Retire Prepared: Applying Psychology to Retirement Planning

  Host: Professor Joanne Earl

  Thursday 8 May 2025, 12pm – 1.30pm 

  Arts Precinct Function Room, C122, 25 Wally’s Walk, Macquarie University

Overview

Professor Earl’s most recent publication reports on a national randomized controlled trial involving over 800 participants, comparing a novel intervention—integrating career, health, and financial advice—with traditional approaches to improving retirement preparedness. In this presentation, Professor Earl will discuss the key outcomes of this research, the genesis of the project, the advantages of working within multidisciplinary teams, and practical applications of psychology in both pre- and post-retirement planning.

Biography

Professor Joanne Earl is an Organisational Psychologist and Professor of Psychology at Macquarie University. Over the past 18 years, her research has focused on understanding the factors that facilitate successful adjustment to retirement, the development of evidence-based tools for retirement planning, and the design of programs to support positive transitions.

She is the recipient and lead Chief Investigator on both an Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Grant and an ARC Linkage Grant (sponsored by Allianz Retire+), which explore the application of psychological principles to enhance retirement planning. Her research is firmly grounded in real-world experiences, incorporating extensive engagement with community stakeholders and collaboration with a diverse team of multidisciplinary experts, including medical professionals, financial specialists, human resource practitioners, and psychologists.

As well as publishing in academic journals Professor Earl was recently invited to write a chapter on retirement planning for the Oxford Handbook of Retirement. Her research findings and expert commentary have been featured in local media outlets, including ABC Radio, the Australian Financial Review, the Sydney Morning Herald, and The Australian.

Contact Us

For more details about the series, contact us at fmhhs.executive.dean@mq.edu.au.