WHAT IF CAREGIVING WAS ABOUT PARTNERSHIP, NOT DEPENDENCE?
Too often, being cared for can mean feeling like a burden. But friends who care for one another flip that dynamic.
As Barb Buettner approached retirement, she was haunted by the question of how she would live in her later years. While looking after her parents, she had gotten a glimpse of the type of difficulties she might face. Her dad was lonely in his nursing home; Parkinson’s had worn down his body, but his mind was still sharp. His wife had Alzheimer’s, and he had few peers at the nursing home who could offer stimulating company. At least he had a daughter who could visit and care for him. But Buettner didn’t have any other close family members. She couldn’t help but wonder: What’s going to happen to me?
6 retirement strategies that don’t get talked about enough
Retirement is the pinnacle of most Canadians’ financial plans. But the financial industry’s emphasis on investing means there can be a tendency to overlook alternative strategies that can make retirees better off when they stop working. Here’s a look at some of them.
AGING IN PLACE TAX CREDITS AND GRANTS IN CANADA
If you’re planning on staying in your home as you get older, the costs associated with aging in place can quickly add up — especially when you’re retired and on a fixed income. According to our 2017 Aging in Place Report, 62% of Canadian homeowners are unaware that tax benefits are available for aging-related home modifications. This means that most Canadians may not be making much-needed home adjustments, despite government funding being available.
Whether you’re in need of modifications right now or starting to plan ahead, here are the aging in place tax credits, grant and loans that are available across Canada right now that you may be eligible to claim.
Ontario – Seniors’ Home Safety Tax Credit
Credit: Maximum of $2,500 (25% of amount spent).
Eligibility: Ontario residence over the age of 65, or a person living with an eligible individual.
Details: The Seniors’ Home Safety Tax Credit is provided by the Ontario Government for eligible individuals who are making safety and accessibility renovations that are integral to living within their homes.
When filing your taxes, you can claim a maximum
renovation cost of $10,000 per year and receive a
credit of 25% of the amount you spent.
https://www.ontario.ca/page/seniors-home-safety-tax-credit
Federal Home Accessibility Tax Credit
Credit: Maximum of $1,500 (15% of amount spent).
Eligibility: Canadians over the age of 65 orindividual with a disability, or a person living with an eligible individual.
Details: The Home Accessibility Tax Credit is provided by the Government of Canada for eligible individuals who are making accessibility renovations that are integral to living within their homes. When filing your taxes, you can claim a maximum renovation cost of $10,000 per year and receive a credit of 15% of the amount you spent. https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/individuals/topics/about-your-tax-return/tax-return/completing-a-tax-return/deductions-credits-expenses/line-398-home-accessibility-expenses.html
March of Dimes Canada also offers grants for home modifications for those living with disabilities.
Their Home & Vehicle Modification® Program provides funding for basic home adaptations of up to $15,000 lifetime maximum for home modifications. By reducing or eliminating life safety risks, these modifications enable children and adults with mobility restrictions to continue living in their homes and stay in their communities. Consumers who meet program criteria can apply for grant funding. For more information and/or to apply for this program please visit the March of Dimes Canada website: http://www.marchofdimes.ca/EN/programs/hvmp/Pages/HomeandVehicle.aspx
Retirement math you need to know, from how long you’ll live to deferring CPP
It is important to know your numbers as you approach or enter retirement. However, questions about how much you need to save to retire get too much attention. Especially because the honest answer is that it depends.
So, instead we are going to consider some surprising retirement math that can be applied to just about everybody.
See the math in the Financial Post
Start your retirement living search with Comfort Life
Find the best independent living community in Ontario
Independent living homes present a paradox for seniors — your life will become both increasingly active and more relaxing at the same time. You’ll suddenly find yourself with plenty of activities and programs in which to take part, but your facility’s staff will take care of many of your needs. Some of these services, programs, and amenities may include:
- Games, like bingo, shuffleboard, trivia, and other brain fitness
- Grooming facilities — barbershops, hair salons, manicure and pedicure centers
- Scheduled transportation
- Light housekeeping and maintenance services (i.e. changing light bulbs)
- A concierge to help you discover the incredibly diverse and lively Ontario outdoors
- A dining hall (many independent living homes include meals in their monthly fees)
- Other common rooms, such as computer rooms, lounges, and card rooms
Turn Your Spare Bedroom Into An Opportunity
SpacesShared seeks to alleviate two critical challenges facing Canadians – older adults ability to age in their own homes and remain connected to their communities, and students’ ability to access safe and affordable housing near the campuses that they attend.
With backgrounds in public policy, social work, and technology development, our founders have seen first-hand the potential for technology to drive positive social and economic change. At the same time, we understand that a human touch is necessary to provide a feeling of safety and security for SpacesShared Hosts and Guests. Through intuitive technology, scheduled check-ins, and dedicated human support, we are committed to building, sustaining, and supporting intergenerational home-sharing. Shared spaces charges Hosts a monthly fee.
Are we witnessing the end of retirement?
In today’s Big Story Podcast, the concept of retirement used to be a few years at the end of your life between when you stopped working and when you died. But the average lifespan kept increasing, while the retirement age stayed at 65. Now Canadians believe they’ll need $1.7 million to retire in comfort, and most of the 1,000 people retiring each day in this country don’t have it. When you combine that with the economic turmoil, high interest rates and increasing cost of living, the savings they do have aren’t stretching as far as expected, either. So many “retirees” are going back to work.
Where There’s a Will There’s a Way: Canadian Perspectives on Estate Planning
The vast majority of Canadians believe it’s important to prepare a will or appoint a power of attorney to manage their affairs if they die or become incapacitated, but less than half of them have actually done so — and many of them don’t even know where to start. A new report by the National Institute on Ageing (NIA) in collaboration with RBC Royal Trust finds that only 48 per cent of Canadians have a will; that number drops to 34 per cent for those aged 35-54. The report, titled Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way: Exploring Canadian Perspectives on Estate Planning, looks at how well Canadians understand the importance of estate planning, whether they have taken steps to create an estate plan, and what’s stopping them from doing so if they haven’t already. It is based on a survey of 2,001 Canadians conducted by Ipsos in April 2022.