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Can I retire at 65 with $1 Million in Ontario?

A year-by-year projection with 2026 Ontario and federal tax, the average CPP, full OAS, RRIF minimums and the OAS clawback, in today's dollars.

Sustainable after-tax income to age 95

$51,500 / year

$4,292 a month, steady in today's dollars from age 65 to 95.

Your own numbers will differ. Run them with your CPP estimate, TFSA and pension in the retirement projection calculator, prefilled with this scenario.

How the money flows, year by year

CPP and OAS start right away, so the RRSP only tops up what they don't cover. The RRSP becomes a RRIF by the end of the year you turn 71, after which a minimum must come out each year.

Age RRSP/RRIF out CPP + OAS Tax After tax Balance left
65 $40,000 $19,450 $7,640 $51,810 $975,749
72 $43,563 $19,450 $8,798 $54,215 $775,680
80 $39,541 $19,450 $7,491 $51,500 $531,515
90 $39,541 $19,450 $7,491 $51,500 $192,537
95 $39,541 $19,450 $7,491 $51,500 $1,206

First-year withdrawal $40,000. Total income tax to age 95: $242,554 ; no OAS clawback at this income.

Same savings, other provinces

Quebec uses the average QPP pension, the other provinces the average CPP.

Retiring at a different age

With more or less saved

Decisions that change the answer

  • CPP and OAS at 70: $53,300 a year instead of $51,500, $1,800 more, because larger indexed pensions replace withdrawals later. Compare start ages in the CPP and OAS start age calculator.
  • Some savings in a TFSA: TFSA withdrawals are not taxed and do not count toward the OAS clawback or GIS. See the drawdown order calculator.
  • A spouse: splitting RRIF income from 65 can lower the couple's tax. See the pension splitting calculator.
  • Your real CPP: the projection uses the average CPP at 65 ($858.34 a month, July 2026). Your Statement of Contributions in My Service Canada Account gives your own figure.

Assumptions

  • All $1 Million is in RRSPs at 65, invested half in bonds and a quarter each in Canadian and U.S. stocks.
  • Returns and inflation from the FP Canada and Institute of Financial Planning 2026 Projection Assumption Guidelines: fixed income 3.2%, Canadian equities 6.3%, U.S. equities 6.4%, inflation 2.1%. Less 1.0% for fees, that is 3.8% a year, or 1.6% after inflation.
  • Money lasts to age 95. The Guidelines put the age a 60-year-old has a 25% chance of reaching at 94 for men and 96 for women.
  • Average CPP and the full OAS (ages 65 to 74 rate, $762.50 a month) from 65, single filer, 2026 tax rules held in today's dollars.
  • Not included in the income figure: GIS, the 10% OAS increase at 75, a workplace pension, home equity and employment income.

Frequently asked questions

Can I retire at 65 with $1 Million in Ontario?
With $1 Million in RRSPs, retiring at 65 in Ontario supports about $51,500 a year after tax ($4,292 a month, in today's dollars) until age 95, once the average CPP and full OAS start at 65. Whether that is enough depends on your spending, any workplace pension and whether you own your home outright.
How much tax would I pay in retirement in Ontario?
About $242,554 in federal and Ontario income tax over the 31 years to age 95 in this scenario, roughly $7,824 a year. RRSP and RRIF withdrawals, CPP and OAS are all taxable.
Does waiting until 70 for CPP and OAS help?
Yes, in this scenario. Starting both at 70 raises the sustainable income to $53,300 a year, $1,800 more, because the larger indexed pensions replace RRSP withdrawals later in life. The cost is drawing harder on savings until 70.
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