Retirement
Retirement in Canada: OAS, CPP, GIS and income planning
Guides and calculators for retiring in Canada: OAS, CPP and GIS eligibility and timing, turning savings into income, and senior housing and care costs.
Where does retirement income come from in Canada?
Most Canadian retirement income rests on three public programs: the Canada Pension Plan (the Quebec Pension Plan in Quebec), Old Age Security and, for lower incomes, the Guaranteed Income Supplement. Your own savings in RRSPs, RRIFs, TFSAs and workplace pensions sit on top. These guides explain how each piece works, when to start it and how they fit together, with official sources for every figure.
— YieldMaple, figures checked against official sources on October 11, 2026.
Calculators
3 pages
- CPP, OAS and GIS planner
CPP falls 0.6% a month before 65 and rises 0.7% a month after. Estimate CPP from 60 to 70, OAS with deferral, the clawback and GIS, and see break-evens.
- Retirement income calculator
See how much after-tax income your RRSP, TFSA, CPP and OAS can pay each year to age 95, with 2026 tax, RRIF minimums and the OAS clawback. Test your plan.
- RRIF withdrawal calculator
RRIF withdrawal calculator for Canada: see this year's CRA minimum for your age, the tax withheld on any extra and your balance to age 100. Try it now.
Long-term care and senior housing: types, costs by province and how to apply
1 page
Old Age Security: the complete guide to OAS, GIS and the Allowance
15 pages
- Old Age Security: the complete guide to OAS, GIS and the Allowance — complete guide
- Alberta Seniors Benefit amounts, income limits and payment dates
- CPP death benefit: amount, who can apply and tax
- CPP disability benefits: amounts, eligibility and how to apply
- CPP enhancement: higher deductions, bigger pension
- CPP and EI maximums for 2026
- CPP survivor benefits: pension amounts, children's benefit and how to apply
- GIS amounts, income limits and provincial top-ups
- How to apply for CPP: online steps, form ISP-1000 and timing
- Maximum CPP benefit 2026: amounts at 60, 65 and 70
- OAS eligibility: age, residence years and the partial pension check
- OAS payment amounts: maximums and income limits
- GAINS Ontario, seniors dental care and the property tax grant
- Retirement age in Canada: CPP at 60, 65 or 70
- Retirement income planning: CPP, OAS, GIS, RRIF, TFSA and pensions
More guides
6 pages
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between CPP and OAS?
The Canada Pension Plan is a contributory pension: what you receive depends on how much and for how long you paid in while working. Old Age Security is paid from general tax revenue and is based on how long you have lived in Canada after age 18, not on your work history.
What is the Guaranteed Income Supplement?
The GIS is a monthly, non-taxable benefit added to Old Age Security for people living in Canada with a low income. It is income-tested, so the amount changes with your income from the previous year.
When can I start my CPP retirement pension?
You can start it as early as age 60 or as late as 70. Starting before 65 permanently reduces your monthly payment, and starting after 65 permanently increases it.
Where do your figures come from?
From Service Canada and other canada.ca pages, Retraite Québec for the Quebec Pension Plan, and provincial government sites. OAS and GIS amounts change every quarter, so each page shows the period its figures apply to and the date we last checked them.