Here are a few things we did: Home has been paid for for many years already. So we decided to tackle some of these big ticket items. We installed a new roof a couple of years ago. We installed a new heating/a/c unit during the pandemic. Got a great deal during the shutdown. A/C heating units can cost $$$$ to install nowadays. Installed a new water heater. Installed new sets of tires on our vehicles.

tldr - Save as much money as possible before retiring through intentional saving and minimizing taxes. - Eliminate all debt, including mortgage debt, before retiring if possible. - Build a solid cash reserve or "war chest" that is accessible for unexpected expenses. - Pay for any major upcoming expenses like home repairs before retiring. - Plan meaningful activities and ways to stay engaged during retirement to avoid boredom or isolation. - Carefully create a budget and living expenses estimate for retirement. - Test the budget before retiring to ensure it is realistic. - Understand any pension, retirement savings, and government benefit options. - Stress test the retirement plan for challenges like market downturns or higher costs. - Consolidate retirement accounts and plans for simpler management over many years.

@wellbuiltwealth

3 ай бұрын

Yup. Pretty much sums it up.

@sallyprzybil2404

2 күн бұрын

If you can’t pay off your mortgage then consider recasting it. It will leave your interest amount the same, but it will lower your monthly payments, if you’re going to have a tight budget in retirement these lowered payments will put less strain on your budget. Also the lowered monthly payment may allow you to put extra toward the principal monthly. Organize and look through all your past financial papers, you never know what you’ll find. I found an old account that had about $4,000 and another that had $10,000. I cashed out both and put them in my investments in Index funds. I would suggest having more than one budget possibilities. Design a “regular budget” and a “bare bones” budget. If something happens, market drops, other financial change, or inflation goes crazy, then you can switch to your ‘bare bones’ budget.

Thank you. I’m 56 and plan to retire at 60

Your channel is the absolute best in this genre (Canadian financial)...super clear explanations, logical and evidence-based guidance...somebody should be giving you a book deal/your own t.v. show.

@wellbuiltwealth

2 ай бұрын

Wow, thank you!

Very good list, thanks for posting this video

Thanks for a thoughtful list of action plans. I just retired and gone through the experience of most of these on the list. All sound advice. And your follow up links are appreciated.

Excellent video! Thanks for the information.

Great information! Thank you.

Excellent advice 👍

Another top notch video. Many Thanks. Have a great weekend..!!!

@wellbuiltwealth

3 ай бұрын

Thanks, you too!

Great video and thanks for all of the options as I am two months from retiring

good starts for planning

Very good list👍🏼👍🏼

My husband and I accumulated $74,000.00 (before interest) of student loan debt in our late 20s. We managed to pay that off by rolling in into our mortgage twice. We have finished paying off the big debt items. We own our home (but it is in desperate need of renovation). Hoping to get the floors, kitchen, and bathroom done this year. We own a wilderness cottage (nearly burned down last wildfire season and unable to get insurance for it). We own our 5 year old Ford F250. We have a few other minor assets. I have a pension and RRSP. Our net worth is around a million, but what we don’t have is cash!! My husband doesn’t want to sell and live somewhere cheaper yet, but I hope the equity will still be there when we need to move. Now, that the debt is basically gone, I’m hoping to save now! That’s my last stage of planning for retirement. I’m hoping to retire in 3-5 years. I don’t have any guarantee it will work. I will just have to cross my fingers for what is out of my control.

@hexxlaxx2992

2 күн бұрын

You need to find a way to have liquid assets and it takes time tho.

Great advice!! I also purchased items for my hobbies in advance, so I wouldn't get hit with that expense during retirement. I purchased sewing and embroidery machines. knew I wouldn't want to spend that money on SS income and then have a less enjoyable retirement. I think you need to make sure if you have rental income, that you can get by if the tenant doesn't pay their rent long term. During COVID the U.S. government blocked landlords from evicting people who don't pay...a disaster for someone on fixed income.

@RonaldWarren-ro7xi

2 ай бұрын

Hello, how are you doing? You looking good, where are you from?

There's lots of great info in this video. Although we're now drawing from our pensions, I still like to see if we've done all the right things - it seems so! On the merging of RRSPs, we didn't do that, so now we have five active RRIFs and LIFs, but as I'm currently still good managing these, I use them to hold off on CRA taking too much money too soon. I withdraw from our plans three times a year: Withdrawal 1) All the no tax withheld cash, 2) 10% tax withheld, and finally 3) 20% tax withheld. In addition to the 0% portion, we get $25K at 10%, and $50K at 20%. For sure, in the following year we owe a little to CRA. It's probably not worth all the hassle, but for now, I'll keep on doing it this way.

Great video Rhys.

@wellbuiltwealth

3 ай бұрын

Thanks Adam :)

Would love to see a video about taking out the lump sum of your employment pension vs waiting until you get guaranteed payments.

Here in the states, don't forget to save up enough money to pay the taxes on a direct 1, 2, or 3 year rollover, of your 401k, into a Roth. that's an absolute no brainer.

You mentioned health insurance. Could you do a video on private health insurance post-retirement? My workplace plan stayed with me until age 65. Then I signed up with a plan within the timeframe that would allow me in without a medical exam. But everything I read said the premiums aren’t worth what you get in return. (I ended up not taking the dental plan because I have really good teeth etc and this saved me $72/months.) I also wanted to hop on board with the medical insurance because it allowed me to add on lifetime guaranteed travel health insurance. Thanks

We don't need fancy software... We have very accurate records of expenses. We use this and apply a very conservative investment return of 4.5%, a SWR of 1.5% max, and retirement of 50 years. Since that says we won't run out of our invested money (which EXCLUDES SS & pensions), we are good. See. No fancy software needed. That said, we will try a paid software service, say like New Retirement, and see what optimizations we can maybe consider.

Design your investments so you have a chosen amount that you won’t let your accounts go below, think of this as similar to the principal of your house and use the interest generated by this amount as your supplement to your fixed income. For example, let’s say you’ve chosen your “principal” investment amount to be $300,000. Then money the account generates over that is money you can use ( if you want) to supplement fixed income. In years when the market is doing better you can take a little more (stick some in cash reserve as a buffer) and in years where the market is not doing so goo then take out less and switch closer to your ‘bare bones’ budget that year. I would also suggest doing your withdrawal from your investments only once a year or twice a year and put that in a high yield savings account for use the coming up year.

Thanks for the content, much appreciated. Could a line of credit be used as a war chest?

@wellbuiltwealth

2 ай бұрын

It could, but definitely not ideal. It could just lead debt which, in turn, could lead to trouble…

good video

I agree

As far as health insurance options go, Medicare can be much more cost-effective in many cases! You will most likely have to wait until you are 65, but in many states, Medicare + a Medicare Supplement is affordable and consistent cost-wise. Definitely worth a thorough comparison.

Pay up front for needed big expenses *( new roof );

Hey Rhys! What do think about the size of "war chest"? What should be the cash amount: 5%, 10%, 20%, ... of the portfolio? Or maybe it is going to be 1 year of expenses, 2 years, 3 years, 5 years, ...? How would you suggest to start building it? I am almost done with my mortgage and planning the next step. Thank you. From Edmonton, AB.

@wellbuiltwealth

3 ай бұрын

Great question! Totally depends on a few factors through. Highly recommend you check out my “war chest” video: kzread.info/dash/bejne/fIKq28Wwh6q7cbg.htmlsi=fZt-odt7BBNieaN6

Smash debt - Yes…..but me might not quash the HELOC we have used solely for investing. The interest is 100% deductible. We will do our best to reduce it but not at the price of shrinking down our retirement home.

@wellbuiltwealth

3 ай бұрын

Sounds like it might be one of those “exceptions to rule” much like a solidly cash flowed rental property.

Omg to many to remember and to do I’ll work forever instead to avoid all of these

I was 56 when I got my mortgage and I’m single so I have to try to pay that mortgage even when I retire unless I meet somebody which it’s very hard to do

@RonaldWarren-ro7xi

2 ай бұрын

Hello, how are you doing? You look cool, where are you from?

@user-ux4cm4jm5v

Ай бұрын

If you purchased a house, I suggest you rent out the extra rooms.

There is nothing without money. One have to keep working until they die. OAS/ CCP or RRSP not enough to live. Monthly expenses are higher than these benefits. So people just do not think about retirement unless you have health problems and unable to work. This shows you have to live day by day.

what is wrong with the GRRSP?

@wellbuiltwealth

3 ай бұрын

Nothing. They’re great.

OAS and CCP is 1200-1300 a month can pay electric and gas bill. What a out the rent and other bills???

@alanj9978

26 күн бұрын

Savings. Lots and lots of savings.

Smartest thing I did before retirement was to work gor 34 years in the Civil Service with 24 of them on a non contributory pension.

Thanks are you also a financial advisor?

@wellbuiltwealth

2 ай бұрын

You betcha :)

@antonioalmaguer9342

2 ай бұрын

My 401K at work does not match well if it matches it’s probably not a lot should I put my 401k savings somewhere else

@wellbuiltwealth

2 ай бұрын

Sorry, I can’t advise as I’m in Canada :)

One scam can wipe out all your plans. Invest in scam knowledge.

Welp, I wanted to buy a house but I’m 54 so… guess that’s out. I’ll reserve a box in LA in skidrow.

Put yiur money in the s and p 500 and wirllthdraw 4 % only eah year and your living sweet for ever !

A quick question. I turned 60 earlier this year. I have started contributing to CPP 2.0 so roughly $4050 being paid in this year combined. If I start to collect CPP at 65 how does 5 years of paying into CPP and CPP 2.0 affect me? Or is CPP 2.0 just to help the younger folks?

@alanj9978

26 күн бұрын

It's hard enough to figure out what base CPP will pay, never mind the 2 new levels. It should slightly increase your payment, though, I think.

I really can not stand when people. Use acronyms and abbreviations to sound smarter and/ or to make sure you do not understand e strand.

Once retired, what is the most effective way to "gift" money to kids before you die? (Assuming your money is mostly registered )

@wellbuiltwealth

3 ай бұрын

Tough to speak to your situation without knowing all the details, but giving is no problem. Getting the money out of the registered plans is the problem. All withdrawals are taxable as income. So the more you withdraw the more it could push you into higher tax brackets causing you to lose more of it to tax.

@scotbarlow213

3 ай бұрын

@@wellbuiltwealth thanks. So ideally pull from TFSA account first and if you dip into RRSP, pull some out on Dec 31 and some out on Jan 1 ????

@wellbuiltwealth

3 ай бұрын

@@scotbarlow213 Sorry, I can't say for sure because I don't know the whole situation. But spreading RRSP redemptions across multiple years is definitely a smart way to keep your tax hit lower.

@scotbarlow213

3 ай бұрын

@@wellbuiltwealth thanks. I should clarify withdrawing from a RRIF and not RRSP but to your point, spread out as much as possible

Retirement is for the rich and public sector workers. I will work till I die thanks to the current government, they blew up my retirement plan these past few years.

@TishMclain

3 ай бұрын

Amen too bad we ain't rich!

@divertiti

2 ай бұрын

How did the government blow up your retirement plan? Have some personal accountability, just say you planned poorly.

Why is it always in dollar not pounds £

@wellbuiltwealth

Ай бұрын

We’re crazy like that.

15. Win the lottery and don't worry about things.

@wellbuiltwealth

3 ай бұрын

Yeah. Sorry. Forgot that one.

@OptimisticHominid

3 ай бұрын

Yep, travel to numerous 7-11s and gas stations to buy your tickets, that way you're diversifying your investment, right!

@wellbuiltwealth

3 ай бұрын

Oh, that’s good!

@Devilcity6275

3 ай бұрын

Keep on dreaming.❤

@TishMclain

3 ай бұрын

It's a sin to gamble!

I keep looking at your lips to see if they are moving because your voice sounds like AI. lol😂 Nevertheless, thank you for info.

@wellbuiltwealth

2 ай бұрын

Well, I haven’t heard that before. But hey, sometimes my intelligence feels artificial so you may be onto something 🤣

Also, fix your teeth while working, if you live in North America.

Not trying to be negative bro, but you just said that you’ve never lived on a budget, but you’re giving financial advice? To me that sounds pretty counterproductive, but I guess maybe everybody’s different

@wellbuiltwealth

2 ай бұрын

Correct. Never. Budgets are brilliant for fixed incomes. I’ve never had that. So we’ve learned to live within our means on a variable income. Zero budget.

If I have $7500 a month why would I have to listen to your advice

lol if you're starting a business in retirement, you're not really retired, bro.

@wellbuiltwealth

3 ай бұрын

Actually, that’s the retirement I dream of!!

@kenp4464

3 ай бұрын

Retirement is whatever someone wants it to be. Maybe someone always wanted to teach pottery, or photograph birds. Who's to say they couldn't start a business and still call it Retirement, if that's there dream?

@rickallen9099

3 ай бұрын

it's not retirement, though. @@wellbuiltwealth

@rickallen9099

3 ай бұрын

no, it isn't. Retirement involves not working for money anymore. Period. Photographing birds is a hobby, not a business. @@kenp4464

@runninghart

3 ай бұрын

That’s an outdated idea of “retirement”. Today retiring just means working (or not) on your own terms.

🤪 P r o m o S M

You forgot buy bitcoin to offset inflation.

@OptimisticHominid

3 ай бұрын

...potentially offsetting your entire retirement, forever!

"Business" is just a name for tax write off. 🤔