Your Retirement Planning Simplified

Hosted by Joseph Curry, CFP Professional, CEPA

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Aug 2026

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Welcome to the Retirement Planning Simplified Podcast. Join Joseph Curry, CFP Professional, Certified Exit Planning Advisor and retirement planning specialist, to learn how to simplify your retirement planning. If you're approaching retirement or have already entered your early retirement years, this podcast is designed to help you answer your big retirement questions like... Can I afford to retire? How do I create a paycheck in retirement? How do I pay less tax in retirement? And even big questions about life after work. Through Retirement Planning education, resources, and expert interviews, Joseph will help you get clear on your vision for retirement including what that looks like for you, how to simplify it, and what you will need specifically to achieve or maintain financial freedom, live out your dreams and create future opportunities for the ones you love. You can find more information, tools, and resources for your Retirement Planning at https://retirementplanningsimplified.ca.

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August 20, 2026Episode 20711 min

EP # 207 | Five Pre-Retirement Moves the Standard Checklist Skips

Most retirement checklists cover the big pieces: your income plan, when to take CPP and OAS, stress testing, consolidating your accounts. But today Joe talks about a different set of moves - the ones the standard lists tend to skip. They all have one thing in common: they either get harder once your paycheque stops, or you cannot undo them later if you get them wrong. The real cost of missing any one of these five moves is not just the move itself. It is that a big unexpected expense quietly forces a sacrifice somewhere else in your life that you never intended to make - your travel budget, your plan to help the kids, your sense of security. Joe walks through five practical steps to take while you are still earning, each one designed to protect one retirement goal from silently eating another. In This Episode Set up a home equity line of credit (HELOC) while you are still working, not to use it, just to have it. Employment income makes qualifying straightforward. Canada Pension Plan (CPP), Old Age Security (OAS), and Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF) withdrawals do not work the same way with lenders. The HELOC sits there as a backstop for speed, for spreading out a tax hit, or for avoiding forced investment sales during a market drop. Finish your big renovation or home project while you still have income coming in to absorb a cost overrun. These projects run over budget, and once the paycheque stops, there is no extra income to cover the gap. The number in your plan and the number you will actually pay are rarely the same. Clear your high interest consumer debt before you retire, and put your mortgage plan in writing. If the consumer debt will not clear on your current income while you are working, that is a readiness signal, not just a to-do item. The mortgage does not have to be gone before you retire, but how you will carry and handle it needs to be written into the plan on purpose. If you plan to help your kids financially - a down payment, a wedding gift, anything - set that money aside outside your core retirement funds before you retire. Because it is a generous and emotional moment, it often does not get run through the plan first, and the money quietly comes out of the same pool you need to live on for the next 30 years. Build a real home maintenance line into your budget, starting at a minimum of 1% of your home's value each year. It is never the same expense twice, but something is almost always coming. Without a line item for it, the cost does not disappear, it just comes out of somewhere else, usually the fun money. About: Your Retirement Planning Simplified is a weekly Canadian retirement planning podcast hosted by Joe Curry, CFP, CEPA, of Matthews and Associates, an independent wealth management firm. Each week, Joe breaks down retirement income, tax, and estate decisions in plain language for Canadians who are near or in retirement. Next Steps: Want tips like this in your inbox? Sign up for the Retirement Planning Simplified Newsletter and get updates plus our popular 60-Second Retirement Tip: https://bit.ly/RPSNewsletter Ready to take the next step in your retirement planning? Watch a short overview of our True Wealth Roadmap and see if our process is a fit for you: https://www.matthewsandassociates.ca/vsl Disclaimer: Opinions expressed are those of Joseph Curry, a registrant of Aligned Capital Partners Inc. (ACPI), and may not necessarily be those of ACPI. This podcast is for informational purposes only and not intended to be personalized investment advice. The views expressed are opinions of Joseph Curry and may not necessarily be those of ACPI. Content is prepared for general circulation and information contained does not constitute an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any investment fund, security or other product or service.

August 13, 2026Episode 20613 min

EP # 206 | Am I Ready to Retire? Why the Hardest Part Isn't Financial

In almost every episode of this series, the money was actually fine. The math worked. So what held people back? In this wrap-up episode, Joe names the thing that sits underneath the numbers, and explains why the final decision to retire is rarely just a financial one. The plan comes first, always. But here is what happens for a lot of people: the math says yes, and they still do not move. At that point, the real question was never whether they could afford to retire. It was whether they were allowed to stop, and who they would be when they did. Joe wraps up this unofficial series by walking through the emotional work that has to happen alongside the financial work, with real client examples that show just how many different paths there are to finally making the move. In This Episode When the numbers work but you still will not pull the trigger, it is worth being honest about why. The one more year crowd, the business owner worried about clients and staff, the person who does not know what they would do with themselves - these are emotional questions, not financial ones, and they deserve the same serious attention as the spreadsheet. A useful framework: you can only have three true priorities at any one time. If work has been one of yours and suddenly it is gone, you have an empty slot. Part of getting ready to retire is deciding on purpose what fills it - before you get there, not after. There is no single right path. One client keeps working because the work genuinely fits his life. Another needed a succession plan in place before she could let go. Another just needed to see the numbers to give herself permission to even imagine what else was possible. Plenty land somewhere in between, doing part-time consulting that funds the bigger trips without touching the core plan. The question worth sitting with is not just what you are retiring from, but what you are retiring to. A plan can hand you the financial freedom, but only you can decide what you do with it. The order matters: get the plan right first so you know the numbers work, then do the second piece of work with equal seriousness. Get honest about whether you like what you are doing. Figure out your new priorities. And give the emotional preparation the same attention you gave the saving. About: Your Retirement Planning Simplified is a weekly Canadian retirement planning podcast hosted by Joe Curry, CFP, CEPA, of Matthews and Associates, an independent wealth management firm. Each week, Joe breaks down retirement income, tax, and estate decisions in plain language for Canadians who are near or in retirement. Next Steps: Want tips like this in your inbox? Sign up for the Retirement Planning Simplified Newsletter and get updates plus our popular 60-Second Retirement Tip: https://bit.ly/RPSNewsletter Ready to take the next step in your retirement planning? Watch a short overview of our True Wealth Roadmap and see if our process is a fit for you: https://www.matthewsandassociates.ca/vsl Disclaimer: Opinions expressed are those of Joseph Curry, a registrant of Aligned Capital Partners Inc. (ACPI), and may not necessarily be those of ACPI. This podcast is for informational purposes only and not intended to be personalized investment advice. The views expressed are opinions of Joseph Curry and may not necessarily be those of ACPI. Content is prepared for general circulation and information contained does not constitute an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any investment fund, security or other product or service.

August 6, 2026Episode 20513 min

EP # 205 | The Retirement Spending Smile: Why Your Costs Don't Just Drop Over Time

The go-go years are real. But does that mean you should spend everything early and hope for the best? Not quite. In this episode, Joe adds the honest counterweight to the last few weeks of conversation, because building a plan around a fixed timeline is its own kind of risk. The go-go, slow-go, and no-go phases of retirement show up on average. But that phrase - on average - is doing a lot of work. Some people stay active and adventurous well into their 80s. Others slow down earlier than expected. Spending in later years does not always drop; sometimes it just changes shape, moving from active travel to river cruises, or from personal spending to helping family. And health costs can push spending right back up at the end. Joe explains why flexibility beats trying to predict the future, and how to build a plan that holds up no matter which version of retirement you actually get. In This Episode The go-go, slow-go, and no-go phases are a pattern, not a schedule. Nobody gets a warning when one phase turns into the next, and your own timeline may surprise you in either direction. The retirement spending smile means spending often rises again near the end of life, driven by health and care costs. A plan that assumes spending just falls off a cliff halfway through retirement is planning for a curve most people do not actually follow. Later spending does not always shrink, it often shifts. Travel moves from active itineraries to river cruises. Gifts and support to children and grandchildren step in where other spending steps back. The budget changes shape more than it disappears. A guaranteed income floor lets you take bigger trips or make larger purchases with confidence, because you know the essentials are covered no matter what. For people who lean toward the income protection retirement income style, this floor is what finally makes spending feel safe. The guardrails approach builds in room to adjust without requiring you to rethink your spending every year. When things are going well, you live fully. If the long-term picture shifts in a meaningful way, you make a small correction. That flexibility protects you in both directions. About: Your Retirement Planning Simplified is a weekly Canadian retirement planning podcast hosted by Joe Curry, CFP, CEPA, of Matthews and Associates, an independent wealth management firm. Each week, Joe breaks down retirement income, tax, and estate decisions in plain language for Canadians who are near or in retirement. Next Steps: Want tips like this in your inbox? Sign up for the Retirement Planning Simplified Newsletter and get updates plus our popular 60-Second Retirement Tip: https://bit.ly/RPSNewsletter Ready to take the next step in your retirement planning? Watch a short overview of our True Wealth Roadmap and see if our process is a fit for you: https://www.matthewsandassociates.ca/vsl Disclaimer: Opinions expressed are those of Joseph Curry, a registrant of Aligned Capital Partners Inc. (ACPI), and may not necessarily be those of ACPI. This podcast is for informational purposes only and not intended to be personalized investment advice. The views expressed are opinions of Joseph Curry and may not necessarily be those of ACPI. Content is prepared for general circulation and information contained does not constitute an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any investment fund, security or other product or service.

July 30, 2026Episode 20413 min

EP # 204 | The Retirement Paycheque: Why Where Your Money Comes From Changes How You Spend

Two people can have the exact same amount of money and the exact same retirement, and one spends comfortably while the other can barely bring themselves to touch it. A big part of what separates them comes down to where the money comes from, not how much. In this episode, Joe explains why guaranteed income changes the spending experience entirely, and how to build more of it into your plan. Drawing from a portfolio feels different than receiving a paycheck, even when the plan says you are completely fine. One feels like income. The other feels almost like a loss. Joe walks through why this matters so much, how your retirement income style shapes the experience you will have in retirement, and what the practical options are for building a guaranteed income floor that finally gives you permission to spend. In This Episode Guaranteed income feels like a paycheck, and a paycheck is something you have been comfortable with your entire working life. Drawing from a portfolio, by contrast, means watching your balance tick down every time you spend. Even if the plan says you are fine, it just feels different. Understanding your retirement income style matters before you build anything - and so does knowing your spouse's style, because the careful saver who still cannot loosen up in retirement is not just making a decision for themselves. There is a partner who has been patient for a very long time. Delaying Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Old Age Security (OAS) is often mathematically optimal, but for someone who cannot spend comfortably until guaranteed income is flowing, waiting until 70 might mean sitting on your hands through your entire go-go window. The mathematically perfect answer is not always the right answer. For people in the income protection retirement income style, an annuity can build the guaranteed floor they need - either as a bridge to larger CPP and OAS payments later, or as a lifetime income stream. Almost everyone says they wish they had a defined benefit pension, but very few will take the option to effectively buy one. The payoff from good income planning is not a bigger return. It is permission backed by a plan: not stressed about money, finally doing the things you always talked about, with the evidence to support that spending the money is going to be okay. About: Your Retirement Planning Simplified is a weekly Canadian retirement planning podcast hosted by Joe Curry, CFP, CEPA, of Matthews and Associates, an independent wealth management firm. Each week, Joe breaks down retirement income, tax, and estate decisions in plain language for Canadians who are near or in retirement. Next Steps: Want tips like this in your inbox? Sign up for the Retirement Planning Simplified Newsletter and get updates plus our popular 60-Second Retirement Tip: https://bit.ly/RPSNewsletter Ready to take the next step in your retirement planning? Watch a short overview of our True Wealth Roadmap and see if our process is a fit for you: https://www.matthewsandassociates.ca/vsl Disclaimer: Opinions expressed are those of Joseph Curry, a registrant of Aligned Capital Partners Inc. (ACPI), and may not necessarily be those of ACPI. This podcast is for informational purposes only and not intended to be personalized investment advice. The views expressed are opinions of Joseph Curry and may not necessarily be those of ACPI. Content is prepared for general circulation and information contained does not constitute an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any investment fund, security or other product or service.

July 23, 2026Episode 2038 min

EP # 203 | Why We Don't Use the 4% Rule: A Better Way to Draw Retirement Income

If the best years of retirement are front-loaded, why do most retirement income plans hand you the same inflation-adjusted number every single year for 30 years? It doesn't match how anyone actually lives. In this episode, Joe walks through a better approach; One that spends more when you can enjoy it, eases off when you naturally slow down, and still holds up when life throws a curveball. The 4% rule is a useful starting point for a conversation, but it is not a plan. Neither is any flat withdrawal number. They assume your spending climbs in a straight line for three decades, which ignores the real shape of retirement entirely. Joe introduces the guardrails approach: a way to build a retirement income plan that matches how life actually unfolds, gives you clear signals for when to pull back and when you have room to spend more, and handles the moving pieces most real retirements have. In This Episode A projection draws a straight line and gives you a number. A real plan tells you what you can spend right now, and exactly how to adjust if your situation shifts in either direction. The guardrails approach works like guardrails on a road: as long as you stay between them, keep going. If your spending or portfolio drifts toward one edge, that is a signal to make a small correction before things go off course. If you drift past the top, that is a signal you have more room than you need. This approach front-loads spending into the go-go years on purpose. The plan does not pretend you will be taking the same trips at 85 that you are taking at 65. When your retirement has moving parts - a delayed Canada Pension Plan (CPP) or Old Age Security (OAS), a rental property you plan to sell, a travel budget that will wind down - a flat withdrawal number has no idea what to do with any of that. A guardrails plan handles it because it is always looking at the whole picture. The whole thing can fit on a single page: where you stand, when you would adjust, and in which direction. That is what turns something abstract into something you can actually hold on to. About: Your Retirement Planning Simplified is a weekly Canadian retirement planning podcast hosted by Joe Curry, CFP, CEPA, of Matthews and Associates, an independent wealth management firm. Each week, Joe breaks down retirement income, tax, and estate decisions in plain language for Canadians who are near or in retirement. Next Steps: Want tips like this in your inbox? Sign up for the Retirement Planning Simplified Newsletter and get updates plus our popular 60-Second Retirement Tip: https://bit.ly/RPSNewsletter Ready to take the next step in your retirement planning? Watch a short overview of our True Wealth Roadmap and see if our process is a fit for you: https://www.matthewsandassociates.ca/vsl Disclaimer: Opinions expressed are those of Joseph Curry, a registrant of Aligned Capital Partners Inc. (ACPI), and may not necessarily be those of ACPI. This podcast is for informational purposes only and not intended to be personalized investment advice. The views expressed are opinions of Joseph Curry and may not necessarily be those of ACPI. Content is prepared for general circulation and information contained does not constitute an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any investment fund, security or other product or service.

July 16, 2026Episode 2029 min

EP # 202 | The "One More Year" Trap: Why It's Rarely a Money Decision

"One more year." It sounds responsible. But after a lot of these conversations, Joe has come to believe it usually has very little to do with money. In this episode, he pulls this apart and explains why the timing of your retirement matters more than most people realize. Most people picture retirement as one long, even stretch. But the research and the real client stories tell a different story: retirement comes in phases, and the best years tend to be front-loaded. When someone says they'll work just one more year, the question worth asking is what is really behind that thinking. Sometimes one more year is exactly the right call. But more often, it is fear wearing a money costume. Fear of the unknown, fear of drawing down what you have built, or fear of who you will be without the job. None of those fears get solved by working longer. Joe walks through how to tell the difference, and what to do about it. In This Episode Retirement spending tends to come in three phases: the go-go years, the slow-go years, and the no-go years. Most of the living gets front-loaded into the first five to ten years, which means timing genuinely matters. Sometimes one more year is the right move, and the only way to know is to do the actual planning so you can see where you stand rather than guess. More often, one more year is a way to avoid looking at the numbers altogether. If you never do the plan, you never have to face the answer. The cost of an unnecessary extra year is not just the year. It is a year out of your go-go window - health, energy, and time you are not going to get back. Before you decide on one more year, you need to know what you are retiring to. If retirement feels like a cliff, the answer is not to keep working indefinitely. It is to figure out what gives your days meaning on the other side. About: Your Retirement Planning Simplified is a weekly Canadian retirement planning podcast hosted by Joe Curry, CFP, CEPA, of Matthews and Associates, an independent wealth management firm. Each week, Joe breaks down retirement income, tax, and estate decisions in plain language for Canadians who are near or in retirement. Newsletter: Want tips like this in your inbox? Sign up for the Retirement Planning Simplified Newsletter and get updates plus our popular 60-Second Retirement Tip: https://bit.ly/RPSNewsletter Next Step: Ready to take the next step in your retirement planning? Watch a short overview of our True Wealth Roadmap and see if our process is a fit for you: https://www.matthewsandassociates.ca/vsl Disclaimer: Opinions expressed are those of Joseph Curry, a registrant of Aligned Capital Partners Inc. (ACPI), and may not necessarily be those of ACPI. This podcast is for informational purposes only and not intended to be personalized investment advice. The views expressed are opinions of Joseph Curry and may not necessarily be those of ACPI. Content is prepared for general circulation and information contained does not constitute an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any investment fund, security or other product or service.

July 9, 2026Episode 2019 min

EP # 201 | Underspending in Retirement: Why Running Out of Money Isn't Your Biggest Risk

Most people worry about running out of money in retirement. But for many careful savers, the bigger risk is the opposite: reaching the end of life having never spent what you worked so hard to build. In this episode, Joe explains why the habits that made you a great saver can quietly stop you from enjoying your retirement income, and what it actually takes to give yourself permission to spend. Joe talks about a pattern he sees constantly with clients: disciplined savers who reach retirement financially secure, but who can't switch off the saving instinct that got them there. He walks through why "you'll be okay" isn't enough reassurance for a careful saver, what a real retirement plan needs to show to actually change behaviour, and how seeing a stress-tested plan is different from just being told everything will work out. This one is for anyone who has done the saving well but is struggling to enjoy the results. In this episode: Why running out of money is often not the biggest risk for disciplined savers, and underspending can be just as costly How decades of saving habits can persist into retirement even after they've stopped being useful Why vague reassurance from an advisor rarely changes a saver's behaviour, and what actually does What a real retirement plan should show you, including how it holds up to a market drop, higher inflation, or a long-term care need Why seeing a plan and stress-testing it is the first step, but genuinely owning it is what allows you to spend with confidence About the show: Your Retirement Planning Simplified is a weekly Canadian retirement planning podcast hosted by Joe Curry, CFP, CEPA, of Matthews and Associates, an independent wealth management firm. Each week, Joe breaks down retirement income, tax, and estate decisions in plain language for Canadians who are near or in retirement. Want more tips like this? Want tips like this in your inbox? Sign up for the Retirement Planning Simplified Newsletter and get updates plus our popular 60-Second Retirement Tip: https://bit.ly/RPSNewsletter Ready to take the next step? Ready to take the next step in your retirement planning? Watch a short overview of our True Wealth Roadmap and see if our process is a fit for you: https://www.matthewsandassociates.ca/vsl Disclaimer: Opinions expressed are those of Joseph Curry, a registrant of Aligned Capital Partners Inc. (ACPI), and may not necessarily be those of ACPI. This podcast is for informational purposes only and not intended to be personalized investment advice. The views expressed are opinions of Joseph Curry and may not necessarily be those of ACPI. Content is prepared for general circulation and information contained does not constitute an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any investment fund, security or other product or service.

July 2, 2026Episode 20013 min

EP # 200 | What Good Planning Actually Looks Like, And Why We Made It Approachable

For Episode 200, Joe pulls back the curtain on how Matthews and Associates actually works with clients, and more importantly, why they built their process the way they did. If you've ever felt nervous about talking to a financial advisor, or put off getting advice because you weren't sure what to expect, this episode is worth your time. One of the most common things Joe hears from new clients is some version of "I almost didn't come in." People put off getting advice for years because they're worried about being judged, sold something, or made to feel like they've done everything wrong. In this milestone episode, Joe names that pattern directly, offers a plain-language yardstick for evaluating any financial planner, and walks through exactly how the Retirement Planning Simplified process was built to fix it. In This Episode If a planner can't explain something to you in plain language, that's a flaw in how they work - not a gap in your knowledge. Complexity is not the same as value. A good planner teaches before they recommend: they show you the why behind an idea, act as a fiduciary, are transparent about fees upfront, and look at your whole picture - income, tax, risk, family, and estate - not just your investment portfolio. Watch out for early pitches on permanent life insurance and the portfolio comparison trick, where an advisor shows you what you "could have earned" using the best-performing funds in hindsight. It may feel impressive, but it tells you nothing useful about what happens next. Investment returns are often one of the lowest-value things an advisor can offer. The real value is in income design, tax coordination, estate planning, behavioural coaching, and what Joe calls big-mistake insurance. The Retirement Planning Simplified process is built around one core value: approachability. Transparency before commitment, value before a long-term relationship, and your life before any product. About: Your Retirement Planning Simplified is a weekly Canadian retirement planning podcast hosted by Joe Curry, CFP, CEPA, of Matthews and Associates, an independent wealth management firm. Each week, Joe breaks down retirement income, tax, and estate decisions in plain language for Canadians who are near or in retirement. Newsletter: Want tips like this in your inbox? Sign up for the Retirement Planning Simplified Newsletter and get updates plus our popular 60-Second Retirement Tip: https://bit.ly/RPSNewsletter Next Step: Ready to take the next step in your retirement planning? Watch a short overview of our True Wealth Roadmap and see if our process is a fit for you: https://www.matthewsandassociates.ca/vsl Disclaimer: Opinions expressed are those of Joseph Curry, a registrant of Aligned Capital Partners Inc. (ACPI), and may not necessarily be those of ACPI. This podcast is for informational purposes only and not intended to be personalized investment advice. The views expressed are opinions of Joseph Curry and may not necessarily be those of ACPI. Content is prepared for general circulation and information contained does not constitute an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any investment fund, security or other product or service.

June 25, 2026Episode 19914 min

EP # 199 | Can You Spend Too Little in Retirement? The Underspending Trap Explained

You saved carefully for decades, but what if that same caution is quietly costing you your best years in retirement? Many Canadians retire with more than enough and still can't bring themselves to spend it. In this episode, Joe names the pattern nobody talks about: the underspending trap, and how to break free from it. The same discipline that builds a healthy retirement nest egg can quietly prevent you from ever enjoying it. Joe walks through why underspending happens (it's a psychology problem, not a money problem), what it actually costs you in real life, and how the research on retirement spending behaviour points to a practical solution. If you've ever felt a quiet resistance to spending even when the numbers look fine, this episode is for you. In This Episode Retirees who are most reluctant to spend tend to be the ones with the most money saved -- this is well-documented in the research, and it means the problem isn't about having enough. Retirement spending typically follows a smile curve: higher in the active early years, naturally easing in the middle, then rising again at the end as healthcare costs increase -- which means the window to enjoy your money closes sooner than most people plan for. People spend most comfortably when income arrives automatically as a paycheck -- from sources like a workplace pension, Canada Pension Plan (CPP), Old Age Security (OAS), or an annuity -- rather than when they have to pull money from a portfolio they're watching. Whether you prefer guaranteed income or a portfolio-based approach, having a solid income floor or a near-term defense bucket gives you the confidence to spend from the rest -- because you know the essentials are covered. A retirement plan gives you permission to spend, but only if it stays current -- when life shifts and the plan goes stale, most people quietly default back to underspending. About: Your Retirement Planning Simplified is a weekly Canadian retirement planning podcast hosted by Joe Curry, CFP, CEPA, of Matthews and Associates, an independent wealth management firm. Each week, Joe breaks down retirement income, tax, and estate decisions in plain language for Canadians who are near or in retirement. Newsletter: Want tips like this in your inbox? Sign up for the Retirement Planning Simplified Newsletter and get updates plus our popular 60-Second Retirement Tip: https://bit.ly/RPSNewsletter Next Step: Ready to take the next step in your retirement planning? Watch a short overview of our True Wealth Roadmap and see if our process is a fit for you: https://www.matthewsandassociates.ca/vsl Disclaimer: Opinions expressed are those of Joseph Curry, a registrant of Aligned Capital Partners Inc. (ACPI), and may not necessarily be those of ACPI. This podcast is for informational purposes only and not intended to be personalized investment advice. The views expressed are opinions of Joseph Curry and may not necessarily be those of ACPI. Content is prepared for general circulation and information contained does not constitute an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any investment fund, security or other product or service.

June 18, 2026Episode 19810 min

EP # 198 | Is the OAS Clawback Worth Avoiding? A Canadian Retirement Reality Check

Most people treat the Old Age Security (OAS) clawback like a cliff you fall off the moment your income crosses the line. It isn't. In this episode we reframe the clawback as one number among many, and look at when fighting to avoid it quietly costs you more than it saves. A listener wrote in about friends who organize their whole retirement around protecting OAS. Joe walks through what the clawback actually is, the math that makes avoiding it backfire, and the bigger cost most people never see. This one is for Canadian couples near or in retirement who want their income, tax, and estate decisions working together, not one line on a tax form running the show. In this episode: Understand how the OAS recovery tax really works. It is a marginal cost of fifteen cents on each dollar above the threshold, not an all-or-nothing cliff. See how starving your Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF) to protect OAS can create larger forced withdrawals later and a painful tax bill at the second death. Weigh the behaviour cost: the trips, the help to your kids, and the generosity you postpone to protect a benefit that may be small against a large portfolio. Learn the two camps. For households near the income threshold, protecting OAS is genuinely smart. For those with a large portfolio, it may be a rounding error. Follow the right order of questions: what your ideal life costs, your projected lifetime tax bill, and what happens to the RRIF at the second death, before the clawback gets a vote. About: Your Retirement Planning Simplified is a weekly Canadian retirement planning podcast hosted by Joe Curry, CFP, CEPA, of Matthews and Associates, an independent wealth management firm. Each week, Joe breaks down retirement income, tax, and estate decisions in plain language for Canadians who are near or in retirement. Newsletter: Want tips like this in your inbox? Sign up for the Retirement Planning Simplified Newsletter and get updates plus our popular 60-Second Retirement Tip: https://bit.ly/RPSNewsletter Next step: Ready to take the next step in your retirement planning? Watch a short overview of our True Wealth Roadmap and see if our process is a fit for you: https://www. matthewsandassociates.ca/vsl Resources and sources: OAS clawback (OAS recovery tax) thresholds, Canada.ca: https://www.canada.ca/en/ services/benefits/ publicpensions/cpp/old-age- security/recovery-tax.html (the minimum income recovery threshold and full-recovery ceiling are indexed annually, so confirm the current figures for the tax year before relying on them) RRIF minimum withdrawal rules, Canada.ca: https://www.canada.ca/en/ revenue-agency/services/tax/ registered-plans- administrators/specimen-plans/ registered-retirement-income- fund-rrif.html Disclaimer: Opinions expressed are those of Joseph Curry, a registrant of Aligned Capital Partners Inc. (ACPI), and may not necessarily be those of ACPI. This podcast is for informational purposes only and not intended to be personalized investment advice. The views expressed are opinions of Joseph Curry and may not necessarily be those of ACPI. Content is prepared for general circulation and information contained does not constitute an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any investment fund, security or other product or service.