Why Gen Z Is choosing career vibes over big paycheques, especially early on + MORE Feb 5th

Whether you want to reduce your 2025 tax bill or boost your retirement savings, the annual registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) deadline can create a sense of urgency. RRSP contributions lower your taxable income, and choosing the right investments to hold inside your RRSP is an important decision when considering your goals and comfort with volatility. For investors with self-directed RRSPs, that often translates into a rush toward higher-growth investment options—sometimes at the expense of stability.

That’s where guaranteed investment certificates (GICs) can quietly shine. When used strategically, GICs can provide balance, certainty, and tax efficiency within an RRSP. And when those RRSP GICs come from a credit-union-backed financial institution offering highly competitive rates, like Achieva Financial, they can be a key building block in your retirement strategy instead of just a supporting piece. RRSP GICs offer a way to reduce your taxes today while adding predictability to your long-term retirement plan…

For decades, the standard career advice for young Canadians was as linear as an airport security line: shoes off, laptop out, no detours. Except in career land it was: get the degree, find the best-paying gig, climb the corporate ladder, and don’t look back until retirement. 

But according to the 2026 CIBC Ambitions Index, that playbook hasn’t just been updated, it’s been rewritten.

Now, if you’re choosing a workplace based on its mentorship and its cultural vibe over the largest possible figure on your offer letter, you’re not lacking ambition, you’re being intentional about what really matters. You might even be following the same advice as billionaires like Michael Bloomberg and Warren Buffett, who have long stated that the right environment matters more for long-term success than an extra few grand a year in your twenties. 

To understand how Gen Z and Millennials are navigating this shift, I spoke with Carissa Lucreziano, Vice President of Financial Planning and Advice at CIBC…