Retiring Canada

Michael Isbister, CFP®
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The Retiring Canada Podcast helps Canadians make smarter retirement, investing, tax, and financial planning decisions so they can retire with confidence. Hosted by Certified Financial Planner and retirement planner Michael Isbister, the show covers retirement income planning, CPP and OAS strategies, RRSP and TFSA optimization, investing, estate planning, tax reduction strategies, and retirement lifestyle planning designed specifically for Canadian retirees and pre-retirees.

  1. 1d ago

    Your Retirement Investments Need a New Job (EP 90)

    Learn more about the Fundamental Retirement Plan: https://retiringcanada.ca/talk-with-michael The investment portfolio that got you to retirement isn't necessarily the same portfolio that should get you through retirement. Once the employment paycheque stops, your investments have a new job: helping fund your lifestyle for potentially the next 30 years. In this episode of Retiring Canada, we explore asset liability matching and how retirees can structure their investments around the income they'll actually need in the years ahead. You will learn how target-date bonds can be used to create future retirement paycheques, why money you need next year shouldn't necessarily be invested the same way as money you won't need for another 15 years, and how stocks and bonds can serve very different purposes inside a retirement portfolio. EP 90 We also discuss how CPP, OAS, pensions and investment withdrawals can work together to fund your lifestyle, why long-term growth still matters in retirement, and how matching investments to future spending needs can provide something that's difficult to put a price on: confidence to actually spend and enjoy the money you've accumulated. This episode is for Canadian retirees and pre-retirees who want to move beyond simply choosing a stock and bond allocation and instead build a portfolio specifically designed around their retirement income, tax strategy, spending needs and long-term goals. WANT EVEN MORE RETIREMENT PLANNING TIPS?Join thousands of other Canadians and subscribe to the ⁠Retiring Canada Newsletter.⁠https://retiringcanada.ca/newsletter/ As a thank you, you'll receive a copy of our latest Retirement Guide AND MORE! EPISODE RESOURCES: 📊 Work with Michael: https://retiringcanada.ca/talk-with-michael/ 💻 Subscribe to the Newsletter: https://retiringcanada.ca/newsletter/ 👉 Get Access to Our Resource Library: https://retiringcanada.ca/get-access/ ✏️ Submit Your Question: https://www.retiringcanada.ca/submit-your-question 🌐 Retiring Canada Website: https://www.retiringcanada.ca 🎧 Episode 39: How Inflation Impacts Your Retirement

  2. Sep 29

    Fall Tax Planning for Retirees in 2026 (EP 89)

    Learn more about the Fundamental Retirement Plan: https://retiringcanada.ca/talk-with-michael/ Fall is one of the most important times of the year for retirement tax planning. With only a few months remaining before December 31, retirees still have an opportunity to make strategic decisions that could reduce taxes, improve cash flow, and better position their investments for the year ahead. In this episode of Retiring Canada, we go behind the scenes of our fall tax planning process and discuss some of the opportunities and mistakes we uncover when reviewing retirees' investment accounts and CRA information. You will learn why unused capital losses can be valuable, how TFSA overcontributions and incorrectly applied tax payments can create problems, and whether it makes more sense to take RRIF withdrawals monthly or wait until year end. We also discuss how investment portfolios can be structured around retirement withdrawals and why your income, investments, and tax strategy need to work together. We also explore the challenges that can arise when retirement assets are spread across multiple advisors or self-managed accounts. Coordinating capital gains and losses, investment income, asset location, withdrawals, tax withholding, risk and estate planning becomes increasingly important as your financial life becomes more complex. This episode is for Canadian retirees and pre-retirees who want to be more proactive with year-end tax planning, reduce their lifetime tax bill, and create a more coordinated retirement strategy. WANT EVEN MORE RETIREMENT PLANNING TIPS? Join thousands of other Canadians and subscribe to the Retiring Canada Newsletter. https://retiringcanada.ca/newsletter/ As a thank you, you'll receive a copy of our latest Retirement Guide AND MORE! EPISODE RESOURCES: 📊Work with Michael: https://retiringcanada.ca/talk-with-michael/ 💻Subscribe to the Newsletter: https://retiringcanada.ca/newsletter/ 👉 Get Access to our Resource Library: https://retiringcanada.ca/get-access/ ✏️Submit Your Question: https://www.retiringcanada.ca/submit-your-question 🌐 Retiring Canada Website: https://www.retiringcanada.ca 🎧Episode 77: The Canadian Retirement Tax Trap 🎧Episode 38: Year End Tax Planning for Retirees

  3. Sep 15

    4 Signs You've Found the Right Financial Advisor (EP 88)

    Learn more about the Fundamental Retirement Plan: https://retiringcanada.ca/talk-with-michael/ Choosing a financial advisor is about far more than comparing investment performance or management fees. The right advisor should understand your goals, your family, your retirement dreams, and help you make confident financial decisions through every stage of life. In this episode of Retiring Canada, we discuss four characteristics that separate truly client-focused financial advisors from those who simply manage investment portfolios. You will learn why understanding your personality and relationship with money is just as important as understanding your investments, how a great advisor incorporates cash flow, retirement income, and tax planning into every recommendation, and why long-term planning requires flexibility as your life evolves. We also discuss retirement spending decisions, major purchases, risk management, government benefits, and the importance of building a trusted advisory relationship that extends far beyond the numbers. We also explain why the best financial advice is rarely about finding the perfect investment. It is about helping clients make better financial decisions that align with their goals, values and vision for retirement. This episode is for Canadian retirees, pre-retirees, DIY investors, and families looking to better understand what separates a true retirement planning partner from someone who simply manages investments. WANT EVEN MORE RETIREMENT PLANNING TIPS? Join thousands of other Canadians and subscribe to the Retiring Canada Newsletter. https://www.retiringcanada.ca/retirement-newsletter As a thank you, you'll receive a copy of our latest Retirement Guide AND MORE! EPISODE RESOURCES: 📊Work with Michael: https://retiringcanada.ca/talk-with-michael/ 💻 Subscribe to the Newsletter: https://retiringcanada.ca/newsletter/ 👉Get Access to our Resource Library: https://retiringcanada.ca/get-access/ ✏️ Submit Your Question: https://www.retiringcanada.ca/submit-your-question 🌐Retiring Canada Website: https://www.retiringcanada.ca

  4. Sep 1

    Retirement Isn't the Finish Line (EP 87)

    Learn more about the Fundamental Retirement Plan: https://retiringcanada.ca/talk-with-michael/ Many Canadians spend decades preparing financially for retirement but give very little thought to what life will actually look like once works ends. The result is that retirement can become an emotional transition just as much as a financial one. In this episode of Retiring Canada, we discuss seven practical ways to build a fulfilling retirement by creating purpose, maintaining meaningful relationships, and developing a lifestyle you'll be excited to wake up to every day. You will learn why retirement is an identity transition, how to shift your mindset from what you're retiring from to what you're retiring toward, and why routines, gratitude, hobbies, health and social connection all play an important role in long-term happiness. We also discuss retirement down ramps, building purpose, and why financial confidence allows you to focus on enjoying the next chapter of your life instead of worrying about it. We also explain why successful retirement planning is about much more than investment returns. It is about coordinating your investments, retirement income, tax strategy, health care planning, and estate plan so your money supports the life you've worked so hard to create. This episode is for Canadian retirees and pre-retirees who want to prepare not only financially for retirement, but emotionally as well, so they can retire with greater confidence, purpose, and fulfillment. WANT EVEN MORE RETIREMENT PLANNING TIPS? Join thousands of other Canadians and subscribe to the Retiring Canada Newsletter. https://retiringcanada.ca/newsletter/ As a thank you, you'll receive a copy of our latest Retirement Guide AND MORE! EPISODE RESOURCES 📊 Work with Michael: https://retiringcanada.ca/talk-with-michael/ 💻 Subscribe to the Newsletter: https://retiringcanada.ca/newsletter/ 👉 Get Access to our Resource Library: https://retiringcanada.ca/get-access/ ✏️ Submit your Question: https://www.retiringcanada.ca/submit-your-question 🌐 Retiring Canada Website: https://www.retiringcanada.ca

  5. Aug 18

    The Market is at an All Time High... Now What? (EP 86)

    Learn more about the Fundamental Retirement Plan: https://retiringcanada.ca/talk-with-michael/ When the stock market reaches a new all-time high, many investors begin asking the same question: "Should I wait before investing?" While the concern is understandable, history tells a very different story than the headlines. In this episode of Retiring Canada, we explore what nearly 100 years of market history reveals about investing at record highs and why successful retirees focus on disciplined planning instead of trying to predict the next market correction. You will learn why all-time highs occur more often than most people realize, what historical returns have looked like after markets reached new highs, and why attempting to time the market can be far more damaging than staying invested. We also discuss diversification, valuations, retirement income planning, sequence of returns risk, and how a well-designed retirement portfolio helps investors stay confident through both bull and bear markets. We also explain why retirement investing should never be driven by yesterday's market headline. Instead, every investment decision should support a long-term retirement plan built around your income needs, tax strategy, and financial goals. This episode is for Canadian retirees, pre-retirees, and long-term investors who want to better understand how market highs fit inro a disciplined investment strategy and why confidence comes from following a financial plan, not predicting the next correction. WANT EVEN MORE RETIREMENT PLANNING TIPS? Join thousands of other Canadians and subscribe to the Retiring Canada Newsletter. https://retiringcanada.ca/newsletter/ As a thank you, you'll receive a copy of our latest Retirement Guide AND MORE! EPISODE RESOURCES:📊 Work with Michael: https://retiringcanada.ca/talk-with-michael/ 💻 Subscribe to the Newsletter: https://retiringcanada.ca/newsletter/ 👉 Get Access to our Resource Library: https://retiringcanada.ca/get-access/ ✏️ Submit Your Question: https://www.retiringcanada.ca/submit-your-question 🌐 Retiring Canada Website: https://www.retiringcanada.ca 📘 Kenneth R. FrenchData Library Research Paper

  6. Aug 4

    One Spouse Retired... Now What? (EP 85)

    Learn more about the Fundamental Retirement Plan: https://retiringcanada.ca/talk-with-michael/ It is far more common than many people realize for one spouse to retire several years before the other. While this transition can create uncertainty, it also opens the door to valuable planning opportunities that may not exist once both spouses are fully retired. In this episode of Retiring Canada, we discuss eight retirement planning strategies couples should consider when one spouse retires while the other continues working. You will learn how to optimize lower tax brackets, strategically withdraw from RRSP's and non-registered accounts, plan CPP and Old Age Security start dates, prepare your portfolio for future withdrawals, maximize TFSA's, and determine whether it makes sense to complete major purchases or RRSP contributions before the second spouse retires. We also discuss why staggered retirements often provide one of the best planning windows for reducing lifetime taxes and increasing long-term retirement flexibility. We also explore the non-financial benefits of staggered retirement, including the opportunity for couples to gradually adapt to retirement, establish new routines, and build confidence before both spouses fully transition into the next chapter of life. This episode is for Canadian couples approaching retirement who want to better understand how a staggered retirement can create planning opportunities while helping build a more coordinated, tax-efficient, and confident retirement strategy. WANT EVEN MORE RETIREMENT PLANNING TIPS? Join thousands of other Canadians and subscribe to the Retiring Canada Newsletter. https://retiringcanada.ca/newsletter/ As a thank you, you'll receive a copy of our latest Retirement Guide AND MORE! EPISODE RESOURCES: 📊Work with Michael: https://retiringcanada.ca/talk-with-michael/ 💻 Subscribe to the Newsletter: https://retiringcanada.ca/newsletter/ 👉 Get Access to our Resource Library: ⁠https://retiringcanada.ca/get-access/⁠ ✏️ Submit Your Question: https://www.retiringcanada.ca/submit-your-question 🌐 Retiring Canada Website: https://www.retiringcanada.ca

  7. Jul 21

    How to Build a Retirement Paycheque That Lasts (EP 84)

    Learn more about the Fundamental Retirement Plan: https://retiringcanada.ca/talk-with-michael/ Building a retirement portfolio is only part of the equation. The real challenge is turning that portfolio into a predictable retirement paycheque while minimizing taxes and ensuring your investments continue to support your long-term goals. In this episode of Retiring Canada, we walk through the retirement income system we use to help clients coordinate their investments, tax strategy, and retirement withdrawals. You will learn the difference between income planning and tax planning, how a retirement paycheque can be created from multiple investment accounts, and why asset location is just as important as asset allocation. We also discuss bond ladders, RRSP and RRIF drawdown strategies, non-registered investment accounts, TFSA optimization, and why retirement portfolio construction should evolve as government benefits such as CPP and Old Age Security begin. We also explain why successful retirement investing is less about finding the perfect investment and more about coordinating every aspect of your financial life into one cohesive retirement plan. This episode is for Canadian retirees and pre-retirees who want to better understand how coordinated portfolio construction, retirement income planning, and proactive tax strategies can help create a more flexible and confident retirement. WANT EVEN MORE RETIREMENT PLANNING TIPS? Join thousands of other Canadians and subscribe to the Retiring Canada Newsletter. https://retiringcanada.ca/newsletter/ As a thank you, you'll receive a copy of our latest Retirement Guide AND MORE! EPISODE RESOURCES: 📊 Work with Michael: https://retiringcanada.ca/talk-with-michael/ 💻 Subscribe to the Newsletter: http://www.retiringcanada.ca/retirement-newsletter 👉 Get Access to our Resource Library: https://retiringcanada.ca/get-access/ ✏️ Submit Your Question: http://www.retitingcanada.ca/submit-your-question 🌐 Retiring Canada Website: http://www.retiringcanada.ca

  8. Jul 7

    The Financial Shock Many Widows and Widowers Never See Coming (EP 83)

    Learn more about the Fundamental Retirement Plan: https://retiringcanada.ca/talk-with-michael/ Most couples spend years planning for retirement together. Far fewer spend time planning for the financial reality that may follow when one spouse passes away. In this episode of Retiring Canada, we discuss seven financial challenges that can impact the surviving spouse, and the strategies couples can implement today to help reduce those future risks. You will learn how the loss of CPP and Old Age Security benefits can affect retirement income, why pension income splitting disappears, how RRSP and RRIF assets can create future tax problems, and why many surviving spouses face higher marginal tax rates and potential OAS claw-backs. We also discuss property decisions, estate planning considerations, tax efficient drawdown strategies, and the importance of coordinated retirement planning. We also explain why some of the most valuable retirement planning decisions are made years before they are ever needed and how proactive tax planning can help create more flexibility and peace of mind for both spouses. This episode is for Canadian retirees, pre-retirees, widows, widowers and couples who want to better understand the financial realities that often emerge after the loss of a spouse and how to prepare for them today. WANT EVEN MORE RETIREMENT PLANNING TIPS? Join thousands of other Canadians and subscribe to the Retiring Canada Newsletter. https://retiringcanada.ca/newsletter/ As a thank you, you'll receive a copy of our latest Retirement Guide AND MORE! EPISODE RESOURCES: 📊 Work with Michael: ⁠https://fundamentalwealth.ca/get-started⁠ 💻 Subscribe to the Newsletter: ⁠https://retiringcanada.ca/newsletter/ 👉 Get Access to our Resource Library: https://retiringcanada.ca/get-access/ ✏️ Submit Your Question: ⁠https://www.retiringcanada.ca/submit-your-question⁠ 🌐 Retiring Canada Website: ⁠https://www.retiringcanada.ca⁠

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About

The Retiring Canada Podcast helps Canadians make smarter retirement, investing, tax, and financial planning decisions so they can retire with confidence. Hosted by Certified Financial Planner and retirement planner Michael Isbister, the show covers retirement income planning, CPP and OAS strategies, RRSP and TFSA optimization, investing, estate planning, tax reduction strategies, and retirement lifestyle planning designed specifically for Canadian retirees and pre-retirees.

Information

  • Creator
    Michael Isbister, CFP®
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    92
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Michael Isbister, CFP®
  • Show Website
    Retiring Canada

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