Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA)

For many people, just having money to set aside for savings or investments is a stretch. Then there's the issue of what to do if extra funds are available. Some people will put such funds into relatively safe havens such as GIC’s or bonds but are unsure if these will keep up with inflation. Many retirees have most of their assets in Real Estate and are concerned about rising property taxes and other expenses. Others own stocks directly or through mutual funds and still have the collapse of 2008 fresh in mind. A lot of decisions and choices needs to be made in order to build equity and bolster their retirement accounts. While about 38 percent of Canadians are now covered by fairly adequate workplace pension plans, the long term future of such plans may be in question. In addition, Canada has universal CPP and OAS plans, but they are often insufficient to maintain the lifestyle most pensioner’s desire. For the majority of people retiring, it is therefore incumbent on themselves to have enough investment income