Answering the Key
Questions in All
Areas of Your
Retirement Planning
Retirement Income Planning
- Can I afford to retire?
- How much can I spend in retirement
- How do I turn my portfolio into a paycheque?
- When should I take CPP (Canada Pension Plan) or OAS (Old Age Security)?
- How do I coordinate all my income sources (Pension, CPP, OAS, RRSP/RRIF, other investments, etc.)?
- How do I preserve my savings?
We carefully coordinate all your assets and income sources to provide you with a reliable income stream, designed to last longer than you do while minimizing taxes and maximizing future opportunities for the ones you love.
Tax Planning
- How do I know if I am paying too much tax?
- Do I need to worry about the OAS clawback?
- Where should I take my portfolio withdrawals from first to minimize tax?
- How do I plan for RRIF minimum withdrawals?
Our tax planning involves a view to the future, rather than trying to maximize your tax savings today. We aim to keep your taxes low today and into retirement, lowering your lifetime tax liability. We stay on top of this by reviewing your tax returns annually and running your unique situation through our tax planning checklist.
Risk Management
- What if I need long-term care?
- Will my spouse be okay if something happens to me?
- What if I become critically ill?
- What will happen to my income if the market crashes?
We know you have worked hard and made sacrifices to get to this point. Part of our process involves understanding what can go wrong and minimizing the risk. This planning could involve (but not necessarily) life insurance, long-term care insurance, critical illness insurance, home equity, and in all cases, a well-designed and articulated retirement income withdrawal strategy.
Estate Planning
- Will my beneficiaries lose 50% of my RRIF/RRSP to tax when something happens to me?
- How much money will my beneficiaries receive when something happens to me?
- How can I minimize taxes upon my passing?
- Do I need a trust?
- How often should I update my will and POAs?
We work with you to ensure you have the proper documents in place and up to date. We will review your estate documents to ensure they align with your wishes. We work with you to leave as much as possible to the people you love and the organizations most important to you while paying as little tax as possible.
Business Planning
We help business owners bring together business planning, personal financial strategies, and retirement planning to create a clear and confident path forward. At Matthews + Associates, our integrated approach ensures every decision supports both your business goals and your future financial security.
- Succession planning
- Exit planning
- Tax planning for incorporated professionals
- Compensation strategy
- Business value growth
- Strategic business planning
- Retirement strategies for business owners
- Employee benefits for pension plans
We promise you will never face a “hard close” from our firm. Our job is to give you clear, honest advice so you can make confident decisions, not to pressure you. That’s why we start with a short 15‑Minute Intro Call and a 60‑minute Retirement Plan Review (our Strategy Session), where you see exactly how we think and how we work before choosing whether to move forward
Ready to Take the Next Step?
If you see yourself in one or more of these areas and want a clear, coordinated plan for your retirement, the best place to start is a short Introductory Call.
On this 15‑minute call, we’ll learn a bit about your situation, explain how our Retirement Plan Review works, and confirm whether it’s a good use of your time and the $400 + HST fee. If it’s a fit, we’ll book your 60‑minute Review at the end of the call.