Retire Smarter

is a small, independent Canadian project. We offer free tools & calculators to help plan your retirement, investments & financial life.

[Retire Smarter @RetireSmarterCa]

New FCAC report: Canadian banks made about $2.45 billion from 9 customer fee categories in 2025, and many fees are unclear and hard to compare (Globe and Mail). Tally a year of account, ATM and FX fees, then shop around. Free bank fees calculator at RetireSmarter dot ca

[Retire Smarter @RetireSmarterCa]

Paying Rogers or Fido by credit card? From Jan 17, 2027 that adds a 1.6% fee (not in Quebec): $38.40 a year on a $200 monthly bill. Bank debit, online banking and Visa Debit avoid it (source: Rogers). Tally small fees with the free bank fees calculator at RetireSmarter dot ca

[Retire Smarter @RetireSmarterCa]

Covered call ETFs pay big yields, but what are you giving up for them? The quick breakdown.
Full guide at RetireSmarter dot ca
Educational, not advice. #CoveredCalls #ETFs

[Retire Smarter @RetireSmarterCa]

Counting on your home to fund retirement? CREA's average price was $668,219 in Aug 2026, near Aug 2021's $663,500, while consumer prices rose 19.1%. After inflation, that home buys about 15% less (CREA data via nesto). Free reverse mortgage calculator at RetireSmarter dot ca

[Retire Smarter @RetireSmarterCa]

Waiting from 65 to 70 raises CPP by 42% and OAS by 36%. $1,000 a month of CPP becomes $1,420, and the simple break-even is near age 82 (about 83 for OAS), per Stan Wong, BNN Bloomberg, today.
Test your timing with the free CPP calculator at RetireSmarter dot ca

[Retire Smarter @RetireSmarterCa]

Turning 65 with no pension? The federal pension credit covers up to $2,000 a year of eligible pension income. Converting part of an RRSP to a RRIF and withdrawing $2,000 a year can qualify (Tim Cestnick, Globe and Mail, Oct 22).
RRSP to RRIF guide at RetireSmarter dot ca

[Retire Smarter @RetireSmarterCa]

When does CPP actually land in your account? The 2026 payment dates in under a minute.
Full calendar at RetireSmarter dot ca
Educational, not advice. #CPP #Retirement

[Retire Smarter @RetireSmarterCa]

Top 5-year GIC now pays 4.55%, up from 4.00% six months ago (Globe and Mail, Oct 21). With inflation at 3.1%, that's only about 1.45 points ahead before tax, and a 3% savings account is slightly behind. Compare GIC vs savings at RetireSmarter dot ca

[Retire Smarter @RetireSmarterCa]

Retired couples: you can shift up to half of eligible pension income to your spouse on Form T1032. At 65+, RRIF withdrawals qualify but plain RRSP withdrawals don't, so line it up before Dec 31 (Motley Fool Canada). Free splitting calculator at RetireSmarter dot ca

[Retire Smarter @RetireSmarterCa]

Canada scored 70.6 (a B) in the 2026 Marsh CFA Institute Global Pension Index, out today. Biggest weak spot: many private-sector workers have no workplace pension. No pension at work? Your RRSP and TFSA are your pension plan. Map yours free at RetireSmarter dot ca

[Retire Smarter @RetireSmarterCa]

Budget 2026 lands Nov 5, Finance Minister Champagne announced today (Finance Canada). Budgets can change taxes and benefits, so skip rushed moves on rumours. Set your baseline now with the free retirement planner at RetireSmarter dot ca, then compare after. #Budget2026

[Retire Smarter @RetireSmarterCa]

RRIF minimums in a minute: at 71 the factor is 5.28%, so a $200,000 RRIF must pay out $10,560 that year.
See yours by age at RetireSmarter dot ca
Educational, not advice. #RRIF #Retirement

[Retire Smarter @RetireSmarterCa]

Rate hike odds for Oct. 28 have jumped, yet the best 5-year GIC already pays 4.50% (WOWA, via Globe and Mail). Torn on locking in? A GIC ladder has one rung mature each year, so you can reinvest if rates keep climbing.

Build your ladder free at RetireSmarter dot ca

[Retire Smarter @RetireSmarterCa]

3-year fixed mortgage rates rose from about 3.9% to about 4.6% this year (Rob Carrick, Globe and Mail). If you plan to retire with a mortgage, a pricier renewal hits a fixed income hard.
Test paying it off vs investing, free at RetireSmarter dot ca
Educational, not advice.

[Retire Smarter @RetireSmarterCa]

68% of Canadians in workplace plans worry about outliving their savings, and 65% aren't sure how to estimate their retirement spending (BlackRock survey).
Start with your spending, then test how long your savings last. Free retirement planner at RetireSmarter dot ca

[Retire Smarter @RetireSmarterCa]

Markets now see a 75% chance the Bank of Canada hikes to 2.5% on Oct. 28, up from under 50% last week (Bloomberg data, via Globe and Mail). The 5-year yield jumped 14 bps today.

Renewing a mortgage soon? Price the higher payment now. Free renewal guide at RetireSmarter dot ca

[Retire Smarter @RetireSmarterCa]

Coast FIRE: the point where you could stop saving and still retire on time. Are you there yet?
Free Coast FIRE calculator at RetireSmarter dot ca
Educational, not advice. #CoastFIRE #FIRE

[Retire Smarter @RetireSmarterCa]

Canadians now expect 3.9% inflation five years out, up from 3.4% last quarter (Bank of Canada consumer survey, Oct 19).
CPP and OAS rise with inflation. Your savings withdrawals only keep up if you plan for it.
Free retirement planner at RetireSmarter dot ca

[Retire Smarter @RetireSmarterCa]

Canada's inflation rose to 3.1% in September as gasoline jumped 27.8% (StatCan, via Reuters). Excluding gas, it eased to 2.2%.
Is your cash earning more than inflation? If not, it's quietly losing buying power.
Compare current GIC and savings rates at RetireSmarter dot ca

[Retire Smarter @RetireSmarterCa]

Should RRSPs stay open past 71? Industry groups want Ottawa to raise the RRIF conversion age; CALU asked for 75 in its pre-budget submission (Globe and Mail).
Nothing has changed yet: convert by Dec 31 of the year you turn 71.
Free RRSP to RRIF guide at RetireSmarter dot ca