One move now could add $25,000 to your retirement savings. Here’s how

March 21, 2026 — 5:01am

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The end of financial year is probably one of the furthest things from your mind right now but you should still have your eye on a lucrative June 30 prize. Because for those who play the system right, there is a potential $500 on offer – free.

The superannuation co-contribution is a government incentive to boost the super of low and middle earners, introduced more than two decades ago. It provides a 50 per cent matching contribution for after-tax payments you make, up to a ceiling of $1000.

The full 50 per cent – so, $500 – is available on incomes up to $47,488. Even all the way to earnings of $62,488 you receive a phased-down amount.

But key is that word ‘earnings’. The co-contribution scheme is designed for people who are working, unlike the spouse contribution, which is available to everyone (this is another great potential boost for families, under which a $3000 after-tax contribution on behalf of a........

© The Age