MONEY COACH FOR RETIREMENTYou've spent decades building.
Now let’s plan what comes next.
Money coaching for first-generation professionals who are ready to build toward retirement — and want a strategy that accounts for their actual life, not just their account balances.
Takes 3 minutes · Goes straight to booking if it's a good fit
THE QUESTIONS THIS WORK ANSWERSIf any of these are keeping you up at night, you're in the right place.
— When can I actually retire? And what does that number look like for my real life, not a generic calculator?
— When should I start CPP? What will OAS cover? How do GIS and survivor benefits factor in?
— I'm still supporting family financially. How does that change what I need to retire?
— Do I have enough insurance? Is my coverage calibrated to my actual risk — especially as the financial anchor for others?
— How long will my money last? And am I on track, or do I need to change something now?
— What's the right order to draw down my accounts — RRSP, TFSA, non-registered — so I don't pay more tax than I have to?
— What does my estate plan need to include — and what happens if I do nothing?
— What does retirement actually feel like for me — and how do I give myself permission to stop, even when I'm ready?
RETIREMENT OBJECTIVESBefore we touch a number, we name what you are building toward.
Most retirement planning skips this step. It goes straight to the math — how much you need, when CPP starts, what the RRSP balance should be. But the math only means something if it is anchored to something real.
Your retirement objectives are not generic. They are shaped by your specific income, your family obligations, your values, and your timeline. For first-generation professionals, they are also shaped by things most retirement calculators have no field for: the parents who will need support, the siblings you will help, the community you are committed to, the cycle you are trying to break.
— When do you want to retire?
Not just the age — the conditions. What does retirement feel like? What does stopping look like for someone who has never seen it modelled?
— What are you building now to get there?
The accumulation strategy — RRSP, TFSA, LIRA, non-registered — is not separate from the retirement plan. It is the first half of it. We build both together.
— What does retirement cost — for your life?
Your number is not a generic calculator output. It accounts for your actual lifestyle, your family obligations, and the reality that some of your income will always serve others.
— What does enough feel like?
The hardest retirement question is not financial. It is emotional. Knowing the number is only half the work. Believing you are allowed to stop is the other half.
THE QUESTIONS THIS WORK ANSWERSWhat this is — and what it isn’t.
This is money coaching, not regulated financial advice. The work covers both sides of the retirement equation — building wealth now and planning how to draw it down later. Whether you are 5 years out or 15, the goal is the same: a clear strategy that accounts for your income, your obligations, your registered accounts, and the emotional reality of what retirement actually means for you. I am a CPA and Trauma of Money® Certified Practitioner working toward the Registered Retirement Consultant (RRC) designation. I do not sell financial products, manage portfolios, or earn commissions of any kind.
WHAT'S INCLUDED— Retirement income planning — how much you need, when you need it, where it comes from
— CPP, OAS, and GIS strategy — when to start, what to expect, how to optimize
— RRSP drawdown sequencing — the right order, the right timing, the right tax strategy
— TFSA, RRSP, LIRA, and non-registered account planning
— Tax-efficient account strategy — using registered accounts to minimize your tax burden over time, including for immigrants navigating the Canadian tax system for the first time
— Asset allocation principles — how to think about allocation across account types and asset classes in plain language (not stock picking, but strategic framework)
— Family financial obligation planning — what you give, what you keep, what is sustainable
— Insurance gap review — life, disability, critical illness
— Estate planning — beneficiary designation review and gap identification, tax implications of registered accounts on death, plain-language education on wills and POA, and referrals to estate lawyers when legal work is needed
— The emotional dimension — permission to rest, identity after work, what retirement actually means for you
WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED— Portfolio management or investment selection
— Tax return preparation or filing
— Insurance product sales
— Securities trading or advice on individual stocks
— Legal advice (wills, trusts, estate administration) shortcut, this isn't it.
A NOTE ON REFERRALSIf your situation requires someone outside this scope — a fee-only CFP, an estate lawyer, a tax accountant — I will tell you and point you in the right direction. Getting you the right help is part of the work.
HOW IT WORKSSix steps. Built around your actual life.
The personal financial planning process is the same whether you are 30 years from retirement or 3. What changes is where the emphasis sits. Documentation throughout every step is how you build something you can actually rely on.
1 — We start with a free conversation
A free 30-minute discovery call to talk through where you are and whether working together makes sense. Complete a brief 3-minute intake form first — it takes you straight to booking. If it is not the right fit, you will leave with clarity and a referral.
2— We get clear on where you are and what you want
Before the first working session, you complete a detailed financial picture intake covering income, accounts, assets, family obligations, and what retirement actually looks like for you. We also clarify your retirement objectives — not just "enough money" but what you are building toward and when. This is the foundation everything else is built on.
3— We find what's working, what's missing, and what's possible
We assess where you are right now across the five indicators of financial readiness: savings rate, debt-to-income, insurance gaps, cash reserves, and shock absorption capacity. We identify what is working, what needs to change, and where the real opportunities are — including accounts that are underused, strategies that have not been considered, and obligations that need to be planned for rather than reacted to.
4— We build your strategy: accumulation and income together
Working sessions of 45–60 minutes each, building your accumulation strategy — RRSP, TFSA, LIRA, non-registered account planning, family obligation framework, insurance review — alongside your retirement income strategy: CPP and OAS timing, RRSP drawdown sequencing, GIS eligibility, estate planning basics. The plan is presented in plain language, not jargon. Both the numbers and the emotions are addressed in every session.
5— You leave with a written plan and clear next actions
A plain-language written plan documenting your strategy, the key decisions, the sequencing, and your next actions. Not a spreadsheet you will never open again — a living document you return to and build on. Implementation support is provided for the actions within the scope of money coaching. Where specialist referrals are needed — a fee-only Financial Planner, an estate lawyer, a tax accountant — you will leave knowing exactly who to contact and why.
6— You leave with a written plan and clear next actions
Life changes. Plans need to adapt. Email support is available between sessions, and optional annual review sessions keep your plan current as income, family obligations, and retirement timelines shift. The goal is a plan that works for your life as it is, not just as it was when we started.
INVESTMENTFlat-fee money coaching. No products, no commissions.
All fees are flat and agreed upon before work begins. There are no hidden costs, no referral fees, and no commission from any financial product or institution. You pay for the advice. That's it.
— COMPREHENSIVE
Retirement Readiness Plan
FROM $1,700
A complete retirement planning engagement covering your full picture — income, accounts, CPP/OAS strategy, drawdown sequencing, family obligations, insurance, and estate basics. Delivered as a written retirement plan.
✦ 2 to 4 working sessions of 45-60 minutes each
✦ Financial picture intake and analysis
✦ Written retirement plan document
✦ CPP, OAS, and GIS optimization
✦ RRSP/TFSA drawdown sequencing
✦ Six weeks of follow-up email access
✦ Optional annual implementation reviews for the rest of the year
— SINGLE SESSION
Financial Planning Session
$397
One focused 60-minute session on your most pressing retirement question — a CPP decision, a drawdown strategy, an insurance gap, a timeline. Includes a written summary.
✦60-minute session
✦Written session summary
✦Two weeks of follow-up email access
IS THIS RIGHT FOR YOU?This work is designed for you if...
→ You are within 5–15 years of retirement and want a clear, honest picture of where you actually stand.
→ You are a first-generation professional with family financial obligations that standard retirement calculators don't account for.
→ You have registered accounts — RRSP, TFSA, LIRA — but aren't sure you're using them in the right order or the right way.
→ You want advice that accounts for your actual life, not the one a generic financial plan assumes you have — including if you immigrated to Canada and are navigating its financial system for the first time.
→ You want someone who understands both the math and the emotions — because knowing your number is only half the work.
YOUR MONEY COACHLianne Hannaway
Lianne is a CPA (CA), money coach, and Trauma of Money® Certified Practitioner with 20+ years of experience in financial services, including senior roles at the Toronto Stock Exchange and KPMG. She is currently completing the Registered Retirement Consultant (RRC) designation through CIFP, and holds board seats at Meridian Credit Union, Kids Help Phone Foundation and the Equality Fund.
She built the Bridge System™ specifically for first-generation professionals navigating complex financial realities — the people for whom the standard advice was never quite right. Her work sits at the intersection of financial expertise and the emotional realities that conventional financial planning ignores.
She has been featured in the Globe and Mail, CBC, MoneySense, and Breakfast Television.
COMMON QUESTIONSWhat you might be wondering.
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Flat-fee money coaching means I charge a fixed fee for my time and expertise — and earns nothing else. No commissions, no referral fees, no financial incentive to recommend one product over another. I do not sell insurance, manage investments, or take a percentage of your assets. What you pay for is honest, independent coaching in your interest alone.
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No — and that distinction matters. This is money coaching and financial education delivered by a CPA (CA) completing the Registered Retirement Consultant (RRC) designation. It is not regulated investment advice under CIRO or FSRA, and I am not a licensed Financial Planner under FSRA title protection. I do not manage portfolios or trade securities. Where your situation requires a licensed investment advisor, estate lawyer, or tax accountant, you will leave knowing exactly who to find and why.
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Bank advisors are typically compensated through product sales — mutual funds, insurance, mortgages. Their recommendations are shaped by what their institution offers and what earns them a commission. As a money coach charging a flat fee, I have no products to sell and no institution to represent. My only interest is in giving you honest, independent coaching for your specific situation. You pay once. That is the entire relationship.
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Yes — and this is one of the things that makes this engagement different from standard financial advice. The family financial obligation is treated as a real and permanent part of your financial picture, not an irregular expense to be minimized or ignored. The Retirement Readiness Plan will account for it explicitly, including a Legacy Bridge allocation so family support becomes a planned choice rather than a monthly crisis.
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Yes. The Retirement Readiness Plan can be delivered for couples navigating a joint retirement picture. Pricing is adjusted for the additional complexity. This is confirmed on the free discovery call.
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Book the discovery call. It is free, there is no obligation, and if this is not the right fit or the right time you will leave knowing that — and knowing what might serve you better. The worst outcome is 30 minutes of clarity.
You've spent enough time building for everyone else.
Let's coach toward the retirement that's yours.
Start with a 3-minute intake form. If it's a good fit, it takes you straight to booking a free 30-minute discovery call. No obligation.
Takes 3 minutes. 100% free.