Coast FIRE in Canada
Coast FIRE means the investments you already have could grow to a retirement target by the age you stop relying on them. New savings are no longer what closes the gap. In Canada, CPP, OAS, and tax change the target those investments are growing toward.
Current for the 2026 tax year · Updated 21 Oct 2026
What Is the Target, Once Benefits Exist?
A target built as spending divided by a withdrawal rate assumes the portfolio pays for everything. CPP and OAS, when they start, cover part of spending. The portfolio has to cover the rest, plus tax on the withdrawals that are taxable.
The age you stop working and the age benefits start are often different. The years in between are funded without those benefits. A coast age that ignores that bridge can look earlier than the cash flow allows.
What Does "Stop Saving" Still Require?
Reaching a coast point does not mean work stops. It means new retirement contributions are no longer required for the investments to reach the later target, if the return you assumed actually happens and you leave the money invested.
Spending until that later age still has to be covered by work or by other income. Stopping contributions and stopping work are two different dates.
Why Is a Canadian Sketch Different From a Generic One?
Account type changes how much of a withdrawal you keep. A TFSA withdrawal and an RRSP withdrawal with the same dollar amount do not produce the same spending money. A single portfolio balance hides that.
The Coast FIRE calculator on this site is a single-path sketch: one return, one spending level, and CPP and OAS only if you enter them. It is a way to frame the question before a year-by-year plan.
- What spending remains after CPP and OAS begin?
- What pays for the years before they begin?
- Which accounts would the withdrawals come from?
Test the Coast Date With Your Accounts
A free plan can separate TFSA, RRSP, and other savings, then place CPP and OAS on the years they start. The Coast FIRE calculator is the shorter sketch.
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