<<<<During my visit to Vancouver, I talked to the hotel staff, a few asians actually. We spoke abt OAS GIS etc, and all agree abt the good thing that OAS provides. But OAS seems ridiculous sometimes. For those older asians ; OAS and GIS actually discourage them to have registered savings plan as anything they saved will be taken as income when they withdraw them during retirement. This sum will be taken into consideration when they receive their OAS and GIS. So ironically, OAS and GIS system actually discourage older immigrants from savings as many would prefer to keep their money elsewhere or spent it rather than savings it for future use.>>>
Alamat, Poh Chuan if you are sick would you see your janitor or your doctor. If you need legal advice, do you talk to the taxi driver or the lawyer.
Then why "consult" those hotel staff about such important thing as retirement planning? As I say get a Chartered Financial Consultant, or a Chartered Life Underwriter (I have both qualification) or a Certified Financial Planner. We are trained in this area, period.
I have heard lots of those misconceptions from old Chinese ladies and I did a series of radio talk shows in Cantonese some years back in Edmonton to clearify to them.
Look at the OAS and GIS website and key in the montly income (like rental income, interest rate, CPP (normally about $250 for minimum wages group)) and you will find even if you have $2,000 per month income apart from the OAS and GIS, the deduction from the OAS is very minimum.
So who say they need to dispose all theri income and property to be dirt poor to get the full benefit of the OAS and GIS?
Just remember this: "Canada is NOT the damn PAP Singapore. We are not here to skin you. Of course if your retirement income is $50,000 per month then you obviously would not get the OAS and there is craw back from GIS).
Other than that, for those old men and ladies who lived in Canada for more than 10 years and above 65 yrs old, they can easily get $800 per month and many of them get about $1,100 per month. Now you know why those Chinese and Vietnamese old folks can travel back to Vietnam, China every year for holidays and even fo on cruise bec. they have extra money as their children have been taking care of them. Can we say the same for Singaporeans?
Healthcare and hospitalization are free for Canadian age 65. So no worry of bankrupting their children......how about Singapore?
Apart from these OAS, and GIS, old forks normally has 10% off from most shopping malls on certain days of the week. Even their house and car insurance are cheaper. Public swims are discounted or even free.
Then I must also tell you about my 22 year old daughter. She is a special needs girl. She was born in Singapore but she suffers from lots of illness...heart, learning disablilty etc. Luckily we managed to immigrate....the Canada immigration required us get her done her ..|heart operation in Singapore and get a clear bill of health before they give us the visa. Lucky it was down successfully...immigrated to FREEDOM in 1991. Thank you God.
At age 18 onwards, she is given a monthly indexed income of Can$1,200 (now) for disabled people. She works part-time in the Dollar Rama shop...once a week ...and her pay is minimum wages. So for the $200 to $350 pert month wages, its too little and hence her disability wages is not deducted. She get 50% off from her monthly bus pass....no such thing fo rdisbaled people in Singapore.
If she wants to take up courses like dancing, computer, martial arts....its all paid for by the handicap foundation!
All her medical, dental, glasses are 100% paid for by the Alberta govt!!!!!!!!!!
Now are you ready for this?
Now she saves $1,500 per year, the Federal govt. top it up with another $3,500 for the next 20 years ...total $6,000 each year! Even at a saving rate of 1.5% after 40 years she could easily accumulate $140,000 adn $330,000 at 60......
With a Royal Bank bonds fund of avg 4% she could have $400,000 by the time he is 60 years old. For those who want to learn how to use a Financial Calculator it works in two parts.
The first 20 years with $6,000 each year.
PMT= -$6,000
i= 4%
n= 20
Then future value FV= $185,815
The next 20 years of accumulation at 4%
Present Value, PV= -$185,815
i = 4%
n= 20
The future value, FV = $407,144
Drawing from this capital with a Term Certain Life Annuity she should be able to get about $1,500 then. She doee not need to worry about affecting her OAS and GIS then...I have calculated for you in the previous message the future value of the indexed value with 3% inflation it should be about $5,000 for her.
Thus at age 65 she should have about monthly $6,500 future value ...in today's dollar @3% discounted value it should be about $1,823....enough or not for a single person to live in Edmonton? $1,300 to $1,500 is enough lah.
Rental (shared)... $800
Food....... $400
Clothing... $ 50
Cell ph..... $ 50
Entertainment $100.................extra
Eat out $ 100................extra
PublicTransport $ 50
(pass is unlimited
travel mthly)
Misc $ 100
_______ $1,650......can be $1450 if taken away the extras.
Poh Chuan, a guideline for you is that, it the person advising you does not know how to use a Financial Calculator (not a computer program but a old fashion financial calculator) then his concept of interest rate and the value of money is limited. Go to one who can on the spot do the calculation like me.....then he is worthy to earn your commission. I bet, 90% of those so-called financial planners cannot comfortably use such a device.