Services
From first savings audit to estate alignment — here's how your Alpharstone advisor structures the work.
Generic online calculators can tell you how much to save. They can't tell you when to convert your RRSP, how to sequence CPP against your partner's pension, or what happens to your TFSA if you die before your spouse. That nuance — the part where real life meets a spreadsheet — is where Alpharstone earns its place. Each service below is delivered by your named advisor and integrated into a single written plan that you review together at least once a year.
We begin with a full audit of your registered and non-registered holdings, reviewing contribution room, asset allocation, and projected growth against your target retirement date. We then model two to four contribution scenarios — ranging from status quo to accelerated savings — so you can see clearly what each path costs today and what it returns tomorrow. The output is a written savings roadmap updated annually.
Most retirement income mistakes happen in the first five years: people draw from the wrong accounts in the wrong order and pay far more tax than necessary. Your advisor maps the optimal sequence for drawing CPP, OAS, RRIF, TFSA, and any workplace pension or annuity income — factoring in your marginal tax rates, spousal income, and provincial credits. We stress-test the plan against longevity scenarios out to age 95.
Alpharstone does not draft wills or act as a notary, but we do the financial architecture that makes your legal documents work correctly. We review beneficiary designations across all accounts, model the tax consequences of your estate at various ages, and coordinate directly with your lawyer or estate solicitor. We flag gaps — like an RRSP still named to an ex-spouse — before they become costly problems.
Retirement planning is not a one-time event. Your plan is reviewed annually with your named advisor, and you have direct access by phone or email whenever a life event — a job change, inheritance, health diagnosis, or market swing — calls for an update. We also monitor legislative changes (RRSP limits, CPP adjustments, federal budget impacts) and contact you proactively when action is warranted.
Alpharstone focuses exclusively on retirement planning. We don't sell insurance products, manage active stock portfolios, or provide day-trading advice. If your situation requires a specialist in tax litigation or business succession, we'll refer you to the right professional rather than stretch our scope. This focus keeps our advisors deeply competent in the one area that matters most to you at this stage of life.
The straightforward answer: earlier than you think. Clients who engage us in their late forties or early fifties have the most flexibility — small adjustments in contribution habits or asset mix can have outsized effects over fifteen years. That said, we regularly work with clients in their early sixties who are five years from retirement and still have meaningful decisions to make about CPP timing, account conversion, and income sequencing.
We operate on a fee-for-service basis. You pay a flat annual advisory fee that covers your written plan, annual review, and unlimited contact with your advisor throughout the year. We do not earn commissions on products, which means our recommendations are driven by what suits your plan — not by what generates revenue for us.
We work best with clients who have at least $150,000 in investable assets or are within ten years of their target retirement date — but income planning for clients still in the accumulation phase is equally valuable. If you're unsure whether we're the right fit, the introductory call is the place to find out.
Yes. Every Alpharstone client is assigned a named advisor from the first meeting, and that relationship continues for the life of the engagement. If your advisor is ever unavailable, a qualified colleague covers — but your primary advisor remains accountable for your plan and is briefed on any conversations that occurred in their absence.
We primarily serve clients in the Edmonton Capital Region and across Alberta. We can accommodate remote clients elsewhere in Canada via video meetings, but our strongest local knowledge — provincial pension programs, Alberta-specific tax credits, regional housing market considerations — applies most directly to Alberta residents.
Book a forty-five minute introductory call with an Alpharstone advisor — no fee, no commitment.