CTV News
By Christopher Liew
July 15th, 2026
Christopher Liew: These are the estate planning steps Canadians often put off until it’s too late
Estate planning is one of those tasks everyone agrees is important and almost everyone finds a reason to delay. The problem is that the most expensive estate mistakes I see don’t come from bad planning. They come from no planning at all.
Canada is in the final stretch of its largest ever wealth transfer, with CPA Canada estimating $1 trillion moving from boomers to their heirs between 2023 and 2026. Yet as CTV News reported, only about half of Canadians have a will. That’s a lot of money changing hands with no instructions attached.
Estate planning isn’t really about death. It’s about making sure the people you love aren’t handed a legal and financial mess on the worst day of their lives. None of these steps are complicated, and most can be started this month. The only truly expensive option is waiting.
Here are five estate planning steps Canadians delay the most, and why waiting costs more than you’d think…
Christopher Liew is a CFP®, CFA Charterholder and former financial advisor. He writes personal finance tips for thousands of daily Canadian readers at Blueprint Financial.
