Russell Sawatsky CFP

In the second entry in my Approaching Retirement journal, I write about what to do with a #definedcontribution #pension I left in place more than 20 years ago: #annuity or #LifeIncomeFund (#LIF), #unlocking 50%, and the rather strange transition from decades of saving to deliberately arranging to start drawing on that money.

#MoneyArchitect
#PersonalFinanceCanada #RetirementPlanning

https://moneyarchitect.ca/approaching-retirement-a-personal-journal-2/

#Retirement is approaching at the end of this year, and I’ve begun a more personal journal-style series on the #MoneyArchitect blog.

In this first entry, I reflect on some of the smaller financial and administrative decisions shaping the transition for my wife and me.

I’m finding that retirement consists less of one major decision than of a series of smaller ones.

https://moneyarchitect.ca/approaching-retirement-a-personal-journal/

Ten years ago, on July 29, 2016, I received a kidney transplant. On September 27, I’ll once again take part in the Kidney Walk in London, supporting the Kidney Foundation of Canada.

If you would like to support my Walk, my fundraising page is here: https://kidney.akaraisin.com/ui/ONWALKS26/p/2c47617c40354c17834ea0c7a39c8812

Whether or not you donate, please consider registering as an organ donor. I know firsthand what an extraordinary gift that can be.

Cash is often criticized as a drag on long-term returns. Sometimes that criticism is fair.

But not every dollar is truly long-term investment capital.

In my latest #MoneyArchitect blog post, I look at emergency funds, sinking funds, and retirement spending reserves, and why liquidity can help protect an investment plan from being interrupted when life and markets turn at the same time.

https://moneyarchitect.ca/the-case-for-cash-emergency-funds-sinking-funds-and-liquidity-risk/

#PersonalFinance #PersonalFinanceCanada #FinancialPlanning #Investing #RetirementPlanning #Canada

Old Age Security is simple in concept, but increasingly difficult in policy.

Should OAS be expanded? Targeted more tightly? Or refocused on reducing senior poverty through GIS?

In my latest #MoneyArchitect blog post, I ask whether the better question is not “bigger or smaller,” but “What is OAS for?”

https://moneyarchitect.ca/old-age-security-bigger-smaller-or-better-targeted/

#FinancialPlanningCanada #OAS #RetirementPlanning #PersonalFinanceCanada

"The revenge of the defined contribution plan" makes for a catchy headline.

But pensions are not primarily investment accounts. They are retirement income systems.

My latest blog post offers a few thoughts on defined benefit vs. defined contribution pensions, sequence-of-returns risk, and what pensions are actually designed to accomplish.

https://moneyarchitect.ca/the-revenge-of-the-defined-contribution-plan-not-so-fast/

#pensions #personalfinanceCanada

A million dollars all at once or $1,000 per week for life?

A young Montreal #lottery winner faced that choice and surprised many with her decision: $1,000 per week for life. Isn't the correct answer obvious: take the lump sum.

In my latest #MoneyArchitectFinancialPlanning blog post, I discuss why the answer isn’t so simple, and how behavioural finance, longevity risk, and life stage can point reasonable people in very different directions.

Read more here: https://moneyarchitect.ca/she-chose-1000-per-week/

#AdviceOnly #Feeforservice #FinancialPlanning #FinancialPlanningCanada
#MoneyArchitect #PersonalFinance #PersonalFinanceCanada

#Retirement income reform in #Canada is often framed as a technical problem. But debates about #CPP, #OAS, and #GIS are also #moral debates about responsibility, fairness, and human limits. In my latest #MoneyArchitect blog post I offer some reflections on #policy design and dignity in aging.

https://moneyarchitect.ca/retirement-income-reform-in-canada/

#adviceonly #feeforservice
#FinancialPlanning #FinancialPlanningCanada #MoneyArchitectFinancialPlanning
#PersonalFinance #PersonalFinanceCanada
#RetirementPlanning

I’ve posted a new #MoneyArchitect blog with an update on my financial planning practice and my intention to retire by the end of 2026. It explains what’s changing, what’s not, and how I’m approaching the transition over the coming year.

#FinancialPlanningCanada
#PersonalFinanceCanada
#MoneyArchitectFinancialPlanning

https://moneyarchitect.ca/an-update-on-my-practice-and-looking-ahead-to-2026/

I’ve been digging into the contrast between Canadian cash-wedge thinking and the U.S. total-return tradition in #retirement #income planning. My latest #MoneyArchitectFinancialPlanning blog post looks at where the approaches come from, what role behavioural risk plays, and how a DIY investor can choose the strategy that fits best.

Read here: https://moneyarchitect.ca/do-you-really-need-a-cash-wedge-in-retirement/

#adviceonly #FinancialPlanning #PersonalFinanceCanada #RetirementPlanning #Risk #riskmanagement

#RRIF withholding isn’t a penalty; it's a planning choice. In my latest #MoneyArchitectFinancialPlanning blog post, I discuss how withholding works, how to choose an amount that fits your situation, and why reviewing it each year matters. Useful reading for anyone navigating retirement income.

#adviceonly #feeforservice #financialplanning #PersonalFinanceCanada #RegisteredRetirementIncomeFund #RetirementPlanning

Many investors are worried about bubbles and sharp market declines. The real challenge, though, is how we respond when markets move quickly.

My new #MoneyArchitectFinancialPlanning blog post, Risk Management for the Long-Term Investor, follows the story of Michael, a DIY investor who learns how rebalancing, diversification, and a steady process can manage both risk and emotion.

Read more here: https://moneyarchitect.ca/risk-management-for-the-long-term-investor/

#adviceonly #financialplanning #investing #riskmanagement #MoneyArchitect #PersonalFinanceCanada

New #MoneyArchitectFinancialPlanning blog post: Why Index Investors Keep Acting Like Stock Pickers

Many ETF investors think they’re diversified but end up chasing yield, sectors, or themes. I explore why this happens, what behavioural biases drive it, and how to return to the simplicity of true global indexing.

#IndexInvesting #ETFs #BehaviouralFinance #FinancialPlanning #PersonalFinanceCanada

https://moneyarchitect.ca/why-index-investors-keep-acting-like-stock-pickers/