The question is rarely RRSP first or RRSP last.
The right order can change by age, income, account mix, and whether future RRIF minimums could push taxable income higher than necessary.
- Drawing too little from RRSPs early can leave larger mandatory RRIF withdrawals later.
- Drawing too much can reduce OAS and raise current tax.
- TFSA and non-registered accounts can smooth income when RRSP withdrawals would be expensive.
Compare the accounts together, year by year.
A useful RRSP strategy has to sit beside the rest of the plan. Suffisa maps each year to age 100 and looks for a withdrawal order that supports steady spending.
- RRSP/RRIF balances and required withdrawals
- TFSA withdrawals and tax-free sheltering
- Non-registered capital gains assumptions
- CPP and OAS start ages, including OAS clawback effects