retirement planning

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.

Canadians are living longer, healthier lives. According to Statistics Canada (2018), the average life expectancy is 80 years for men and 84 years for women. This means your retirement years may almost equal your working ones. Family therapist Rhonda Katz suggests taking some time before retirement to identify what you find enjoyable in life and thinking of ways to sustain that happiness level. She also says to honestly answer the following questions:

Recent studies * reveal that a large majority of so-called Baby Boomers are uncertain about their preparation for retirement. Arguably, the have it my way generation did not all follow in their parents' footsteps when it came to saving for the future. As well, some major bumps along the way (a housing crisis, a stock market crash, a global financial crisis and a pandemic) have reduced many retirement 'nest eggs.'

Bob and Lisa are wondering just how their retirement will turn out. After all that's happened over the past few years, their RRSP accounts haven't grown as much as they had expected. Even in the best of times, they weren't saving as much as they could have been, at least for all their post-retirement desires.