Focused decision guides
Each short guide explains a trade-off, identifies the assumptions that matter, and opens the relevant Retired Kevin comparison or calculator.
Start with the portfolio available at retirement, then compare the income you want with pensions, benefits and other income. The remaining amount shows what savings may need to provide.
Read this guideRetirement income often arrives from several places at different times. A timeline can show how pensions, benefits, work and savings combine into one monthly picture.
Read this guideRetiring before benefits begin can create bridge years. Savings, a pension, part-time work or another source may need to cover more of the monthly paycheque during that period.
Read this guideStart with the monthly retirement costs and income you can roughly estimate. The remaining gap shows the role savings may need to play.
Read this guideEach choice changes a different part of life. Comparing one change at a time can make the trade-off easier to understand before you combine smaller changes.
Read this guideSome workplace plans add an employer contribution when you contribute. The plan formula—not a general rule—determines the amount you may receive.
Read this guideStarting benefits earlier can provide income sooner. Starting later may increase the monthly amount, while requiring other income or savings during the waiting period.
Read this guideBoth accounts can shelter investment growth, but contributions and withdrawals interact with tax differently. The better fit depends on information no simple rule can fully capture.
Read this guideTemporary work income may reduce early portfolio withdrawals, add flexibility to benefit timing, or support a gradual transition from full-time work.
Read this guideThe plan describes what your savings may need to do. A portfolio checkup adds a rough picture of how your money is currently invested, then compares the two without changing either one.
Read this guideA broad allocation is a simple description of what the portfolio owns. Each part can play a different role, and no single mix is right for every person or every stage of retirement.
Read this guideA Canadian can hold an investment in Canadian dollars while the businesses underneath earn much of their money elsewhere. Account currency, trading currency and economic exposure answer different questions.
Read this guideA fee is paid whether markets rise or fall. Small annual differences can compound over a long period, but cost is only one part of evaluating an investment.
Read this guideStart with the employer contribution, the investment choices and the total cost. Then consider how the workplace plan fits with savings held elsewhere.
Read this guideA useful review updates what changed, compares progress with the earlier plan and chooses one next question. It does not require rebuilding every detail.
Read this guide