# CPP calculator website



## Dogger1953 (Dec 14, 2012)

For the past year or so, I have been working with a financial planner (David Field) to develop an online CPP calculator. The calculator is still under development, but right now it's ready for a bit of live user testing. It doesn't currently include the "enhanced CPP" calculations, but that should be added fairly soon. It also doesn't currently handle the child-rearing provisions, the disability dropout provision or post-retirement benefits (PRBs), but hopefully these will all be added at some point in the future.

Bearing these limitations in mind, if you want to try it out and provide me with some feedback, here is a link to the website: https://www.cppcalculator.ca/


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## Retired Peasant (Apr 22, 2013)

I tried it out. I couldn't see what type of file I should upload, and couldn't see an option at Service Canada to download the statement of earnings. Anyway I entered manually, and the result seems accurate.


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## Dogger1953 (Dec 14, 2012)

Retired Peasant said:


> I tried it out. I couldn't see what type of file I should upload, and couldn't see an option at Service Canada to download the statement of earnings. Anyway I entered manually, and the result seems accurate.


For the upload option, you have to save the CPP record as an HTML file. Depending on which browser you're using, the method of saving your CPP record as an HTML file varies a bit, and the website has a video which demonstrates how to do that on about 4 different browsers.

I'm happy to hear that your results appeared accurate anyway, but remember that the calculator doesn't include the enhanced CPP changes yet, so if you're working in 2019 or beyond, the results will be a little bit too low.


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## papyrus (Dec 18, 2019)

*How to download an HTML version of your CPP Statement of Contributions*

In order to upload your Statement of Contributions, the CPP Calculator needs your statement in a text readable format. Therefore, a PDF or image of your actual statement will not work. From your My Service Canada Account you can quickly save your statement as an HTML file (web page) and then upload it to the calculator. It definitely will save a lot of time, especially if you want to do multiple calculations.

Here is a video on how to do it:

[video]https://papyrusplan.cdn.vooplayer.com/publish/MjQwMDQx[/video]

Please let us know if the video does not make the process clear enough.


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## habsfan59 (Oct 23, 2012)

*Good calculator*

Good day Dave and Doug,

I tried the calculator and no problem in using it. The result (me and my spouse) were pretty accurate to my own calculation (using retirehappy.ca instructions). Is it the goal to have the calculator to account for situation such CRDO, disability etc...factors in the near future?

Good work,

Cheers,


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

Is there some reason why you are developing yet another CPP calculator? What is it that makes yours any better than any of the others available online?


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## Dogger1953 (Dec 14, 2012)

habsfan59 said:


> Good day Dave and Doug,
> 
> I tried the calculator and no problem in using it. The result (me and my spouse) were pretty accurate to my own calculation (using retirehappy.ca instructions). Is it the goal to have the calculator to account for situation such CRDO, disability etc...factors in the near future?
> 
> ...


Hi - Dave's the programmer, so I'll let him speak to the timing of any improvements, although I think our next step is to include the basic "enhanced CPP" changes. My responsibility is to ensure that the calculator provides accurate results for what it does do.


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## Dogger1953 (Dec 14, 2012)

Longtimeago said:


> Is there some reason why you are developing yet another CPP calculator? What is it that makes yours any better than any of the others available online?


Hi LTA - I have yet to see another CPP calculator that does accurate calculations (within a penny), and I certainly haven't see another one where you can upload your CPP record of earnings to.


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## papyrus (Dec 18, 2019)

habsfan59 said:


> Good day Dave and Doug,
> 
> I tried the calculator and no problem in using it. The result (me and my spouse) were pretty accurate to my own calculation (using retirehappy.ca instructions). Is it the goal to have the calculator to account for situation such CRDO, disability etc...factors in the near future?
> 
> ...


Hello, and thank you very much for trying out the calculator. As Doug stated, the Enhancements as well as making improvements based on everyone's helpful comments is the first priority. The aim for those improvements will be to have them ready for the official launch at the very beginning of 2020.

As for CRDO and Disabilty, we do want to add that as the following update of the calculator.

Thank you again for your helpful comments.

Dave


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## Mookie (Feb 29, 2012)

Hey guys, very well done. I’ve always been a bit frustrated that Service Canada doesn’t provide a better CPP estimator. 

Just one bit of feedback for you… On the result chart at the end of the process, the lines that fall below the “start CPP at 60” line are obscured because of the fill colour. This makes it very difficult to visualize the early years of accumulated benefit when deferring the CPP start date, and also makes it hard to visualize the break-even points between starting early and starting later. Changing the chart to a simple line chart, rather than an area chart should solve that issue.


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## Tayls77 (Dec 10, 2019)

Hi Dogger1953, I am reading this thread and it appears some are saying that the Service Canada site is inaccurate? In my case I am considering retiring now at 56 and when I look at the Service Canada site it says I will get X dollars. Am I wrong thinking that X dollars is what I will get at 65 if I stopped working today?


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## Dogger1953 (Dec 14, 2012)

Tayls77 said:


> Hi Dogger1953, I am reading this thread and it appears some are saying that the Service Canada site is inaccurate? In my case I am considering retiring now at 56 and when I look at the Service Canada site it says I will get X dollars. Am I wrong thinking that X dollars is what I will get at 65 if I stopped working today?


Hi Tayls - Yes, you are wrong thinking that. Service Canada's current estimate will be based on your best 32 years out of your current possible 38 years of earnings. At age 65, it will be based on your best 39 out of the possible 47 years. The only way that Service Canada's current age 65 estimate will even be close for you, is if all 38 of your current years of earnings are close to the same % of the YMPE as each other.


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## Tayls77 (Dec 10, 2019)

Dogger1953 said:


> Hi Tayls - Yes, you are wrong thinking that. Service Canada's current estimate will be based on your best 32 years out of your current possible 38 years of earnings. At age 65, it will be based on your best 39 out of the possible 47 years. The only way that Service Canada's current age 65 estimate will even be close for you, is if all 38 of your current years of earnings are close to the same % of the YMPE as each other.


Well that is disappointing, so in fact if I stopped working today, I would see a significant decrease in their estimates then. I do appreciate the information.


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## Dogger1953 (Dec 14, 2012)

Tayls77 said:


> Well that is disappointing, so in fact if I stopped working today, I would see a significant decrease in their estimates then. I do appreciate the information.


Hi Tayls - If you try our calculator, you will see your actual age 65 amount (in 2019 dollars).


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## Tayls77 (Dec 10, 2019)

I will give that a try later this evening. Appreciate you sharing your knowlege.


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## Tayls77 (Dec 10, 2019)

Dogger1953 said:


> Hi Tayls - If you try our calculator, you will see your actual age 65 amount (in 2019 dollars).


The site worked very well and easy, loaded both mine and my wife's. I did notice however, the clear doesn't work, you need to exit and re-enter to change the data.


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## Mookie (Feb 29, 2012)

Dogger1953 said:


> Hi Tayls - If you try our calculator, you will see your actual age 65 amount (in 2019 dollars).


Thanks Dogger, that's an important detail that the numbers are in 2019 dollars. I suggest you add a note to the results page to indicate this. Especially for those of us where collecting CPP is a long way off, this can make a big difference.


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## Dogger1953 (Dec 14, 2012)

Mookie said:


> Thanks Dogger, that's an important detail that the numbers are in 2019 dollars. I suggest you add a note to the results page to indicate this. Especially for those of us where collecting CPP is a long way off, this can make a big difference.


Hi Mookie - I'm sure that detail is mentioned somewhere, but I'll suggest to David that it needs to be made abundantly clear.


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## martik777 (Jun 25, 2014)

Looks good! It's within $3 of SC's estimate

I have been using this one which includes CRDO and other options but it hasn't been updated for a couple years:
www.northernraven.ca/financial/CPPcalculator.html

The effect of CRDO can be extrapolated however

I think he posts on this forum


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