How much do I need to retire in Canada?

A common rule is to accumulate 25× your annual expenses (the "4% rule"). Use the Solutech Retirement Planner to model CPP, OAS, and your personal savings rate for a Canadian-specific estimate.

What is the OAS clawback threshold in Canada?

In 2025 the OAS Recovery Tax kicks in when net income exceeds $93,454. For every dollar above that threshold, 15 cents of OAS is clawed back. The planner models this automatically.

When should I start CPP?

You can start CPP as early as 60 (with a reduction) or as late as 70 (with an 8.4%/year increase after 65). Delaying is usually advantageous if you expect to live past your mid-70s.

When can I claim Social Security in the USA?

You can claim Social Security as early as age 62 or as late as age 70. Claiming early reduces your benefit; claiming at Full Retirement Age (66–67 depending on birth year) gives your standard benefit; claiming at 70 maximizes it with an 8% annual increase. The Solutech planner calculates your Primary Insurance Amount and all claiming scenarios.

What is the difference between a 401(k) and Roth IRA?

A Traditional 401(k) lets you contribute pre-tax dollars and pay taxes in retirement. A Roth IRA lets you contribute after-tax dollars but withdrawals are tax-free. The Solutech planner models both with employer match and Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) starting at age 73 (SECURE 2.0).

How much can I contribute to a 401(k) in 2025?

In 2025, you can contribute up to $24,500 to a 401(k) (or $30,500 if age 50+). Your employer may also add matching contributions. The Solutech planner lets you model various contribution rates and employer match scenarios.

RELEASE NOTES

What's New

A running log of features, improvements, and fixes to the Solutech Retirement Planner. Latest version: v0.8.4

v0.8.4LATESTApril 2026
- IMPROVEDInternal: added component-level tests for HelpModal, Navbar, and OnboardingModal covering the recent dark-mode and disclaimer fixes
v0.8.3April 2026
- IMPROVEDNavbar "Reports" link is now correctly marked as coming soon (disabled, with a tooltip) rather than redirecting to Release Notes — Reports will be a PDF export of your retirement plan
v0.8.2April 2026
- FIXEDHelp modal background was transparent in dark mode — text was illegible against the dark dashboard behind it. Now renders with a solid opaque background.
v0.8.1April 2026
- IMPROVEDLegal disclaimer expanded across all pages — footers now include the full statement: results are illustrative, past performance does not guarantee future results, and a prompt to consult a qualified financial advisor
- IMPROVEDDisclaimer also appears in the onboarding modal before you interact with any projections, and adjacent to the Monte Carlo success rate output
- NEWEmail signup for feature announcements now persisted to the server — you will receive notifications when new features ship
v0.8.0April 2026
- NEWWelcome card for new users who dismiss onboarding — offers a one-click path back to the 3-question setup instead of a blank dashboard
- NEWReusable "How we calculate this" panel below the charts — lists simplifications (tax brackets, capital gains, SWR, inflation) in plain English
- NEWClick the "?" next to any chart for plain-English explanations of Monte Carlo, success rate, and more.
- NEWScroll indicator on the chart tab bar at tablet widths — a fading chevron shows when more tabs are hidden to the right
- IMPROVEDSlider drags no longer run the full Monte Carlo + projection on every tick — a short 120 ms debounce keeps the thumb buttery-smooth while the chart still settles instantly on release
- IMPROVEDMonte Carlo chart now shows a "Recomputing 1,000 simulations…" spinner while the model is re-running after an input change
- IMPROVEDOn-track / shortfall banner now full-width with a coloured bar, larger icon, and two-line explanation — far easier to spot than the old badge
- IMPROVEDControl panel inputs now collapse into tappable sections on mobile, removing the long scroll before you can reach the chart
- IMPROVEDShare button auto-copies the URL to your clipboard and confirms with a "Copied!" flash — with a graceful fallback if clipboard permission is blocked
- IMPROVEDText inputs, selects, and number fields now share a single style across the contact form, onboarding, and control panel — consistent borders, focus ring, and dark mode treatment
- IMPROVEDOnboarding inputs are now easier to read on dark screens.
- IMPROVEDNavbar "Scenarios" and "Reports" placeholder links now route to the release notes page so you can see what's shipped and what's coming next
- IMPROVEDChart terminology tooltips are wired to screen readers via aria-describedby and close on Escape or outside click
v0.7.9April 2026
- FIXEDSelect dropdowns in dark mode (Live Until, chart tabs, contact form) now render with a dark popup in Chrome — options are fully readable
- FIXEDCPP early-claiming calculation was incorrectly increasing the benefit instead of reducing it — now correctly applies up to −36% for age 60 claiming
- FIXEDContact form Turnstile security check no longer conflicts with Web3Forms — form submissions now go through correctly
- FIXEDRange slider thumb now shows a visible focus ring on keyboard navigation (was invisible before)
- IMPROVEDDark mode stat card label contrast lifted from 2.5:1 to 6.4:1 — meets WCAG AA accessibility standard
- IMPROVEDAll icon-only buttons (Help, theme toggle, sign out, scenario actions) now have accessible labels for screen readers
- NEWPress ? anywhere on the dashboard to open the Help panel
- NEWHelp panel now includes a Keyboard Shortcuts reference table
- NEWJest unit test suite added — 139 tests at 100% coverage across all calculation modules
v0.7.8April 2026
- NEWGuide page: CPP Calculator for Canada — explains CPP claiming ages 60–70 with comparison table and FAQ (/guides/cpp-calculator-canada)
- NEWGuide page: Retirement Planning Canada — covers CPP, OAS, RRSP, TFSA, and withdrawal sequencing (/guides/retirement-planning-canada)
- NEWGuide page: Social Security & 401(k) USA — covers claiming strategy, 401k vs Roth IRA, and RMDs (/guides/social-security-401k-usa)
- IMPROVEDSitemap updated with all guide pages and lastmod dates
v0.7.7April 2026
- FIXEDUS portfolio projection now deducts estimated federal and state income tax on traditional 401k/IRA withdrawals — previously showed a more optimistic balance than reality
- FIXEDMonte Carlo success rate for US users now accounts for withdrawal taxes, giving a more accurate probability of not outliving your savings
- FIXEDSequence-of-returns scenarios for US users now include tax on withdrawals for consistent results across all projection views
v0.7.6April 2026
- IMPROVEDLanding page headings upgraded to semantic H2/H3 elements for better search engine visibility
- NEWFAQ section added to landing page — common questions about CPP, OAS, Social Security, 401(k), and Roth IRA
- IMPROVEDContact Us link in footer now routes to the internal /contact page instead of an external URL
- IMPROVEDSitemap updated to include /changelog and /contact with lastmod dates
- NEWPage-specific titles and meta descriptions added to /changelog and /contact for better search indexing
v0.7.5April 2026
- FIXEDWithdrawal rate chart no longer overstates rates when inflation is enabled (was dividing nominal withdrawals by real portfolio values)
- FIXEDRetirement Runway chart now correctly accounts for Social Security income for US users
- FIXEDRetirement Runway now uses claiming-age-adjusted CPP/OAS amounts (not the base input amounts)
- FIXEDContributions & Returns chart now clearly labelled as an illustrative estimate, not real transaction history
- FIXEDNet Worth chart now shows negative net worth when mortgage exceeds portfolio (previously floored at zero)
- FIXEDSequence of returns crash now applied before withdrawals for more accurate impact modelling
- IMPROVEDPortfolio chart now shows "values in today's dollars" note when inflation adjustment is enabled
- IMPROVEDMonte Carlo stat labels now show the age at which terminal values are measured (e.g. "Median at Age 85")
- IMPROVEDMonte Carlo chart notes nominal dollar basis when inflation is enabled (different basis from projection chart)
- IMPROVEDWithdrawal rate reference line now uses your chosen safe withdrawal rate instead of a hardcoded 4%
- NEWIncome sources chart (US) now shows Roth withdrawals as a separate tax-free bar
- IMPROVEDRMD bar in income sources chart relabelled as "RMD Surplus (forced withdrawal)" to avoid confusion with income
- IMPROVEDRRSP/401k chart clarifies that growth lines show pre-tax accumulated values; after-tax figures are in the stats panel
v0.7.4April 2026
- FIXEDCanadian federal tax brackets corrected to 2025 CRA rates (was using wrong breakpoints)
- FIXEDAge amount tax credit now applied for Canadian retirees aged 65+
- FIXEDCPP and OAS claiming ages now correctly clamped to valid ranges (CPP: 60–70, OAS: 65–70)
- FIXEDSpousal Social Security now correctly applies no delayed credits and the proper early-reduction schedule
- FIXEDUS state tax now applied to income after standard deduction (was applied to gross income)
- FIXEDMonte Carlo simulation upgraded to lognormal return model — eliminates volatility drag overstatement
- FIXEDUS withdrawal order corrected: traditional 401k/IRA drawn first, Roth preserved last
- FIXEDExtra income now inflation-adjusted in sequence-of-returns scenarios
v0.7.3April 2026
- NEWLanding page now shows testimonials and a "How It Works" walkthrough
- IMPROVEDHero CTA copy updated to be outcome-focused ("See Your Retirement Plan")
- IMPROVEDBottom CTA differentiated: "Run Your Full Retirement Projection"
- NEWRelease Notes page at /changelog with full version history
v0.7.0April 2025
- NEWAdded USA mode: Social Security income, 401(k) and IRA support
- NEWCountry toggle (🍁 Canada / 🦅 USA) on the dashboard — switches all inputs, charts, and tax rules instantly
- IMPROVEDMonte Carlo simulation increased to 1,000 scenarios for more reliable success rates
- IMPROVEDCharts now update instantly as sliders are adjusted (live projections)
- FIXEDCPP estimate was slightly overstated for users born before 1958
- FIXEDMobile layout overlap on the income sources panel
v0.6.0February 2025
- NEWOAS deferral calculator — compare collecting at ages 65 through 70 side by side
- NEW"Notify me" email signup for feature announcements
- IMPROVEDWithdrawal rate slider now supports 2%–6% range (previously 3%–5%)
- FIXEDDemo mode reset button did not clear spouse fields correctly
v0.5.0December 2024
- NEWSpouse / partner income support — model household retirement income together
- NEWRRSP and TFSA balance fields with projected growth
- IMPROVEDSuccess probability now shown as both a percentage and a colour gauge
- FIXEDPage crash on Safari when opening the Monte Carlo chart
v0.4.0October 2024
- NEWMonte Carlo simulation — initial release with 500 randomised market scenarios
- NEWCPP/OAS auto-estimate based on age and contribution history
- IMPROVEDProjection chart redesigned with clearer axis labels and a sharper layout
- REMOVEDLegacy "Simple Mode" removed — all features consolidated into the main dashboard
v0.3.0August 2024
- NEWPortfolio growth chart with adjustable rate of return
- IMPROVEDDashboard layout reorganised into collapsible sections for easier navigation
- FIXEDInflation slider was not affecting nominal projections correctly
v0.2.0June 2024
- NEWInflation adjustment toggle — enable to see projections in real (inflation-adjusted) dollars
- NEWRetirement age slider expanded to support ages 50–75
- FIXEDVarious calculation edge cases for early retirement scenarios
v0.1.0INITIAL RELEASEApril 2024
- NEWBasic retirement projection calculator
- NEWAnnual savings and current portfolio input
- NEWSimple projection chart to target retirement age

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