How Michelle gained the confidence to retire when she wanted

She wanted to get a better understanding of her situation

Michelle booked into several seminars to get a better understanding of her situation and her West State Super account. She found the sessions helpful, but not all the information applied to her specifically.

She heard about our Retirement Options Service (ROS) and decided it might be a worthwhile next step.

“I felt confident going into my ROS meeting, because I knew what questions I wanted answered.”

Our Retirement Options Service gave her control over her situation

Michelle’s one-on-one meeting with her consultant, Robin, helped reduce her retirement worries and gave her the confidence to make changes at work.

“Because of what I gained from my meeting, I have decided I can go part time at work,” she said. “And if I don’t enjoy that, I can give four weeks’ notice and walk away from my job completely.”

“It’s reduced my stress levels incredibly. There’s a real fear of the unknown. I don’t have those fears at all now. Now I have more control over when I stop working and I know I can manage once retired. That’s huge. It’s empowered me. Before, I felt I had no control over when I stopped work.”

Michelle also learned about how downsizing her home would allow her to make extra lump-sum contributions into her West State Super account and discussed her estate planning.

Aside from the information she gained, she said she also found value in Robin’s manner and delivery.

“What I really liked about Robin is that I am a very visual learner, and she took the time to write things up on the whiteboard so I could understand them. I could also ask any question I wanted to - no question was off the books,” she said.

“The other thing that was really important to me was how Robin made me feel. Sometimes in the seminars I felt a little overwhelmed when others asked about topics that I wasn’t certain applied to me. Robin pitched her discussion at a level that I could understand, and I felt very empowered because of it.”

Michelle found value in getting the answers she wanted

For Michelle, the opportunity to address concerns about her own personal situation made the $350 ROS fee a “nothing payment”.

“I’ve known people who’ve gone to banks and paid thousands and got zero financial support,” she said.

“You can go to the seminars, and you don’t have to pay, but this meeting was about me. I asked questions about me. Robin gave me answers that I could understand.”

She said she had no buyer’s remorse, because Robin gave her the confidence that she had made the right decision about how she was planning to retire.

“There was no sales pitch. There was no pushing. Nothing,” Michelle said. “She won me over that way.”

“I want everyone to go to the GESB ROS team and have the sort of experience that I did.”