How to model retirement income in Canada

Many people spend decades learning to save and then struggle to switch into spending, only to realize in their seventies or eighties that they accumulated far more than they needed and missed the chance to enjoy it. This piece tackles that quietly common regret by laying out how to model retirement income in Canada. The approach starts with a net worth statement that separates truly spendable money from the home or other illiquid assets, then projects cash flow forward year by year, accounting for inflation, taxes, investment returns, the timing of CPP and OAS, and the rising RRIF withdrawals that come with age. Running what-if scenarios reveals how much you can actually spend while staying secure. The point is to put the life you want ahead of pure tax optimization, and to see the possibilities early enough to act on them.