North addresses retirement risk via new advice framework

Yasmine Raso

Senior Journalist

30 April 2026

AMP’s North has released a new framework designed to better support the delivery of quality, tailored advice that addresses the challenges, complexities and risks that come as clients transition into retirement.

Developed by the firm’s flagship Retirement Confidence Hub, the Retirement Philosophy provides advisers with six principles to guide their giving of advice to clients who are either approaching or in retirement across a variety of strategies, not just investment selection.

The development of these principles – Sequencing, Market, Inflation, Longevity, Emotional and Regret, stylised as SMILE+R – comes after research conducted by AMP found 75 per cent of Australians polled and aged over 50 find the retirement system too complex, 52 per cent were concerned about having enough super to fund their retirement and 40 per cent were limiting their spending over fears of running out of money.

AMP Retirement Confidence Hub Chair and Director of Retirement at AMP, Ben Hillier, noted the philosophy is intended to provide a holistic and adaptable framework for advisers that they can mould to apply to their existing beliefs, values and client bases while still delivering client-centric outcomes.

“Retirement today is no longer a single decision or a short phase of life. Australians are retiring earlier, living longer, and facing more uncertainty than ever before,” he said.

“Our Retirement Philosophy has been developed to help advice practices step back and articulate how they think about retirement advice – not just the products used, but the risks managed, the client needs prioritised and the outcomes they’re trying to deliver.

“When clients understand how their retirement has been structured and why certain decisions have been made, it builds trust and confidence.

“For advisers, having a documented retirement philosophy creates clarity across the advice team, supports consistent client experiences, and strengthens their value proposition in a highly competitive market.”

The philosophy also offers a needs-based framework for retirement called the Five Ls – Liquidity, Living, Lifestyle, Later and Legacy – designed to improve the communication between advisers and clients to ensure retirement outcomes are centred on financial confidence and security.

AMP Group Executive, Platforms, Edwina Maloney, said the framework is intended to address the notion raised during Treasury’s Retirement Income Review that Australians are not using the superannuation system to their advantage, supporting advisers to help clients plan beyond just life expectancy to an ’80 per cent confidence age’.

“At North, our retirement philosophy is built around one simple idea: confidence. Confidence that your essentials are covered for life. Confidence that you can ride out markets and inflation. And confidence to actually enjoy your retirement without a fear of running out or looking back with regret,” she said.

“That’s why our approach focuses on the real risks retirees face, not just financial ones, and designs strategies around how people actually live.

“Our aim with the Retirement Philosophy, alongside the Retirement Confidence Hub, is to give advisers practical frameworks and insights they can genuinely use.

“This isn’t about telling practices what their philosophy should be, it’s about giving them the tools to develop one that reflects their clients, their business and their belief in what good retirement advice looks like.”