A couple came to see me a few years ago who were getting closer to retirement and starting to feel a little uneasy.

On paper, they had done many things right. They had saved consistently for years, owned their home, and had built up a combination of RRSPs, TFSAs, and some non registered investments. They were still saving a bit each year as well, but they weren’t sure where that extra money should go.

As retirement got closer, the questions started creeping in.

• Do we actually have enough?
• What if we retire and then run out of money?
• Should we be investing differently now?
• And where should we be putting our extra savings?

This is something I see quite often. People spend decades building their savings, but as the finish line gets closer the uncertainty can actually increase.

They told me they didn’t want to make a mistake so close to retirement. They had worked hard to build what they had and didn’t want one poor decision to undo years of careful saving.



So instead of starting with investments, we started with the bigger picture.

We built a retirement plan that looked at their spending today, what life might realistically cost in retirement, government benefits like CPP and OAS, taxes, and how their investments would support them over the next 30 years.

When we ran the numbers, something interesting happened.

They were actually in better shape than they thought.

With the savings they already had and a few more years of contributions, retiring in their early 60s looked very achievable. The extra savings they were adding each year could be directed more strategically rather than just going wherever there was room.

We simplified where their money was going and made sure their investments matched their timeline. Funds they may need in the earlier years of retirement were positioned more conservatively, while the money intended for later years could continue to grow.

One of the things that meant a lot to them was their children. Like many parents, they hoped that if the time came when their kids were ready to buy their first home, they might be able to help a little.

Through the planning process, they realized that this was likely possible without compromising their own retirement security. That was a big relief. They could take care of their future and still be in a position to support their family if they chose to.

We also spent time talking about something that often gets overlooked in retirement planning.

What does life actually look like after work?

For many people, retirement is not just a financial transition. It’s a life transition. We talked about how they might spend their time, the activities they enjoy, travel they hoped to do, and how they wanted to stay engaged and purposeful in this next chapter of life.

By the end of the process, the biggest change wasn’t just the numbers. It was how they felt.

Instead of wondering whether they would be okay, they could see a clear path ahead. Retirement stopped being an abstract idea and became a well thought out plan.

And perhaps most importantly, they could start looking forward to the next phase of life with confidence rather than uncertainty.

Laura