What Is RetireZest? Canadian Retirement Planner Explained

RetireZest is a Canadian retirement-planning platform that simulates your retirement year by year — modelling CPP, OAS, GIS, RRSP, RRIF, TFSA, non-registered, and corporate (CCPC) accounts under current 2026 tax rules. You enter your numbers; the engine projects your income, taxes, and account balances from today through your 90s, compares withdrawal strategies, and stress-tests the plan against market volatility. It is free to start, with no credit card required.

It's a planning and education tool — not a bank, robo-advisor, or licensed financial advisor. RetireZest does not connect to your bank accounts, does not sell your data, and does not provide personalized financial advice.

What does RetireZest do?

• Year-by-year simulation of your retirement income, taxes, and account drawdown from now through age 90+.
• Zest Score — a 0–100 retirement-readiness score across four pillars: plan survival, lifetime tax cost, retirement cushion, and spending reliability.
• Withdrawal-strategy comparison — compares strategies (e.g. RRSP/RRIF meltdown, TFSA-first, balanced, GIS-optimized) and recommends the best fit for your priority.
• CPP & OAS timing optimizer — shows the dollar impact of starting CPP at 60–70 and OAS at 65–70.
• Monte Carlo stress testing — runs hundreds of market scenarios to show how often your plan survives.
• Corporate (CCPC) planning — models holding-company accounts, eligible/non-eligible dividends, capital gains, CDA, and RDTOH.
• Built-in education — plain-language explanations of CPP, OAS, GIS, RRIF, OAS clawback, and more.

How much does RetireZest cost?

Plan	Price	Includes
Free	$0 (no credit card)	Unlimited simulations, Zest Score, strategy comparison, CPP/OAS estimates, corporate planning
Premium	$5.99/month or $47/year	Everything in Free, plus PDF/CSV report exports, Monte Carlo stress testing, and AI insights

Who is RetireZest for?

RetireZest is built for Canadian pre-retirees and retirees, including:

• Singles and couples — models both partners, coordinates CPP/OAS timing, and optimizes household tax.
• Business owners — models corporate/holding-company accounts alongside personal accounts.
• Quebec residents — supports QPP (Quebec Pension Plan) in addition to CPP.
• People who want to DIY — with or without a financial advisor, to understand their own numbers.

Which provinces does RetireZest support?

RetireZest's tax engine fully supports Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec (including QPP), with province-specific 2026 tax brackets, credits, OAS clawback, and GIS calculations. CPP, OAS, and GIS estimates work for all Canadians; users in other provinces are mapped to the nearest supported province for tax projections.

How is RetireZest different from a basic retirement calculator?

Most free calculators give a single "magic number." RetireZest runs a full year-by-year simulation under real Canadian rules, which lets it answer questions a simple calculator can't:

• What's my best withdrawal order across RRSP/RRIF, TFSA, non-registered, and corporate accounts to minimize lifetime tax?
• When should I take CPP and OAS for my specific situation?
• Will my plan survive a market downturn (via Monte Carlo)?
• How does the OAS clawback or GIS affect me at my income level?
• How do corporate accounts (dividends, CDA, RDTOH) fit into my drawdown?

Frequently asked questions

Is RetireZest free? Yes. The free plan includes unlimited simulations, the Zest Score, strategy comparison, CPP/OAS estimates, and corporate planning. No credit card is required. A Premium plan ($5.99/month or $47/year) adds report exports, Monte Carlo stress testing, and AI insights.

Does RetireZest connect to my bank? No. You enter your account balances, income, and expenses manually. RetireZest never asks for bank passwords or account access.

Is RetireZest financial advice? No. It's an educational planning tool. It does not provide personalized financial advice; always consult a licensed advisor before making decisions.

Is RetireZest Canadian? Yes. It uses 2026 Canadian federal and provincial tax rules, CPP, OAS, GIS, RRSP/RRIF, and TFSA mechanics, and is built specifically for Canadian retirees.

Does RetireZest support corporate accounts? Yes. It models holding-company (CCPC) balances, eligible and non-eligible dividends, capital gains, the Capital Dividend Account (CDA), and RDTOH refunds.