Checklist · Caloundra & the Sunshine Coast

Retirement planning checklist for Caloundra and the Sunshine Coast

This retirement planning checklist helps you check your readiness across five areas: having enough money, what you want to do, the people around you, your sense of purpose and whether your home suits the years ahead. You can talk it through with Simon. We work with people in Caloundra, Mooloolaba and across the Sunshine Coast.

Book a 30-minute Fit Check with Simon

Simon Pederson, M.Fin, B.Bus (FP), Founder and Lead Retirement Planner, over 15 years helping people plan for retirement

Timber jetty and rowboat on calm water

How do you use this retirement planning checklist?

Retirement is more than a super balance. This checklist uses the five areas of our Path to Prosperity approach to help you think about money and lifestyle together. Work through each area, note what’s clear and what isn’t, and bring your answers to a Fit Check if you’d like to talk them through.

Looking for a specific situation? Browse our other retirement planning checklists.

Simon lives in Caloundra. We work with people in Caloundra, Mooloolaba and across the Sunshine Coast.

1. Plenty: having enough to live on in retirement.

2. Play: the travel, hobbies and activities you want to enjoy.

3. People: family, friends and community connections.

4. Passion: purpose and meaning beyond work.

5. Place: whether your home suits your future needs and lifestyle.

Plenty: do you have enough to live on?

1. How much do I have? Take stock of your super and other savings. Tip: you can see your super accounts, including any lost super, through ATO online services linked to myGov. Having more than one account can mean paying extra fees and insurance. [1]
2. How much do I need? It depends on the lifestyle you want, whether you own your home and how much Age Pension you may receive. Read How much money do I actually need to retire? for 2026 figures.

Play: what do you want to do?

1. What do I want to do? List your bigger travel and activity goals.
2. When do I want to do it? Think about scheduling bigger trips or more active plans earlier, with gentler activities you enjoy throughout retirement.

People: who do you want around you?

1. Who is important to me? Which family and friends do you want to be close to? Talk with them about what you each picture for retirement, so your expectations line up.
2. How could I branch out? Think about clubs, groups or volunteering in your community that could fill the social gap when you leave work.

Passion: what gives you purpose?

1. What do I really love to do? Notice the activities that make you lose track of time. They can be a foundation for purpose beyond work.
2. What did I love to do? Revisit hobbies or talents you set aside for work or family.

Place: does your home suit the years ahead?

1. Does my home still suit me? Ask yourself:
  • Will my home be practical as my mobility changes?
  • Am I comfortable locking up and leaving to travel?
  • Is it close to family, friends, services and the things I enjoy?
  • Is the maintenance manageable?

If you answered no to any of these, think about whether you could change it, or whether somewhere else might suit you better. Read Should I downsize my home for retirement?.

What’s the next step after the checklist?

If you’d like to talk your answers through, start with a 30-minute Fit Check by phone or video call. It’s general information, not personal advice. See Pricing, Our engagement process, Path to Prosperity and retirement planning for every life stage. For the years before you stop work, see retirement planning for pre-retirees.

Common questions about the checklist

What should be on a retirement planning checklist?

A retirement planning checklist can cover money and lifestyle: how much you have, how much you may need, what you want to do, the people you want around you, what gives you purpose, and whether your home suits the years ahead.

How do I find all my super accounts?

You can see your super accounts, including any lost super, through ATO online services linked to myGov. Having more than one account can mean paying extra fees and insurance.

How much do I need to retire?

It depends on the lifestyle you want, whether you own your home and how much Age Pension you may receive. Our guide How much money do I actually need to retire? sets out 2026 figures, and Simon can work from what you actually spend.

Want to talk through your answers?

Start with a 30-minute Fit Check with Simon, Founder and Lead Retirement Planner, by phone or video call.

Book a 30-minute Fit Check with Simon

Or call Simon on (07) 5327 3495

Sunlit Path Retirement Partners is a trading name of The Trustee for Mino Family Trust, ABN 16 788 964 101

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