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Leaving an Employer

Financial planning for a severance package or early retirement offer.

Advice-only planning for people deciding what to do with a package, a pension election and a set of deadlines that arrived at the same time, whether the next step is another job or retirement.

Common Severance Questions

A package is not one decision. It is several, and they interact.

Pension, tax, stock options, benefits and the timing of your next move all pull on each other.

01

Commuted value or the pension?

We compare a lifetime indexed income against a lump sum, including the portion that must come out as taxable cash, survivor benefits, longevity and how much investment risk the choice transfers to you.

02

How should the package be paid?

Lump sum, salary continuance or an allocation split across two tax years each land differently on your marginal rate, benefit continuation and EI.

03

How much can be sheltered?

Part of a retiring allowance can often be rolled into an RRSP based on years of service, on top of regular contribution room. We work out what applies to you before the paperwork is signed.

04

What happens to my options?

Stock options and RSUs usually have a short post-termination window, are taxed as employment income when exercised, and can require cash you have not received yet.

05

Do I need another job?

We model whether the package and your existing assets bridge you to retirement, or how many more working years the plan actually requires, so the job search has a target.

06

What replaces my benefits?

Group life, disability and health coverage end on a date. Conversion options are time-limited and usually do not require new medical evidence, which matters more than most people expect.

Deadlines Come First

Most of these decisions have an expiry date, and the default option is rarely the best one.

Pension elections, option exercise windows and benefit conversions all close on fixed dates, often while you are still deciding whether to sign.

Review the package before you sign it, not after.

Email us directly at , or book a call to start the conversation.