Income Products for Retirees and How to Package Them

When “income” shelves are overflowing, more products can mean more confusion. Which products to use and how to package them? We break down GIC/bond ladders, all-in-one ETFs, dividend ETFs, individual dividend stocks, preferred shares, and covered-call ETFs—and show you how to package just a few into a simple, reliable plan.

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The doors close on November 24th! Do not miss the reduced price!

The membership gives you access to:

A community of over 500 retirees (ran on Mighty Networks) where you can speak with and ask questions. You won’t feel alone anymore.
A downloadable retirement projections spreadsheet to keep your data on your computer and not share with anyone. The spreadsheet runs macros in Excel. You must have a valid Excel license to use it.
Support from retirement coaches. If you are not tech-savvy, you can still use the Excel spreadsheet with the help of the RL retirement coaches. They will review your projections and help you optimize them.
A continuous learning center, including a monthly newsletter and videos. Retirement Loop covers multiple topics such as how to minimize taxes, optimize your budget, and how to stress test your retirement plan. The newsletters are written by a former financial planner.
The Loopers’ Show. This is a monthly event where you can watch case studies reviewed, listen to discussions with other members, and hear from special guests!

Risk-free investment policy

As usual, all our services come with a risk-free investment policy.

Retirement Loop comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee.

You can subscribe to Retirement Loop today, and you have 60 days to decide if it’s the right community for you. If not, email us, and we will refund your payment without any questions.

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You’ll Learn

How each product actually pays you
What a GIC/bond ladder does (predictable interest, limited flexibility), how laddered bond ETFs spread rate risk, and why all-in-one ETFs can work in decumulation—not just accumulation.

Dividend ETFs vs. your core
Higher stated yields don’t make distributions guaranteed. We explain why dividend ETFs can duplicate what you already own (especially in Canada) and how to spot overlap before it sneaks in.

Preferred shares, in plain English
Why prefs pay more than common shares, how rate-reset/call features drive price moves, and the liquidity caveat you must remember when markets panic.

Covered-call ETFs—what you gain and what you cap
Yes, they boost cashflow (and leveraged versions boost it more), but you often trade away upside. We compare “take the payout” vs. “sell a few units yourself” using a simple, repeatable process.

Three simple “packages” that work

High-Income, Low-Complexity: Ladder (GIC/bond) + pref ETF + one high-dividend ETF (~4–5% cashflow).
Plan-First, Total Return: One all-in-one global ETF + cash wedge (or a dividend-growth stock portfolio + wedge).
Core-and-Explore: 80–90% core ETF, 10–20% hand-picked dividend stocks; spreadsheet overlaps 1–2×/year.

Cash wedge sizing & refills
Hold ~3 years of your gap (spending minus portfolio income) in HISA ETF/short bonds. Refill only in up markets from distributions and trimming winners; in down markets, spend the wedge and pause refills.

Mixing without a mess
When “core + sleeve” adds value—and when it’s just seven kinds of salt. If you can’t explain your mix in 60 seconds, simplify.

Withdrawal order & annual check-in
A practical (not advice) sequence: taxable income ? RRSP/RRIF per your tax plan ? TFSA last. Re-run projections yearly, confirm CPP/OAS timing, and keep sector weights in line.