meet Julie-Anne

As a nurse and midwife for 40 years, HESTA member Julie-Anne has always loved sharing her knowledge.
 

Now retired after a dynamic and fulfilling career, Julie-Anne says it was a privilege to impact her patients’ lives through education.

“It was all about planting little seeds and hoping that something grows from that,” she says.

“Health professionals hold so much knowledge, and we need to share it. There’s no point knowing about child development, for example, if we don’t share it with parents and the wider community.”

Julie-Anne feels the same way about financial literacy.

She has been educating herself on money matters since she joined the workforce and wants people to be more open about their own experiences.

“We don’t talk about finances, just like we don’t talk about religion or politics," Julie-Anne says.

"But it doesn't have to be secret squirrel business."

Julie-Anne says she’s learned a lot from reading, watching videos online and attending presentations on superannuation.

“I’ve attended probably just about every HESTA seminar and education session, both online and in-person,” she says.

“I’m a bit of a nut when it comes to looking at whatever material I can access and educating myself.”

HESTA offers information sessions to members at no extra cost.

Through this dedication, Julie-Anne learned about the power of compound interest, as well as the importance of making super contributions through salary sacrifice.

She started contributing extra to her super around 12 years ago, once she’d paid off her post-graduate diploma HECS debt.

“I remember going to a seminar and finding out about the tax benefits of extra contributions,” Julie-Anne says.

“I did the calculations and realised you’re not actually that much out of pocket.

“It was a lightbulb moment for me. And it’s made the biggest difference to my super balance.”

When Julie-Anne was working casually between caring for her children, she discovered she was eligible for the government co-contribution and made sure to take advantage of this too.

As a result, Julie-Anne has been able to retire this year on her terms at age 60.

She is proud of the results of her hard work, extra contributions, and years of living within her means, and decided to invest her super in a HESTA Retirement Income Stream.

“With the tax benefits, it was a no-brainer for me,” Julie-Anne says.

“I need my balance to continue to grow and grow so it can support me for the rest of my life.”

In retirement, Julie-Anne is looking forward to taking time to re-connect with dormant hobbies, as well as renovating the home she shares with her husband.

“I’ve got a horse-riding trip in South Africa booked for 2027, and the house needs a lot of work in so many ways,” she says.

“I know it’s important to budget in retirement, but you’ve also got to set goals and have things to look forward to.

“You’ve got to have a purpose, and I have so many projects that I can’t wait to get started.”

The information shown is general information only. It does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or specific needs, so you should look at your own financial position and requirements before making a decision. You may wish to consult an adviser when doing this. For more information, contact us or visit hesta.com.au/pds for a copy of a Product Disclosure Statement which should be considered when making a decision about the HESTA products on this website and to consider the relevant risks. The target market determination for HESTA products can be found at hesta.com.au/tmd.