The super bridge
How much do I need outside super to retire early?
The right amount outside super depends on when you stop work, when you can access super, what you spend, and how much market risk the bridge portfolio can tolerate.
Why is the usual FIRE number misleading?
A single net-worth target ignores liquidity. One million dollars in super and one million dollars in accessible investments are not interchangeable for someone retiring before 60.
Start with bridge spending
Multiply expected annual spending by the number of years to preservation age as a conservative first pass. Then model investment growth, tax, inflation, and a cash buffer rather than treating that multiplication as the final answer.
Count only genuinely accessible assets
Cash, offset balances and investments outside super can fund the bridge. Your home may support downsizing later, but it does not pay groceries unless the plan includes a sale, borrowing, or another explicit source of cash.
Avoid solving only the first decade
A larger bridge is not automatically safer if building it leaves super underfunded. Compare contributions inside and outside super together, then verify that both the pre-60 and post-60 phases work.
Test the decision with your numbers.
Start with the focused calculator, then use JettWorth’s full sandbox to see how the decision interacts with tax, super, property and the rest of your plan.
General information only. JettWorth provides scenario estimates, not personal financial advice. Tax, super and social-security rules change and individual circumstances matter.