What could compounding actually do for you?

For a balanced 60/40 portfolio of low-cost ETFs over a 30+ year period, 5–7% nominal is a reasonable expectation. Higher growth allocations (80% equity) may justify 7–8%; conservative allocations (40% equity) closer to 4.5–5.5%. A more honest answer: the expected return matters less than your behavior when the market drops 35%.

No — these are nominal dollars. To get a real-purchasing-power figure, subtract roughly 2% from your assumed return. A 6.5% nominal return is approximately a 4.4% real return at current inflation expectations. Our actual planning models inflation explicitly, separately for goods, healthcare, and housing.

This calculator shows the gross portfolio value. RRSP/RRIF withdrawals are fully taxable as income. TFSA withdrawals are tax-free. Non-registered accounts are partially taxable on dividends, interest, and realized gains. A complete retirement plan models all three with your projected marginal rate.

Because most people read the median outcome as a guarantee, and most read the 10th percentile as impossible. We do run full Monte Carlo simulations for clients — typically 10,000 paths with historical volatility. But that conversation belongs in a meeting, not in a slider.

Significantly. A defined-benefit pension worth $48,000/year in retirement has a present-value equivalent of roughly $1.2–1.6M depending on indexing — which changes everything about how much you need in RRSP and TFSA. Pensions should always be valued and integrated; they often justify more equity risk in your personal accounts, not less.

When you have $250,000+ in combined investable assets, a planning question this calculator can't answer, or a tax/estate situation that needs coordination. Our 45-minute discovery call has no obligation and no cost — book one above.