It’s never too early to start thinking about whether you’ll have enough superannuation to retire on.

It can be helpful to find out how your superannuation balance compares to other Australians the same age.

And also, to compare it to how much you need to have saved away by the time you decide to retire.

Here’s a breakdown of what the average Australian aged 42 has in their super, compared with those aged 52 and 62.

Are you on track with the rest of the population?

How much superannuation does the average Australian have at age 42?

According to the most recent data from the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA), there isn’t an exact amount for every age, but there is a bracket which can help provide a good guide to work towards.

According to ASFA, the average male aged 40 to 44 has around $140,680 in their superannuation.

Females the same age have a little less, at around $109,209.

This is usually because women take more time out of the workforce, or move to reduced hours to care for children. At which time they earn lower or even no superannuation.

The gap then widens every year as compound growth takes over at different rates for men and women.

How much superannuation does the average Australian have at age 52?

The average male aged 50 to 54 has approximately $254,071 in their superannuation.

Meanwhile, the average female has a lot less, closer to $190,175.

How much superannuation does the average Australian have at age 62?

By the time the average male reaches the 60 to 64 age bracket, they have around $395,852 saved.

The average 60 to 64 year old woman has closer to $313,360.

Are these average super balances enough to retire on?

No, in fact the average balance is far behind at every age milestone.

ASFA data concludes that a comfortable retirement is expected to cost around $56,166 per year for individuals and $78,998 combined per year for couples.

To afford that, by retirement, a single person will need a superannuation balance of around $630,000, and couples need around $730,000.

How much do I need in my super at each age to be considered on track?

I’ve crunched the numbers using ASFA’s super detective tool to work out how much you should really have in your superannuation at age 42, 52 and 62 to be able to retire comfortably.

Assuming you’ll retire at age 67 with $630,000, and based on a $100,000 per year income, you’ll need around $130,000 in your superannuation at age 42.

By age 52, this should increase to $290,500.

Then by age 62, this should be closer to $505,000, before climbing to $630,000 by retirement age of 67.

How does this compare to the average balance?

As you can see by the figures above, the average male aged 40 to 44 is slightly ahead (at $140,680 versus the required $130,000 at age 42), but the average female is already behind by around $11,000.

By age 52, the average male is around $36,000 behind, while the average female is roughly $100,000 behind.

By age 62 the gap widens even more. The average male around this age is roughly $110,000 behind, and the average female is around $192,000 behind what is considered on track.

How does your superannuation balance compare now?

The post Average superannuation balances at age 42, 52 and 62 in Australia 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.

A stock can crash 66% and still not be a bargain. That’s the trap staring down anyone eyeing WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) shares right now.

The numbers are brutal: down 24% for the month, 52% year to date, and 66% over 12 months. That kind of collapse makes any stock look tempting. But don’t confuse cheap with fixed and that’s exactly the confusion WiseTech needs investors to avoid.

The logistics software giant has been through a bruising stretch, with governance and leadership concerns gutting investor confidence. The price of WiseTech shares has already taken its beating. Now comes the harder part: proving the business actually deserves that confidence back.

Here are three things investors should be watching.

Make governance boring again

For WiseTech, boring would be the best possible outcome right now.

The company needs to show its governance, board oversight and leadership structures can function without constantly becoming the headline. Why does this matter so much? Because investors in WiseTech shares aren’t just paying for today’s earnings, they’re paying for confidence in tomorrow’s earnings.

AFP investigations into founder Richard White. An ACCC search warrant executed on the company. ASIC and AFP raiding WiseTech’s HQ in late October 2025. If governance drama keeps stealing the spotlight, the market will keep applying a discount, no matter how good CargoWise looks on paper.

WiseTech needs investors talking about its software again, not its boardroom.

Let CargoWise do the talking

This is WiseTech’s real opportunity, and it’s a genuine one.

CargoWise sits at the heart of the investment case for WiseTech shares. Its software is so deeply embedded in customers’ logistics operations that switching becomes a genuine headache — a real competitive moat.

But here’s the catch: investors aren’t buying a moat. They’re buying future cash flows. That means WiseTech has to keep proving CargoWise can convert its dominant position into sustainable revenue and earnings growth. Watch customer adoption, revenue growth, margins and cash generation like a hawk.

The best response to scepticism isn’t another promise. It’s another strong result.

Earn back the benefit of the doubt

This might be the hardest test of all.

Once trust is broken, management doesn’t get the easy pass anymore. The fix isn’t complicated, but it takes time. Set expectations, meet them, communicate clearly, execute consistently. Repeat.

WiseTech doesn’t need fireworks. It needs predictability. Say something, then do it. That’s progress. Turn strategy into measurable results. That’s progress. Keep governance out of the headlines. That’s progress.

Stack enough of those wins together, and confidence in WiseTech shares starts to rebuild on its own.

Don’t mistake a rebound for a turnaround

That’s the line investors need to hold. A stock can bounce without the underlying business actually being repaired. WiseTech has to prove something more durable is happening. Fix governance, keep CargoWise growing, rebuild credibility.

If those three pieces click into place, investors will have a real reason to reassess. But the order matters: proof comes first, confidence comes second, and only then does a genuine rebound of WiseTech shares become easy to justify.

WiseTech doesn’t need investors to believe in a comeback story. It needs to earn the right to tell one.

The post WiseTech shares need more than a rebound. 3 things it must prove first appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Marc Van Dinther has positions in WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended WiseTech Global. 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) shares have staged a remarkable recovery since plumbing a multi-year closing low of just $92.24 on 3 June.

How remarkable?

Well, in mid-day trade on Tuesday, shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) biotech giant were trading for $180.17 apiece. This sees the CSL share price up 95.3% in less than four months. That compares to a 0.4% loss posted by the ASX 200 over this same period.

And this doesn’t include the unfranked $2.244 a share final CSL dividend. While that passive income payout won’t be made until 2 October, CSL stock traded ex-dividend on 9 September.

If we add that back into Tuesday’s share price, then the accumulated value of CSL shares has soared 97.8% since the 3 June lows.

CSL trades on an unfranked 2.3% trailing dividend yield.

But following this meteoric recovery, and noting that CSL stock remains down more than 43% since August 2024, is the Aussie biotech company still a good buy today?

CSL shares: Buy, hold or sell?

Catapult Wealth’s Dylan Evans recently ran his slide rule over the ASX biotech giant (courtesy of The Bull).

“The CSL share price has partially recovered after the company posted a brighter outlook at its 2026 full year results,” he noted.

“A promising sign was profit growth guidance in full year 2027, driven by the core blood plasma business,” he added.

Connecting the dots, Evans issued a hold recommendation on CSL shares for now.

He concluded:

This guidance should provide the market with confidence about CSL’s brighter future after a difficult period. There’s potential value in the stock, particularly if CSL achieves guidance and growth recovers.

What’s been sending the ASX 200 biotech stock soaring?

CSL reported its full year FY 2026 results on 18 August.

Although revenue declined 1% from FY 2025, and CSL reported net loss after tax of US$2.6 billion, investors were more focused on the company’s profit growth guidance that Evans mentioned above.

For the full year FY 2027, management forecast steady revenue and underlying NPAT growth of approximately 5%.

“FY26 has been a year of reset. We have taken decisive action and created a clear path to return to sustainable growth,” CSL interim CEO Gordon Naylor said on the day.

Naylor added:

We have made solid progress on our transformation program and continue to simplify the business. We have also invested in our commercial capabilities and development programs to drive top line growth in the future.

CSL shares closed up 17.3% on the day of the results release.

The post Up 98%: Are CSL shares now a buy, hold or sell? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Bernd Struben 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 CSL. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended CSL. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.