its dividend yield is a chunky 5.69%, and while only 60% franked for the latest payout, that’s still a potentially appealing income stream. Recent dividends have totalled $1.08 per share.

Valuation comparison

With several key differences apparent, here’s how Ramsay and Sonic line up on the numbers that matter for value-focused investors:

Metric	Ramsay Health Care	Sonic Healthcare
Market Cap	$12.58 billion	$9.20 billion
P/E Ratio	41.00	15.44
Dividend Yield	1.63% (100% franked)	5.69% (60% franked)
Dividend per share (most recent)	$0.97	$1.08
Earnings per share	1.358	1.230
Year to Date Return	64.7%	-11.2%

Note: Ramsay’s reported P/E ratio may be based on a different earnings measure (e.g. underlying or forward earnings) than the EPS figure shown, which is why they may appear inconsistent.

Simply put, if I’m judging pure valuation metrics, Sonic Healthcare looks much more attractively priced relative to its earnings and offers a much higher dividend yield, albeit with less franking than Ramsay. Ramsay’s high P/E suggests the market is baking in a lot of future growth or sees it as much lower risk — or possibly a bit of both.

Recent share price momentum

Comparing recent share price performance up to1 October 2026:

• Ramsay Health Care closed at $54.48 on 1 Oct 2026, down 2.16% on the day but boasting impressive momentum over 2026 with a year-to-date return of 64.7%.
• Sonic Healthcare finished at $18.61 on 1 Oct 2026, also dropping 2.00% that day, and is down 11.2% for the year to date.

Over the past year, Ramsay has surged ahead and Sonic has gone backwards. For investors looking for momentum and the market’s latest vote of confidence, Ramsay clearly wears the crown for 2026 so far.

Which is the better buy?

For me, as a value-seeking investor, Sonic Healthcare is the better buy right now. Here’s why: Sonic’s P/E ratio of 15.44 is far lower than Ramsay’s 41.00, and yet its earnings per share are pretty similar. Even better, Sonic’s dividend yield is well over three times Ramsay’s (5.69% vs 1.63%), though franking is only 60% versus Ramsay’s full 100%.

Ramsay has had a great run this year, reflected in its huge year-to-date return, but that’s precisely why I’d be cautious about buying it now – it’s probably priced for perfection. Sonic, meanwhile, has lagged in the share price stakes and may well be out of favour, but it’s this relative unloved status that gives it value appeal. Its business is less capital intensive, cash-generative and, in my eyes, looks like a classic opportunity for patient investors to scoop up a top ASX healthcare stock at a fair valuation, with a strong, fully-funded dividend yield to boot.

So, if I had to buy one for value today, my pick would be Sonic Healthcare.

The post Ramsay Health Care vs Sonic Healthcare: Which healthcare stock is better value? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Laura Stewart 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 recommended Sonic Healthcare. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips. This article was prepared with the assistance of Large Language Model (LLM) tools for the initial draft. Any content assisted by AI is subject to our robust human-in-the-loop quality control framework, involving thorough review, substantial editing, and fact-checking by our experienced writers and editors holding appropriate credentials. The Motley Fool Australia stands behind the work of our editorial team and takes ultimate responsibility for the content published by The Motley Fool Australia.