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The 4% Rule Just Dropped to 3.9% — But Your RRIF Doesn't Care

  Published August 5, 2026 Morningstar's newest research says retirees can safely start withdrawing 3.9% a year. Ottawa's RRIF rules don't ask what's "safe" — they just tell you how much to take out, whether the math agrees or not. For years, the shortcut retirees leaned on was simple: take out 4% of your portfolio in your first year of retirement, bump it up with inflation every year after, and your savings should last three decades. Morningstar's 2026 State of Retirement Income report just trimmed that number to 3.9%. On its own, that's a small adjustment. On a $500,000 portfolio, it's the difference between withdrawing $19,500 or $20,000 in year one. But for Canadians, the number that actually controls the withdrawal isn't Morningstar's — it's the Canada Revenue Agency's. And once your RRSP becomes a Registered Retirement Income Fund, the CRA's required minimum can blow right past whatever a "safe" withdrawal rate i...

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Market Retreat: European Turmoil and Tesla’s Pay Package in Focus


US stock futures pulled back on Friday, signaling a retreat from all-time highs as European turmoil rattled nerves and Elon Musk’s pay package win put Tesla (TSLA) center stage. Here are the key points:

  • Dow Jones Industrial Average (YM=F) futures sank about 0.7%, leading the declines.
  • S&P 500 (ES=F) futures shed 0.5%.
  • Contracts on the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 (NQ=F) were roughly 0.2% lower.

Stocks have been losing steam after the benchmark S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite nailed record closes for the fourth day in a row, driven by strength in tech stocks. However, questions persist about the breadth of this year’s rally. Investors are closely watching the coming PCE inflation reading, which could impact the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decisions.

Meanwhile, Tesla shares were up around 1% in Friday’s premarket after shareholders re-approved CEO Elon Musk’s $56 billion pay package. Despite opposition from some large investors, 77% of votes were cast in favor, the EV maker said.

Not helping spirits was a slump in European stocks, which were headed for their worst week since October. Investors are concerned about the fallout for markets if the far right makes gains or even wins France’s snap election. Another dose of worry came from the Bank of Japan’s decision to hold off from giving details of its bond-buying cuts until July, a surprise move interpreted as delaying a rate hike.

In individual movers, Adobe (ADBE) shares jumped 15% after an upbeat AI sales projection from the Photoshop maker. Investors are also eyeing political turmoil in France as uncertainty about rate cuts dogs the market.


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