Three layers of truth
When an AI gives you a figure or a rule about your retirement, there are three levels at which to validate it, from the most general to the most personal:
- The rules → government sites, the only authoritative ones.
- The numbers that concern you → your official statements and your own data.
- The decisions → a professional governed by a regulatory body.
An AI replaces none of these three layers. It is there to help you frame the right question to put to each of them.
Layer 1 — Official sources for the rules
Amounts, thresholds, ages, limits: these change every year and an AI often works from stale information. Go to the source:
| To verify… | Official source |
|---|---|
| QPP, pension age, deferral, personal statement | Retraite Québec — My Account |
| OAS, GIS, clawback, payment schedule | Canada.ca — Public pensions |
| RRSP/TFSA limits, RRIF withdrawals, tax rules | Canada Revenue Agency · My Account |
| Quebec credits and income tax | Revenu Québec |
| Budgeting, debt, neutral financial education | FCAC |
Layer 2 — Your personal data
No public source knows your situation. Two reservoirs of truth belong to you:
- Your official statements: your QPP statement of participation (Retraite Québec) and your notice of assessment (CRA) give your accrued entitlements and your real limits.
- Your portfolio tracking: exact capital by account, the return you actually achieved, your savings pace, the gap between plan and reality. Neither an AI nor a government site can guess that for you.
Government calculators (such as the Canadian Retirement Income Calculator) are useful, but they start from generic assumptions. Your real numbers sharpen everything.
Layer 3 — The professional for decisions
For the heavy choices — drawdown order, tax strategy, estate planning — a regulated designation offers a guarantee no AI can give: professional liability. In Quebec, check that a planner actually holds the Pl. Fin. designation and consult the registers:
- Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) — verify a right to practise.
- Institut de planification financière — the Pl. Fin. designation in Quebec.
The ideal flow, in practice
Put end to end, it makes for a simple, fast method:
- 1. The AI explains a concept and helps you frame the question.
- 2. You verify the rule on the relevant official site.
- 3. You test it against your real numbers (statements + portfolio tracking).
- 4. For a binding decision, you validate with a professional.
The AI speeds up step 1. The other three remain the foundation. That is what separates someone who is informed from someone who believes they are.