About Launchup

Clear answers for one of life’s biggest decisions

Deciding whether to stay in your home, buy something smaller, or move into a land lease community or retirement village affects your money, your pension and your lifestyle for years. Most people make that decision with a rough guess, some advice from friends, and a sales pitch from whoever they talk to first.

Launchup is here to change that. We give older Australians and their families free, plain-English tools to see the real numbers before they commit to anything.

What we do

• The Retirement Pathway Calculator compares staying at home, a smaller home or apartment, a land lease community and a retirement village side by side. In about 10 minutes it shows how much cash each move could free up, and what it means for your lifestyle.
• Real rates, not guesswork. Our calculations use current Services Australia rates for the Age Pension, the assets and income tests, deeming and Rent Assistance.
• Questions to ask. A free Question Sheet for each option you look at, to take to an agent, a village, a community operator or your adviser.
• The full picture, when you want it. The Retirement Move Report adds your Age Pension, fees and how long your money lasts, year by year, in a private online report with an Excel copy to keep. Use it over and over as you research: type in each new quote and see what it does to your money. It’s optional.
• Free to start. No sign-up, and no personal details needed to see your results.

Why we built it

For more than 15 years we’ve worked with Australians over 55 and seen first-hand the challenges people face when working out where and how to live in retirement. Too often, big decisions are made with too little information. Going through the same journey with our own elderly parents made that personal, and it strengthened our commitment to help others through it with more clarity and less stress.

Who’s behind Launchup

Launchup was started by Martin, on the NSW Central Coast. While helping his own elderly parents work out where and how to live, he had to navigate these decisions first-hand, and found how little clear, independent information there was. That experience was the catalyst: he researched the Age Pension rules, fees and contracts behind each option, and built the Retirement Pathway Calculator so other families could see the numbers more easily. Everything on the site is general information in plain English, for people right across Australia. You can see exactly how the calculator works, including the rates and assumptions behind every result. Questions or corrections are always welcome at support@launchup.com.au.

What we’re not

We don’t sell property, we don’t take commissions, and we’re not a retirement village or a financial adviser. Our tools help you understand your options and ask better questions. For advice about your personal situation, speak with a licensed financial adviser or Services Australia’s free Financial Information Service.

What could your home free up?

Try the free Retirement Pathway Calculator →

Looking for NDIS Support Coordination? That service is run separately: LaunchUP Support Coordination.