About the service
What does RetireWisely cost?
Nothing. RetireWisely is free for the person looking for an advisor — there is no fee, no subscription and no charge for the introduction or the intro call. Participating advisors pay us a referral fee only if you choose to become their client, and that fee never increases what you pay the advisor. We are never paid for your contact information.
How many advisors will contact me?
One. Your details go to a single vetted advisor chosen for your situation, never to a list of firms. This is the main difference between RetireWisely and a lead-generation directory: because we are paid only when a match becomes a client, selling your details to five firms would work against us.
What happens after I finish the matching quiz?
You see the advisor we would introduce you to and book a free 30-minute introductory call at a time you choose. A RetireWisely concierge calls you within one business hour to confirm your details before the meeting, and you receive a confirmation email with the advisor's profile and the call link. Bring a recent investment statement if you have one.
Do I have to work with the advisor I am introduced to?
No. The introductory call is free and carries no obligation. You are under no commitment during or after it, and no fees are discussed or charged unless you decide to become a client — at which point the advisor must give you written, plain-language fee disclosure first.
What does RetireWisely do with my personal information?
Your details are shared with the one advisor you are matched with, and with nobody else. We do not sell contact information. You give explicit consent before anything is shared and can withdraw it at any time. Our free calculators are separate: they run entirely in your browser, so figures you enter there are never transmitted to us at all.
Is RetireWisely a licensed financial advisory firm?
No. RetireWisely is a referral and marketing service, not a financial advisory firm, dealer or portfolio manager, and we do not provide investment, tax or legal advice. The advisors we introduce are independent professionals registered with their own regulators, which you can verify yourself through the CIRO AdvisorReport and the Canadian Securities Administrators' National Registration Search.
Which provinces does RetireWisely serve?
All ten Canadian provinces. Where a network advisor has an office near you, meetings can be in person; otherwise they are held by secure video or phone, and you choose your preference in the quiz. Matching is based on the province you live in and the questions your money is asking, not on your postal code.
Is there a minimum portfolio size to be matched?
There is no minimum to use the calculators or to complete the quiz. Advisors in the network work across a range of portfolio sizes, with particular experience in households holding $1M or more and employer pension plans. If we do not have a genuinely good fit for your situation, we will tell you and point you to free resources instead of making a poor introduction.
What if the advisor is not a good fit?
Tell us and we will make it right. Advisors are removed from the network for pressure-selling reported in our post-call surveys, for refusing written fee disclosure, for fees that do not match what was disclosed, and for repeated no-shows or delays to booked calls. A bad introduction costs us money, which is the incentive that keeps the standard high.
How we are paid, and how advisors are vetted
Every advisor must pass five checks before entering the network: verified registration in good standing, five or more years with pre-retirees, retirees or in wealth management, demonstrated experience with $1M+ portfolios and employer pension plans, written fee disclosure, and the ability to serve you in your province. The full criteria, the reasons an advisor is removed, and exactly how the referral fee works are set out on our vetting and payment page.
Common retirement questions
Short answers below, with the full working on the pages they link to. Every calculator on this site is free, needs no signup, and runs entirely in your browser.
How much must I withdraw from my RRIF this year?
The minimum is federal, set by section 7308 of the Income Tax Regulations and applied to your balance at the start of the year based on your age on January 1 — 5.28% at 71, rising to 20.00% at 95 and above. Below 71 the factor is 1 ÷ (90 − age). A RRIF has no maximum. Run your own numbers →
How much can I take out of a LIF?
Unlike a RRIF, a LIF has a ceiling as well as a floor, and it depends on which jurisdiction regulated the original pension plan. Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia share one table; the federal rules produce a materially lower ceiling. See the maximum tables →
Should I take CPP at 60, 65 or 70?
Taking CPP at 60 permanently reduces it by 36% against age 65, while delaying to 70 increases it by 42%. The right answer depends on health, other income, tax and whether you are still working. Read the CPP and OAS guide →
Am I on track to retire?
Our free readiness calculator projects your savings to your retirement date, converts them into sustainable monthly income, adds CPP and OAS, and shows the size of any monthly gap. Check your readiness →
How much tax is withheld when I withdraw?
Nothing is withheld on the RRIF or LIF minimum. On the amount above it, one rate applies to that whole amount outside Quebec: 10% up to $5,000, 20% to $15,000 and 30% beyond. These are cliffs, not brackets. See it applied year by year →