11/02/2026
Old Age Security (OAS) doesn't exist in isolation. It interacts with all your other retirement income sources, and understanding these interactions helps you make smarter decisions about your overall retirement strategy.
Here's what to know: OAS benefits may be reduced if your income exceeds certain thresholds. This is called the OAS recovery tax or clawback. For every dollar you earn above the threshold, you lose 15 cents of your OAS benefit.
This means the way you manage your pension income, RRSP/RRIF withdrawals, investment income, and even part-time work can all affect how much OAS you actually keep. Some retirees are surprised to discover that a larger RRIF withdrawal or investment gain pushes them into clawback territory.
Planning your withdrawals, pensions, and savings together helps optimize your retirement income mix. When you coordinate all your income sources strategically, you can often keep more of what you've earned.
If you want to understand how your OAS will work alongside your other retirement income, let's have a conversation. I can help you see the full picture and make decisions that work together.
You asked – we answered! Here are the top 10 questions about Old Age Security (OAS)
