retirement planning

A few years ago, when the federal government restored the OAS eligibility age back to 65, many Canadians breathed a sigh of relief. When eligibility changes were originally implemented they only affected those under age 54 as of March 31, 2012, but it became apparent that even an extra few hundred dollars a month in retirement could mean a lot to many future Canadian retirees.

By far one of the most crucial financial strategy steps is accurately estimating retirement expenses. Correctly accounting for retirement living expenses is critical to ensuring that retirees do not outlive their money. For those already retired, there are usually few good options for creating new income sources later in life.

Statistics Canada recently reported the ratio of household credit market debt to disposable income reached the highest level since the agency began tracking this figure. In 1990 it was 50%, rose to 110% in 2000 and jumped to 171% by the fourth quarter of 2017. This can cause some angst for those with children reaching post-secondary school age.

You have probably heard about the old 70 percent rule that suggests retirees will need the equivalent of about 70 percent of their current income level to maintain their lifestyle in retirement. This assumes that retirement living costs will be 30 percent less during working years. While it may have been applied appropriately for retirees two or three decades ago, it is fraught with significant risk and potential disaster for today's retirees.

The conversation with clients about retirement income planning is much different from those conversations that occur over the years while they are building retirement assets using vehicles such as pensions, RRSPs, LIRA's, TFSAs and so on.

Canadian couples rely upon Government pensions, CPP and Old Age Security (OAS) for a significant portion of their total retirement income planning, which can equal 20% to 50% or more, of their actual or projected total retirement incomes. Corporate and personal pensions (such as RRSPs and TFSAs and other savings) are other sources of retirement income from a planning perspective.

It is always a difficult transition when people move from being the ones taking care of their family to the position where their family takes care of them. This is especially true when it comes to finances.

As Joe Farnsworth^* from Toronto discovered, published return percentages do not necessarily tell the whole story of an investment portfolio performance. Joe retired 9 years ago from the Toronto Police Service from which he collects a serviceable pension each month.

There is a common misconception that, if left unaddressed, can having a devastating effect an individual’s long-term financial well-being. It is the belief that long-term care costs are fully covered by provincial health care plans if you or a loved one ever need this special type of care.

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The unfortunate truth about aging is that the human brain deteriorates as we age. While the process is vastly different depending on the individual and their health and circumstances, the rate of deterioration cannot be predicted with any level of certainty. It doesn’t cater to genetics, family history, or life habits.