A lot of retirement planning still feels like guesswork, especially when using FIRE calculators that aren’t really built for Canadians. Most calculators are useful for getting a rough estimate, but they often miss the details that can materially change the result in Canada, like:
- TFSA vs RRSP vs non-registered account balances
- CPP and OAS income in retirement
- Taxes on RRSP withdrawals
- RRIF mandatory withdrawals
- Province / territory specific tax rates
- Spouse or partner income, assets, and retirement timing
- Pensions or other guaranteed retirement income
- Different contribution priorities, like TFSA-first, RRSP-first, or non-registered
So I built a Canadian FIRE & CoastFIRE calculator that tries to model those pieces more realistically. You can enter your income, savings rate, account balances, province or territory, expected retirement spending, and assumptions for returns / inflation.
You can also add a spouse or partner, include CPP/OAS or pension income, and choose which accounts you want to prioritize contributing to over time.
The goal is to make the timeline clearer: when you may reach CoastFIRE, when you may reach full FIRE, how your TFSA/RRSP/non-registered accounts grow over time, and how long the portfolio may last once withdrawals begin.
I’m still actively improving it, so I’d be interested in hearing where the assumptions feel right or wrong. If you try it with your own numbers, I’d especially appreciate feedback on anything that feels confusing, unrealistic, or missing for Canadian retirement planning.