Will our money last in retirement as a couple?
Plan around one household spending amount, with each partner’s income, savings, CPP/QPP and OAS inputs. This made-up Ontario example keeps both retirement ages at 65 and compares spending $80,000 with $85,000 a year after tax, in 2026 CAD.
Open this made-up couple exampleRead this example and use the basic calculator for two adults without an account. Review both people’s inputs and confirm the assumptions before calculating. A saved private plan is a separate step.
One change. Two projections.
This made-up couple lives in Ontario. These inputs show how the tool works. They are not a prediction for you. All amounts are in CAD.
Retirement ages: Alex 65 in both versions; Taylor 65 in both versions. Yearly household spending after tax: $80,000 in the baseline; $85,000 in the alternative, in 2026 dollars, excluding contributions.
Alex
Alex, born 1966-06-15, earns $90,000 a year before retirement.
- Starting savings
- RRSP $550,000; RRIF $0; TFSA $100,000; non-registered $50,000 with cost basis $40,000; cash $10,000.
- Benefits in both versions
- CPP $12,000 a year at 65, starting at 65. OAS starts at 65, using 40 residence years.
- Assumptions in both versions
- 2.1% inflation · 5% annual return
Fixed return, no simulated market path
Taylor
Taylor, born 1968-09-20, earns $65,000 a year before retirement.
- Starting savings
- RRSP $300,000; RRIF $0; TFSA $75,000; non-registered $25,000 with cost basis $20,000; cash $10,000.
- Benefits in both versions
- CPP $9,000 a year at 65, starting at 65. OAS starts at 65, using 40 residence years.
- Assumptions in both versions
- 2.1% inflation · 5% annual return
Fixed return, no simulated market path
| Measure | spend $80,000 | spend $85,000 |
|---|---|---|
| First projected shortfall | None through 2063 | None through 2063 |
| End-of-plan position after tax In 2026 dollars | $1,122,918 | $787,050 |
| Projection ends | 2063 | 2063 |
The CPP amount is held as entered; stopping work earlier may reduce the actual benefit. Review your statement assumptions.
The comparison shows whether the planned spending is covered through the projected years. A negative end-of-plan position is a gap, not money left for family. Income tax and benefit exclusions matter; review them before changing spending.
Assumptions and calculation evidence
A first projection for one or two Canadian adults: employment, a defined-benefit pension, CPP/QPP, OAS, RRSP/RRIF, TFSA, non-registered investments and cash. No corporations, property, debts, children, benefit-entitlement history, LIRA/LIF or planned extra contributions. GIS, Allowance and refundable benefit payments (including Ontario GAINS and Trillium) are not included; missing benefits can make a projected shortfall look larger. Review eligibility and payment history before changing spending. Quebec employment requires explicit confirmation of Quebec payroll contributions; cross-province employment is outside this first-calculation scope. Excluded situations need additional facts and supported-case review.
Inflation 2.1%; invested return 5.0% nominal each year; uninvested cash 2%. These are assumptions, not forecasts. Invested accounts use 40% fixed income and 60% equity for tax treatment. Pension splitting and the standard withdrawal/contribution order are enabled. No extra contributions were supplied; surplus uses that order and the stated contribution room.
Alex: OAS uses 40 years of residence; opening TFSA room 0 CAD and RRSP room 0 CAD.
Taylor: OAS uses 40 years of residence; opening TFSA room 0 CAD and RRSP room 0 CAD.
- Engine version
- a5245196fe9c440cac227184b300f58f54e073958c8bd49c259815cd391dec13
- Tax-rate fingerprint
- cf34ad9e08777f2c1f6b0429a2842c2db35669bccffda07886ee8a3081fc868f
- Calculation input fingerprint
- 2d3c498b203b58a5460e536b2ea41e86da33c305c436738ccfab301a800a822b
These results were generated from this guide’s synthetic inputs using the Glacier engine. Opening the example does not run a calculation. Reviewing and calculating it again uses the available engine and rules at that time.
Download the made-up inputs ↗Keep the question simple.
Keep each person’s facts separate.
Enter both birth dates, retirement ages, incomes, benefits and account balances. Do not put both people’s savings under one name.
Use one household spending amount.
The baseline spends $80,000 a year after tax in 2026 dollars. The alternative spends $85,000. Both people’s other inputs stay the same.
Read the household result.
Compare spending coverage and the end-of-plan position, then inspect the annual detail. Retirement at the same age can fall in different calendar years when partners have different birth dates.
Have these facts ready.
- Each partner’s birth date and retirement age
- One province or territory for the household
- Each person’s employment income and any quoted pension
- Savings and cost basis, assigned to the person who owns each account
- Each person’s CPP/QPP statement amount, start ages and OAS residence years
- One yearly household spending amount after tax, plus return and inflation assumptions
Know the limits.
- This first calculation excludes property, debts, corporations, children, LIRA/LIF and planned extra contributions.
- GIS, Allowance and refundable benefit payments are excluded. Missing benefits can make a projected shortfall look larger.
- Returns and inflation are assumptions. A projection is not a promise or a personal recommendation.
- This first projection supports two partners up to 25 years apart. Both are covered through the younger person’s age 95.
- The example enters each CPP amount as an assumption. It does not reconstruct either person’s contribution history.
Bring the question
to your numbers.
Start with the made-up example. Replace the inputs with your own only when you are ready, then review the scope and assumptions before calculating.
Open this made-up couple exampleThe software does not include personal advice. Opening a guide or copying instructions does not send your financial details or enrol you in marketing.
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Projections and education, not personalized investment advice. This made-up example is not a plan for you.