The average age of retirement in Australia is 65. At this point, you can access your superannuation regardless of whether you’ve started work or not, and you’re just two years from potentially receiving the Age Pension.

But just because age 65 is the average doesn’t mean you have to wait until then if you don’t want to.

Perhaps you want to retire a little earlier at age 63? That’s predictably doable, but only if you have enough in your superannuation to support yourself.

Let’s break down what retirement at age 63 might look like, and how much you’ll need to make it happen.

What could a comfortable retirement look like?

The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) splits retirement into two broad categories: comfortable and modest.

ASFA defines a comfortable retirement as one that gives retirees a good standard of living well beyond the age pension. It budgets for expenses beyond a modest retirement, including top-tier private health insurance and regular leisure activities. It allocates funds for home repairs or renovations, and perhaps even an annual holiday.

Meanwhile, a modest retirement is defined as being able to cover expenses just slightly above what the full Centrelink Age Pension would provide from age 67.

How much will a comfortable retirement cost?

According to ASFA, a comfortable retirement is expected to cost around $55,923 per year for single Australians and roughly $78,566 per year for a couple living together.

But the catch is that these figures assume you’ll be retiring at age 67, will need to fund roughly 10 years of retirement, will be eligible to receive a part Age Pension, own your home in full, and already have an emergency fund set aside.

How much superannuation do I need to fund that?

In order to fund a comfortable retirement, ASFA calculates that at age 67, single Australians will need around $630,000. Meanwhile, couples will need a superannuation balance of around $730,000.

But, if I want to retire earlier at around age 63, how much extra will I need?

If you’re planning to retire earlier, at age 63, you’ll need to factor in those four additional years.

I’ve done a quick calculation using ASFA’s figures to work out the sum you actually need in your superannuation to be able to retire at age 63 and have the same lifestyle quality.

At age 63, singles will need to have closer to $854,000 in their superannuation. 

Meanwhile, couples will need a combined balance of around $1.05 million at age 63. 

These figures assume you’ll need to fund the additional four years of retirement between the ages of 63 and 67.

But remember, if you don’t own your home outright, you’ll also need to consider how you’ll pay your mortgage or rent, along with your other bills, and budget accordingly.

How does your superannuation balance compare? Are you on track?

The post How much superannuation do I need to retire comfortably at age 63? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• How much do I need in my superannuation to earn $60k annual passive income?
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• AMP shares have surged 80% since March. What’s next?
• Buying South32 shares? Here’s the dividend yield you’ll get right now
• Why this undervalued ASX All Ords tech stock is tipped for ‘significant growth’

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.

It was a wild, but ultimately positive, session for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) and many ASX shares this Tuesday.

After opening sharply lower and spending most of the session in red territory, the ASX 200 ended up staging a late afternoon recovery, closing with a minuscule 0.023% rise. That leaves the index at 8,793.3 points.

This bumpy day for ASX investors followed a rough start to the American trading week on Wall Street’s boards last night.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) started the week on a sour note, falling 0.59%.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) fared slightly better, though, dropping by 0.048%.

But let’s return to the local markets now and take stock of what the various ASX sectors were up to this Tuesday.

Winners and losers

Despite the broader market’s nominal lift, green sectors outnumbered red sectors this session.

Leading those red sectors were healthcare stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) crashed 1.05% lower today.

Communications shares were on the nose as well, with the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) tumbling 0.88%.

Consumer discretionary stocks weren’t popular either. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) saw its value tank 0.83%.

We could say the same for financial shares, as you can verify by the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ)’s 0.71% dive.

Next up were industrial stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) had dipped 0.34% by the closing bell.

Our last losers were consumer staples shares, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) slipping 0.08%.

Turning to the green sectors now, these were led by gold stocks. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) soared 3.64% higher this Tuesday.

Tech shares ran hot as well, evident from the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ)’s 3.26% surge.

Mining stocks were also in demand. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) jumped 1.33% today.

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) were next, with the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) leaping 0.61%.

Then we had energy shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) saw a 0.4% increase this session.

Finally, utilities stocks got over the winner’s line, illustrated by the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ)’s 0.22% lift.

Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown

Gold miner Minerals 260 Ltd (ASX: MI6) took out today’s top spot. Minerals 260 shares spiked 7.69% higher this Tuesday to close at 64 cents apiece.

There wasn’t any news out from the company, but most gold shares had a strong session.

Here’s how the other winners landed their planes: 

ASX-listed company	Share price	Price change
Minerals 260 Ltd (ASX: MI6)	$0.63	7.69%
NextDC Ltd (ASX: NXT)	$14.06	7.74%
South32 Ltd (ASX: S32)	$4.35	6.62%
Predictive Discovery Ltd (ASX: PDI)	$0.66	6.45%
Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN)	$10.89	5.63%
Bellevue Gold Ltd (ASX: BGL)	$1.26	5.46%
Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1)	$18.95	5.10%
Emerald Resorces Ltd (ASX: EMR)	$5.23	5.02%
Vault Minerals Ltd (ASX: VAU)	$4.82	4.78%
Ramelius Resources Ltd (ASX: RMS)	$3.02	4.50%

Our top 10 shares countdown is a recurring end-of-day summary that shows which companies made big moves on the day. Check in at Fool.com.au after the weekday market closes to see which stocks make the countdown.

The post Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Buying South32 shares? Here’s the dividend yield you’ll get right now
• HUB24 earnings: Record $18.9bn net inflows lift FUA
• NEXTDC share price on watch as contracted utilisation rises and forward order book grows
• Contact Energy June 2026 earnings: Sales rise, renewables progress
• Telix Pharmaceuticals: Q2 2026 revenue jumps 21%

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 Megaport. 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.

AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP) shares climbed to a fresh five-year high of $2.11 during Tuesday afternoon trade, extending one of the strongest rallies on the ASX this year.

The financial services company’s shares have soared 18% over the past five trading days following last week’s upbeat earnings update, taking their gain over the past 12 months to around 32%.

So, after a remarkable turnaround, should investors buy, hold, or sell?

A dramatic reversal

The latest rally marks a stunning recovery from mid-March, when AMP shares slumped to a one-year low of $1.14. Since then, the stock has surged roughly 80%.

It wasn’t always smooth sailing. AMP shares plunged about 26% in February after the company delivered a disappointing FY25 result that fell well short of market expectations.

Broader concerns over geopolitical tensions and Australia’s inflation outlook also weighed on financial stocks during the first half of the year.

Sentiment began to improve in April. AMP’s first-quarter update revealed Platforms’ net cash flows had surged 45%, while Superannuation & Investments delivered improved net cash outflows. Investors took the figures as a sign that the company’s turnaround strategy was gaining traction.

That optimism accelerated last week. AMP told the market it expects first-half underlying net profit of between $170 million and $180 million, well above the $131 million reported a year earlier. The stronger earnings outlook reinforced confidence that operational improvements are translating into better financial performance.

AMP has also benefited from growing expectations that the Reserve Bank of Australia will continue lowering interest rates, a backdrop that generally supports sentiment towards financial companies.

What do the experts think?

Broker sentiment remains broadly positive, although much of the recent optimism now appears reflected in the share price.

According to TradingView data, six of the ten analysts covering AMP have either a buy or strong buy recommendation. Three rate the shares as a hold, while one recommends selling.

However, the average price target now sits at $2.02 per AMP share, implying the stock is trading slightly above consensus fair value after its recent rally.

The most optimistic analyst sees AMP reaching $2.19 over the next 12 months, suggesting a further gain of around 5%.

Foolish Takeaway

AMP’s turnaround story has gathered considerable momentum over recent months.

Improving business flows, stronger profit expectations, and a more supportive interest rate outlook have all helped restore investor confidence after a difficult few years.

That said, after an 80% rally since March and fresh five-year highs, much of the good news may already be priced into AMP shares.

With broker price targets sitting close to current trading levels, existing shareholders may be inclined to hold, while prospective investors may want to wait for either another improvement in earnings or a more attractive entry point.

The post AMP shares have surged 80% since March. What’s next? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• AMP shares rebound 64%: Buy, sell or hold?
• How much do I need in my superannuation to earn an annual $60,000 passive income?
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today

Motley Fool contributor Marc Van Dinther 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.