Travel Insurance Refund

[Aus Traveller]

2 hours ago, bazzaw said:

We lost $2400 to INSURE and GO - will never deal with them again. BUT, Mr Morrison gave us $3000 for free (as poor deserving Aged Pensioners) so I figure we are $600 ahead. Why Mr Morrison gave us $3000, I don't know because the virus had not affected our financial position at all (other then the Insurance loss) 🙂 

We received the $3,000 payment as holders of the Seniors Card, but I agree with you. Why? I am not going to return it,😁 but I think it would have been better spent by going to others. An example is people who missed out on the Job Keeper payment because they hadn't been in their job for a year. Our $3,000 will just sit in the bank, but for some others, it would be spent in food and necessities.

[MMDown Under]

31 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

We received the $3,000 payment as holders of the Seniors Card, but I agree with you. Why? I am not going to return it,😁 but I think it would have been better spent by going to others. An example is people who missed out on the Job Keeper payment because they hadn't been in their job for a year. Our $3,000 will just sit in the bank, but for some others, it would be spent in food and necessities.

Like a lot of Seniors, I spend a lot of my money on my children.  

[NSWP]

3 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

Like a lot of Seniors, I spend a lot of my money on my children.  

So do I, help my kids out and I don't get any Pensioner Concession Card or Commonwealth Seniors Health Card and I am 72.  Why not you ask?  I am ineligble because I am on  my own, not supporting anybody and my fortnightly income stream from a defined benefit State Super Pension.  No good, complaining, no one is listening.😬 So those who do receive the above concessions, Scomos lump sum handouts, age pensions, cards, consider yourself lucky.

 

Ball park figures for Seniors  to be eligible for a Commonwealth Seniors Health Care Card for the $6.50 'stay alive pills.'  Single person income $55,000 per annum, Couple combined income $89,000 per annum, you don't have to be rich to miss out.

 

So my advice for those of you near retirement age is beware...there is no automatic right to an aged pension or Commonwealth Seniors Health Care Card.

 

Rant over, feel better now, how long to go to happy hour? 🍷

Edited August 24, 2020 by NSWP

[MMDown Under]

1 minute ago, NSWP said:

So do I, help my kids out and I don't get any Pensioner Concession Card or Commonwealth Seniors Health Card and I am 72.  Why not you ask? Because I am ineligble,because I am on  my own, not supporting anybody and my fortnightly income stream from a defined benefit State Super Pension.  No good, complaining, no one is listening.😬

I'm listening and understand.  I like the NZ scheme where everyone is entitled to a pension at a certain age.  I used to belong to a defined benefit state super pension scheme until they talked us into transferring out of it.  It was when people were being made redundant, so everyone was worried they would loose their super.  After loosing all the extra benefit I put in, out of my own after tax money, I couldn't wait until I made it back, so I could withdraw the lot and have lived on it ever since!!!

[NSWP]

11 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

I'm listening and understand.  I like the NZ scheme where everyone is entitled to a pension at a certain age.  I used to belong to a defined benefit state super pension scheme until they talked us into transferring out of it.  It was when people were being made redundant, so everyone was worried they would loose their super.  After loosing all the extra benefit I put in, out of my own after tax money, I couldn't wait until I made it back, so I could withdraw the lot and have lived on it ever since!!!

Thank you for listening and commenting....I had no choice, defined benefit super pension, 75% of my salary at retirement, indexed to CPI, but no CPI this year. It is tax free as it was a 'taxed fund. No lump sum offered and my pension dies with me, them's the rules and I paid into the fund for 36 yrs, but have been drawing the defined benefit pension for 17 yrs since I retired at 55.  I don't give a hoot about saving it, I pay my bills and spend the rest on myself, kids and grandkids, I want to leave this life with an empty bank account, the kids will have half a house each and a set of golf clubs.  Now there is no cruising and overseas trips happening to spend my $ on, I go on a NSW road trip for a few days every 3 weeks, the country folk are appreciative and I now partake of Chivas Regal instead of Johnny Walker Red and a better quality wine from Dan Murphys.🍷

 

Yes the NZ scheme is like the UK one, everybody is entitled to an aged pension, USA and Canada the same I believe, not means tested.

Edited August 24, 2020 by NSWP

[MMDown Under]

2 minutes ago, NSWP said:

I had no choice, defined benefit, 75% of my salary at retirement, indexed to CPI, but no CPI this year. No lump sum offered and my pension dies with me, them's the rule and I paid into the fund for 36 yrs, but have been drawing the defined benefit pension for 17 yrs.  I don't give a hoot about saving it, I pay my bills and spend the rest on myself, kids and grandkids, I want to leave this life with an empty bank account, the kids will have half a house each and a set of golf clubs.

If you live a long life, you win with a defined benefit, with no money worries.  I always thought I would die young, so didn't think it was such a good deal. 

[NSWP]

8 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

If you live a long life, you win with a defined benefit, with no money worries.  I always thought I would die young, so didn't think it was such a good deal. 

Indeed, you have to live long, if my wife had survived me, she would have got 69%, not 75%. Still ok though.

 

You are right, I have no financial adviser, never have, don't need one. You have a guaranteed income for life,  call it disposal income, which it is.

 

###Sorry for the thread hijack again folks.### I am becoming a serial pest.🥵

Edited August 24, 2020 by NSWP

[MicCanberra]

56 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

I'm listening and understand.  I like the NZ scheme where everyone is entitled to a pension at a certain age.  I used to belong to a defined benefit state super pension scheme until they talked us into transferring out of it.  It was when people were being made redundant, so everyone was worried they would loose their super.  After loosing all the extra benefit I put in, out of my own after tax money, I couldn't wait until I made it back, so I could withdraw the lot and have lived on it ever since!!!

Yep, NZ's system is so great many come her for the top up payments (due to reciprocal payments)

[MMDown Under]

52 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

Yep, NZ's system is so great many come her for the top up payments (due to reciprocal payments)

I know people who aren't entitled to any benefits here, who arrived in Australia after a certain date.  Worked and paid taxes here.

[MicCanberra]

2 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

I know people who aren't entitled to any benefits here, who arrived in Australia after a certain date.  Worked and paid taxes here.

Obviously, they would need to satisfy the eligibility requirements as well.

[MMDown Under]

1 hour ago, MicCanberra said:

Obviously, they would need to satisfy the eligibility requirements as well.

Kiwis who arrived in Australia after a certain cut off date aren't entitled to any Aust benefits, despite living and working in Aus.  His sister, who arrived before him, was entitled.  

[NSWP]

10 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

Kiwis who arrived in Australia after a certain cut off date aren't entitled to any Aust benefits, despite living and working in Aus.  His sister, who arrived before him, was entitled.  

The government has a habit of moving the goal posts. 

[OzKiwiJJ]

That's one of the reasons I got Australian citizenship, I don't trust the government. If soomething went wrong and I ended up relying on a benefit to live I'd be too old to move back to NZ if I couldn't get help here.

[phoenixx]

On 8/22/2020 at 6:09 PM, MMDown Under said:

My friends got their expensive travel insurance policy refunded when their cruise to Alaska was cancelled.  (Still waiting for Air Canada business class tickets refunds.)

Did you have refundable tickets with Air Canada?