05/20/2026
Canadian women live approximately four years longer than men on average which creates important planning considerations. A longer lifespan means your retirement savings may need to support 30+ years of living expenses, rising healthcare needs, and the effects of inflation.
According to Statistics Canada, women are also more likely to experience severe disabilities and represent the largest share of long‑term‑care residents in Canada. That can mean higher long‑term‑care and medical costs throughout retirement.
What a 30+ year retirement requires:
• Sustainable income streams – Coordinating CPP, OAS, GIS (for lower-income retirees), private pensions, and investment withdrawals strategically. For context, while the maximum CPP benefit a Canadian can receive at age 65 is $1,507.65 in 2026, the average monthly payment in October 2025 was $803.76.
• Healthcare planning – Accounting for increasing medical needs over time and the possibility of long‑term‑care expenses.
• Inflation protection – Ensuring your purchasing power remains strong over several decades.
• Income optimization – Choosing when to take CPP or OAS and understanding the CPP child‑rearing provision if you took time off to raise children up to age 7, which may remove lower‑earning years from your calculation and potentially increase your benefit.
Keep in mind: any expenses beyond what government and employer pensions cover must come from your personal savings and investments. That’s why it’s essential to have a strategy that aligns your income sources with the reality of longer retirement timelines.
I work with clients to build retirement income plans that consider all available resources, from government benefits to investment portfolios.
Let's review your retirement income strategy to help ensure it's built to last as long as you need it to.
Throughout retirement, you'll continue to need financial strategies to make sure your money lasts.
