How we get the numbers right

How we source our numbers

Every rate, threshold and figure on this site is traced to a primary source — a government or regulator page (the CRA, the Bank of Canada, OSFI, Assuris, CMHC, FCAC), an issuer's own rate or product page, or a named statistical authority (CREA, Statistics Canada). We do not pull numbers from aggregators or fill gaps with estimates.

Where a figure changes over time — mortgage, GIC and savings rates, home prices, tax brackets — we date-stamp it so you can see how current it is, and we re-check the volatile ones on a schedule (for example, lender rates after each Bank of Canada announcement). And where a number genuinely can't be verified first-hand, we say so rather than publish a guess. Our full method is documented in our methodology.

How we research, verify and review

• Verify at the source. Figures are read from the original document or page — not a second-hand summary — and the source is linked or named so you can check it yourself.
• Calculators are tested against the rules. Our tools model the actual Canadian rules (CPP/OAS, RRIF minimums, the OAS clawback, provincial tax, CMHC limits) and are checked against worked examples, not US-generic assumptions.
• We keep pages current. Rate pages refresh from their sources; rules and figures are reviewed when budgets, the CRA or regulators change them, and pages carry a "verified" or "updated" date.
• We flag uncertainty honestly. If a fast-moving figure (a credit-card offer, a promotional rate) may have shifted, we tell you to confirm it on the issuer's page before acting.

Editorial independence & how we make money

RetireSmarter.ca is free to use, with no paywall and no required sign-up. Our reviews, rankings and recommendations are editorial: they are based on the verified facts, and no company can pay to be featured, reviewed favourably, or ranked higher.

Where we earn money to keep the site free, we do so through affiliate or referral links — if you click through to a provider and sign up, we may receive a commission at no cost to you. When a link is one of these, it does not change our opinion, our rankings, or the figures we report, and we disclose the relationship. Our editorial judgments are made independently of any commercial relationship.

If you ever see something that reads like paid placement dressed up as editorial, tell us — that's a line we don't cross.

Corrections

We get things wrong sometimes, and when we do we want to fix them fast. If you spot a number that looks off, a rule we've misstated, or a stale figure, let us know — we investigate every report and correct verified errors promptly. Accuracy on money topics matters more than saving face, and corrections make the tools better for everyone.

Educational, not advice

RetireSmarter.ca provides educational tools and information only. It is not financial, tax, investment or legal advice, and we are not a bank, brokerage or registered advisory firm. We give you the numbers and the reasoning; big decisions still deserve a qualified professional who knows your full picture. See our Terms & Conditions.

Who writes and reviews this

RetireSmarter.ca was founded by Jason Sterling, its CEO, who built the site after modelling his own family's retirement on the real Canadian rules. Our content is written and reviewed by people who build the calculators and read the source documents themselves, and it is checked against the actual CRA, regulator and issuer rules before it goes live. Learn more about us.