How it works. Your CPP drops 0.6% for every month you start before 65 (36% less at 60) and rises 0.7% for every month you start after 65 (42% more at 70). The break-even age is when the later start has paid you as much in total as the earlier one. "Invested" assumes every payment from either choice is invested at the return above, so the early starter's head start keeps growing.

This is an estimate, not advice. It uses 2026 rules and figures published on canada.ca and assumes your age-65 amount stays the same in today's dollars. It does not include your contribution record or drop-out years, the post-retirement benefit, Old Age Security, GIS, pension sharing, survivor benefits, or how CPP affects your other income and taxes. Talk to a financial planner before you apply; once CPP starts, the amount is set for life.

• canada.ca: When to start your retirement pension (0.6% and 0.7% monthly adjustments)
• canada.ca: CPP monthly payment amounts (2026 maximum $1,507.65; average for new beneficiaries $858.34, July 2026)
• canada.ca: CPP amounts and the Consumer Price Index (2.0% increase for 2026)
• Statistics Canada: life expectancy at 65 (men 19.43 years, women 22.15 years, 2022–2024)
• FP Canada / Institute of Financial Planning: 2026 Projection Assumption Guidelines