Canadian Retirement Planning Guides
Quick Answer
What government benefits actually pay and what you need to save on top. CPP at 60 versus 65 versus 70, OAS and the clawback threshold, GIS, RRIFs and annuities, pension income splitting, and the nest-egg math behind early retirement. The single highest-value decision here is usually the CPP start age — deferring to 70 raises the payment by 42% for life, which is worth more than most investment choices.
Calculators for this topic
Retirement Calculator
Will you have enough? Projects your nest egg, converts it to 4%-rule monthly income with CPP/OAS stacked on, and prices the exact monthly saving needed to close any gap.
CPP & OAS Calculator
Estimate your monthly CPP and OAS retirement income by earnings history, years in Canada, and the age you start — plus the 4%-rule nest egg to cover the gap.
RRSP vs TFSA Calculator
Compare after-tax outcomes of RRSP vs TFSA contributions based on your tax rate today versus retirement — see which account wins for you.
Compound Interest Calculator
See how your money grows with compounding. Project savings with regular contributions.
All 13 guides on retirement planning
- Annuity vs RRIF in Canada: Guaranteed Cheques vs Flexible Control
A life annuity at 65 pays roughly $6,000–$7,100 a year per $100,000 for life, with no market risk and no flexibility. A RRIF keeps control and growth but requires minimum withdrawals. The comparison and the split strategy many retirees consider.
Reviewed Sep 14, 2026
- Coast FIRE in Canada: The Number That Lets You Stop Saving (Not Stop Working)
Coast FIRE means you've invested enough that compounding alone funds your retirement — you only need to cover current expenses from here. A 30-year-old targeting $50,000/year at 65 hits coast at roughly $225,000 invested, or about $136,000 once CPP and OAS are counted. How to find your number.
Reviewed Sep 14, 2026
- CPP at 60 vs 65 vs 70: The Real Break-Even Math for Canadians
Taking CPP at 60 cuts your pension by 36%; waiting to 70 raises it by 42%. The exact break-even ages, the 2026 numbers, and who should genuinely take it early.
Reviewed Sep 14, 2026
- CPP and OAS in 2026: How Much Will You Actually Get?
Real CPP and OAS numbers for 2026: maximum vs average payments, the enhancement that's raising CPP, when to take each (60 vs 65 vs 70), the OAS clawback threshold, and how much personal saving you still need.
Reviewed Sep 14, 2026
- CPP Survivor Benefits and OAS After a Spouse Dies: What Widows and Widowers Actually Get
CPP survivor benefits pay up to 60% of the deceased spouse's CPP — but combined with your own CPP, the total is capped at the maximum single benefit, meaning many survivors get little or nothing extra. OAS has no survivor benefit but the Allowance for the Survivor helps low-income survivors aged 60-64. The rules every couple should know.
Reviewed Sep 14, 2026
- GIS in Canada: The Guaranteed Income Supplement, Explained (2026)
The Guaranteed Income Supplement pays low-income OAS recipients up to $1,123.17/month tax-free — who qualifies, how the 50-cent clawback works, why one RRSP dollar can cost you two, and how to apply.
Reviewed Sep 14, 2026
- How Much Do You Need to Retire in Canada? (The Real Formula)
Retirement number, decoded: the 70% rule is a myth, the 4% rule is the anchor — target spending minus CPP/OAS, times 25. Worked examples from $40k to $100k of retirement income, and what each requires saved by 65.
Reviewed Sep 14, 2026
- Inheriting a House in Canada: Taxes, Probate, and the Sell-vs-Keep Decision
Inheriting a house in Canada triggers no inheritance tax, but the estate pays capital gains on the home's growth since the deceased bought it (unless it was their principal residence), plus probate fees before title transfers. Your options: sell, move in, or rent it out — each with different tax treatment from day one.
Reviewed Sep 14, 2026
- The OAS Clawback in 2026: The 15% Surtax Nobody Plans For
OAS clawback explained: the $95,323 income threshold (2026), the 15% recovery tax, the ~$155,000 full-clawback point, and the RRSP/TFSA withdrawal strategy that keeps your OAS intact.
Reviewed Sep 14, 2026
- Pension Income Splitting in Canada: The Free Tax Cut Most Couples Miss
Canadian couples can move up to 50% of eligible pension income to a lower-income spouse on paper — no money actually changes hands — often saving $1,000-$5,000 a year in tax and dodging the OAS clawback. Who qualifies and how to claim it.
Reviewed Sep 14, 2026
- Probate Fees by Province in Canada — and the 5 Legal Ways to Avoid Them
Probate costs up to 1.5% of your estate — $20,250 on a $1.4 million estate in Ontario — but assets with named beneficiaries and joint ownership skip it entirely. The fee table by province and the five strategies that shrink it legally.
Reviewed Sep 14, 2026
- How to Retire at 55 in Canada: The 10-Year Bridge Problem
Early retirement in Canada means self-funding the gap before CPP (60) and OAS (65). The two-phase math for retiring at 55, what it costs, and the tactics — RRSP meltdowns, TFSA bridges, CPP timing — that make it work.
Reviewed Sep 14, 2026
- Reverse Mortgages in Canada: The Real Cost of Tax-Free Cash at 55+
A reverse mortgage lets Canadians 55+ borrow up to 55% of their home's value with no monthly payments — at rates roughly 2-3 points above a HELOC, with interest compounding against the estate. The math, the alternatives, and who it actually fits.
Reviewed Sep 14, 2026