Whenever I write about the timing of Canada Pension Plan benefits, the response is enormous. It’s one of the most popular and polarizing retirement planning topics out there.
The usual way this conversation gets framed is around age 65. That’s considered the “normal” starting point, so you’ll often hear people say, “If you wait until 70 you’ll get 42 percent more.” That’s true, but it misses the bigger picture.
Financial Planner extraordinaire Aaron Hector recently highlighted something that really struck me. The CPP decision doesn’t start at 65. It starts at 60. And if you frame it that way, the difference between taking CPP at 60 and waiting until 70 isn’t 42 percent. It’s 121.9 percent. In other words, you more than double your monthly CPP by waiting.
That’s not a modest “bonus.” That’s life-changing, inflation-protected income.
How the CPP Enhancements Work
Here’s the basic math.
Start CPP as early as 60 and your payment is reduced by 0.6 percent for each month you take it before 65. That’s a 36 percent reduction if you start right at 60.
Delay past 65 and your payment grows by 0.7 percent per month, or 42 percent more if you wait all the way until 70.
There’s no benefit to delaying beyond 70.
So, if your age-65 CPP would be $1,000 a month, you’d only get $640 at 60. At 70 you’d get $1,420. That’s where the 121.9 percent difference comes in.
Why the Age-60 Lens Matters
Anchoring the conversation at 65 makes the “bonus” for waiting seem smaller than it really is. But if you start the clock at 60, the trade-offs are much clearer.
Imagine this choice at age 60:
Take $640 a month now.
Or wait 10 years and lock in $1,420 a month for the rest of your life.
That’s not a small enhancement. It’s a more than doubling of guaranteed, inflation-protected income.
The CPP Trifecta
Delaying CPP isn’t just about getting a bigger cheque. It creates what I like to call the trifecta of retirement benefits:
More lifetime income – You buy yourself a larger, inflation-protected pension that lasts as long as you do. For couples, it also boosts the survivor benefit. That’s a huge hedge against longevity risk.
More flexibility to draw down other accounts – By not taking CPP right away, you create space to draw from RRSPs, RRIFs, or LIFs in your 60s. That gives you more control over your taxable income and helps avoid the squeeze of mandatory RRIF withdrawals later.
Lower lifetime taxes and fewer OAS clawbacks – Strategic withdrawals in your 60s can shrink the size of your RRSP before it turns into a RRIF. That reduces big taxable withdrawals in your 70s and 80s, which in turn lowers the risk of OAS clawbacks.
I see this play out in client plans all the time. Deferring CPP creates a smoother retirement income stream and often reduces the total amount of taxes paid over a lifetime.
Example 1: The Traditional Saver
Jane turns 60 and has maxed-out RRSP savings, no debt, and a decent workplace pension. If she starts CPP at 60 for $640 a month, she doesn’t really need the income. She could just save it or spend a little more.
But if she waits and draws from her RRSP instead, she gets two benefits. She smooths out her taxable income while she’s younger, and she locks in a CPP payment of $1,420 a month at age 70. That bigger base amount also increases the survivor benefit if her spouse outlives her.
Example 2: The Early Retiree
Keith retired at 60 and won’t make any more CPP contributions. He’s worried that waiting will hurt his benefit because of those “zero” years. This is a common concern.
But the way the math works, the age-adjustment factor from waiting more than makes up for those zeroes. Even with no additional contributions, his CPP at 70 would still be significantly higher than at 60. If Keith is in good health and has other savings to bridge the gap, waiting until 70 will give him the biggest lifetime payout.
Example 3: “Take It Early and Invest It”
This is the argument I hear all the time: “Why not take CPP at 60, invest the money, and come out ahead?”
On the surface it sounds clever, but there are three big problems:
No guarantees – CPP offers something markets never can: a guaranteed, inflation-protected payment for life. Markets can go up, but they can also go down. There’s no investment product that gives you the same certainty as a larger CPP.
Most retirees need to spend, not invest – The idea that you’ll take CPP early and squirrel it away in investments doesn’t reflect reality. Most people use their pensions and savings to fund their lifestyle. In practice, the money gets spent, not invested.
You lose the tax-planning window – This is the hidden cost. Many of the people I talk to in their seventies who are frustrated with high minimum RRIF withdrawals and OAS clawbacks are the same ones who took CPP at 60. They may have invested it, but by doing so they missed the chance to withdraw strategically from their RRSPs in their 60s. Now the tax window is closed.
Delaying CPP isn’t just about maximizing the pension. It’s about creating that window in your 60s to draw down other assets and shape your tax profile. That opportunity is gone if you start CPP early.
When It Makes Sense to Take CPP at 60
With all that said, taking CPP at 60 can still be the right decision in some cases:
You need the money to cover living expenses and don’t have other resources.
You have a serious health condition or expect a shorter life expectancy.
Your CPP entitlement is already quite low and waiting won’t make a meaningful difference.
You retired very young and would rather preserve other savings while letting markets recover.
There’s no shame in taking CPP at 60 if it genuinely supports your lifestyle or health needs. The key is to make the choice with eyes wide open rather than defaulting because “that’s what everyone does.”
Why 65 Isn’t Optimal
Here’s the funny thing: age 65 ends up being the least attractive option. At 60 you maximize years of collecting payments. At 70 you maximize the monthly amount. At 65 you land somewhere in between and miss out on both.
That doesn’t mean nobody should ever take CPP at 65. For many, it feels like the default age because it lines up with retiring, leaving work benefits behind, or qualifying for OAS. But mathematically, it’s not the sweet spot.
Reframing the Question
So instead of asking, “Should I wait until 70 to get 42 percent more than at 65?” the better question is:
“Do I want to more than double my CPP income compared to age 60 by waiting until 70?”
That reframing makes the trade-offs much clearer.
The Big Picture
When I build retirement income plans, I look at CPP as one of the most powerful tools available. It’s guaranteed. It’s inflation-protected. It lasts as long as you do. And if you can delay it, you often unlock better tax efficiency, smoother cash flow, and less stress about running out of money.
For most healthy Canadians with decent savings, delaying CPP – ideally to 70 – is one of the best moves you can make.
For those who need the income sooner, or who have health concerns, taking it at 60 can still be a perfectly valid decision.
What I don’t recommend is defaulting to 65 without running the numbers. That middle-ground option rarely comes out on top.
Final Thoughts
CPP is too important to leave to gut instinct or rules of thumb. Run the projections. Consider your health, your savings, your spending goals, and your tax picture. Think about it from the lens of 60, not 65.
If you can afford to wait, the payoff is huge: more lifetime income, more flexibility to manage your other assets, and fewer taxes and clawbacks down the road. That’s the CPP trifecta.
And once you’ve locked in that bigger cheque at 70, you’ll have the peace of mind that comes with knowing one of your most important income streams is maximized for life.
