As retirement looms, many older Canadians find themselves confronting a major question: what should they do with the family home? For those living in large, mortgage-free houses, the traditional choices have long been to stay put for as long as possible or to sell and downsize to a condo or a smaller home near to…

Registered retirement savings plans, known as RRSPs, and tax-free savings accounts, referred to commonly as TFSAs, are the two most widely used, tax-advantaged savings programs for Canadian taxpayers. Which is the better choice? There is no right answer. I like them both. They are valuable savings vehicles but they have different features. Let’s have a look.…

Longer lifespans mean that Canadians can now expect to live until 83 on average, giving us 18 years after retirement at age 65. Back in 1970, when the average life expectancy was 72, we only lived seven years after retiring. But the downside of this longevity revolution is that we now have to come up…

In times of economic downturns, like the one we’re suffering through now, one of the first things companies do is jettison their older workers. Yes, it’s scary out there for 50-something Canadians whose careers hang in the balance sheet. They’re being downsized or passed over for promotions not because their skills have eroded but because…

There was a time not so very long ago when Canadians nearing retirement would do everything humanly possible to pay off all of their outstanding debt.  The anxiety of still owing money after one's earning days were over was enough to spur older people to rush to pay off their mortgages and clear out their…

Many businesses say they're suffering from labor shortages , but what are their management practices and what measures could be put in place to retain experienced workers? In 2022, I conducted two studies on behalf of the Comitéconseilsatif 45+ (Advisory Committee on Workers Aged 45 and Over) , an organization whose members include Québec companies…