I have a great life right now. As I've said, I am extremely lucky to have been raised the way I was and to have gone through what I've gone through with the support systems. But I have aging parents, and our biggest fear is that I will not be able to look after myself financially. I've been saving money since 1989, putting money into RRSPs back when interest rates were like 10%. For a couple of years, that was great.
However, what happens if I become disabled next week and I have to dip into those RRSPs? That's fine and dandy for the short term, but 20 years from now, what is that going to cost the government? If I can't get disability now, because it's only episodic and not a full-time disability, how is that going to affect the government coffers in the future when I do depend on them? What is that going to do to my RRSPs now if I have to take money out? I'm going to lose a whole bunch of money that could better be spent gathering interest for my future retirement. My biggest fear is not being able to look after myself financially.
I don't want to have to go into a nursing home and be sitting there, as I mentioned, wondering what's going to happen to me. I won't be able to maintain my support system, my network of friends. I won't be able to go out just for coffee or a meal if I don't have an income—all those little ordinary things. How can I maintain a gym membership if I don't have income? That's part of what keeps me healthy.
Again, my biggest fear is not being able to support myself financially.