RETIREMENT PLANNING
Build a Retirement You Can Actually live.
Your retirement is more than a number. We bring your investments, income, pensions, taxes and long-term goals together to create a strategy built around the life you want to live.
OUR RETIREMENT PLANNING PROCESS
A Plan for Today, Tomorrow and What Comes Next.
Retirement planning isn’t just about determining how much you need to stop working. It’s about understanding how your wealth needs to support you throughout retirement — and what you want it to accomplish beyond your lifetime.
We look at the complete picture: your lifestyle, income needs, investments, pensions, CPP and OAS, taxes, inflation, healthcare, longevity and the wealth you may ultimately want to pass on.
The goal is simple: create a retirement plan that gives you confidence to enjoy today, security for tomorrow and a clear path for what comes next.
LIving Expenses
Housing, food, utilities and daily living costs.
Travel & Lifestyle
The experience and freedom you want in retirement.
Healthcare
Current and future medical and long-term care costs.
Family & Legacy
Supporting family and the causes that matter to you.
Debt
Reducing or eliminating debt before and during retirement.
Inflation
Maintaining your purchasing power over time.
Longevity
Planning for a longer, healthier life.
RETIREMENT PLANNING
Where Will Your Retirement Income Come From?
Retirement ins’t about hitting an arbitrary number. It’s about understanding the income you’ll need to fund the life you want – today, tomorrow and for the decades ahead. We help you identify your real retirement needs, account for inflation, taxes, healthcare and longevity, and build a plan that gives you confidence, not guesswork.
Your Portfolio Has a New Job.
During your working years, your investment portfolio has one primary objective: help build wealth.
In retirement, that job changes.
Your portfolio may now need to provide regular income, preserve capital, manage market risk, keep pace with inflation and remain flexible enough to support expenses that may change over time.
At the same time, your investments are only one part of the equation.
CPP, OAS, employer pensions, RRSPs, RRIFs, TFSAs, non-registered investments and, for some families, corporate wealth can all play a role in funding retirement.
The question isn’t simply how much you have in each account.
Your retirement income shouldn’t be a collection of withdrawals. It should be a strategy.
It’s how those pieces fit together.
MULTIPLE SOURCES. ONE PLAN.
Your Retirement Income Usually Comes From Multiple Sources.
Where Your Retirement Income Comes From Matters.
For many Canadians, retirement income doesn’t come from a single account or investment.
It comes from a combination of government benefits, pensions, registered savings, investment portfolios and other sources of wealth.
Each source works differently.
Some provide predictable lifetime income. Some are taxable when withdrawn. Some offer greater flexibility. Some may be better preserved for later in retirement. And some may have implications for your tax situation or estate.
The goal is not to treat every account independently.
It’s to understand what role each source can play—and how they can work together.
Government Benefits
Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Old Age Security (OAS) can provide a foundation of lifetime income. The timing of when you begin these benefits can have a meaningful impact on your future cash flow.
Employer Benefits
Defined benefit pensions, defined contribution plans and other employer retirement benefits can provide important, predictable income. Understanding your pension options is an essential part of retirement planning.
Registered Investments
RRSPs and RRIFs can become significant sources of retirement income, but withdrawals are taxable. The order and timing of withdrawals can therefor matter just as much as the amount you have accumulated.
Tax Free Savings
TFSA assets can provide highly flexible retirement income without creating taxable withdrawals. Used strategically, they can compliment taxable sources of income and help manage your overall tax burden.
Non-Registered Investments
Investment accounts outside registered plans can provide additional retirement income and flexibility. Interest, dividends, capital gains and the timing of realizing those gains can all affect the tax efficiency of your retirement strategy.
Business & Corporate Wealth
For business owner, retirement income can extend beyond traditional RRSPs and pensions. Corporate investments, business proceeds, shareholder planning and the eventual transition or sale of a business can become significant components of retirement wealth.
Each Source of Income Has Different Rules and Implications
It is to build a system in which your government benefits, pensions, investments and accumulated wealth work together.
Because having enough money to retire is one challenge.
Knowing how to turn that wealth into income, manage it through changing markets and taxes, and make it last for the rest of your life is another.
That is where retirement income planning becomes considerably more important — and considerably more complex — than simply asking “How much can I afford to withdraw?”
RETIREMENT INCOME STRATEGY
The Order You Take Income Matters.
The Income You Receive Isn't Always the Income You Keep.
During your working years, the primary objective is usually accumulation: contribute to your RRSP, TFSA and investment accounts, grow your portfolio, build pension benefits and accumulate enough capital to support the retirement you want.
Once you retire, the question changes. Your portfolio is no longer simply something you are building. It becomes one of the sources funding your life.
That means decisions around when to start CPP and OAS, when to draw from a pension, how much to withdraw from an RRSP or RRIF, when to use non-registered investments, how to incorporate TFSA assets and how to coordinate corporate wealth can become just as important as the investment returns themselves.
A $1 million retirement portfolio does not automatically translate into a $1 million retirement plan.
The same amount of wealth can produce very different outcomes depending on how it is structured and withdrawn.
For example, taking more income from a registered account in one year may create a larger tax bill than spreading withdrawals over several years. Taking CPP or OAS earlier may provide income sooner, while delaying benefits can increase future government benefit payments. Selling investments during a market downturn to fund spending can also have very different consequences than having other sources of liquidity available.
And then there are the decisions that aren’t as obvious.
How much income do you actually need each year? Which sources should provide your baseline income? Which accounts should be preserved for later? When should you intentionally realize taxable income? How should investment withdrawals change during a major market decline? What happens when required RRIF withdrawals eventually increase? How will inflation affect the purchasing power of your income 10, 20 or 30 years into retirement?
And perhaps most importantly: How do you create an income strategy that provides for your life today without unnecessarily compromising the wealth you may want to preserve for tomorrow?
The Income You Receive Isn't Always the Income You Keep.
Markets Don't Retire When You Do.
When Your Portfolio Becomes Your Paycheck.
One of the biggest changes in retirement is that market volatility can affect more than the value of your investments. It can affect your income.
During your working years, a market decline may simply mean your portfolio has less time to recover before you need the money. In retirement, you may be withdrawing from that portfolio while markets are falling.
That creates a different problem. You still need to pay the mortgage. You still need groceries. You still want to travel. And you may still need to withdraw money—even when markets aren’t cooperating.
That’s why retirement income planning needs to consider not only how much risk your portfolio takes, but how much liquidity you have available when markets don’t cooperate.
The goal isn’t to eliminate market risk.
It’s to avoid making a permanent decision because of a temporary market decline.
CASH WEDGE INCOME STRATEGY
What If Your Next Few Years of Income Didn't Depend on What the Market Did Today?
One approach we may use in retirement income planning is a cash-wedge strategy.
Instead of relying entirely on the investment portfolio to fund every near-term withdrawal, a portion of the assets can be positioned specifically to meet upcoming income needs. The idea is relatively simple: Separate the money you expect to need soon from the money you are investing for the years ahead.
For some retirees, this may mean maintaining roughly one to two years of planned retirement income in a lower-volatility or alternative investment allocation designed for liquidity and income needs. The longer-term portfolio can then remain focused on its own job: providing growth and helping support income needs further into retirement.
This doesn’t eliminate investment risk, guarantee income or prevent losses. It is simply one tool that can help create greater separation between today’s spending needs and tomorrow’s investment horizon.
THE LONGEST RETIREMENT RISK
You Don't Know How Long Retirement Will Last.
Retirement planning isn’t about making your money last until an estimated age.
It’s about building a strategy that can adapt if you live longer than expected.
A retirement that lasts 20 years requires a different strategy than one that lasts 30 years.
Spending can change. Healthcare costs can change. Inflation can erode purchasing power. Investment returns won’t arrive in a predictable sequence.
And the amount you spend early in retirement may be very different from what you spend later.
RETIREMENT DOESN’T STAY THE SAME.
Your Spending Will Change. Your Plan Should Too.
Retirement is rarely one long, unchanging period of life. Your spending, priorities and financial needs can look very different at 65 than they do at 85.
SLOWER YEARS
As retirement progresses, life often begins to settle into a different rhythm. The big trips may become less frequent. Major purchases become less important. You may spend more time close to home, with family, friends and the routines you enjoy.
That doesn’t necessarily mean your financial needs disappear. They change.
Your spending may become more predictable, while priorities shift from experiences and travel toward maintaining your lifestyle, supporting family and protecting the wealth you have accumulated.
GO-GO YEARS.
The early years of retirement are often when you are most active—and when you finally have the time and freedom to spend the money you spent decades building.
You may want to travel more, spend winters somewhere warmer, help children or grandchildren, renovate the home, buy the boat or vehicle you always wanted, take up new hobbies, or simply have more freedom to say yes without thinking about work.
Your spending may actually be higher in the first years of retirement than it was while you were working. That makes these years particularly important from a retirement income planning perspective. Your portfolio may need to provide more income at exactly the same time you are beginning to rely on it rather than your employment income.
The challenge is finding the balance between enjoying your wealth today and preserving your ability to enjoy it later.
Retirement should give you permission to spend. A good plan gives you confidence in how much you can spend.
HEALTHCARE & LATE-LIFE YEARS
Later in retirement, the financial picture can change again. Healthcare, assisted living, home support, long-term care or helping a spouse may become more important than travel and lifestyle spending.
These costs can be difficult to predict—and they may arrive at a time when you have less ability or desire to make significant changes to your finances.
Retirement planning isn’t simply about making your money last. It’s about making sure your wealth is positioned to support the different stages of your life.
That means planning for the retirement you expect to live—and building enough flexibility for the retirement you cannot predict.
Because Retirement Doesn't Happen in One Financial Year.
A retirement income plan needs to work across decades.
The strategy that makes sense at age 62 may not be the strategy that makes sense at age 72.
Your early retirement years may involve higher travel and discretionary spending. Later years may look completely different. Taxable income can change. Government benefits can change. Investment markets can change. Inflation can change. Required withdrawals from registered accounts can change.
Your life can change, too.
That’s why we believe retirement income planning should be more than determining a withdrawal rate and hoping the numbers work.
It should be an ongoing strategy for converting accumulated wealth into sustainable income while managing the competing demands of taxes, investment risk, inflation, longevity and legacy.
A Good Retirement Income Plan Should Answer Questions Such as:
- What should I withdraw first?
- What should I preserve for later?
- When should I begin CPP and OAS?
- How should my pension fit into the plan?
- How much should I withdraw from my RRSP or RRIF?
- When should I use my TFSA?
- How should non-registered investments be incorporated?
- How can withdrawals be structured tax-efficiently?
- How much income can my portfolio reasonably support?
- What happens if markets fall early in retirement?
- How much should I keep available for unexpected expenses?
- And how does today’s income strategy affect the wealth I may want to leave behind?
There isn’t always one universally correct answer.
The right strategy depends on the person, the portfolio, the tax situation, the sources of income and the life the money is intended to support.
OUR RETIREMENT PLANNING PROCESS
A Clear Path to the Retirement You Want
Retirement planning is about more than knowing how much you have saved. We bring your income, investments, pensions, taxes, lifestyle and long-term goals together to build a retirement strategy designed around your life.
Understand
Start With Your Life, Not a Spreadsheet. We begin with your goals, lifestyle, family, financial position and vision for retirement. Understanding where you are going gives us a better foundation for deciding how your wealth should work for you.
Analyze
Know Where You Stand. We evaluate your retirement readiness, investments, pensions, CPP, OAS, cash flow, spending needs, taxes and potential risks. The goal is to identify what is working, what needs attention and what decisions matter most.
Design
Build Your Retirement Income Strategy. We develop a personalized plan for turning your wealth into sustainable retirement income. This may include investment management, RRSP and RRIF strategies, CPP and OAS timing, pensions, cash reserves and tax-efficient withdrawals.
Coordinate
Make Every Part of the Plan Work Together. Retirement decisions rarely happen in isolation. We coordinate investment, tax, insurance and estate considerations so the pieces of your financial life work together rather than compete with one another.
Implement
Turn the Plan Into Action. A retirement plan is only valuable if it can be put into practice. We help implement the investment, income and withdrawal strategies required to move from planning to living your retirement with confidence.
Stay on Track
Keep Your Retirement Plan on Track. Your retirement will evolve. Markets change. Tax rules change. Your income needs and priorities change. We review your plan regularly and make adjustments when necessary so your strategy continues to support the life you want.
RETIREMENT INCOME STRATEGY
Wealth planning for St. Albert and the Edmonton area
Retirement looks different when your life, family, business and wealth are rooted in Alberta. We help pre-retirees and retirees across St. Albert, Edmonton, Sherwood Park, Stony Plain, Spruce Grove, Morinville and surrounding communities make sense of the decisions that matter most — from investment management and retirement income to CPP, OAS, pensions, tax and estate planning.
Because a retirement plan should do more than tell you when you can stop working. It should show you how your wealth can support the life you want to live.
LOCAL EXPERTISE. REAL LIFE PLANS.
Retirement Planning in St. Albert & the Edmonton Area
Retirement Income Strategies
Turn your savings into a reliable, tax-efficient invome for life.
CPP, OAS & Pensions
Maximize your government benefits and pension options.
Investment Management
Grow and protect your wealth with a disciplined investment strategy.
Tax
Planning
Keep more of what you've built through strategic tax planning.
Estate & Legacy Planning
Ensure your wealth supports the people and causes that matter most.
Business Owner Retirement
Align your business, personal and estate plans for a successful transition.
WHO WE HELP
Retirement Planning for Every Stage of Life.
Pre-Retirees
Build the retirement you actually want. 5–15 years from retirement is when the big decisions matter most. We help you turn your savings, investments, pensions and future income into a clear plan for the life you want after work.
Recent Retirees
Turn your retirement savings into a lasting income. Retirement changes the way you think about money. We help coordinate CPP, OAS, pensions, investments and taxes into a strategy designed to provide reliable income while keeping your long-term plan on track.
Retirees
Make your wealth work for the life you’re living. Retirement isn’t the end of financial planning. We help you manage income, investments, taxes, estate plans and changing priorities so your wealth continues to support the lifestyle and legacy you’ve built.
Business Owners & Farm Families
Plan beyond the business you built. For business owners and farm families, retirement can involve far more than investments. We help bring business succession, personal wealth, tax, estate and retirement planning together to create a coordinated path forward.
RETIREMENT PLANNING FAQS
Common Questions
How much money do I need to retire comfortably?
There is no single number that works for everyone. The amount you need for retirement depends on your desired lifestyle, housing costs, travel, healthcare, family commitments, debt, taxes and how much income you want to have available each year.
A retirement plan should look beyond your investment balance and determine how your CPP, OAS, employer pensions, RRSPs, RRIFs, TFSAs and other investments can work together to create sustainable retirement income.
For retirees and pre-retirees in St. Albert, Edmonton and surrounding Alberta communities, we help build a retirement income plan around the life you actually want to live—not simply a target account balance.
When should I start CPP & OAS?
Deciding when to begin CPP and OAS can have a significant impact on your lifetime retirement income. CPP can generally begin as early as age 60 or be delayed, while OAS can begin at age 65 or be deferred to age 70. Delaying these benefits can increase the amount you receive each month.
The right timing depends on your health, other sources of income, investment assets, tax situation, spouse or partner’s income and how much guaranteed income you want throughout retirement.
Rather than automatically taking CPP and OAS at the earliest possible age, retirement income planning should consider how government benefits fit into your overall retirement income strategy.
How do I turn my investments into retirement income?
Retirement changes the way your investment portfolio needs to work. During your working years, the focus may be primarily on accumulating wealth. In retirement, your portfolio must also provide reliable income while managing investment risk, inflation, taxes and the possibility of living longer than expected.
A retirement income strategy can coordinate RRSP and RRIF withdrawals, TFSA savings, non-registered investments, pensions, CPP and OAS to create a sustainable income stream.
The goal isn’t simply to withdraw a fixed percentage from your portfolio. It is to create a strategy that balances income today with preserving flexibility and wealth for tomorrow.
How can I reduce taxes in retirement?
Retirement income can come from several different sources, and each can have different tax implications. CPP, OAS, pension income, RRSP and RRIF withdrawals, investment income and other sources can all affect your taxable income.
Effective retirement tax planning may involve coordinating withdrawals between RRSPs, RRIFs, TFSAs and non-registered investments, considering pension income splitting where appropriate, and managing the timing and amount of taxable income.
Tax planning should be integrated into your retirement income strategy—not treated as an afterthought at tax time.
Should I take money from my RRSP before I need it?
Not necessarily—but there can be good reasons to strategically withdraw RRSP assets before mandatory RRIF withdrawals begin.
Leaving a large RRSP untouched for too long can result in significant taxable withdrawals later in retirement. Depending on your circumstances, gradually drawing down registered assets during lower-income years may help manage future taxes and create greater flexibility.
The decision should consider your current income, future tax brackets, CPP and OAS, pensions, RRIF conversion, investment income and estate goals.
A retirement income plan can help determine not only how much you need to withdraw, but which account to draw from and when.
How do I protect my retirement income from market downturns?
Market volatility becomes particularly important once you begin relying on your portfolio for income. A significant market decline early in retirement can have a different impact than the same decline during your accumulation years.
Retirement planning should therefore consider portfolio diversification, withdrawal strategies, cash-flow requirements, investment risk and the sequence in which different assets are accessed.
The objective isn’t to eliminate investment risk—it is to build a retirement income strategy that allows you to continue funding your lifestyle through different market environments without making unnecessary decisions under pressure.
How long with my retirement savings last?
One of the most important questions in retirement planning is whether your assets can continue supporting your lifestyle for as long as you live.
A retirement plan should account for life expectancy, inflation, investment returns, changing spending patterns, healthcare costs, taxes and unexpected expenses. Canadians reaching age 65 today can expect many more years of retirement, making longevity an important consideration when determining sustainable income.
Rather than asking only, “How much do I have?”, we look at how your assets and income sources may perform across different retirement scenarios.
What happens to my retirement plan when one spouse dies?
Retirement planning should account for what happens to your income, investments, pensions and estate if one spouse or partner dies.
The surviving spouse may experience changes to CPP, OAS, pension income, taxes, investment income and household expenses. Certain pension and government benefits may also have survivor provisions, while registered and non-registered assets can have different estate and tax consequences.
Planning for both spouses—not just the first stage of retirement—can help protect the surviving spouse and ensure that your retirement income, estate and legacy plans remain aligned.
Can I retire comfortably in St. Albert or the Edmonton area?
Retirement planning is personal. The cost of housing, property taxes, travel, healthcare, recreation and everyday living can all influence how much income you need in retirement.
For families in St. Albert, Edmonton, Sherwood Park, Stony Plain, Spruce Grove, Morinville and surrounding Alberta communities, retirement planning should consider both your desired lifestyle and the resources available to fund it.
We help pre-retirees and retirees bring together CPP, OAS, pensions, RRSPs, RRIFs, TFSAs and investment portfolios to develop a retirement income strategy designed around their goals, circumstances and priorities.
How do I make my retirement income keep up with inflation?
Retirement can last 20, 30 years or more, and the cost of living rarely stays the same. We help retirees in St. Albert, Edmonton and surrounding Alberta communities build retirement income strategies that account for inflation, rising healthcare and lifestyle costs, investment returns and longer life expectancy. The goal is to create a plan that provides dependable income today while preserving your ability to maintain your lifestyle in the years ahead.
RETIREMENT PLANNING
You Built the Wealth
Now Live the Life It Was Built For.
Your wealth should do more than sit on a statement. It should give you the freedom to live well today while protecting the life you’ve worked so hard to build.