Should recently widowed Curtis, 55, draw from RRSPs before tapping into taxable investments?

financial facelift

Curtis wants to retire early from his job in software sales. He has no children and no work pension, but substantial financial investments.

Curtis is 55 years old and looking to retire early from his $350,000-a-year job in software sales.

Short term, he wants to “get comfortable drawing down my assets after years of saving and investment,” Curtis writes in an e-mail. He’s recently widowed after 19 years of marriage, “and still getting comfortable living alone again.” He has no children.

In addition to his small-town Ontario condo, Curtis has a cottage in Muskoka and two rental properties in Mexico. He has no work pension but he does have substantial financial investments. He’s also taken an equity stake in three private companies, borrowing to make the investments.