How much money do I need to retire in Canada?

It depends on your desired income, pension benefits, and withdrawal rate. A common rule of thumb is 25 times your annual spending gap (the 4% rule). If you need $35,000 per year from your portfolio after CPP and OAS, that implies a portfolio of $875,000 in today's dollars. Inflation adjusts this upward to the actual retirement date.

What is a safe withdrawal rate?

The safe withdrawal rate is the percentage of your portfolio you withdraw each year in retirement. The classic 4% rule, based on the Trinity Study, assumes a 30-year retirement with a balanced portfolio. Lower rates (3-3.5%) are more conservative and better suited for early retirees or those with a lower risk tolerance.

How does inflation affect my retirement portfolio target?

Inflation erodes purchasing power over time. If you want $50,000 per year in today's dollars and retire in 35 years with 2.5% average inflation, you will need approximately $119,000 per year in nominal terms to maintain the same lifestyle. Your portfolio must be large enough to support those inflation-adjusted withdrawals.

Retirement Portfolio Sensitivity Calculator

Interactive Tool

Retirement portfolio sensitivity calculator

How much do you actually need to retire? See how different growth rates and withdrawal rates change the size of the portfolio you need to build.

See also the shares to retire calculator, the retirement calculator, the all-in cost calculator, and the full broker comparison.

Last reviewed July 8, 2026

Your timeline

Your current age

Target retirement age

Retirement spending

Desired annual retirement income (today's dollars)

What you want to spend per year in retirement, before tax, in today's purchasing power.

Annual CPP/OAS/pension income you expect (today's dollars)

Reduces the amount your portfolio needs to cover. Set to 0 if none expected.

Growth and withdrawal assumptions

Expected annual portfolio growth

7.0%

The matrix below shows your selection highlighted, with +/- 2% in each direction.

Safe withdrawal rate

4.0%

The classic "4% rule" is a common starting point. Lower is more conservative.

Expected annual inflation

2.5%

Bank of Canada targets 2%. Adjust higher if you expect above-average inflation.

1.Estimates only. This calculator provides rough projections based on the assumptions you enter. Actual investment returns vary, and past performance does not predict future results. This is not financial advice.

2.Taxes. All figures are shown before tax. Your actual after-tax income depends on the account type (RRSP, TFSA, non-registered) and your marginal tax rate in retirement.

3.Safe withdrawal rate. The "4% rule" originates from the Trinity Study and assumes a 30-year retirement with a balanced portfolio. Sequence-of-returns risk, asset allocation, and retirement length all affect sustainability.

4.Inflation. The portfolio target is shown in future (nominal) dollars. The "today's dollars" figures use the entered inflation rate to show equivalent purchasing power.

5.CPP/OAS. Enter today's dollar amounts. The calculator inflates them to retirement-year dollars automatically. Maximum CPP at 65 in 2026 is approximately $17,300/yr, and maximum OAS is approximately $8,800/yr.

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Retirement portfolio sensitivity calculator

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