Retirement Planning
Retirement, planned the way business owners actually retire
No employer pension, no fixed salary, and often most of your net worth sitting inside a corporation. Retirement planning for business owners needs a different starting point — this is ours.
Why It’s Different
Three things that change once you own the business
There's No Employer Pension
Without a workplace pension, your retirement income is entirely a function of what you and your corporation have built — and how deliberately it's structured.
Retained Earnings Are Retirement Capital
Money left inside the corporation is still your money. How and when it's paid out affects both your retirement income and your tax position.
Succession Changes the Timeline
Selling, winding down, or transitioning the business to family all affect when — and how — retirement income actually starts.
The Retirement Wealth Map
From peak earning years to retirement income
Coordinated retirement planning sequences your accounts and income sources across three broad phases.
Peak Earning Years
The years your business generates the most retained earnings — and the highest-leverage window for corporate and personal coordination.
- RRSP & TFSA contributions
- Corporate-owned investments
- Retained earnings strategy
Transition Years
Typically five to ten years before stepping back, when structure matters more than growth alone.
- Income-splitting review
- Succession or sale planning
- Insurance-based strategies
Retirement Income Years
Drawing income in the right order, from the right accounts, to keep more of what you built.
- Corporate dividends
- RRIF & personal accounts
- CPP & OAS coordination
Seen In Practice
A coordinated retirement drawdown
Illustrative Scenario — Owner-Operated Manufacturing Business, Alberta
A 58-year-old owner planning to step back within seven years had built $2.1M in retained earnings alongside a modest RRSP. By sequencing corporate dividends, a gradual RRIF conversion, and CPP/OAS timing, projected annual retirement income was structured to stay within a lower marginal tax bracket for longer.
7 yrs
Retirement horizon
$2.1M
Retained earnings
3
Income sources coordinated
Hypothetical scenario for illustrative purposes only. Actual outcomes depend on your income sources, provincial tax rules, and are confirmed by a licensed advisor.
See Where You Stand
See how much you could save before retirement
Enter a few figures and an advisor will prepare a personalized projection — accounting for your corporate and personal position together.
This is not an automated calculation — your figures are reviewed personally by a licensed advisor.
Common Questions
Before you reach out
Most retirement calculators assume a salaried income and a workplace pension. Business owners draw income differently — through salary, dividends, or a mix — and often hold significant capital inside the corporation. Our approach accounts for that from the outset.
That's common, and it's part of what we plan around. We look at your retained earnings, any plans to sell or transition the business, and how that capital can be converted into retirement income alongside your personal accounts.
Earlier generally gives you more options, but coordinated planning can still meaningfully improve outcomes even five or fewer years from retirement. The first conversation simply establishes where you stand.
Let’s map your retirement position
A licensed advisor will walk through your accounts, your retained earnings, and your timeline.