Outliving your savings, the biggest IPO ever and the cost of going solo

Good afternoon! Most retirement plans are built around one big number, and that number can look perfectly healthy right up until life tests it. Today we’re poking at the blind spots that never show up on a statement, because the risks you never priced in are usually the ones that cost the most.

On The Money Today:

Let's dive in.

You’ve likely spent decades saving for retirement, but have you planned for how long that money needs to stretch? A new CPP Investments survey found two in three Canadians haven’t budgeted for the extra years a longer life could bring. The retirees who close that gap feel far more secure, and some of the first fixes won’t cost you a dime.

Why it matters:
Planning around average life expectancy means roughly half of retirees will outlive the plan they built. With 34% of Canadians already reporting high money stress this year, running short in your late 80s leaves almost no room to recover.

An AI company that could be valued at up to US$2 trillion is about to hit the Nasdaq, and investors everywhere are wondering whether to get in early. You won’t find it on the TSX, and the way you convert your dollars could shrink your returns before the stock moves at all. Before you put retirement money anywhere near it, there’s one warning in the filing worth reading twice.

Why it matters:
Anthropic lost US$80.7 billion in the first half of 2026, and analysts say the outcome could range from the world’s most valuable company to bankruptcy. When Facebook went public in 2012, its shares lost roughly half their value within four months, and retirees don’t always have the time to wait out a drop like that.

After decades of meetings, commutes and small talk, wanting your days to yourself in retirement can feel well earned. But research from the National Institute on Ageing shows that pulling back from people tends to show up in places you might not be watching. The link between your social circle and your savings runs much deeper than splitting the dinner bill.

Why it matters:
The NIA found 57% of Canadians over 50 already experience loneliness, so this touches far more retirees than most realize. The U.S. Surgeon General has compared the health toll of chronic loneliness to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day, and health problems are among the most expensive surprises retirement can throw at you.

Answer: D) United Kingdom. The U.K. created the role in 2018. Japan followed with its own minister in 2021.