CHECKLIST II: COMPLETING THE INVESTMENT PLAN AT RETIREMENT

• What are the client’s primary and secondary investment objectives (safety, income, growth, liquidity, and/or tax minimization)?
• What is the client’s experience, skill, and knowledge of investing, and investment risk tolerance?
• What is the clients time commitment required to manage the investment portfolio?
• Is there a balance between the client’s required retirement income and the growth of the investment portfolio, over both the short term and long term?
• Does the client understand the trade-off between the portfolio’s investment risk and the financial risk of outliving investment assets?

• Are both spouses comfortable with an investment plan for a joint, integrated investment portfolio)
• Has a long-term strategic asset allocation been determined for the client and spouse, based on a joint retirement objective?
• What is the concentration of registered assets (including DBPP) and non-registered investment assets in each spouse’s hands?
• Are there sufficient equities in the client’s portfolio to ensure the required growth over the long term?
• Does the client’s total investment portfolio have sufficient investment in foreign content?
• Does the client have a need for income in U.S. dollars (“snowbirds”) or in other foreign currency?
• Does the client have an interest in a borrowing-to-invest strategy for non-registered assets.
• If the client has more than sufficient retirement assets, are the assets invested appropriately to maximize the client’s residual estate.
• Is it appropriate to consider segregated funds for the client as an investment/estate planning option?
• Has an investment policy statement been developed for, and agreed to, by the client?

Are the client’s registered assets and non-registered investment assets being drawn down in the most tax-efficient manner?

Has the tax efficiency of the client’s mutual funds and other investments been assessed?

Is there an accrued tax liability on the client’s existing non-registered investment assets?

Does the client require Significant tax-efficient income from non-registered investment assets?

• Has the option of a SWP on non-registered equity funds been assessed?
• Has the option of dividend funds/preferred shares been assessed?

Should the aggressive equities be held in the lower-income spouse’s portion of the portfolio (income splitting strategy)?

Note on Checklists: For all checklists, we generally use the term “client” in the singular. However, if the client has a spouse/partner, the issues in the checklist concern both clients.