CPP, OAS, Social Security, RRSPs, 401(k)s and IRAs each follow their own rules — and their own country. We bring them into one retirement income plan, in the currency you’ll actually spend.
Retirement planning is the work of turning what you’ve saved into dependable income for the rest of your life — deciding when to start each benefit, which accounts to draw from first, and how to make the money last.
Cross-border retirement planning adds the hard part: your income sources are split between two countries, each with its own tax rules, its own government benefits, and its own currency. A Canadian pension, a U.S. 401(k), and Social Security don’t coordinate themselves. We build a single plan that decides what to draw, when, and in which currency — so two systems work together instead of quietly working against each other.
It isn’t just about hitting a savings number. It’s about turning accounts in two countries into steady, tax-efficient income that lasts. With a coordinated plan, you can:
Retirement income that spans the border has more moving parts — and more chances to leave money on the table. These are the pieces we line up.
When to start CPP, OAS, and U.S. Social Security — and how the totalization agreement lets you draw on benefits earned in each country.
Which accounts to tap first — RRSP/RRIF, 401(k), IRA, taxable — to manage tax in both countries and stretch your savings.
Using the Canada–U.S. treaty and foreign tax credits so retirement income is taxed once, in the right place, not twice.
Matching income to the currency you spend in, and building a plan resilient to exchange swings and a long retirement.
If your retirement touches both countries in any of these ways, coordination is where the real value is.
Splitting the year between a home in each country, with income and spending in both currencies.
Retired or relocated south while still holding RRSPs, pensions, or property back in Canada.
Still filing with the IRS each year, with 401(k)s and IRAs to draw on from north of the border.
Some combination of CPP, OAS, Social Security, and an employer pension that needs to be timed and taxed efficiently.
Households where partners hold different citizenships or accounts on different sides of the line.
Five to ten years out, when the decisions you make now about accounts and residency shape your options later.
Add your benefits and balances from each country and see an estimated annual income in the currency you’ll retire in — a starting point for the conversation, not a forecast.
Illustrative only — a rough estimate, not a forecast, tax, or investment advice. It assumes a flat drawdown rate, a single exchange rate, and excludes taxes, inflation, and sequencing. Government benefit amounts depend on your contribution history and the age you claim. Your actual plan is built around your full situation.
Retiring across the border doesn’t have to mean juggling two advisors, two accountants, and a stack of accounts that never quite line up. With the right support, your benefits, savings, and tax picture work as one plan — and you get a clear answer to the question that matters most: will the money last, and how do I draw it?
We take the time to understand where you’ll live, what you’ve built in each country, and what you want retirement to look like — then we coordinate the income, tax, and currency decisions around it. If you’re working with an accountant or estate lawyer, we’re glad to bring them into the same plan.
A complimentary conversation about your benefits, accounts, and timeline — and how we’d coordinate them across the border. No obligation.