How does retirement begin I was asked.

One of the things I've noticed over the years is that retirement rarely begins the way people expect it to.

After the retirement party, the speeches, the cake, and the promise to "keep in touch," there comes an ordinary Tuesday morning. The alarm doesn't ring. There is nowhere you have to be by 8:30. The phone is quiet, and for a moment you wonder, Now what?

I've talked with many new retirees who confess that those first few weeks felt surprisingly unsettling. One gentleman told me, "I didn't realize how much of my identity was tied to what I did every day." Another laughed and admitted that by the third morning he was reorganizing the garage, not because it needed it, but because he needed something to accomplish.

If you've ever felt that way, let me reassure you.

Everything is fine.

You haven't lost yourself. You've simply stepped into a season of life that doesn't come with a job description. For decades your calendar told you who you needed to be each day. Now you have the opportunity to decide that for yourself.

That can feel uncomfortable at first, but it is also wonderfully liberating.

Think for a moment about the life you've already lived.

You have solved problems that seemed impossible. You have worked long days, raised families, cared for aging parents, comforted friends, volunteered in your community, and quietly carried responsibilities that no one else even knew about. Along the way, you've influenced countless lives.

Some of those moments were dramatic. Most weren't.

Perhaps it was encouraging a young coworker who lacked confidence. Maybe it was coaching a Little League team, helping a neighbour shovel snow, or simply being the person everyone could count on when life became difficult. We often underestimate the difference we've made because we were simply doing what needed to be done.

Looking back, I suspect most of us can also remember times when we were convinced life had taken a wrong turn. We lost a job, faced illness, struggled financially, or watched carefully laid plans disappear overnight. Yet somehow, we found another path. What felt like the end often became the beginning of something even better.

Retirement is much the same. It isn't the closing chapter. It's the page where a new story begins.

I know people who discovered a love of painting after seventy. Others became mentors to young people, started volunteering at food banks, learned to play an instrument, joined hiking groups, travelled to places they had only dreamed about, or finally found time to write the family stories their grandchildren will treasure for generations.

None of those accomplishments appeared on a résumé, but every one of them mattered.

Retirement's greatest gifts is the freedom it gives us to choose where we invest our time, our energy, and our hearts.

So, give yourself permission to be proud. Be proud of the decades you worked, the family you supported, the friendships you built, and the obstacles you overcame. Celebrate the wisdom you've earned. You've changed lives, including your own, and those accomplishments deserve to be honoured.

Then give yourself permission to look ahead. Stay curious. Take a class you've always wanted to try. Read the books you've been putting off. Volunteer. Learn a new skill. Join a club. Invite someone for coffee. Say yes to an opportunity that makes you just a little nervous.

After all, you've been here before. You've faced uncertainty, and you've found your way through it. You've been knocked down, and you've stood up stronger. You've moved mountains that once looked impossible to climb.

There is every reason to believe you'll continue to do remarkable things.

The best part is that this time you get to decide what "remarkable" means. It may not come with a promotion or a paycheque. It may come in the smile of a grandchild, the gratitude of someone you've helped, the satisfaction of learning something new, or the joy of waking each morning knowing the day belongs to you.

Retirement isn't about slowing down; it is about moving forward in a different direction.

Your working years prepared you for this chapter. Now it's time to write it with confidence, gratitude, and a sense of adventure.

After all, your story isn't ending.

It's simply waiting for you to turn the page.

The Adventure Isn't Over Yet

 A poem as a change of pace.

The finest stories are seldom planned;
They bloom where no one understands.
Not from the paths we've always known,
But seeds of wonder newly sown.

Do not cling to what you know,
the well-worn road, the settled way.
The seeds of wonder only grow
when you step into the unknown gray.

Turn your back on safe and sure,
the clichés worn so smooth and plain.
Brave the darkness, find the cure
for staleness in the heart's domain

Step past the familiar, safe, and sure,
For every dream needs something more.
Leave yesterday with grateful grace,
And greet tomorrow face to face.

When life grows quiet, pause and hear
The whispered hopes still waiting near.
In moments calm, new visions start.
A spark of courage in the heart.

Act as if the path is clear,
as if the vision is your own.
The words will come, the light appear,
illuminating what you've known.

For you were summoned long ago
to this adventure, this new start.
The stories that you've yet to show
have always lived within your heart.

It's never too late to begin
to take the brush, to learn, to start.
The artist waits just there within.
The story waits to be your art.

Try the painting, write the song,
Take the trail you've skipped so long.
Learn a dance, explore a place,
Smile at every new embrace.

Each fresh adventure, large or small,
Reminds us we can still stand tall.
A curious mind will always find
New treasures waiting just behind.

Raise your pen or lace your shoes,
There's still so much for you to choose.
The words, the dreams, the hidden light
Have waited patiently in sight.

Age is not a closing door;
It's an invitation to explore.
Each sunrise offers one more chance
To join life's unexpected dance.

So, write a chapter bold and true,
Filled with things you've longed to do.
Your greatest story may yet be
The one that sets your spirit free.

For life is richest when we dare
To meet the unknown waiting there.
The future isn't written through
It's waiting to be dreamed by you.

 

How to Find Your Lost Pension (Before It's Too Late)

 In my last post, I talked about the staggering number of Canadians who have lost track of pension benefits they earned over their careers. Nearly 200,000 people in Ontario alone are considered "missing" by their pension plans, leaving behind $3.6 billion in unclaimed entitlements.

But here is the good news: that money is still there. It belongs to you. And you can claim it.

The challenge is that it takes effort to find. Pension plans are not going to hunt you down. The responsibility is on you to track them down.

I decided to take my own advice. I contacted the BC Unclaimed Property Society and searched for my name and my wife's name. We didn't find anything. My children didn't find anything either. It was reassuring to know that we had not left any money behind, but I also know that not everyone will be so lucky.

The search is free and takes just a few minutes. You can do it online at bcunclaimed.ca/search. If the system finds a possible match, you will be contacted by mail. Then you just need to verify your identity and claim what is yours.

If you suspect you might have a lost pension, here is a step-by-step approach.

Step 1: Start with your own memory.

Make a list of every job you have ever had. Write down the employer name, the city or province, and the years you worked there. Do not worry if you cannot remember all the details, just write down what you can.

Step 2: Contact former employers.

This is the most direct approach. Call or email the human resources department of every employer on your list. Ask if they have a pension plan and whether you have any entitlement. Be prepared to provide your full name, date of birth, and Social Insurance Number (or the equivalent at the time).

If the company no longer exists or has been bought out, you may need to do additional research. The pension plan may have been transferred to another administrator.

Step 3: Search online databases.

In British Columbia, the BC Unclaimed Property Society maintains a free searchable online database at bcunclaimed.ca/search.[reference:20] The Society holds more than $222 million in unclaimed funds, including pensions, payroll cheques, and other financial assets.

If the database finds a possible match, BC Unclaimed will contact you by mail. You will need to provide identification and documentation to verify that you are the rightful owner.

Step 4: Check with pension regulators.

Each province has a pension regulator that oversees pension plans. In British Columbia, the BC Financial Services Authority regulates pension plans. In Ontario, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) oversees pension plans and provides information about missing members.

Step 5: Look for federal pensions.

If you ever worked for the federal government, the Canadian Armed Forces, or the RCMP, you may have a federal pension. Contact the Government of Canada Pension Centre at 1-800-277-9914.

Canada is not alone in facing this issue. Other countries have created systems to help people find their lost pensions.

In the United Kingdom, the government operates a free Pension Tracing Service. You can search online at gov.uk/find-pension-contact-details or call 0800 731 0193. In 2025 alone, 834,000 people used this service to locate lost pension savings.

In the United States, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation maintains an Unclaimed Pensions List on its website. You can search for your name at pbgc.gov. There is also the National Registry of Unclaimed Retirement Benefits, which is free to search.

In Australia, you can check for lost superannuation by logging into ATO online services through MyGov. The Australian Tax Office has reunited or paid out approximately 3.1 million unclaimed super accounts valued at nearly $5.5 billion since 2022.

Every year you wait, the money stays unclaimed. It does not grow in your pocket; it grows in someone else's. And if you never claim it, it may eventually be transferred to a government fund or donated to charity.

In British Columbia, BC Unclaimed has donated over $80.4 million to the Vancouver Foundation since 2004. That is wonderful for the community, but it also means that money never reached the people who earned it.

If you have a lost pension, it is yours. It is not a gift. It is not a handout. It is money you earned through years of work.

And if you do not claim it, you may never get it.

Retirement is expensive. Every dollar counts. A pension you earned decades ago could make a meaningful difference in your quality of life, whether it pays for a vacation, helps cover unexpected expenses, or simply gives you a little more breathing room each month.

Do not leave that money on the table. Take the time to search. Contact your former employers. Check the online databases.

The money is there. It belongs to you. And it is waiting for you to claim it.

The Pension You Earned but Haven't Claimed

Let's start with a question: How many jobs have you worked over your lifetime?

If you are like most people, the number is higher than you probably remember. Research shows that a typical Canadian will work about 15 different jobs over the course of their career. That is a lot of employers, a lot of payroll departments, and, if you were lucky, a lot of pension contributions.

But here is the problem. Every time you left a job, you may have left something behind. Not just a coffee mug or a pair of safety boots. You may have left a pension.

And if you are like the nearly 200,000 Canadians who are considered "missing" by their pension plans, you may have no idea that money is even there.

Penisons get lost more easily than you might think.

You work for five or ten years at a company and contribute to a pension plan. When you leave, you might not be eligible to receive the benefit for years, sometimes decades. You move to a new city. You change your phone number. You get married and change your name. The pension plan administrator sends statements to your old address. They come back undelivered. The administrator marks you as "missing."

The plan continues to hold your money. But without your current contact information, they cannot reach you. And because you have forgotten about that old job, you do not know to reach out to them.

The National Institute on Ageing released a landmark report in December 2024 called Missing Pension Plan Members in Canada. The findings are startling. In Ontario alone, nearly 200,000 pension plan members are considered missing, representing an estimated $3.6 billion in unclaimed pension entitlements. That is not a typo. Billion with a "B."

Nationwide, the numbers are even larger. Across Canada, there could be between $5 billion and $6 billion in unclaimed assets sitting in pension plans, bank accounts, and other financial instruments.

If you are approaching retirement, you have likely already started thinking about how much income you will have. You have probably checked your Canada Pension Plan statement. You have probably reviewed your RRSPs and TFSAs. But have you checked every pension plan you ever contributed to?

A pension from a job you held 20 or 30 years ago might not be huge. But it could be significant, especially when combined with other sources of retirement income. Even a modest pension of $100 or $200 a month adds up to thousands of dollars over the course of a retirement that could last 20 or 30 years.

That is money you earned. It is money to which you are entitled. And it could make a real difference in your quality of life.

Canada is not alone in facing this problem.

In the United Kingdom, the value of unclaimed pension pots has surged from £19.4 billion in 2018 to £31.1 billion in 2024. In 2025 alone, 834,000 people used the UK government's Pension Tracing Service to locate lost pension savings.

In the United States, approximately a quarter of all 401(k) plan assets are left behind when employees leave their positions. A bipartisan bill called the Unclaimed Retirement Rescue Plan was introduced in Congress in September 2025 to help reunite workers with lost retirement funds.

In Australia, there is still almost $19 billion in lost and unclaimed superannuation (the Australian equivalent of a pension) waiting to be found. Since 2022, the Australian Tax Office has reunited or paid out approximately 3.1 million unclaimed super accounts valued at nearly $5.5 billion.

In the Netherlands, the three biggest pension funds had a total of €350 million in unclaimed pensions about half a decade ago.

Different countries have taken different approaches to this problem:

In the United Kingdom tghe government operates a free Pension Tracing Service (gov.uk/find-pension-contact-details) to help individuals locate lost pensions. A Pensions Dashboard Programme is currently under development to allow individuals to access multiple pension accounts in one place.

The Australian Tax Office maintains a Lost Members Register. All superannuation funds are required to provide details of members with whom they have lost contact. The ATO also proactively consolidates superannuation accounts to protect them from fee erosion

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation of the United States works to locate lost participants of terminated pension plans. The Department of Labor provides services for plans it regulates, and there are online databases such as the National Registry of Unclaimed Retirement Benefits.

Canada does not have a unified national approach. Each province has its own regulations. However, several provinces have created protocols and databases to track unclaimed benefits.

If you are approaching retirement, now is the time to act.

1. Make a list of every job you have ever held. Write down the employer names, the years you worked there, and the city or province where you worked.
2. Contact former employers. Ask if they have a pension plan and whether you have any entitlement. Be persistent. Sometimes you need to speak to the human resources department or the pension plan administrator.
3. Search online databases. In British Columbia, you can search the BC Unclaimed Property Society database at bcunclaimed.ca/search. This nonprofit holds over $222 million in unclaimed money, including pension funds, and is actively searching for rightful owners.
4. Check with pension regulators. Each province has a pension regulator that may be able to help you locate a lost pension.
5. Don't assume it is too small to matter. Even a small pension could make a difference in your retirement. And if you don't claim it, you are leaving money on the table.