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Retirement questions, answered plainly
Real questions people ask about retiring in the US and Canada, with the math shown step by step.
Retirement basics · 8 min read
The 25x Rule: Your Retirement Number Fast
The 25x rule means you need 25 times your yearly spending saved before retiring. Spend $50,000 a year? Save $1.25 million. It is a shortcut from the 4% withdrawal rule.
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Retirement basics · 6 min read
How Does Inflation Shrink My Retirement Money?
Prices rise every year, so the same nest egg buys less over time. Here's a plain math breakdown and what helps your plan keep up.
Saving & spending · 7 min read
Can I Still Save for Retirement if I Start at 40?
Starting retirement savings at 40 with nothing saved is tough but doable. Here is plain math on what you can build in 25 years and how benefits help.
Retirement basics · 8 min read
Why Early Losses Hurt Your Retirement Money
Sequence of returns risk means the order of market gains and losses changes how long your money lasts. Here is the plain math.
Retirement basics · 8 min read
The 80% Rule for Retirement Income, Explained
You heard 'replace 80% of your income' in retirement. Here's what that rule really means, a plain math example, and why your real number may look different.
Retirement basics · 7 min read
How Much Should I Have Saved for Retirement by Age?
Benchmarks like 'save 3x your salary by 40' are rough guides, not pass or fail tests. Here is what they mean, what they leave out, and how to find your own number.
Saving & spending · 7 min read
How Much Should I Save for Retirement Per Month?
A plain-numbers answer: percent-of-pay targets, why starting earlier costs less, and how to turn a goal into a monthly savings number.
Saving & spending · 8 min read
Can I Retire With $300,000?
A plain-language look at whether $300,000 is enough to retire, with simple math, worked examples, and the levers that close any gap.
Retirement basics · 8 min read
Which Retirement Income Is Actually Tax-Free?
Some retirement money never gets taxed again: Roth accounts in the US, TFSAs in Canada, HSAs, and part of a few others. Here is the plain list and what each one is worth.
Canada · 7 min read
Are CPP and OAS Taxable?
Yes. CPP and OAS both count as taxable income in Canada, so you pay tax on them. GIS and TFSA withdrawals are not taxed. Here is what that means.
Retirement basics · 7 min read
How Are 401(k) Withdrawals Taxed?
Plain-language guide to how 401(k) withdrawals are taxed: traditional vs Roth, the early withdrawal penalty, withholding, RMDs, and a worked example.
Retirement basics · 7 min read
How RRSP and RRIF Withdrawals Are Taxed
Every dollar you take from an RRSP or RRIF counts as income. Here is how the withholding works, why it may not cover the full bill, and what affects your final tax.
United States · 7 min read
Is Social Security Taxable? A Plain-Language Guide
Yes, up to 85% of your Social Security can count as taxable income, but many retirees pay nothing on it. Here is how the rules work, with plain examples.
Canada · 7 min read
Does the 4% Rule Work in Canada?
The 4% rule can be a rough check in Canada, but CPP, OAS, TFSA and RRSP taxes change the math. See a worked example and how to adjust it.
Saving & spending · 7 min read
Guardrails Withdrawal Strategy: When Do I Cut Back?
A guardrails rule sets an upper and lower limit on your withdrawal rate so you cut spending after bad years and raise it after good ones. Here is how the math works.
Canada · 7 min read
How Do I Delay CPP and OAS? The Steps to Take
You can delay CPP and OAS past 65, and both payments grow for every month you wait. Here are the steps, the paperwork and the traps to avoid.
Canada · 7 min read
How Much More OAS Do You Get by Waiting?
Waiting past 65 raises your OAS by 0.6% a month, up to 36% more at 70. See the math, the break-even age and what waiting really costs.
Retirement basics · 8 min read
Adaptable 4 Percent Rule: Spend More or Less by Year
The adaptable 4% rule starts like the classic rule but lets you raise or cut spending by small amounts as markets move. Here is how the guardrails work, with the math.
Retirement basics · 7 min read
Can I Retire at 50? A Plain Check
Retiring at 50 is possible, but it creates long gaps before Social Security and Medicare start. Here is a plain check with real numbers to see where you stand.
Retiring early · 7 min read
Can I Retire at 55? Here's How to Tell
Retiring at 55 is possible if your savings can carry you through the years before Social Security or CPP and OAS begin. See the plain math and the rules that decide it.
Retirement basics · 7 min read
Can I Retire at 60? What It Takes
Retiring at 60 comes down to three things: your savings, your spending, and when your benefits start. See the math in plain numbers, for the US and Canada.
United States · 7 min read
Can I Retire at 62? The Real Trade-Offs
Yes, you can retire at 62 and start Social Security. Your check will be about 30 percent smaller than at your full retirement age of 67, and that smaller amount lasts for life.
Retirement basics · 7 min read
How Much Does a Couple Need to Retire?
A shared retirement number is built from shared spending, both benefit checks, and one simple gap. See the math step by step for two people retiring together.
Retirement basics · 7 min read
How Much Do You Need to Retire at 65?
A simple way to get your number: take the yearly spending your savings must cover and multiply by 25. Here is how it works, step by step, with a worked example.
Saving & spending · 8 min read
How Much Do I Need to Retire on a $100K Salary?
A $100k salary does not mean you need to replace all of it. Here is a simple way to find your real number, with step-by-step math and worked examples.
Retirement basics · 7 min read
How Much to Retire on a $60,000 Salary
A plain-language way to turn a $60,000 salary into your own retirement number, step by step, using Social Security or CPP and simple math.
Retirement basics · 7 min read
How Much Monthly Income Do I Need to Retire?
A simple way to turn your retirement question into one clear number: what you spend, what you'll already receive, and the gap your savings must fill.
Saving & spending · 7 min read
Is $1 Million Enough to Retire?
A straight answer with plain math: what $1 million pays each year, how Social Security or CPP fills the gap, and when it falls short.
Saving & spending · 7 min read
Can I Retire With $500,000?
Yes, $500,000 can fund a modest retirement, especially with Social Security or CPP and OAS behind it. Here is the plain math: income per year, how long it lasts, and what moves the answer.
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