045 | The Honest Truth About Retiring With A Mortgage

In episode 45 of Retirement Unpacked, Kyle and Michael discuss the pros and cons of DIY retirement planning and DIY retirement planning software, whether it makes sense to carry a mortgage into retirement when you have a defined benefit pension, when spousal loans can be a useful tax strategy, how to coordinate retirement withdrawals between pensions and RRSPs, and much more.
Later in the episode, Mathieu joins the show to go over a client case study and discuss the benefits of updating your retirement plan, including how changes to QPP and locked-in account rules allowed the client to make adjustments that improved their plan.

0:00 Intro
0:30 Pros and cons of DIY retirement plans
4:13 Which year’s income determines your OAS clawback?
7:28 Should you pay off your mortgage before retirement?
12:05 How is the RRIF minimum calculated?
15:13 Spousal loans explained
21:01 Advantages of converting your RRSP at 55
24:57 Considerations when your pension is not indexed to inflation
29:19 Potential changes to Ontario LIRA unlocking rules
31:54 Coordinating a pension and RRSP in retirement
34:15 How changing legislation impacts retirement plans
38:16 RRSP strategies for one time high income years