This week we feature content from old friends and new dealing with a range of interesting issues.

On You and Your Money, Ed Rempel writes about Understanding the Differences Between Financial Advisors and Brokers. He says, “I do think everyday investors are much better off if they have someone in their corner who is recommending a particular investment product because it actually is the best product for them, given their circumstances and life stage. Not because there’s a commission on the sale at the end of the day.”

Doris Belland on Your Financial Launchpad tackles How to deal with multiple requests for donations and money. According to Doris, “The key is to run your financial life deliberately and consciously. Instead of barrelling through life with your nose to the grindstone, dealing with a plethora of urgent matters, spending on an ad hoc basis depending on which squeaky wheel is acting up, I suggest you make a plan and decide ahead of time which items are worthy of your valuable monthly cash.”

If you are spending a lot on Uber, should you buy a car? Desirae Odjick addresses this question on her blog half/BANKED. If you are laying out a large sum (say $1,000) every month on Uber, she agrees that a car makes sense. But if it’s a seasonal thing in really cold weather when you cannot easily walk, bike or take public transit she nixes the idea.

Mark Seed at My Own Advisor interviews Doug Runchey about the perennial question, Should you defer your Canada Pension to age 65 or 70? Runchey suggests that the main reasons for taking CPP and OAS as late as possible are:

• You don’t necessarily need the money to live on now.
• You have good reason to believe that you have a longer-than-average life expectancy.
• You don’t have a reliable defined pension with full indexing, and the CPP and OAS are integral to your inflation-protected, fixed-income financial well-being.
• You are concerned about market risk to your savings portfolio.
• You aren’t concerned about leaving a large estate – so you use up some or all personal assets before taking government benefits.

And finally, Maple Money’s Tom Drake puts the spotlight on Canada’s best no annual fee credit cards and the perks they offer. His list includes the:

• Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card
• President’s Choice Financial Mastercard
• MBNA Rewards Mastercard
• SimplyCash Card from American Express.

The features of each of these cards and a link to the relevant website are included in Drake’s blog.

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Do you follow blogs with terrific ideas for saving money that haven’t been mentioned in our weekly “Best from the blogosphere?” Share the information on http://wp.me/P1YR2T-JR and your name will be entered in a quarterly draw for a gift card.

Written by Sheryl Smolkin
	Sheryl Smolkin LLB., LLM is a retired pension lawyer and President of Sheryl Smolkin & Associates Ltd. For over a decade, she has enjoyed a successful encore career as a freelance writer specializing in retirement, employee benefits and workplace issues. Sheryl and her husband Joel are empty-nesters, residing in Toronto with their cockapoo Rufus.

 

By Sheryl Smolkin

Spring is definitely in the air and every day the piles of snow and patches of ice in my neighbourhood get smaller. This week we report on a potpourri of interesting blogs and articles from some of our favourite bloggers.

We usually catch Robb Engen on Boomer and Echo, but he also regularly writes for his blog  RewardsCanada. This week he posted an interesting article about why it is so hard to cancel a credit card. Credit card companies advertise great bonuses on points when you sign up with them but they are counting on inertia to retain you as a client once the deal is in the bag. If you are smart enough to want out, they make you jump through hoops before you can cancel.

On StupidCents, Tom Drake’s mission is to help you “turn wasted sense into common cents.” Recently guest blogger Michelle offered some ideas on how to save money on your wedding. She suggests you can barter many services in exchange for free wedding products. It can also help to chose something other than a diamond and buy a pre-owned wedding dress. In a previous blog she suggested that you get married off season and not on a weekend.

If you think you have to keep your income low in your 64^th year because the OAS clawback is based on your income in the previous year, take a look at Understanding the OAS Clawback by Doug Runchey on RetireHappy. He says there is a provision in the Income Tax Act that allows the clawback to be based on your income for the current calendar year, if your income in the current calendar year will be substantially lower than it was in the previous calendar year.

In Thanks for the $2000 CRA on the Canadian Personal Finance blog, Alan Whitton aka the Big Cajun Man concludes that he and his wife are not eligible for income-splitting because his wife earns too much, but in any event he says this would not be enough to buy his vote because “As usual, the program is half-baked (much like the TFSA and other ideas), and I am not a one issue voter.

And finally, on get smarter about money, Globe and Mail columnist Rob Carrick writes about the gift of a debt-free education he and his wife are giving their two sons. There is no family fortune so they will not be living on Easy Street, but they will be able to graduate debt free from a four-year undergraduate program of their choice. He says if you can’t help your kids graduate debt-free, the next best thing is to help limit their debt. In today’s challenging world for young adults, that’s a great early inheritance.

Do you follow blogs with terrific ideas for saving money that haven’t been mentioned in our weekly “Best from the blogosphere?” Share the information with us on http://wp.me/P1YR2T-JR and your name will be entered in a quarterly draw for a gift card.

By Sheryl Smolkin

I retired early and elected to start receiving my Canada Pension in 2010 at age 60. As I result my pension was reduced by 30% (.5% for every month prior to age 65) and I currently receive $675.20/month. At the time, the general consensus among many financial advisors was based on the old adage, “one in the hand.” In other words, it was worth taking the reduction to receive the reduced benefit for five extra years.

With changes made to the program beginning in 2012, if you choose to take CPP early, the reduction is greater. For example, if you retire in January 2015 at age 60, your pension will be reduced .58% for every month prior to your 65^th birthday (to a maximum of 34.8%) and a January 2016 retirement will lead to a reduction of .60% per month until age 65 (a total reduction of 36%).

For a recent Toronto Star article, Some math on taking CPP early or late, Adam Mayers asked two actuaries and a financial planner for a few rules of thumb readers could use. Although there isn’t a simple one-size fits all answer, here is what they told him:

• If you need the money to live on, take it as soon as possible.
• If you have health problems or have a family history of short life spans in retirement, take it as early as possible.
• If you think you can invest the money and come out ahead take it early. But be warned you will need a pretty hefty rate of return because you will pay tax on the pension and tax on the profit unless you can put it into an RRSP or a Tax-free savings account (TFSA).

I particularly like how Retire Happy blogger Jim Yih approached the problem in Taking CPP early: The new breakeven points.  Here is the chart he created for 2015.

Yih’s table reveals that if you take CPP at age 60 in 2015, (assuming you qualify for the maximum CPP at age 65) your benefit will be $643.31/month (reduced from $986.67).

Alternatively, if you wait until age 65 to collect a higher amount, you are foregoing the $38,598.53 to get more in the future. It will take until age 74 (the breakeven age) to make up the $38,598.53 you left on the table.

If you think you will live past age 74, the math suggests you should wait until age 65 or later to start receiving CPP. Unfortunately no one knows how long they will live. However, the Canadian Business Life Expectancy Calculator is one way to get a rough idea if you will live to a ripe old age. For example, I am currently age 64 and the calculator says I will live to 87.01 years.

You can apply for CPP at age 60, but if you continue to earn income beyond that age, you will still have to make CPP contributions until at least 65. A self-employed person will have to make both the employer and employee contributions. After age 65, CPP contributions are optional to age 70.

As noted by government benefits expert and consultant Doug Runchey in an earlier blog on savewithspp.com, CPP post-retirement benefits are actually quite a good deal. A Service Canada PRB Calculator will help you calculate how contributing after you begin receiving CPP benefits but before you stop working will increase your CPP benefits at retirement.

Based on your age, financial situation, projected life expectancy and whether you intend to keep working for some period of time after you retire, your financial planner can help you decide what the best time is for you to apply for CPP.

By Sheryl Smolkin

Do you typically buy a fistful of gift cards for holiday gifts? Just in time to save you a bundle, Boomer & Echo’s Rob Engen writes about How To Hack Gift Cards For Big Discounts. He suggests buying gift cards with your cash back credit card, the RedFlagDeals forum dedicated to buying and selling gift cards and purchasing discounted gift cards at Costco. Who knew?

On Retire Happy, government benefits expert Doug Runchey explains that Receiving a partial OAS pension affects the amount of GIS a pensioner will receive in two ways:

1. A pensioner receiving partial OAS will receive more GIS than someone receiving a full OAS pension, to make up for their lesser amount of OAS.
2. A pensioner receiving partial OAS will receive GIS up to a higher income, compared to someone receiving a full OAS pension.

Jonathan Chevreau on Findependence Day Hub profiles a 28 year old Winnipeg-based investor named Saxon Funk who has a firm plan for achieving financial independence through various passive streams of income. But his real play for findependence comes through real estate. He was attracted to real estate when he discovered he could buy properties at 10% down, and he caught the Winnipeg real estate cycle at just the right time.

Do you know How Your Daily Commute Affects Your Finances? Dan Wesley from Our Big Fat Wallet reports that the average time Torontonians spend commuting is 80 minutes – the longest time in the world. In contrast, Saskatchewan Jobs says the average commute time in the province’s two largest cities is only 20 minutes. Another reason to count your blessings!

And if unexpected, frequent required changes to eyeglasses for family members is putting stress on your budget, you may be interested in How I saved over 50% buying eye glasses online, my recent blog on Retirement Redux.

Do you follow blogs with terrific ideas for saving money that haven’t been mentioned in our weekly “Best from the blogosphere?” Share the information with us on http://wp.me/P1YR2T-JR and your name will be entered in a quarterly draw for a gift card.

By Sheryl Smolkin

If you decide to start collecting CPP at age 60 but have to continue paying into the plan because you go back to work, your additional post-retirement contributions can significantly increase the amount of monthly pension you receive even while you are still working.

Since 2012, CPP recipients over age 60 who earn employment income must still contribute to the plan until age 65 and may voluntarily make contributions between ages 65-70 if they are earning an income.

Between age 60 and 70 your contributions will generate additional CPP benefits called post-retirement benefits. You don’t need to apply for these additional benefits. They will automatically be added to your monthly cheque following each year after age 60 you contribute.

A sample calculation prepared by Government Benefits Consultant Doug Runchey who worked for 32 years with Human Resources and Skills Development Canada illustrates how post-retirement contributions can add up.

His example is based on a person who in 2014 at age 60 starts collecting a maximum CPP pension of $702 ($1,038 minus the early retirement reduction of 32.4 per cent).

However in January 2015, this individual decides to go back to work. He subsequently earns the maximum pensionable amount of $52,500 (2014 figures) for the next five years before he stops working completely. Using the 2014 maximum CPP contribution level, between ages 60 and 65 he will be required to contribute $2,425.50 each year to the plan (a total of $12,127.50).

Beginning in 2015 at age 61, his pension will be increased each year by an annual, cumulative post-retirement benefit that adds up to $1,350 by age 65.

As a result, his pension of $702 per month at age 60 will increase in yearly increments to $814 monthly at age 65. Therefore, he will receive approximately $2,490 in CPP post-retirement benefits between age 60 and 65. If he lives for another 20 years until age 85, the post-retirement benefit will put an additional $27,000 in his pocket.

“By accruing additional CPP post-retirement benefits of $1,350 per year between age 60 and 65, the person in this example will earn an 11.13 per cent return on the $12,127 in contributions he made for the period,” Runchey says.

He also says that the notional return on post-retirement CPP contributions by a taxpayer earning the CPP maximum pensionable amount each year who chooses to work and contribute to CPP until age 70 will be even higher.

However, Runchey notes that if this taxpayer was self-employed and required to pay both the annual employer and employee contributions ($4,850) from age 60 to 65, the total return on his five years of post-retirement contributions will be cut in half, to 5.56 per cent.

Post-retirement benefits earned in one year are added to benefits beginning in January of the following year, but eligible contributors may not receive the payment until April or May with a retroactive payment to the beginning of the year.

The amount of CPP post-retirement benefits that you can earn between ages 60 and 70 depends on your earnings and the number of years you continue to work and contribute. A Service Canada PRB Calculator will help you calculate how contributing after you begin receiving CPP benefits but before you stop working will increase your CPP benefits at retirement.

If you are over 65 and want to stop contributing to the CPP, you must complete the CPT30 form and give a copy to your employer. If you are self-employed, you must complete the appropriate section of the CRA CPP contributions on Self-Employment and Other Earnings and file it with your income tax return.

You can change your mind and begin contributing to the CPP again but you are allowed only one change per calendar year.

Also read:
Working and aged 60 or older
Canada Pension Plan Post-Retirement Benefit – Born in 1950
CPP Post Retirement Benefits – DR Pensions Consulting

By Sheryl Smolkin

When you are planning to fully or partially retire, there are many decisions to make. Most Canadians are aware that they can elect to start receiving their Canada Pension anytime between age 60 and 70.

But many do not know that as of July 2013 if they become eligible for OAS benefits at age 65 they can also choose to defer receiving benefits for up to five years.

Regardless of whether you choose to defer your OAS or not, you must apply for benefits from this program when you wish to begin receiving payments.  It may make sense to wait, however, if at age 65 your income is still high enough that your benefits would be fully or partially clawed back. That would occur if you have net income between $71,592 and $115,716 on your tax return, and assuming you expect it to decline in future.

OAS is paid to seniors over 65 who are Canadian citizens or legal residents and have lived in Canada for at least 10 years after turning age 18. People living outside Canada at the time of application must have resided in Canada for at least 20 years after their 18th birthday. Your employment history is not a factor. A full OAS benefit is based on 40 years of Canadian residence.

For the period beginning January 2014, maximum OAS benefits are $551.54 per month or $6,618,48 per year. Benefits are indexed to inflation and adjusted quarterly. If you decide to delay collecting OAS beyond age 65, the benefit will be increased by 0.6 per cent for each month of delay to a maximum of 36%.

Therefore, based on the current annual benefit level (excluding future inflation), the pension you receive beginning at age 70 will be $9001.13.

Marissa Verskin, a senior tax manager at Toronto accounting firm Crowe Soberman, says the decision on whether to delay collecting OAS or claim it right away should depend on your personal situation. This includes your life expectancy, current and projected future income level and your expected rate of return.

Some of the other circumstances that may influence your decision are if you have chosen to work beyond age 65 or if you anticipate receiving a large one-time capital gain or lump sum at retirement (i.e., for accumulated sick leave credits or severance pay).

Doug Runchey of DR Pensions Consulting spent 32 years with Human Resources and Skills Development Canada. He says if you choose to defer receiving OAS beyond age 65 you can’t “double dip.”

That means if you are only eligible for a partial OAS pension because you have less than the 40 years of residence required for a full benefit, you can’t use the deferral period to both increase your OAS pension by counting it as additional years of residence and also receive a 0.6 per cent per month increase for voluntary deferral.

Service Canada is required to count the deferral period either as additional years of residence or a period of voluntary deferral — whichever is of the greatest benefit to the client.

Runchey also says there could be another collateral advantage to voluntary deferral of OAS. “If you delay and increase your OAS by 36 per cent to $9001.13 per year, you also effectively increase the maximum income claw back threshold to $131,599 from $115,716,” he says.

If you have started receiving your OAS benefits within the last six months but think you can benefit from the deferral, you can write to Service Canada and ask them to cancel your benefits for now. Once your request is approved, you will have to pay back the benefits received. Then you can reapply for OAS at a later date.

By 2023, gradual changes in the age of OAS eligibility from age 65 to age 67 will be fully phased in. This change will not affect OAS applicants or recipients born before March 31, 1958. But people born between April 1, 1958 and January 31, 1962 will have a date of eligibility between ages 65 and 67. For example, a person born in June or July 1961 will be not be eligible to collect OAS until age 66 plus eight months.

Also see:
Old Age Security
Changes to the Old Age Security program – Service Canada
Voluntary deferral of OAS – Retire Happy
Getting what’s yours when it comes to government pensions