Retirement Unpacked

Retirement Unpacked is a weekly podcast by Parallel Wealth Financial Group. Our planners break down key retirement topics for Canadians—income strategies, tax planning, CPP, OAS, TFSAs, RRSPs, RRIFs, lifestyle choices, and estate planning. We answer real questions from YouTube, emails, and client conversations, giving you practical insights and strategies to retire with confidence, clarity, and peace of mind.Join us each week as we unpack retirement together.

Retirement Unpacked is a business podcast hosted by Parallel Wealth, with 54 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Parallel Wealth hosts Retirement Unpacked, a business show with 54 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

• 

  Episode #53

  053 | If You're Retiring In 2027 With An RRSP, Listen To This

  Sep 12, 20261h 1m

  On episode 53 of Retirement Unpacked, Adam Bornn and Martin Goudreault discuss when you should convert your RRSP to a RRIF if you're retiring in 2027, whether or not you need a cashflow wedge in your TFSA, converting to a RRIF vs. just withdrawing from your RRSP, tax implications when gifting money to your kids, planning considerations when you love your job, and much more. Later in the episode, Peter Filippakis joins the show to discuss the importance of stress testing your retirement plan, while also avoiding analysis paralysis and letting fear ruin your plan. Our free decumulation 101 course: https://www.parallelwealth.com/offers/VzwEVF5b/checkout Work with our team: https://www.parallelwealth.com/planning Chapters 0:00 Intro 0:24 Retiring in 2027: When should I convert my RRSP? 3:58 Do I need a cash wedge in my TFSA? 6:08 Common law planning considerations 8:46 Delaying OAS when you don't have 40 years in Canada 11:04 Why move money from a RRIF back to an RRSP 14:07 Converting to a RRIF vs. just withdrawing from RRSP 17:05 Gifting money from your non-registered to your kids 22:11 Moving money from your RRIF to your non-registered 24:34 Don't overcomplicate your retirement 30:28 When do annuities make sense? 37:59 Planning considerations when you love your job 43:03 Stress testing your retirement plan 47:59 How to find a trusted financial planner

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #52

  052 | 5 Reasons To Convert Your RRSP To A RRIF Before 71

  Sep 5, 202643 min

  On episode 52 of Retirement Unpacked, Gord Manzer and Michael Barichello discuss why converting your RRSP to a RRIF before 71 can make sense, where to allocate a large cash sum before retiring, LIF maximum withdrawal rules, CPP child rearing years, when annuities make sense, and much more. Later in the episode, Martin Goudreault joins the show to discuss a case study where a couple had more than enough income to retire comfortably, and how the next conversation was how to make the plan the most tax efficient as possible. Our free decumulation 101 course: https://www.parallelwealth.com/offers/VzwEVF5b/checkout Work with our team: https://www.parallelwealth.com/planning Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:48 Converting your RRSP before 71: What's the point? 5:34 Where to allocate a large cash sum before retiring 9:35 LIF maximum withdrawal rules 12:12 How does working past 65 affect CPP? 13:47 Do you have to calculate CPP child rearing years yourself? 16:14 CPP split upon divorce: How to factor in child rearing years 17:53 Does it ever make sense to contribute to RRSP in retirement? 21:27 Contributing to RRSP in a higher income year 24:29 Can you take CPP and OAS while working 25:45 When do annuities make sense 31:03 High income planning in retirement: Creating tax efficiency 37:59 Insurance vs. self insuring in retirement

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #51

  051 | Before You Put Your Home In A Trust, Listen To This

  Aug 29, 20261h 31m

  On episode 51 of Retirement Unpacked, Brett Martinson and Matthew Dennis discuss whether it ever makes sense to put a house into a trust, clear up some confusion about what a cashflow wedge actually is, look at whether CPP really keeps up with "real-world" inflation, planning considerations for a disabled adult child, and much more. Later in the episode, Mathieu Huneault joins the show to discuss a client case study where a retired couple was hesitant to spend their savings even though they had plenty of room in their plan. He discusses how they were able to pay off their mortgage earlier which gave them the peace of mind to start spending and enjoying their retirement. Our free decumulation 101 course: https://www.parallelwealth.com/offers/VzwEVF5b/checkout Work with our team: https://www.parallelwealth.com/planning Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:45 Should you put a house into a trust? 12:34 Do cashflow wedges actually make sense? 26:34 Differences between RRSPs and RPPs 30:04 Does CPP actually keep up with inflation? 37:29 Planning considerations for a disabled adult child 48:54 Should you reinvest bond interest? 56:52 OAS clawback: When do you get your money back? 1:01:59 Should you consider using a reverse mortgage? 1:07:15 Should you keep a small mortgage in retirement? 1:12:47 Case study: Can you afford to spend more? 1:23:53 In-kind donations: What charities are eligible?

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #50

  050 | Stop Overcomplicating Your Retirement (Do This Instead)

  Aug 22, 20261h 7m

  On episode 50 of Retirement Unpacked, Adam Bornn and Brett Martinson discuss DIY retirement planning software options for Canadians, whether extended health and dental coverage is worth it for retirees, how retiring with two pensions can change withdrawal strategy, and much more. Later in the episode, Gord Manzer joins the show to discuss some of the unique considerations when retiring partway through the year, including income planning, tax planning, capital gains and losses, and preparing for the year ahead. How much cash should you keep in your portfolio?: https://www.moneysense.ca/columns/ask-a-planner/how-much-cash-should-you-keep-in-your-portfolio/ Our free decumulation 101 course: https://www.parallelwealth.com/offers/VzwEVF5b/checkout Work with our team: https://www.parallelwealth.com/planning Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:24 DIY retirement planning software 4:54 Reducing OAS clawback with form T1213OAS 10:46 Health and dental coverage in retirement: Is it worth it? 17:36 Does reinvesting dividends count as a trade? 20:26 Do you need to convert your entire RRSP to a RRIF? 26:59 How does two pensions change your retirement plan 33:03 Naming younger spouse for your RRIF minimum 37:29 Should you put your tax refund into your TFSA 42:08 What should you do with your investments before passing away? 47:12 How to calculate your CPP dropout years 52:08 Considerations when retiring mid year 56:18 How much cash should you keep in your portfolio?

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #47

  047 | Before You Downsize In Retirement, Watch This

  Aug 1, 20261h 27m

  In episode 47 of Retirement Unpacked, Brett Martinson and Matthew Dennis discuss whether you should make your spouse a joint owner of your non-registered account, the key considerations before downsizing your home and renting, LIRA unlocking rules and how they vary by province, tax loopholes versus legitimate tax planning, and much more. Later in the episode, Gord Manzer joins the show to discuss what to expect from a retirement plan when you're still 10+ years away from retiring, why plans change over time, and how to use that information to make better financial decisions today. Chapters: 0:00 Intro 1:22 Non-registered accounts: should you make them joint? 10:28 Selling house: should I downsize or rent? 18:19 Can you transfer investments in-kind from RRIF to TFSA? 23:44 Should I name my estate the beneficiary on my RRSP? 32:25 LIRA unlocking rules: every province is different 40:36 RRSP meltdown strategies for high-income earners 46:32 Tax loopholes: what's legal vs. what's risky 1:01:03 Can the FHSA be used as a tool for retirement 1:05:36 Planning for retirement 10+ years away 1:19:07 CPP survivor benefits explained: does delaying CPP hurt you?

  ListenShow Notes

Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:

Industry fit is computed by PitchCentric using vector embeddings of the show's episode catalog.