AskTMFG The Podcast

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AskTMFG, brought to you by The McClelland Financial Group of CI Assante Wealth Management Ltd, offers clear and straightforward guidance on investing, retirement planning, and wealth management. We address your most pressing financial questions and share practical strategies to help you plan with confidence and stay on track toward achieving your goals. Hosted by: Carlo Cansino, Senior Financial Advisor and John Iaconetti, Financial Advisor at The McClelland Financial Group of CI Assante Wealth Management Ltd. Follow us: Click here to request a meeting: https://tmfg.ca/schedule/ Check the episode video on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TmfgCa Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tmfg.ca Instagram: instagram.com/themcclellandfinancialgroup_/ Please visit www.assante.com/legal for important legal and regulatory disclosures.

  1. 1d ago

    67% Worry About Running Out Of Money in Retirement

    In this episode of AskTMFG, Financial Advisors Carlo Cansino and John Iaconetti look at one of the most common fears in retirement planning: running out of money. Most Canadians worry their savings won't last, and that fear often leads to sacrifices that aren't necessary. In their experience working with retirees, much of this anxiety comes from misunderstanding what makes retirement savings last. Carlo and John walk through the numbers behind retirement anxiety, including how many Canadians fear outliving their savings, why that concern runs even higher among younger adults, and how quickly retirement savings goals have shifted in the past year. They also discuss why younger Canadians carrying large GTA mortgages find it harder to picture their retirement, and why so many people are putting it off. From there, they explain how understanding your retirement benefits can change your confidence, and why CPP provides a stronger foundation than many people realize. Carlo also walks through how TMFG lays out a client's expected spending against income sources like CPP, OAS, and RRSP withdrawals, and how seeing those numbers side by side can bring peace of mind. 👉 Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/vy__FPHwEdU Question for our viewers: Do you know how much your CPP and OAS will add to your retirement income each year? 👉 Complimentary portfolio analysis: https://tmfg.ca/portfolio-analysis/  Follow us: LinkedIn: The McClelland Financial Group Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tmfg.ca  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themcclellandfinancialgroup_/

  2. 3d ago

    Retiring Soon? The RRSP Mistake You Can't Afford to Make

    In this episode of AskTMFG, Senior Financial Advisor Carlo Cansino walks through the case of Robert, a 58-year-old pre-retiree in Ontario with a bonus sitting in savings, a stock that's up $15,000, and unused TFSA room. Maxing the TFSA felt like the responsible move, and it's the advice most people hear. But in the 5 to 10 years before retirement, funding it the wrong way can cost you more than it saves. Carlo covers why the funding source matters, how TFSA room and RRSP deductions behave differently over time, and why an employer match should never be an afterthought. He also explains why the investments inside your TFSA matter as much as the account itself. From there, Carlo looks at the window between retiring at 62 and starting CPP and OAS at 65, how it connects to OAS clawback and future RRIF minimums, and the TFSA withdrawal rule that cost Robert a penalty. He closes with the four-step framework TMFG built to turn Robert's accounts into a coordinated retirement income plan. 👉 Watch the full episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJxm9qemOY8 Question for our viewers: If you are in the 5 to 10 years before retirement, did you know TFSA room you withdraw doesn't reopen until the following calendar year? 👉 Complimentary portfolio analysis: https://tmfg.ca/portfolio-analysis/  Follow us: LinkedIn: The McClelland Financial Group Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tmfg.ca  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themcclellandfinancialgroup_/

  3. Sep 27

    5 Signs You're Doing Well Financially By Age (40s/50s/60s) in Canada

    In this episode of AskTMFG, Financial Advisors Carlo Cansino and John Iaconetti walked through five signs that you're financially ahead at each stage of life in Canada, from your 40s through your 60s. In your 40s, Carlo and John said a good benchmark is retirement savings of about two to three times your annual income. Other signs are steady progress on your mortgage, diversified investments, surplus cash flow, and insurance in place to protect your income and your family. They acknowledged that this decade often means balancing your children's education savings against your own retirement, during your peak spending years. Even so, having any retirement savings at all puts you ahead of roughly 40% of Canadians your age. By your 50s, the benchmark rises to five to six times your annual income. The mortgage should be close to paid off, and you should have a clear retirement timeline. Carlo and John also discussed the pressure many people feel as 65 gets closer, especially when they want to help adult children get into the GTA housing market. In your 60s, those who are doing well typically have savings of eight to ten times their expected annual retirement spending. They carry no debt and have a strategy for CPP. They've also arranged health coverage to replace group benefits, and they've reviewed their insurance with estate planning in mind. Carlo and John challenged three common beliefs: that you must wait until 65 to retire, that you should move everything into cash or GICs, and that you should always delay CPP. They closed by reminding viewers that CPP's guaranteed, inflation-protected income is often a bigger part of retirement than people realize. 👉 Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/u1l9A1dPA-4  Question for our viewers: Which of these milestones have you already reached? 👉 Complimentary portfolio analysis: https://tmfg.ca/portfolio-analysis/ Follow us: LinkedIn: The McClelland Financial Group Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tmfg.ca Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themcclellandfinancialgroup_/

  4. Sep 25

    How to Fix Your Retirement Withdrawal Plan (Before It’s Too Late)

    In this episode of AskTMFG, Senior Financial Advisor Carlo Cansino walked through a real client case: a couple with four accounts (an RRSP, a LIRA from a former employer, a TFSA, and a non-registered account), all built over 30 years with no plan for how to draw them down in retirement. The couple had been spending out of habit. They pulled from the TFSA for home repairs and vacations while the non-registered account kept generating taxable income every year. Their RRSP sat untouched and kept growing, which was setting them up for larger mandatory RRIF withdrawals at 71, a bigger tax bill, and possible OAS clawback once net income crosses roughly $95,000. Their LIRA hadn't been reviewed in years. Most of their taxable income also sat with one spouse, while the other had unused room in the lower tax brackets. Carlo explained the plan the team built. They started by putting every account on one page. Next, they drew down the RRSP and LIRA early to fill the lower tax brackets before 71, and used the non-registered account to bridge extra spending. The TFSA was protected and saved for last. The team also timed CPP and OAS alongside the withdrawals and split income between spouses, with the plan reviewed every year. Carlo closed by noting that this is fixable at almost any stage, before or even into retirement. 👉 Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/D4TFapWgUNI  Question for our viewers: Do you have a set order for drawing from your accounts, or has it been more habit than plan? 👉 Complimentary portfolio analysis: https://tmfg.ca/portfolio-analysis/  Follow us: LinkedIn: The McClelland Financial Group Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tmfg.ca  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themcclellandfinancialgroup_/

  5. Sep 20

    Why Everything Changed in Retirement For Canadians in 2025

    In this episode of AskTMFG, Financial Advisors Carlo Cansino and John Iaconetti walked through every major government change that took effect for Canadian retirees in 2025, covering CPP, Old Age Security, and the Guaranteed Income Supplement. The maximum monthly CPP payment rose to $1,406.10 in January 2025, up from $1,364.60 the year before, with the yearly maximum pensionable earnings increasing to $71,300. Carlo and John also explained CPP2, the additional tier of contributions introduced on income between $71,300 and $81,200, which added roughly $400 in extra contributions for higher earners, a change that put a modest pinch on cash flow for those still working, even though it ultimately meant more inflation-protected retirement income down the line. On the OAS side, maximum monthly payments climbed to about $727 for those aged 65 to 74, with an enhanced payment of up to $800.44 for seniors 75 and older, while the OAS clawback thresholds moved to a range of $93,000 to $151,000 (and up to $157,000 for those 75+). For lower-income retirees, GIS eligibility thresholds also increased, rising to just over $22,000 for individuals and $29,000 for couples. Carlo and John closed by emphasizing that retirees already drawing income could use these increases to reduce RRIF withdrawals and preserve more of their savings, while those still working should reassess their cash flow and contribution room in light of the changes, and encouraged viewers to speak with a planner to see how the updates apply to their specific situation. 👉 Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/r34CybC_p2k  Question for our listeners: Did these 2025 changes affect how you planned your retirement income? 👉 Complimentary portfolio analysis: https://tmfg.ca/portfolio-analysis/ Follow us: LinkedIn: The McClelland Financial Group Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tmfg.ca Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themcclellandfinancialgroup_/

  6. Sep 18

    CPP at 60 vs 70: Why Your RRSP Balance Matters More Than You Think

    In this episode of AskTMFG, Senior Financial Advisor Carlo Cansino tackles one of the most common misconceptions in CPP planning: that delaying CPP to age 70 is automatically the smarter move. The answer isn't as simple as the standard break-even math suggests. Most CPP comparisons stop at the age when the larger deferred payments overtake the smaller early payments, typically around age 79, but that number ignores what funds the wait. Using a 60-year-old retiree with a $600,000 RRSP who needs $60,000 net per year (about $72,533 gross), Carlo walks through what delaying CPP to 70 actually costs the account: it drops to roughly $35,638 by age 71, under 6% of its starting value, even with steady 5% growth and no market downturns. He contrasts that with starting CPP at 60, where the guaranteed income immediately offsets part of the withdrawal need, leaving the RRSP at roughly $181,389 at the same age, a gap of about $145,751 from the identical starting balance. Carlo also identifies the real threshold that matters: roughly 8 years of RRSP coverage (balance divided by the grossed-up spending need) is where delaying CPP shifts from risky to genuinely advantageous, and shows how that threshold moves with spending level, growth assumptions, and inflation. 👉 Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/yR4hz5asNGg  Question for our listeners: Does your RRSP have enough runway to bridge the gap to age 70, or does starting CPP earlier make more sense for your situation? 👉 Complimentary portfolio analysis: https://tmfg.ca/portfolio-analysis/  Follow us: LinkedIn: The McClelland Financial Group Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tmfg.ca  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themcclellandfinancialgroup_/

  7. Sep 13

    Is Your $1 Million Enough? The New Reality of Retirement in Canada

    In this episode of AskTMFG, Carlo Cansino and John Iaconetti tackle one of the most common questions they hear from Canadian retirees: is $1 million still enough to retire on. The answer looks different than it did just a few years ago. Most people assume a million dollar portfolio supports $50,000 to $60,000 a year in spending, but a more sustainable range is actually $35,000 to $45,000, depending on where you live and how inflation has affected your cost of living. Carlo and John walk through why a 3.5% to 4.5% withdrawal rate is a safer target than the 5% to 6% many retirees assume, using a 65 year old with a million dollar portfolio as an example of how overestimating spending power can erode a nest egg faster than planned. They also explain why withdrawal rates tend to come down as portfolios shift to more conservative investments later in retirement, and why the most comfortable retirees aren't just the ones who hit the million dollar mark, but the ones who know how to maximize CPP, OAS, and investment income together. 👉 Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/qcNs3QT3GYk  Question for our listeners: Does $1 million match what you expected retirement to look like, or has your number changed? 👉 Complimentary portfolio analysis: https://tmfg.ca/portfolio-analysis/ Follow us: LinkedIn: The McClelland Financial Group Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tmfg.ca Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themcclellandfinancialgroup_/

  8. Sep 11

    Pension vs. RRSP at 75: Which One Saves You More Money?

    In this episode of AskTMFG, Carlo Cansino compares two common retirement income profiles at age 75: a retiree with a $60,000 a year indexed defined benefit pension, and a retiree holding $900,000 in an RRSP. The RRSP balance appears larger on paper, but a closer look at the tax treatment of each reveals a more nuanced picture. Both retirees start at 65 with the same CPP and OAS baseline, but their income paths diverge fast. The pension grows only with inflation, reaching $73,140 by 75. The RRSP, converted to a RRIF, faces mandatory minimum withdrawals that climb every year regardless of market performance, forcing out roughly $69,000 at age 75 alone. In year one, the RRIF holder actually shows less taxable income than the pension holder, and both retirees cross the 2026 OAS clawback threshold, with the pension giving back more in that single year. But the real risk isn't the annual grind, it's what happens at death. Carlo walks through how a RIF balance is fully taxed in the year of death with no spreading out, potentially creating a tax bill between $400,000 and $510,000 on an account that grew to nearly $950,000. A pension simply stops or drops to a survivor benefit, with no lump sum for the CRA to claim. He closes with the planning levers that matter most: naming a successor annuitant or beneficiary on the RIF, drawing down the RRSP earlier between ages 60 and 71, and using permanent life insurance to offset the eventual tax hit. 👉 Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/xwWVMDdQ1_c  Question for our listeners: Which would you rather be holding at 75, the pension or the RRSP? 👉 Complimentary portfolio analysis: https://tmfg.ca/portfolio-analysis/ Follow us: LinkedIn: The McClelland Financial Group Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tmfg.ca Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themcclellandfinancialgroup_/

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About

AskTMFG, brought to you by The McClelland Financial Group of CI Assante Wealth Management Ltd, offers clear and straightforward guidance on investing, retirement planning, and wealth management. We address your most pressing financial questions and share practical strategies to help you plan with confidence and stay on track toward achieving your goals. Hosted by: Carlo Cansino, Senior Financial Advisor and John Iaconetti, Financial Advisor at The McClelland Financial Group of CI Assante Wealth Management Ltd. Follow us: Click here to request a meeting: https://tmfg.ca/schedule/ Check the episode video on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TmfgCa Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tmfg.ca Instagram: instagram.com/themcclellandfinancialgroup_/ Please visit www.assante.com/legal for important legal and regulatory disclosures.

Information

  • Creator
    asktmfg
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    76
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    AskTMFG The Podcast