The income you can earn from your investments and/or work while still qualifying for the age pension will increase on 20 September.

The changes reflect indexation adjustments, which are made twice per year, to keep up with inflation.

Let’s take a look at the details.

How much can you earn while still getting the pension?

If you were born on or after 1 January 1957, you are eligible for the pension from age 67, whether you are retired or not.

The pension is subject to an assets test and income test.

On 20 September, the upper thresholds on both tests will change.

In this article, we’re focusing on the rules for the income test.

Currently, singles who earn less than $226 per fortnight qualify for the full age pension.

Under the indexation changes, singles who earn between $227 and $2,701.40 (up from $2,627.80) per fortnight will get a part-payment.

Couples who earn less than $396 per fortnight qualify for the full payment.

Couples who earn between $397 and $4,128 (up from $4,016.80) per fortnight will qualify for a part-pension.

Work bonus

The Work Bonus reduces the amount of income that counts in your fortnightly income test.

Every fortnight, $300 credit is added to your Work Bonus balance, up to a maximum of $11,800, as a matter of routine.

When you work and declare your earnings, your Work Bonus balance offsets those earnings.

If your earnings are higher than your Work Bonus balance, the excess counts toward your income test for that fortnight.

This may mean you receive a lower pension payment for the fortnight.

Investment income

Pensioners do not need to declare actual income from each of their financial investments.

Instead, income is calculated using deeming rates.

(Rental income from an investment property is assessed separately, and exact amounts are used).

The deeming rates will go up on 20 September, but they are still generously low.

The lower deeming rate will be 1.75% for the first $66,800 worth of assets for singles and the first $110,600 for couples combined.

Everything above these amounts will be deemed to have earned the new upper deeming rate of interest at 3.75%.

Even the upper deeming rate is much lower than the typical interest rate you’d get on savings at the bank these days (5%-plus).

Pension payments are also going up

From 20 September, single pensioners will receive an extra $36.80 per fortnight under the inflation adjustments.

That will take the full pension payment up to $1,237.70 per fortnight.

Couples will get an extra $27.80 per partner, per fortnight.

That will raise the full pension payment to $933 per partner, per fortnight.

A very important note

Even if your income is very close to the upper limit, it is still worth applying for the age pension.

You may only get a small pension payment, but you’ll get the full benefit of the Australian Pensioner Concession Card (PCC).

The PCC can save you thousands of dollars per year through discounted medicines and hearing services, bulk-billed GP appointments, and extra benefits under the Medicare Safety Net.

Depending on which state or territory you live in, you may also qualify for discounted public transport, electricity, gas, council and water rates, dental and eye care costs, and car registration.

The post How much income can you earn while still qualifying for the age pension? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen 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.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is having a rough Thursday.

At the time of writing, the benchmark index is down 1.68% to 8,762 points, pushing it to its lowest level in around 6 weeks.

The fall also leaves the ASX 200 roughly 5.7% below its record high of 9,296 points reached in early August. Over the past month alone, the index has fallen more than 5%.

The selling is also spread right across the market. At the latest check, 153 shares are falling, 36 are rising and 11 are unchanged.

If the current decline holds into the close, it would also be the ASX 200’s worst session in around 3 months.

Oil above US$100 rattles investors

One of the biggest concerns today is the jump in oil prices.

Brent crude is currently at US$101.60 a barrel, as tensions involving the US and Iran continued to push energy prices higher.

Higher oil prices are adding to inflation concerns, which is pushing bond yields higher and making the outlook for interest rates less comfortable.

The US 10-year Treasury yield climbed to around 4.84% overnight, its highest level since 2023, while Australian bond yields have also moved higher.

Markets are now pricing around a 70% chance of another Reserve Bank of Australia rate hike at its 29 September meeting.

Heavyweights are getting hit

The weakness is spread across the market, with every sector trading lower earlier on Thursday.

Mining stocks are doing plenty of damage after iron ore slipped back below US$100 a tonne.

BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) shares are down 2.81% to $62.77, while Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO) shares have fallen 3.03% to $173.90.

The banks are also lower, with Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) shares down 1.71% to $152.60 and National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) shares falling 1.91% to $37.54.

What should investors watch now?

One level worth watching is the ASX 200’s 200-day moving average, which was sitting around 8,816 points before the market opened.

The index has now dropped below that level, which could put more attention on the 8,800 area after the strong breakout above 9,000 in August failed to hold.

The next few sessions are likely to depend heavily on oil prices, bond yields and the upcoming US inflation data.

The ASX 200 is still slightly higher in 2026, so I wouldn’t call this a major correction yet.

But with the index now 5% below its August record high, investors should expect more short-term volatility.

The post ASX 200 dives to a 6-week low. What’s behind today’s sell-off? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Aaron Teboneras 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 BHP Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

If you like the idea of earning an easy passive income, then ASX dividend shares are for you.

There are a huge range of ASX shares on the market which pay out dividends to shareholders every six months, or perhaps even more frequently.

But the hardest part is picking the best ones for your portfolio.

Here are two of my top high-yield ASX dividend picks. And these shares both pay a huge dividend of 10% or more.

BetaShares Australian Top 20 Equities Yield Maximiser Complex ETF (ASX: YMAX)

YMAX is an ASX-listed exchange-traded fund (ETF) that gives its shareholders exposure to Australia’s 20 largest blue-chip shares, rather than just one individual company.

I like the stock because it invests in a range of large Australian companies, which means it can provide greater diversification and reduce the risk of relying on the performance of one individual company. 

This makes it a more stable option for investors looking for regular passive income, while still giving them exposure to some of Australia’s biggest businesses.

The fund is heavily weighted into the financial sector, which accounts for 43.2% of its allocation at the time of writing. The materials sector is second, accounting for 24.8% of its allocation. 

Elsewhere, it also invests into the consumer discretionary, consumer staples, energy, industrials, real estate, communications, and healthcare sectors. 

YMAX also differs from a lot of other ASX dividend stocks because it pays its shareholders on a monthly basis.

As of the 31th of August, YMAX has a 12-month gross distribution yield of 9.5%, and a net yield of 8.1%. The total franking level is 41.4%.

The ASX dividend share is due to pay its next dividend ( 5 cents per unit) to shareholders next week. It has paid between 3.5 cents and 5 cents per share since it moved to monthly payouts in February this year.

Nine Entertainment Co. Holdings Ltd (ASX: NEC)

Nine Entertainment is another attractive passive income option. The business has a large and established position in Australia’s media industry, combined with a long history of paying reliable and consistent dividends to its shareholders.

Australian media giant Nine Entertainment underwent a strategic reshape of its business in the first half of FY26. This included a broad portfolio restructure, acquisitions and asset sales, and enhancements to its digital and streaming revenue.

The ASX dividend company acquired QMS Media, sold Nine Radio, and restructured its NBN and Darwin TV operations. It also sold its controlling stake in property platform Domain. 

The $1.4 billion Domain deal allowed Nine to reduce debt and boost its balance sheet. It also meant it was able to return roughly $777 million (paying a special dividend at a rate of 49 cents per share) to investors in late-2025. 

Just last month, the ASX company announced its FY26 results, including a 3% increase in revenue, a 17% increase in EBITDA, and a final 3 cent per share dividend for FY26.

Combined with its 4.5 cent interim unfranked dividend paid in April, the total FY26 dividend comes to 7.5 cents. At the time of writing, this translates to a dividend yield of around 9.9%.

The post 2 ASX dividend shares yielding 9.5% (or even more) 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 recommended Nine Entertainment. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.