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Tag: retirement income

  • We’re 10 years apart. Can we retire together?

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    The purpose of going through a planning process is to discover what is possible by playing out “what if” scenarios. Once you see a path that leads you to the life you want, you do the things you need to do to stay on that path. Again, things will change—some good, some bad—and new opportunities will emerge.   

    Living through retirement is really an exercise in project management and being comfortable dealing with change. The strength of having a plan is really the planning and thought process that goes into creating the plan. It is the learning that will make it easier for you to deal with change, along with annual reviews of the plan so you can make small course corrections along the way. 

    When I look at your situation, it doesn’t actually appear that you have enough money saved to be able to retire as you wish. That is what the model tells me, but remember a model is a model and not real life. We don’t know what the future holds, but modelling will help you make good decisions. 

    Tinkering with the plan

    Assuming investments grow at 5% and the general inflation rate is 2%, you will run short of money when your wife turns 68. You will still have money in a life income fund (LIF, the successor fund to the locked-in retirement account or LIRA), but because there is a restriction on the amount you can draw from a LIF, you won’t have an after-tax income of $110,000. Increasing the rate of return to 6% from 5% allows you to sustain your income to your wife’s age 71. If, rather than increasing investment returns, you decide to reduce your spending by $5,000 yearly, that still maintains your retirement income to your wife’s age 71. If you do both (increase returns to 6% and reduce spending by $5,000) you have enough money to retire as you wish, and at age 90 your wife’s net worth will be equivalent to $1.54 million in today’s dollars.

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    An increase in investment returns and your ability to reduce your spending may happen but be careful solving a planning shortfall this way. If a plan doesn’t work at 6% returns, do you try 7%? Use prudent return rates in your projections. The same goes with decreasing anticipated expenses. If I asked you today to reduce your spending by $5,000, would you be able to do it? The $5,000 is paying for something; what are you willing to cut out? No question, if you don’t have the income, you will cut back—but that is not the goal.

    As another option, I considered selling your home 15 years from now and purchasing a condo for half the price. Doing that gives you just enough money to retire as planned, leaving your wife with a net worth of $1.05 million at age 90.

    Finally, I modelled a solution where you both work an additional two years to the end of 2029. Once you pay off your line of credit, use the $36,000 a year you were putting towards the line of credit and apply it to your RRSP. Then, use the resulting tax refund of about $12,000 to top up your TFSA. This will give you the retirement you envision, leaving your wife with a net worth of $1.48 million at age 90.   

    A retirement plan is a dynamic thing

    What do you want to do? What path or combination of paths do you want to take? Do you have other ideas you want to explore? 

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    I have written this out for you to read. Was it easy to follow and comprehend? If it was a little tricky, imagine if this was done with you though a computer simulation, like a video game. As you suggest changes and make inputs, you see the results right away. It gets you in the room and involved, leads to faster learning, and may even make a dull subject a little more interesting. 

    Kenny, no retirement plans are fixed in stone, and yours won’t be either. What we can do is take a good account of where you are in the world today, see what is possible, find a path you want to take, and then do what you need to stay on the path, change paths, and adapt along the way.  

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    About Allan Norman, MSc, CFP, CIM


    About Allan Norman, MSc, CFP, CIM

    With over 30 years as a financial planner, Allan is an associate portfolio manager at Aligned Capital Partners Inc., where he helps Canadians maintain their lifestyles, without fear of running out of money.

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    Allan Norman, MSc, CFP, CIM

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  • Unlocking the Annuity Puzzle: Why Canadians avoid what seems to be the perfect retirement vehicle – MoneySense

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    Financial planner Robb Engen recently tackled this puzzle in his Boomer & Echo blog, “Why Canadians avoid one of retirement’s most misunderstood tools.” Engen notes that experts like Finance professor Moshe Milevsky and retired actuary Fred Vettese believe “converting a portion of your savings into guaranteed lifetime income is one of the smartest and most efficient ways to reduce retirement risk.” Vettese has said the math behind an annuity is “pretty compelling,” especially for those without Defined Benefit pensions.

    Milevsky and Alexandra Macqueen coined a great term applicable to annuities when they titled their book about the subject Pensionize Your Nest Egg, which I reviewed in the Financial Post in 2010 under the title ”A cure for pension envy?”

    Engen observes that a life annuity is “the cleanest version of longevity insurance … You hand over a lump sum to an insurer, and they guarantee you monthly income for life. If you live to 100, the insurer pays you. If stock markets collapse, you still get paid. If you’re 87 and never want to look at a portfolio again, the income keeps flowing.”

    In other words, annuities neutralize the two big risks that haunt retirees: longevity risk (the chance of outliving your money) and sequence-of-returns risk, the danger of suffering a stock-market meltdown early in retirement and inflicting irreversible damage on a portfolio. 

    Despite all the seeming positives about annuities, Engen notes that “almost nobody buys one.” He cites a Vettese estimate that only about 5% of those who could buy an annuity actually do so. Engen suggests there is a behavioural hurdle: fear of losing liquidity and control of the underlying assets. He cites research by the National Institute of Ageing’s Bonnie-Jeanne MacDonald on pooled-risk retirement income, where she wrote that such retirees are  “strongly opposed to voluntary annuities, as they want to keep control over their savings.”

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    A chance to lock in recent portfolio gains?

    Even so, the new Retirement Club created by former Tangerine advisor Dale Roberts earlier this year (see the blog posted on my own site in June) recently featured a guest speaker who extolled the virtues of annuities: Phil Barker of online annuities firm Life Annuities.com Inc. 

    Barker said many clients tell him they’ve done really well in the markets over the last 20 years and now they’d like to lock in some of those gains. They may be looking for fixed-income strategies, and many were delighted with GIC returns when they were a bit higher than they are now (some in the range of 6-7%). But they are less happy with the new rates on GICs now reaching maturity. Meanwhile, annuities have just come off a 20-year high in November 2023 so the time to consider one has never been better, Barker told the Club in August. 

    With annuities, you can lock in a rate for the rest of your life—so if your timing is good, it may make sense to allocate some funds to them.  

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    Related reading: GICs vs. annuities

    Barker said eight life insurance companies offer annuities in Canada: Desjardins, RBC Life Insurance, BMO Life Insurance, Canada Life, Manulife, Sun Life, Equitable Life and Empire Life. All are covered under Assuris, a third-party organization that guarantees 100% of an annuity up to $5,000 per month. So if one of those companies failed, the annuity would be honored by one of the other firms via Assuris. 

    Barker described an annuity as simply a “personal-funded pension.” To set one up you can take registered or non-registered funds and send the capital to an insurance company. In return, they give you an income stream for as long as you live: this is the traditional life annuity. Unlike annuities in the U.S., you cannot add funds to an existing annuity, Barker told the club, nor can you co-mingle funds from for example RRSPs and non-registered funds. 

    However, you can buy a new annuity each time you need to. There is no medical underwriting for annuities, unlike life insurance. Joint annuities for couples are a great value, he said, but the tax slips are sent to the primary annuitant. Nor is income splitting possible under current CRA rules. 

    When annuities shine

    Annuities shine when you are confident about your health and prospects for living a long time. Having $X,000 a month assured income to live on means your other sources of income that fluctuate with stock markets can be weathered, Barker said. “We’re seeing people getting 6.5% to 8.5% a year for the rest of their lives, depending on their age.” 

    As Dale Roberts commented during Barker’s talk, having enough to live on just from the pension bucket (annuities, pensions, CPP/OAS etc.) frees you up to take some risk in other areas, like stocks and equity ETFs.

    Funding by registered vs. non-registered accounts

    Registered funds transfer to an annuity tax-free; that’s because money is not being deregistered, but rather going from one registered environment into another registered environment. It will be fully taxed when it comes out. The monthly income from the annuity is then fully taxable in the year it is received. 

    If you fund with non-registered money, the taxation is considerably different. For one, if your non-registered account has unrealized capital gains you’ll have to realize them and pay tax on them. Other than that, so-called prescribed annuities are relatively tax-efficient. The capital that is used to fund the annuity is not taxed, only the gain is, Barker says. “Therefore, the taxable portion of the annuity income is a very small amount. Prescribed means that the taxation is the same or level for the entire life of the annuity.”

    The Club has also covered other retirement income products that may resemble annuities in some respects: the Vanguard Retirement Income Fund (VRIF) and the Purpose Longevity Fund, both of which I have small chunks in. Dale adds that the Longevity Fund has the potential to be a “nice complement to annuities,” as it “is designed to increase payments quite nicely in the later years thanks to the mortality credits. Those with very long lives are subsidized by those who pass away much earlier.”

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  • The 4% rule, revisited: A more flexible approach to retirement income – MoneySense

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    I had originally planned to focus exclusively on that book but ended up on a related project on my own site, which involved asking more than a dozen financial advisors on both sides of the border what they think of the 4% Rule and the tweaks Bengen covers in his follow-up book. The survey was conducted via LinkedIn and Featured.com, which has long supplied content for my site. You can see the complete set of responses on my blog, but at over 5,000 words, it’s a tad long for the space normally assigned to this Retired Money column.

    Here, I focus on the most insightful comments and add a few thoughts of my own. Let’s jump right in. 

    Trusts and estates expert Andrew Izrailo, Senior Corporate and Fiduciary Manager for Astra Trust, recaps the basic thrust of the original 4% Rule:

    “The 4% Rule, created by CFP Bill Bengen in the 1990s, remains one of the most referenced retirement withdrawal guidelines. It suggests withdrawing 4% of your portfolio in the first year of retirement and adjusting that amount for inflation each year. The idea was to provide a sustainable income stream for at least 30 years without depleting your savings.”

    Bengen’s new book “revisits this concept using updated data and broader asset allocations,” summarizes Izrailo, “He now argues the safe withdrawal rate could rise to around 4.7%, supported by stronger market performance and portfolio diversification beyond the original stock-bond mix.”

    4% is just a starting point

    Like many of the other retirement experts polled, Izraelo sees the 4% Rule as “a reliable starting point, but not a fixed rule.” The 4% guideline “offers structure for retirees who need clarity on how much to withdraw each year, but real-world conditions require flexibility.” 

    For American investors, Izrailo still begins with 4% as a baseline because “it remains simple and conservative. Then I evaluate three major factors before adjusting: market volatility, portfolio performance, and expected longevity.” For Canadian retirees, “I tend to start lower, around 3.5%, due to differences in taxation, mandatory RRIF withdrawal rules, and the impact of currency and inflation differences compared to U.S. portfolios.” 

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    Toronto-based wealth advisor Matthew Ardrey of TriDelta Financial was not part of the Featured roundup but agreed with the general view that while a helpful starting point, the 4% Rule is only a guideline. “When I meet with a client, I don’t rely on the 4% rule at all,” said Ardrey, who has worked with clients for more than 25 years. “I’ve learned that rules of thumb—like the 4% rule—pale in comparison to the clarity and confidence that come from a well-crafted” and personalized financial plan. Such a plan should reflect each person’s unique circumstances, priorities, and goals, allowing them to build the right decumulation strategy for their situation.

    “I would never want a broad guideline to stand in the way of someone taking their dream retirement vacation or helping their children purchase their first home,” he says. “Instead, I focus on creating a detailed plan that shows exactly how those goals can be achieved. And of course, life isn’t linear. A strong plan is something we can revisit and adjust as life changes, providing updated guidance to help keep retirement on track.”  

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    After reading A Richer Retirement, tour operator Nassira Sennoune says Bengen succeeds in transforming “what was once seen as a strict withdrawal formula into a flexible approach that prioritizes experience, adaptability, and peace of mind …  Bengen’s message is that Retirement should not revolve around fear or limitation. Instead, it should be about living fully within realistic financial boundaries. By adjusting withdrawals according to personal goals, market performance, and the natural flow of retirement years, retirees can enjoy their savings as a source of freedom rather than anxiety.”

    Almost all the experts caution against taking a one-size-fits-all approach to the 4% Rule or its variants. Financial advisor and educator Winnie Sun, Executive Producer of ModernMom, has over 20 years working with clients. She starts with 4% as the baseline, then adjusts it based on actual client spending patterns and market conditions. “I had a couple last year who were terrified to spend more than their calculated 4%—even though their portfolio had grown 30%—and they were skipping vacations they’d dreamed about for decades. We bumped them to 5.5% for two years because the math worked and life is short: they finally took that trip to Italy. The biggest mistake I see isn’t about the percentage itself, it’s that people forget about tax efficiency in withdrawal sequencing.”

    Oakville, Ontario-based insurance broker James Inwood says the 4% rule is “a decent guideline, but it’s not some magic number you can set and forget. I’ve watched people get into trouble because they didn’t account for medical bills, which are a real wild card here in Canada,” he shares. “I always tell people to build in a cash buffer and check in on that withdrawal rate every couple of years instead of just locking it in permanently.”

    Broader asset allocation

    Bengen is now recommending a broader asset diversification to add in small percentages of international equities and small-cap stocks in addition to his historic investment portfolio of 50% U.S. large-cap stocks and 50% intermediate bonds, says attorney Lisa Cummings.  “He claims with this broader diversification the safe withdrawal rate could now be up to 4.7% under the best-case scenario, 4.15% worst case.” 

    Today’s retirees have to deal with both rising inflation and longer lifespans, she adds, so she advises clients to have a two-year cash cushion in case of prolonged negative markets, and otherwise maintain a flexible annual withdrawal range ranging between 3.5 and 4.5%. 

    David Fritch, a CPA with 40 years of experience serving small business owners, stopped treating the 4% Rule as gospel once he noticed their retirement income rarely came from just traditional investment portfolios. “Most had business sale proceeds, real estate holdings, and irregular cash flows that made the 4% rule almost irrelevant.” 

    He also realized the sequence of withdrawals and which vehicles created the withdrawals were more important than mere annual percentages. “Forget the percentage and work backward from your actual monthly expenses, then layer in guaranteed income sources (Social Security, pensions, annuities) before touching portfolio money. Most of my retired clients ended up withdrawing 2–3% because they structured things right on the front end.” 

    Late-career income fluctuations can change calculations

    Digital marketer Fred Z. Poritsky says late-career income career changes can radically affect retirement withdrawal math. The 4% rule assumes you’re done earning but “if you’re keeping one foot in the working world (consulting, part-time, passion projects that earn), you can probably push 5–6% in those active years since you’re adding income streams.”

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  • What’s more important: your wealth or your legacy? – MoneySense

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    Let’s dig into this by first understanding what will happen if your dad continues doing what he is doing and he doesn’t add money to his TFSA. If he lives to 90, earns 5% on his investments, your home appreciates 3%, and we assume a general inflation rate of 2%, he will leave you about $654,000 in today’s dollars. That is made up of his share of the house, which isn’t taxable, and his registered money, which is taxable. I will use today’s dollars (values) for everything as we go. Actual amounts in the future will be higher due to inflation.

    TFSA strategies to enlarge your estate

    Now the question is: Can we increase the amount eventually going to you by drawing extra from the life income fund (LIF) and RRIF to add to his TFSA? Your dad has never contributed to a TFSA, so he has $102,000 of past contribution room he can add, plus his future annual contributions. His LIF withdrawals will be subject to maximum withdrawal limits, so he won’t be able to fully deplete his LIF. 

    Your dad has contribution options: he can top up his TFSA right away or do it gradually over time. If he tops it up in the next two years, he will have to draw about $135,000 from his RRIF and LIF each of the two years. This will cause him to lose his OAS in those years, but his RRIF will be depleted by age 85. His issue then will be that the maximum LIF withdrawals won’t be enough for him so he will have to start drawing from his TFSA.  

    TFSA contribution room calculator

    Find out how much you can contribute to your TFSA today using our calculator.

    Even still, this approach will increase the after-tax estate value to $689,000, which is better than continuing on the current approach, leaving you $654,000.

    A more optimal approach is to make up the past contribution limits by adding $15,000 a year to the TFSA to catch up the past contribution room of $102,000, plus the future annual contribution limits. This approach also means no OAS clawback, ever.  

    This gradual approach will leave you $703,000 with only $10,500 paid in tax. Remember, no TFSA left you with $654,000 and $160,000 was paid in tax.

    But be careful what you ask for

    Clearly, if your dad’s wish is to maximize the amount of money left to you, the best approach is to draw extra from the registered accounts, keeping his taxable income below the OAS clawback threshold, and contributing that amount to his TFSA with you as the beneficiary.  

    But what if that is not your dad’s wish and instead it is to maximize his wealth rather than the value of his estate? There are a number of reasons why some people will put wealth ahead of estate value, such as the parents who tell me they have helped their kids enough, those who want to leave money to charity, couples and singles with no children, and others with concerns about having enough money.

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    I know it sounds like the two goals, wealth accumulation and estate maximization, will result in roughly the same thing but they produce different outcomes. Think about it: when your dad draws money from his RRIF he pays tax resulting in less going to his TFSA which reduces his net worth. Leaving the money in the registered accounts maintains his net worth. 

    Here is an example where wealth accumulation and giving to charity is the goal. If your dad follows the estate maximization plan and adds to his TFSA, the charity will get $707,000 and about $7,000 is paid in tax. Contrast this with your dad not drawing extra from his RRIF to add to his TFSA strategy; the charity receives about $796,000 and the estate has tax owing of $17,000. That is about an extra $90,000 going to the charity. 

    Is your plan flexible?

    I should point out that, other than wealth or estate maximization, there is another reason for having money in TFSAs and that is to provide taxable/non-taxable income flexibility. If, in the future, your dad is ever faced with large bills, such as for long-term care, it will be good to have a non-taxable income source to keep him from moving up an income tax bracket or losing a government benefit. 

    Alex, you are on the right track. From the information provided it looks like your dad should be drawing extra from his RRIF to contribute to his TFSA. Just make sure this meets his goals.

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    About Allan Norman, MSc, CFP, CIM


    About Allan Norman, MSc, CFP, CIM

    With over 30 years as a financial planner, Allan is an associate portfolio manager at Aligned Capital Partners Inc., where he helps Canadians maintain their lifestyles, without fear of running out of money.

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    Allan Norman, MSc, CFP, CIM

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  • Why late-career savers need to be careful with RRSPs – MoneySense

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    When should you keep contributing to your RRSP?

    If you have a group RRSP with matching contributions from your employer, this provides a significant boost to your savings. Many group plans offer matching contributions of 25%, 50%, or even 100% on contributions up to a certain dollar amount or percentage of income. To get your hands on this free money, you have to keep contributing. Defined contribution (DC) pension plans fall into this same category, with employer contributions making maximum participation a compelling opportunity. 

    If you do not have much retirement savings or pension income, RRSP contributions are also generally advantageous. The reason is that you are likely to be in a lower tax bracket in retirement. Paying a lower tax rate in the future than today makes RRSP contributions even more compelling. 

    Anyone in a high tax bracket today—especially near or at the top tax bracket in their province—will probably benefit from making RRSP contributions. 

    If someone plans to retire abroad in another country, late-career RRSP contributions are also typically advisable. The withholding tax rate on RRSP and registered retirement income fund (RRIF) withdrawals for non-residents generally ranges from 15% to 25%. Most countries have lower tax rates than Canada and will recognize tax withheld in Canada as a credit against foreign tax payable. Some countries do not tax foreign income at all, so the withholding tax on RRSP/RRIF withdrawals may be the only tax implications of withdrawals. 

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    When should you not contribute to your RRSP?

    Although most people find themselves in lower tax brackets in retirement, some may pay more tax. One example may be someone who has a spouse with a large RRSP or pension whose income is fairly modest today. Pension income-splitting allows most pension income, including RRIF withdrawals after age 65, to be split up to 50% with a spouse. So, a high-income retiree can move income onto a low-income spouse’s tax return. A low-income taxpayer today may be in a much higher tax bracket in retirement in a case like this. It would make sense for them to redirect retirement savings to a tax-free savings account (TFSA) if you have the contribution room or simply save in a non-registered account.

    Someone who is transitioning to retirement and working part-time may be another good example of someone whose tax rate may be higher in the future, and further RRSP contributions are not advisable. 

    Someone whose retirement income is likely to be in the $100,000 to $150,000 range should also consider the impact of Old Age Security (OAS) pension recovery tax. OAS clawback acts like an effective 15% tax rate increase for RRSP/RRIF withdrawals for OAS recipients. 

    Government support like the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), a means-tested benefit that is payable to low-income OAS pensioners, could be affected by RRSP/RRIF withdrawals. So, if someone has a choice between RRSP and tax-free savings account (TFSA) contributions, and may have little to no income beyond CPP and OAS, a TFSA may be a better choice than an RRSP. 

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    If someone has debt with a high interest rate, especially credit card debt, this may be another reason to pause the RRSP contributions. 

    Should most people contribute to RRSPs? 

    Most working age Canadians can expect to be in a lower tax bracket in retirement than in their working years. As a result, most people should be contributing to their RRSPs and will be better off in the long run by growing their savings. If someone has maxed out their TFSA, and choosing between RRSP and non-registered savings, RRSP contributions may still be advantageous even if their tax rate is the same or slightly higher in retirement. 

    There is a non-financial benefit to segmenting savings into less accessible accounts like an RRSP. A TFSA or savings account is more likely to be raided for a discretionary expense, so the psychology of RRSP contributions is a worthwhile consideration beyond the financial factors. 

    If you have an employer match on your retirement account contributions, you should almost always be contributing regardless of your current or future tax rate. 

    Professional financial planners can help you project your future income, taxes, and investments using financial planning software. This can help determine whether RRSP contributions will benefit your potential retirement spending or estate value in the future based on your actual numbers, rather than a rule of thumb.

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    About Jason Heath, CFP


    About Jason Heath, CFP

    Jason Heath is a fee-only, advice-only Certified Financial Planner (CFP) at Objective Financial Partners Inc. in Toronto. He does not sell any financial products whatsoever.

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  • “We’re well off in retirement. How can we pay less tax?” – MoneySense

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    As a starting point, I like to look at the big picture to see where you are headed. This involves modelling all your current and future financial resources, including your cash flow and the activity in your holding company. This provides a clear picture of what you have today and gives you a general sense of your asset growth or decline over time, future annual and final taxes, and estate values. With that backdrop you can experiment to see which options are available to you and which ones you want to act on, in terms of spending, lifestyle, gifting, and leaving a bequest.   

    With that background, which I refer to as lifestyle planning, financial planning begins, and this is the nature of your question. From the tax side it is about understanding what tax credits and deductions are available to you, and how to take advantage of them in a way that aligns with your personal values, beliefs, and lifestyle.

    You will also need to understand how your individual investments are taxed in your non-registered and registered accounts and your holding company. You also need to be aware of the three different dividend options you have when drawing from your holdco, and the impact that investment tax and dividends have on tax credits and benefits. Old Age Security (OAS) is a good example of a benefit that begins to be clawed back once your income exceeds about $93,500.  

    Have a personal finance question? Submit it here.

    Some lesser-known tax-saving strategies for retirees

    I suspect through experience you are aware of the things I have discussed so far and some of the planning solutions you can use to reduce the tax owing such as pension splitting, donating shares to charity, and tax-free savings account (TFSA) contributions. Rather than rehash those strategies, I will briefly touch on a few others you may not be so familiar with, such as a donor-advised fund, immediate flow-through shares, insurance and investment selection.

    You are already donating to charity, but have you ever thought of setting up a donor-advised fund (DAF)? You can add as much money as you like to the fund, in your case maybe $200,000 of your non-registered money. Once it is there, you can manage the money your way and the investment will grow tax-free, so you are not paying tax on the distributions. When you make the deposit, you can claim the charitable tax credit all at once or defer it over five years. It is also at your discretion when you give money to the charities of your choice from the DAF. One catch is you can’t change your mind and take the money back once it is in the DAF.  

    Have you heard of flow-through shares with an immediate liquidity provider? You buy the shares and then immediately sell them to a waiting buyer for less than what you paid. It is the tax credit that makes this work. Ottawa-based planning firm WCPD provides the following simple explanation of how this can work both personally, making a charitable contribution, or a combination for a person with a marginal tax rate of 50%.

    You pay $1.50 for a flow-through share and immediately sell it for $1. The flow-through tax credit and deduction will save you $0.75 in tax which, when combined with the $1 you sold the share for, puts you up $0.25. If you want to make a charitable contribution, you could donate the $1 you sold the share for and get a tax savings of $0.50. With the combined tax savings of $1.25 ($0.75 + $0.50), your charitable contribution will only cost you $0.25, rather than $0.50 if you didn’t purchase a flow-through share. WCPD also provides a strategy where you go two parts personal and one part charity, resulting in a zero-cost way to donate to charity.

    As mentioned, this is a very simplified example, and you will want to talk to a professional before doing this on your own.

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    Insurance and investing strategies for retirees

    A second-to-die permanent life insurance policy held in your holding company is another tax-saving strategy. Money invested within the policy grows virtually tax-free, and when it pays out, a capital dividend account (CDA) is created equal to or almost equal to the full value of the death benefit. You are then able to pay a tax-free dividend equal to the CDA out of the holdco. While you own the policy, there may be other ways to use the policy, such as borrowing for tax-free income or investing. Have you had a discussion with your accountant about the wind-up of your holdco on your deaths, i.e, the tax, time, and fees? Insurance may ease some of those issues.   

    Finally, and probably more familiar, have you thought about how your investment approach is affecting your annual tax? I have the impression you are a successful DIY dividend investor. You are receiving taxable dividends each quarter and possibly buying and selling stocks, subjecting you to capital gains and higher corporate accounting fees. For your non-registered and corporate accounts, consider a long-term, buy-and-hold portfolio made up of simple low-cost index ETFs that will be more tax-efficient. 

    Mike, there is probably a lot you can do to make things more tax-efficient. It is something you should look at on an annual basis as your spending and income will likely change from year to year. 

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    About Allan Norman, MSc, CFP, CIM


    About Allan Norman, MSc, CFP, CIM

    With over 30 years as a financial planner, Allan is an associate portfolio manager at Aligned Capital Partners Inc., where he helps Canadians maintain their lifestyles, without fear of running out of money.

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    Allan Norman, MSc, CFP, CIM

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  • What is Sun Life’s new decumulation product? – MoneySense

    What is Sun Life’s new decumulation product? – MoneySense

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    A Canadian retiree’s main decision with this Sun Life product is the age they want the funds to last until (the maturity age). They can choose from 85, 90, 95 or 100 (or select a few with a combination of ages); but they can also start drawing down as early as age 50. Sun Life recalculates the client payments annually, at the start of each year, based on the account’s balance. That has the firm looking at the total amount invested, payment frequency, number of years remaining before the selected maturity age, estimated annual rate of return (expected return is 5.5% but a conservative 4.5% rate is used in the calculations) and any annual applicable regulatory minimums and maximums.

    Birenbaum says holders of MyRetirementIncome can arrange transfers to their bank accounts anywhere from biweekly to annually. While the payment amount isn’t guaranteed, they can expect what Sun Life calls a “steady income” to maturity age, so the payment isn’t expected to change much from year to year. If the client’s circumstances change, they can alter the maturity date or payment frequency at any time. While not available inside registered retirement savings plans (RRSPs), most other account types are accommodated, including registered retirement income funds (RRIFs), life income funds (LIFs), tax-free savings accounts (TFSAs) and open (taxable) accounts.

    Compare the best RRSP rates in Canada

    Emphasis on simplicity and flexibility

    In a telephone interview, Eric Monteiro, Sun Life’s senior vice president of group retirement services, said, in MyRetirementIncome’s initial implementation, most investments will be in RRIFs. He expects that many will use it as one portion of a retirement portfolio, although some may use it 100%. Initial feedback from Canadian advisors, consultants and plan sponsors has been positive, he says, especially about its flexibility and consistency. 

    As said above, unlike life annuities, the return is not guaranteed, but Monteiro says “that’s the only question mark.” Sun Life looked at the competitive landscape and decided to focus on simplicity and flexibility, “precisely because these others did not take off as expected.” The all-in fee management expense ratio (MER) is 2.09% for up to $300,000 in assets, but then it falls to 1.58% beyond that. Monteiro says the fee is “in line with other actively managed products.”

    Birenbaum lists the pros to be simplicity and accessibility, with limited input needed from clients, who “simply decide the age to which” they want funds to last. The residual balance isn’t lost at death but passes onto a named beneficiary or estate. Every year, the target withdrawal amount is calculated based on current market value and time to life expectancy, so drawdowns can be as sustainable as possible. This is helpful if the investor becomes unable to competently manage investments in old age and doesn’t have a trusted power of attorney to assist them. 

    As for cons, Birenbaum says that it’s currently available only to existing Sun Life Group Retirement Plan members. “A single fund may not be optimal for such a huge range of client needs, risk tolerance and time horizons.” In her experience, “clients tend to underestimate life expectancy” leaving them exposed to longevity risk. To her, Sun Life’s approach seems overly simplistic: you “can’t replace a comprehensive financial plan in terms of estimating sustainable level of annual draws with this product.” 

    In short, there is “a high cost for Sun Life doing a bit of math on behalf of clients… This is a way for Sun Life to retain group RRSP savings when their customers retire … to put small accounts on automatic pilot supported by a call centre, and ultimately, a chatbot. For a retiree with no other investments, it’s a simple way to initiate a retirement income.”

    However, “anyone with a great wealth advisor who provides planning as well as investment management can do better than this product,” Birenbaum says. “For those without advisors, a simple low-cost balanced fund or ETF in a discount brokerage will save the client more than 1% a year in fees in exchange for doing a little annual math.”

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    Jonathan Chevreau

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  • How to renovate your home on a fixed income – MoneySense

    How to renovate your home on a fixed income – MoneySense

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    But just because you’re on a tight budget doesn’t mean you’re stuck with your dated décor and dysfunctional layout. There are options, even for those who can’t tap into a steady flow of extra cash. Let’s explore what’s possible.

    Why traditional mortgages and HELOCs may not be the answer

    For many people, the first thought when looking to finance home renovations is a traditional mortgage or a home equity line of credit (HELOC). But for seniors living on a fixed income, this may not be a viable option. Why? Simply put, qualifying for a new mortgage or HELOC typically requires a strong, stable income. When your income is limited to Canada Pension Plan (CPP), Old Age Security (OAC) and Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), qualifying for new credit can be tough.

    Now, what about seniors who set up a HELOC before they retired? If that’s you, you might think you’re in the clear. However, it’s essential to weigh the pros and cons of using a HELOC for home renovations. On the plus side, a HELOC allows you to borrow against your home’s equity, and you typically only pay interest on the amount you use. This can make it a flexible option if you’re planning to do renovations in stages. On the flip side, because HELOCs have variable interest rates, your monthly payment could increase over time. And with limited income, even small increases can hit your budget hard.

    You’re 2 minutes away from getting the best rates.

    Answer a few quick questions to get a personalized quote, whether you’re buying, renewing or refinancing.

    Exploring alternative financing options for home renovations

    If traditional mortgages or HELOCs aren’t in the cards, don’t worry—there are other ways to finance those much-needed home upgrades. Here’s a breakdown of some alternatives:

    1. Cashing out investments

    If you’ve built up some savings in stocks, bonds or other investments, cashing out a portion could be an option. This approach allows you to avoid taking on debt entirely, which is a big plus. However, it’s important to consider the long-term impact on your financial security. Selling investments too soon can reduce your future income and potential growth. Also, depending on how your investments are structured, you might face tax consequences. If you have funds in a tax-free savings account (TFSA), you might consider using those to minimize the tax hit. Always consult with a financial advisor before making any big decisions.

    2. Reverse mortgage

    A reverse mortgage allows homeowners aged 55 and up to convert part of their home equity into cash, which can be used to fund renovations. You don’t have to pay back the loan as long as you live in your home, making it a good option when your cash flow is constrained. However, reverse mortgages can be complicated and come with fees. Plus, the loan balance increases over time, which means less equity to pass on to your loved ones or pay for your own long-term care. Still, for seniors who want to stay in their homes as long as possible, this can be a useful tool.

    3. Personal line of credit

    Another option to consider is a personal line of credit, which works like a HELOC but isn’t tied to your home’s equity. You can borrow a certain amount of money, pay it back and borrow again as needed. The main advantage here is flexibility. But like any form of credit, it’s crucial to keep an eye on the interest rate, which can vary depending on your credit score. (Because there’s no collateral, the rate will always be higher than a HELOC’s and your credit limit will likely be lower.) It’s also important to avoid borrowing more than you can afford to repay, as this could lead to financial trouble down the road.

    4. Private mortgage

    If you’re lucky enough to have family or friends who have money to lend, a private mortgage could be another way to finance your renovations. With a private mortgage, someone you trust lends you money and you agree on the repayment terms. This option can be more flexible and personalized than dealing with a bank or lender, but it’s also important to formalize the agreement to avoid misunderstandings or family tension. As with any financial agreement, make sure both parties are clear about the terms and conditions.

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    Sean Cooper

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  • How to plan for taxes in retirement in Canada – MoneySense

    How to plan for taxes in retirement in Canada – MoneySense

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    The impact of your marginal tax rate

    It’s important to clarify, Ken, that if you have a minimum RRIF withdrawal with no tax withheld, that does not mean that income is tax-free. When you report your RRIF and other income sources on your tax return for the year, you may still owe tax.

    Canada has progressive tax rates so that higher levels of income are taxed at higher rates. For example, in Ontario, the first $12,000 or so you earn has no tax. The next roughly $3,000 has 15% tax. And the next $36,000 of income after that has about 20% tax. The type of income you earn may change these rates, as will tax deductions and credits. But if we kept going to higher incomes, there would be incremental increases in tax rates.

    If you have a higher income, your entire income is not taxed at the higher tax rate. Incremental tax rates lead to income being taxed at different rates as you move up through the tax brackets.

    This is why retirees tend to have tax owing. If you have a $10,000 pension, you may have no tax withheld at source. But if you have $60,000 of other income, you might owe 30% tax on that pension income.

    Getting ahead of tax installment requests

    If you owe more than $3,000 of tax in two consecutive years (or $1,800 in tax for two years in Quebec), the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) (or Revenu Quebec) will start asking you to prepay your tax for the following year. This is called a quarterly income tax installment request.

    Installments—along with OAS clawbacks—tend to be the two cursed tax issues for retirees.

    You can reduce your installments by requesting higher withholding tax on your CPP, OAS, pension or RRSP/RRIF withdrawals, Ken. This optional tax withholding might be preferable if you would rather not owe tax or prefer to limit your installment requirements. If you can get your withholding tax rate estimated accurately, you may be able to better spend money coming into your bank account because it is all yours, and not accruing a tax liability.

    The choice is yours

    Many retirees do not have sufficient tax withheld by default. So, quarterly tax installments are common at that stage of life. But owing tax does not have to be a given if you prefer to increase your optional withholding tax.

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    Jason Heath, CFP

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  • What to do with a small pension in Canada – MoneySense

    What to do with a small pension in Canada – MoneySense

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    Many Canadian employers see DB plans, where retirees receive a guaranteed payout every month (sometimes indexed to inflation), as too expensive. And while the average time spent working for the same employer has actually risen over the last five decades, according to Statistics Canada data, spending a lifetime at one job—and collecting decades of pensionable earnings in the process—is a rarity these days. 

    “My dad worked for a bank for 35 years. That was the only job he ever had,” says Kenneth Doll, a fee-only Certified Financial Planner based in Calgary. “Those days are gone.” 

    Many Canadians must make do on partial pension coverage: either a small pension based on a decade or so of service, a defined (DC) contribution plan—where employers don’t provide backup funding if a plan underperforms—or a group registered retirement savings plan (RRSP), possibly with matching funding from their employer. Some Canadians don’t have a pension at all. “There is a massive decrease over the past 30 years in the number of defined-benefit pensions,” says Adam Chapman, financial planner and founder of YESmoney in London, Ont. 

    These pensions won’t pay all the bills like a traditional defined-benefit plan. So, what can people with insufficient pension coverage do? Ultimately, the answer lies in balancing the small (or not so small) guaranteed income from a pension and pushing the limits of other income streams. 

    How to plan your retirement now

    Every Canadian’s circumstances are different, and financial planners avoid speaking in generalities. But the earlier you start planning for retirement, the better. This applies whether you have nothing except the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Old Age Security (OAS), a DB plan indexed to inflation and guaranteed for life, or something in between. 

    First of all, sit down and figure out how much you plan to spend on life in retirement. Joseph Curry, a financial planner and president of Matthews Associates in Peterborough, Ont., says that when clients come to him, he maps out these details—as well as their expected income from CPP and OAS. All other income sources, including any pension income, are thrown in there, too. 

    “We have clients who would spend as little as, you know, $2,000 a month, all-inclusive,” Curry says. “And we have clients who would be spending in excess of $200,000 a year in retirement.” 

    One trick that works well is to max out any RRSP contribution room, then take the tax savings and throw them into a tax-free savings account (TFSA) for future retirement income. This can be tricky for Canadians with existing pensions, because their own and their employer’s pension contributions are deducted from their RRSP contribution room. For robust defined-benefit plans like the Ontario government’s Public Sector Pension Plan, it can remove thousands of dollars worth of contribution room a year. 

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    Brennan Doherty

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  • How to consolidate your registered accounts for retirement income in Canada – MoneySense

    How to consolidate your registered accounts for retirement income in Canada – MoneySense

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    There is a spousal attribution rule with spousal RRSPs that applies if you take withdrawals within three years of your spouse contributing. This may result in the withdrawals being taxed back to the contributor.

    When you combine an RRSP and a spousal RRSP, whether you like it or not, the new account must be a spousal RRSP. As a result, you would typically transfer an RRSP into the existing spousal RRSP. 

    There are no tax differences between an RRSP and a spousal RRSP for withdrawals, other than the aforementioned attribution rules. 

    Even if you separate or divorce, your spousal RRSP cannot be converted to a personal RRSP. 

    As a result, Steve, your wife could combine her RRSP and her spousal RRSP by converting them both to a spousal RRIF. I would be inclined to do this. 

    Combining LIRAs with other registered accounts

    Locked-in RRSPs have different withdrawal and consolidation rules than regular and spousal RRSPs. The locking-in provisions of your wife’s locked-in retirement account (LIRA) are meant to prevent large withdrawals. These funds would have come from a pension plan she previously belonged to. Pension money is treated differently from personal retirement savings, such that locked-in accounts have maximum withdrawals as well as minimum withdrawals. 

    In some provinces, an account holder may be able to unlock their locked-in account if the balance is below a certain threshold. This may apply for your wife, Steve, as you mentioned the account is small. Some provinces also allow a one-time unlocking of a portion of the account when you convert a LIRA to a life income fund (LIF), which is essentially a RRIF equivalent for a LIRA. 

    As a result, Steve, your wife may be able to get some or all of her LIRA account transferred to the same RRIF as her RRSP and spousal RRSP. If not, she will have to settle for having a RRIF and a LIF. 

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    Jason Heath, CFP

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  • New to Canada and no pension: How to save for your retirement – MoneySense

    New to Canada and no pension: How to save for your retirement – MoneySense

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    The difficulties facing newcomers to Canada with respect to retirement planning are particularly acute. Given how Canada’s immigration points system works, economic immigrants are usually in their late 20s or early 30s—and they face unique challenges:

    1. Depleted savings: If you’re a 30-year-old newcomer, chances are you’ve used a large portion—if not all—of your savings to set up your new life in Canada. So, you’re behind in the retirement savings game. If retirement savings were a 100-metre race, lifelong Canadians have a 20- to 30-metre head start over newcomers.
    2. Lower income: If you’re a newcomer to Canada, you’ve probably had to restart your career a few rungs lower on the corporate ladder because of your lack of Canadian work experience. This means you’re not earning as much as others your age who have similar experience. Consequently, your ability to save for retirement is lower.
    3. Lack of knowledge: You need to understand Canada’s financial and tax systems to maximize its retirement planning opportunities, and gathering this knowledge takes time.
    4. Reduced contributions: Joining the Canadian workforce later in life than their Canadian-born peers, immigrants have fewer years to contribute to the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and build up registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) and tax-free savings account (TFSA) contribution room. For this reason, they rely on less tax-efficient unregistered savings and investment vehicles to sustain their retirements to a greater degree than their neighbours.

    But there’s good news. As Toronto-based financial advisor Jason Pereira points out, “Canada’s retirement system does not discriminate against newcomers. The rules are the same for everybody.” So, with the right knowledge and expertise, you can work towards building a strong retirement plan. 

    How to start retirement planning as an immigrant

    To plan for retirement, you need to know:

    • How much money will you need each month in retirement? The simplest method to estimate your income requirement in retirement is to consider it to be 70% to 80% of your current income. For example, if you earn $75,000 a year today, 70% of that is $52,500—that’s $4,375 per month—in today’s dollars. Alternatively, you could estimate the amount you’d need in retirement using this tool.
    • How much you’ll receive from government pension and aid payments: You need to estimate approximately how much you’ll get from the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and other government programs: Old Age Security (OAS) and the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS). The tool at this link will help you do so. Ayana Forward, an Ottawa-based financial planner, notes that “some home countries for newcomers have social-security agreements with Canada, which can help newcomers reach the eligibility requirements for OAS.”
    • How much you’ll receive from your employer-sponsored retirement plan: Workplaces without a defined benefit pension plan sometimes offer a registered investment account (usually a group RRSP), with contributions made by you and your employer or only your employer. If you have a group RRSP from your employer, what will its estimated future value be at the time of your retirement? You could use a compound interest calculator to find out.
    • How to make up for a shortfall: The CPP, OAS, GIS and your group RRSP likely won’t be enough to fund your retirement. You’ll need to make up for the shortfall through your personal investments or additional sources of income.

    Sample retirement cash flow for a 35-year-old (retirement age 65)

    This table illustrates the types of income you could have in retirement. The amounts used in the table are hypothetical estimates. (To estimate your retirement income, try the various tools linked to above.)

    Amount (today’s value) Amount (inflation adjusted)
    A Amount needed $52,500 $127,400
    B Government pension and aid payouts
    (CPP, OAS, GIS)    		 $22,000 $53,400
    C Employer-sponsored pension plan
    (group RRSP)    		 $8,000 $19,400
    D B + C $30,000 $72,800
    E Shortfall (A – D) $22,500 $54,600
    F Needed value of investments in the year of retirement (E divided by 4%, based on the 4% rule) $562,500 $1,365,000
    G Needed flat/constant monthly investment amount from now to retirement $969

    In the example above, the person faces an annual shortfall of $22,500. In other words, this person needs to generate an additional $22,500 per year to meet their retirement income needs, after accounting for the typical government pension or aid payouts and their employer-sponsored retirement plan. To do this, they’d need to invest about $969 per month, assuming an 8% annual rate of return from now to retirement 30 years later. How could they fill this gap and meet their shortfall? Enter self-directed investments, real estate and small-business income.

    Build your own retirement portfolio

    An obvious and tax-efficient way to cover your retirement income shortfall is to build your own investment portfolio from which to draw income in your retirement years. These investments can be held in registered or non-registered accounts. Registered accounts, such as the TFSA and RRSP, offer useful tax advantages—such as a tax deduction and/or tax-free or tax-sheltered gains, depending on the account—but the amount you can contribute to these accounts is limited. Non-registered accounts have no contribution limits but offer no tax advantages. 

    Newcomers often have lower TFSA and RRSP contribution room compared to their peers because they’ve lived and worked in Canada for a shorter period. “TFSA contribution room starts accruing the year of becoming a resident of Canada,” Forward explains. “RRSP contribution room is based on earned income in the previous year.”

    Your TFSA and RRSP contribution room information is available on your Notice of Assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency, which you’ll receive after you file your tax return. To check your TFSA limit, you can also use a TFSA contribution room calculator.

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    Aditya Nain

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  • How to plan for retirement when you have no pension – MoneySense

    How to plan for retirement when you have no pension – MoneySense

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    Retirement

    OAS payment dates in 2024, and more to know about Old Age Security

    Here’s how Canada’s Old Age Security pension program works, who’s eligible for OAS, when you can start receiving OAS,…

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    Michael McCullough

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  • How to manage as a single parent with no pension – MoneySense

    How to manage as a single parent with no pension – MoneySense

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    “If someone’s not lucky enough to have a company pension, it’s that much more crucial for them to be building up savings on their own,” says Millie Gormely, a Certified Financial Planner at IG Wealth Management in Thunder Bay, Ont. “But that’s really hard to do when you’re supporting yourself and your kids, because you’re having to stretch that income that much further.”

    As of 2022, there were about 1.84 million single-parent families in Canada, and they face unique financial challenges. For starters, the primary caregiver may be covering more than their share of the responsibility and cost of raising their kids, footing bills for everything from food to clothing and childcare. And, thanks to inflation, we all know the cost of living has gone way up in recent years. Plus, a single parent may also be shouldering the burden of saving for their kids’ education (read about RESP planning), taking on medical expenses and more. And then there’s the fact that single parents tend to have less income to work with in the first place. According to Statistics Canada, lone-parent families with two kids report an average household income that’s only about a third of what dual-earner families of four bring in. (Not half, a third.) 

    All this financial strain can be a serious hurdle to retirement planning, but it doesn’t mean it’s impossible to save for your future. 

    Pinpoint your goals

    The first step is to identify your long-term goals (consulting a financial planner can help with this part). You’ll want to figure out your desired income in retirement and how much saving you’ll need to do to reach your goal. The next step is to take a hard look at your spending habits and your budget to find funds you can set aside for your retirement. 

    You may wish to review past bank and credit card statements to get a clear picture of what you’re spending on essentials (which can include rent, groceries, transportation and daycare). You’ll also want to get a clear picture of your debts like credit card balances, personal lines of credit and mortgage instalments to help you identify your fixed costs. All of this will help you figure out a budget you can live with—and what you have left over for retirement savings.

    If what’s left isn’t much, don’t despair. Even a small monthly savings will help you in the long run, says Gormely. “Contributing something rather than nothing on a regular basis is going to put you so much further ahead than if you just throw up your hands,” she says.

    Assess potential sources of retirement income

    You may have more options than you realize. A registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) is a long-term investing account that is registered with the Canadian federal government and helps you save for retirement on a tax-deferred basis. It allows for plenty of room to help your money grow. For example, your RRSP contribution limit for 2024 is equal to 18% of your 2023 earned income (or $31,560, whichever is lower). You also can tap into unused contribution room from past years.

    A tax-free savings account (TFSA) is another option. Like an RRSP, a TFSA can hold any combination of eligible investment vehicles, including stocks, bonds, cash and more, and the growth will be tax-sheltered. “In general, for someone at a lower income level, they might be better off maxing out their TFSA first, and then looking at their RRSP as a source of retirement income,” says Gormely.

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    Karen Robock

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  • Which savings should retirees draw down first? – MoneySense

    Which savings should retirees draw down first? – MoneySense

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    Working as a financial planner, I am often asked, “What is the most tax-efficient way to draw down on investments?” From the outset, I question if a decumulation plan based on tax efficiency is the best use of someone’s money. I wonder whether it is even possible to design “the best” long-term, tax-efficient withdrawal strategy.  

    I have modelled many different combinations of withdrawal strategies, such as RRSP first, non-registered first, blending the two, depleting registered retirement income funds (RRIFs) by age 90, dividends from a holding company, integrating tax-free savings accounts (TFSAs), and so on. In most cases, there is no significant difference to the estate over a 25- or 30-year retirement period, with the odd exception.

    You may have read articles suggesting the right withdrawal strategy can have a major impact on your retirement. The challenge when reading these articles is you don’t know the underlying assumptions. For example, if the planner is using a 5% annual return, is it all interest income and fully taxable? What is the mix of interest, dividends, foreign dividends, capital gains and turnover rate that makes up the 5% return? There is no standard all planners use, which leads to confusion and can make things seem more complicated than they need to be.

    Think spending, not decumulation

    Here is my approach to designing a decumulation plan. First, think about my opening. You have about 20 years of active living left to get the most out of your money. What do you want to do? Twenty years from now, do you want to look back on your life and say, “I sure was tax-efficient,” or would you rather say, “I had a great time, I did this and that and I helped…” I write this because it is not uncommon for me to see people be too restrictive on their spending in the name of tax efficiency, or not wanting or having the confidence to draw down their investments when they could.

    Stop thinking decumulation; that puts the focus on the money. Instead, think spending. How do you want to spend your money? I know you can’t predict over 20 years, so focus on this year. How can you make this a fantastic year while living within your means? Do you even know the limit to your means? 

    Now prepare an expense sheet so you can see where you are spending your money and where you want to spend it. This is where a financial planner with sophisticated software can help. Have your expenses modelled and projected over time. Will your income and assets support your ideal lifestyle or even allow you to enhance your lifestyle?

    Now do the math

    Once you have a spending plan supported by your income and assets, do the projections showing different withdrawal strategies. You need the spending plan first, because the amount and timing of your spending dictates the withdrawal plan. Plus, detailing your spending gives you a better view behind the curtain to see the impact of spending amounts and frequency on tax and capital changes of different withdrawals. What does spending on things like vehicles, special vacations and renovations mean?

    I suspect that as you work through this exercise, ideally with a planner capable of using sophisticated software, you will see that the withdrawal order doesn’t matter too much and can be easily influenced by various assumptions. If that is your result, you are in a good position. It allows you to manage your affairs so you are tax-efficient each year. 

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    Allan Norman, MSc, CFP, CIM

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  • OAS payment dates in 2024, and more to know about Old Age Security – MoneySense

    OAS payment dates in 2024, and more to know about Old Age Security – MoneySense

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    For example, for income year 2023, the threshold amount is $86,912. If your income in 2023 was $120,000, then your repayment would be 15% of $33,088 (the difference between $120,000 and $86,912). That comes out to $4,963.20.

    OAS clawbacks are paid off in 12 monthly payments, starting in July of the following tax year (in this case, 2024) and ending the next June (2025, in this example). This July-through-June period is called the “recovery tax period.” Continuing our example: $4,963.20 divided by 12 is $413.60. That’s how much you would repay each month from July 2024 to June 2025. (See the OAS recovery tax thresholds for income years 2022 and 2024.)

    How can I avoid OAS clawbacks?

    With some planning, it may be possible to reduce or avoid OAS clawbacks. One strategy is splitting pension income with a spouse who has a lower marginal tax rate. Another strategy is to base withdrawals from your registered retirement income fund (RRIF) on the younger spouse’s age—your minimum withdrawals may be lower. Keep in mind that different kinds of investment income are taxed differently, too. (Learn more about how passive income is taxed.) Consider speaking to a financial advisor or tax planner about these and other strategies. 

    What is the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS)?

    The Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) is a part of the OAS program that provides an additional, non-taxable monthly payment to Canadian residents who receive the OAS and whose previous-year income is below a certain threshold. Like OAS, the GIS is indexed to inflation.

    The income threshold changes annually. For example, from July to September in 2024, the threshold is $21,768 for a single person. If your 2023 income was less than that, you may qualify for the GIS. 

    For couples, the maximum income thresholds for combined annual income in 2023 are:

    • $28,752 if your spouse/common-law partner receives the full OAS pension
    • $52,176 if your spouse/common-law partner does not receive OAS
    • $40,272 if your spouse/common-law partner receives the Allowance benefit (a non-taxable payment for Canadians aged 60 to 64 whose partner is eligible for the GIS and your combined income is below the threshold for the Allowance)

    If you don’t receive a letter from the government about the GIS, you can submit an application through a My Service Canada Account or by filling out a paper form and submitting it to Service Canada. You can apply for OAS and the GIS at the same time. Learn more about applying for the GIS.

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    Keph Senett

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  • 40 and no pension: What do you do? – MoneySense

    40 and no pension: What do you do? – MoneySense

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    It’s not as big a problem as you might think. The key is to try to mimic the pay-yourself-first approach by setting up an automatic contribution to your registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) to coincide with your payday. A good rule of thumb to strive for is 10% of your gross income. Remember, in most cases the employees blessed with a defined-benefit pension are contributing around the same 10% rate (sometimes more) to their pension plan. You need to match those pensioners stride-for-stride.

    How much to save when you’re 40 and have no pension

    Let’s look at an example of pension-less Johnny, a late starter who prioritized buying a home at age 35 and has not saved a dime for retirement by age 40. Now Johnny is keen to get started and wants to contribute 10% of his $90,000-per-year gross income to invest for retirement.

    He does this for 25 years at an annual return of 6% and amasses nearly $500,000 by the time he turns 65.

    Source: getsmarteraboutmoney.ca

    Keep in mind this doesn’t take any future salary growth into account. For instance, if Johnny’s income increased by 3% annually, and his savings rate continued to be 10% of gross income, the dollar amount of his contributions would climb accordingly each year.

    This subtle change boosts Johnny’s RRSP balance to just over $700,000 at age 65.

    How government programs can help those without a pension

    A $700,000 RRSP—combined with expected benefits from the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Old Age Security (OAS)—is enough to maintain the same standard of living in retirement that Johnny enjoyed during his working years.

    That’s because when his mortgage is paid off, he’s no longer saving for retirement, and he can expect his tax rate to be much lower in retirement.

    40-year-old Johnny spends $40,000 per year, plus mortgage until the mortgage is fully paid off at age 60. Johnny retires at age 65 and continues spending $40,000 per year (inflation-adjusted) until age 95.

    CPP and OAS will add nearly $25,000 per year to Johnny’s annual income (in today’s dollars), if he takes his benefits at age 65. Both are guaranteed benefits that are paid for life and indexed to inflation. 

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    Robb Engen, QAFP

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  • Why a reverse mortgage should be a last resort for Canadian retirees – MoneySense

    Why a reverse mortgage should be a last resort for Canadian retirees – MoneySense

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    “This leaves a total outstanding now of $204,939, with the interest owing being 25% of the balance owing after only five years,” says Ardrey. “As time goes on, this can overtake the entire value of the home. Thankfully, they do note that there is no negative equity, but there is not much left at the end of the day for the home owner or their heirs.” 

    Heath points to the fact that reverse mortgage rates tend to be much higher than traditional sources. “A borrower can expect to pay at least a couple percentage points more than mortgages and lines of credit. But if you read the fine print in your home equity line of credit agreement, the lender typically reserves the right to decrease your limit or even call the outstanding balance.”

    So, homeowners should not count on their HELOC being available when they need it.

    Right now, reverse mortgage variable rates are in the 9.5% range, while 5-year variable mortgage rates are about 6% and 5-year fixed mortgage rates are about 5%. HELOC rates are generally 1% above prime, so they’re currently around 7.95%. “There is definitely a premium paid to take advantage of reverse mortgages,” says Heath.  

    Ardrey raises another concern: how retirement living care can be paid for. “Often a home can be sold when a senior moves into retirement living, allowing them to pay for this care. In this example, the ability to use the home for this purpose would be significantly impaired.”

    He suggests that instead of using a reverse mortgage that could cripple the financial future, retirees need to look honestly at their situation and the lifestyle they can afford. “Though it may not be preferable to sell their home and live somewhere else, it may also be their financial reality. This speaks to the value of planning ahead to avoid being house-rich and cash-poor.”

    What are the alternatives to a reverse mortgage for Canadian retirees?

    Allan Small, senior investment advisor with IA Private Wealth Inc., says reverse mortgages “have not played a part in any of the retirement plans and retirement planning that I have done so far in my career. I think the reverse mortgage idea or concept, for whatever reason, has not caught on.” Also, “those individual investors I see usually have money to invest, or they have already invested. Most downsize their residence and take the equity out that way versus pulling money out of the property while still living in it.” 

    Finance professor and author Moshe Milevsky told me in an email, that when it comes to reverse mortgages—or any other financial strategy or product in the realm of decumulation—“I always ask this question before giving an opinion: Compared to what?” He worries about the associated interest-rate risk, which is “difficult to control, manage or even comprehend at advanced ages with cognitive decline.”  

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    Jonathan Chevreau

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