“Why not both?” This is the answer the wife gives to her husband when he asks whether they should install an indoor or an outdoor hot tub. Perhaps you recall that commercial from one of the major providers of reverse mortgages in Canada. While the...
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I have written before about retiring on a low income, in this blog post. Much of that post relied on the writing of John Stapleton, an expert on benefit programs for low-income earners, and a retired Ontario civil servant. Periodically, Stapleton makes live presentations via programs...
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You are the right age to retire. You have the right amount of money. Is that it, though? What are you retiring into? Has that even been part of your thinking? What other aspects of retirement do you need to get into place? Emotional Issues in...
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Money In and Money Out When I worked for the discount brokerage division of a major Canadian bank, I learned that the investment side of banking was referred to as “Money In.” That is, money came into the bank through investments in Guaranteed Investment Certificates (GICs)...
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After years of working at minimum wage retail jobs without benefits, Donald, age 59, is wondering what his strategy should be for retirement. He knows that he can begin taking the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) as early as next year, when he turns 60, but...
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I occasionally hear, either in writing or in person, that saving for retirement is almost hopeless. The argument is that they are living paycheque to paycheque, and that there is simply no point in even trying. Consequently, and perhaps with a wry smile, they say...
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An Introduction to Retirement Planning – Part 4 Planning for retirement is not just about money. I think you could reasonably argue that money is almost the last thing to be considered. It is the tool that makes your plans for retirement executable. Mind you, it...
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An Introduction to Financial Planning – Part 3 A question was put to me via Twitter in response to my last post on retirement planning. In a nutshell, how do couples do retirement planning when there is an age gap between spouses? I will interpret an...
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An Introduction to Retirement Planning – Part 1 In the middle of this extraordinary COVID-19 pandemic, many of us may feel like we have been forcibly retired. Our governments have shut down large swaths of the economy in order to enable the physical distancing that, we...
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An Introduction to Registered Plans – Part 1 What is a Registered Retirement Savings Plan? An RRSP is an individual account that has been registered with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). Because it is registered, allowable contributions are tax-deductible if they are contributed in the year or...
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