As personal finance writers, our lives often become part of the story. Readers of Retired Money know my age and that I recently converted my RRSP into a RRIF. This summer brought several notable shifts on the PF beat, including the departure of long-time Globe and Mail columnist Rob Carrick, whom I interviewed over Zoom for this piece.
At the end of June, after 29 years at the Globe and Mail and 27 years covering personal finance, Carrick left his staff role. Like many financial journalists, he isn’t stepping away entirely: at 62 he describes his new status as “Findependence.” He plans to write two monthly columns for the Globe—one about his experience in retirement and another on conventional personal finance topics. His former column, Carrick on Money, will continue under a new name and be handled by Globe colleagues.
Both Rob and I acknowledge the groundwork laid by Bruce Cohen, an early and influential voice on the Canadian PF beat. Cohen passed the torch to me after I joined the Financial Post in 1993. He, in turn, credits earlier writers such as the late Mike Grenby and Henry Zimmer for shaping the field. Other veterans still active include Ellen Roseman of the Toronto Star, who continues to work as a financial educator and public speaker in semi-retirement.
Bruce Cohen, who did fully retire after a five-year transition and now lives north of Toronto, emphasizes that spending patterns in retirement often resemble pre-retirement lifestyles. He questions the broad application of the commonly cited 70% income replacement rule, noting many retirees still carry debt or support adult children. Cohen also stresses that healthspan—staying healthy and active—is crucial, and he suggests that access to healthcare and robust social networks are key factors in choosing where to retire. Hobbies and mental engagement matter too; Cohen recently took up photography with an iPhone 16 Pro.
Back at the Financial Post, Garry Marr, who has covered mortgages and real estate, recently returned as a full-time columnist to take on the personal finance beat. When I asked for his practical tips, he urged savers to take full advantage of employer RRSP matches: “Never turn down free money,” he wrote. He pointed out that many employees overlook employer contributions that effectively double their money immediately.
Retiring from full-time blogging on retirement
On the blogging side, American writer Fritz Gilbert announced this spring that he’s stepping back from full-time blogging about retirement while keeping his site, The Retirement Manifesto, active when he feels like writing. Gilbert highlights how, over time, retirees learn that the financial side of retirement is only part of the story. The non-financial aspects—purpose, relationships, and meaningful activity—often determine happiness. His advice: experiment, focus outward, and be flexible as life changes.
Like Gilbert, many seasoned PF writers never quite stop. Columnists such as Gordon Pape and Patrick McKeough continue to publish regularly well into their later years. Their persistence illustrates how many financial writers transition into less intense, more selective work that leverages experience without the demands of a full-time newsroom schedule.
On pensions, mortgages and timing
When we spoke, Carrick highlighted the value of employer pensions. He was fortunate to benefit from a defined benefit plan at the Globe, and his wife receives a smaller HOOPP pension—two strong pillars in their retirement income strategy. He likened retirement planning to building a wall: pensions are essential bricks in that structure.
The Carricks prioritized paying off their mortgage in their 50s and then redirected those payments into RRSPs and TFSAs, a move that boosted their savings capacity. Carrick acknowledges the advantage of having entered the housing market earlier and worries about the challenges younger buyers face after the steep price run-up in 2020–2021.
Although I’ve already converted my RRSP to a RRIF, Carrick has delayed that step. He was a do-it-yourself investor for many years, favoring ETFs and dividend stocks, but as retirement neared he consulted a financial planner to consolidate accounts and build a manageably structured portfolio. His planner now oversees most of the family’s assets and provides a timeline for when to convert RRSPs to RRIFs; they’re not in a hurry to start withdrawals.
Most of Carrick’s holdings are now a blend of ETFs, individual stocks and GICs purchased when rates were higher. He warns against obsessively monitoring accounts: have a clear plan, check it every six to 12 months, and avoid frequent tinkering.
Asset allocation ETFs and simple strategies
As an early advocate of asset allocation ETFs, Carrick praised their simplicity and effectiveness. He said that if someone were starting their investing journey now, putting money into a single balanced ETF would be an excellent choice. For many investors, these ETFs offer broad diversification, automatic rebalancing and low fees—making them a sensible benchmark for performance.
He noted a trend toward more growth-oriented allocation ETFs during strong bull markets, with 80/20 growth models gaining popularity over traditional 60/40 mixes. His advice for most investors: if your returns lag a diversified allocation ETF over a multi-year period, it’s time to rethink your approach.
Choosing when to step back
Carrick said he wanted to leave full-time work while he was still satisfied with his role. Although his planner gave the green light earlier, he took 18 months to decide, settling on a summer departure to ease into the transition. He compared the timing to ending a long-running TV show on a high note rather than waiting for it to lose relevance.
He views employer and government benefits as sufficient longevity insurance and plans to delay Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security payments until age 70 to maximize lifetime payouts. He’s open to pursuing creative projects in retirement—including possibly trying fiction—but has no plans to write more financial books beyond the five he’s authored or co-authored.
Carrick expects to stay active in the financial space—writing two monthly columns, occasionally guest-hosting a podcast, doing public speaking, and exploring newsletter formats that foster direct reader connection. He prefers the term “Findependence” to “retirement,” describing his new phase as financial independence with selective work rather than a complete stop.
Further reading about retirement:
- RRIF and LIF withdrawal rates: everything you need to know
- Retirement planning advice for people who don’t use an advisor
- Should I use retirement savings to pay off credit card debt?
- Should we draw down my spouse’s RRIF faster?
- Top 25 timeless personal finance books