In case you haven’t already read her coverage, I’d like to introduce you to the Globe and Mail’s new retirement and financial planning reporter. Meera Raman took on her new beat at an incredibly stressful time for all Canadians. But retirees have their own particular worries. Falling stock markets raise concerns about how retirement savings will hold up, while tariffs threaten to increase the already high cost of living. For some perspective on this and other retirement issues, I invited Ms. Raman to do a Q&A for this newsletter. Here’s our exchange:
Q: Meera, can you tell us about your background and how you came to be The Globe and Mail’s retirement and financial planning reporter?
A: I started my career in Montreal writing for small magazines before moving to Boston to cover financial institutions and law firms. I semi-stumbled into business reporting when an editor took a chance on me, and I quickly became obsessed with how money influences nearly every aspect of life. When I moved back home to Toronto, I started writing a personal finance newsletter, and one thing became clear: Canadians crave unbiased, practical advice on how to prepare for their financial futures. That’s what led me to The Globe, where I want to make retirement and financial planning feel accessible, not overwhelming.
Q: Your start at the Globe has coincided with the threat of a trade war with the U.S., which could hit retirees through stock market turbulence and a falling dollar. What’s your sense of how worried retirees are about what’s ahead?
A: It’s been a wild start, to say the least. Retirees are concerned, but they’re also resilient. Many have lived through recessions, inflation spikes, and market crashes before. The big questions now are how stock market volatility will affect their investments and how a weaker dollar will drive up costs for things such as travel. Some retirees are adjusting their spending or rethinking their investment strategies, while others feel secure with diversified savings. The biggest impact will be on those living on fixed incomes, who may find their money isn’t stretching as far as they expected.
Q: The federal government has been urged to take a fresh look at a number of retirement-related policies, including mandatory annual withdrawals from registered retirement income funds, the starting age for Old Age Security and unfair tax treatment of solo seniors, who are mostly women. Which are the retirement issues that stand out for you?
A: The financial challenges faced by solo seniors – especially women – stand out to me. Women tend to live longer, but they are disadvantaged by a tax system that doesn’t account for the reality of outliving a spouse or managing a single income in retirement. I’m also closely watching the rising costs of long-term care. More Canadians are living longer, but many don’t realize how expensive aging can be. I’ll also always be paying attention to any changes to federal programs – even small tweaks to programs like CPP and OAS can have a huge impact, and I want to make sure readers understand what this could mean for them.
Q: Let’s turn to the retirees of the future – Gen Z and millennials. How do you see their retirements being different from boomers and Gen Xers?
A: There’s a growing sentiment among younger Canadians that the traditional approach to retirement – steady job, home ownership and retiring at 65 – is outdated. Three-quarters of Canadians aged 24 to 44 believe the road to retirement is no longer a straight path, according to a survey commissioned by Wealthsimple, and instead see themselves mixing things like personal and professional pursuits throughout their career. Many of those feelings stem from the fact that some younger Canadians feel as though the conventional path to retirement feels out of reach. Things such as rising housing prices, gig work and the decline of employer pensions are reshaping what financial security looks like. That’s why my reporting won’t just focus on today’s retirees – I also want to explore how younger generations are rewriting the traditional retirement playbook, from alternative investments to new work models that extend beyond the typical retirement age.
Q: Can you tell us one interesting thing you’ve learned about your beat since you started?
A: One topic keeps coming up: Retirement planning isn’t just about money – it’s about identity, relationships and lifestyle. It’s a deeply emotional transition that’s often framed as a purely financial decision. Downsizing, delaying retirement or financially supporting adult children all come with trade-offs beyond just dollars and cents. To illustrate that point, it’s important for me to share real stories of retirees – so readers can see themselves in these experiences and feel more prepared for their own paths.
Q: Looking ahead, what are some of the retirement and financial planning stories you want to dig into?
A: I want to look at how the shift to digital payments affects retirees who still rely on cash. As businesses move away from physical currency, what does that mean for seniors who prefer it? I’m also interested in diving into the financial burdens of aging in place. More Canadians want to stay in their homes as long as possible, but they often underestimate the expenses – from home modifications to in-home care. Most of all, I want to hear from readers about what they care about. If there’s a retirement or financial planning question on your mind, reach out to me at mraman@globeandmail.com.
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