How Kylie got ahead in super – and why she wants other women to feel confident too

21 July 2025
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Retirement isn’t something most of us think about when we’re 18, but that’s exactly when Kylie made her first personal contribution to super. And she has no regrets.

Kylie's dad encouraged her to start early when she landed her first full-time job (not in super, by the way), and she took his advice.

‘I trusted Dad’s advice and started contributing 5% of my take-home pay, even though I didn’t really understand what super was,’ Kylie says.

It turned out to be a smart move. As Kylie’s career progressed, she kept making extra contributions – switching from after-tax to before-tax (or salary sacrifice) contributions when her income allowed.

And while she didn’t see the value straight away, she certainly does now.

‘I’ve got more super than my husband, and he’s three years older and has worked longer than me,’ she says.

The gender super gap is real

Like many women, Kylie took a career break in her thirties to care for her children. She took a year off for each of her two boys and then worked part-time for about 10 years.

‘I’ve got no regrets; I loved being there for my boys,’ Kylie says. ‘But my super definitely took a hit.’

She’s not alone. Taking time off or reducing hours to care for children or family is one of the key reasons women retire with on average 28%1 less super than men. That often means women have less to fund a comfortable lifestyle – and are more likely to rely on the age pension, which is currently less than $30,0002 a year.

How Kylie stayed on track

Although Kylie eventually chose to stop making extra contributions so she could have more disposable income to support her family, the salary sacrificing she did earlier in life means she’s still in a strong position for retirement.

‘I use comparison tools to check how my balance stacks up. I’ve got more than double what’s recommended for someone my age aiming for a comfortable retirement, and that makes me feel great.’

Her message for other women?

'Consider making super contributions as early as you can – even small amounts can make a difference over time. And take a little time to learn about your super. Knowing I’m financially literate and independent gives me confidence I’ll be OK, now and in retirement.'

Want to get ahead too?

Super SA has free tools and calculators that can help you take control:

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Hitting the target calculator:

Helps you work out how much super you’ll need to support the retirement lifestyle you want – and how much you might need to save now to hit that target.

Super projection calculator:

Estimates how much super you’ll have at retirement – and how making extra contributions could help you close the gap.

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About Kylie

Kylie has a strong background in the financial services industry and spent time working at Super SA as Head of Marketing and Member Experience. While she’s since moved on from that role her passion for financial literacy and women’s empowerment hasn’t changed. She believes that every woman, no matter her background, age or relationship status, deserves access to the right tools and information to feel confident about her financial future.

1 It’s reported in KPMG’s 'The Gender Superannuation Gap Addressing The Options' report (August 2021) that the median superannuation balance for men aged 60-64 years is $204,107 whereas for women in the same age group it is $146,900, a gap of 28 percent. For the pre-retirement years of 55-59, the gender gap is 33 percent and in the peak earning years of 45-49 the gender gap is 35 percent.
2 The maximum full Age pension for a single person who has reached retirement age is $1,149.00 per fortnight, as at 26 May 2025.
The superannuation schemes administered by Super SA are exempt public sector superannuation schemes and are not regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) or the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA). Super SA is not required to hold an Australian Financial Services Licence to provide general advice about a Super SA product. The information on this website is of a general nature only and has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs. Super SA recommends that before making any decisions about its products you consider the appropriateness of this information in the context of your own objectives, financial situation, and needs, read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement (PDS), and seek financial advice from a licensed financial adviser in relation to your financial position and requirements.

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