Does Donald Trump Like Seniors?

The answer is complicated

Nov 22, 2024

7 min

At 78, Donald J. Trump already has 13 years of experience as a senior citizen. During his previous presidency, he occasionally referenced his senior status, particularly when discussing issues affecting older Americans. For example, in the 2020 election campaign, he acknowledged his age and addressed fellow seniors directly in his messaging, sometimes referring to himself as part of the senior community.

Looking at his record, Trump appears to have a complex relationship with seniors. While expressing support for essential programs such as Social Security and Medicare, he often weaves the needs of seniors into his rhetoric. Yet some of his policy decisions have created mixed feelings among older Americans and advocacy groups. While pledging to protect these programs, he’s considered budget-cut proposals to reduce the funding of both these programs. Plus, his administration attempted to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

While even the smartest of experts have learned it’s difficult to predict what Donald Trump will do on key policy decisions, there are some clues as to how his move back into the Oval Office will impact Canada and, more specifically, seniors. This topic got me wondering. Does Trump (a senior himself), like seniors?

Let’s look closer at this demographic. Everyone knows that older people are the most reliable voters. The stats are compelling.

According to Elections Canada

- 75% of Canadians aged 65-74 voted compared to 48% of those aged 18-24.

- The statistics for our US neighbours are similar, with 70% of Americans aged 65+ voting and 50% of Americans aged 18-29 voting.

Knowing this voting power of the senior demographic, did Trump pander to this voting cohort? Yes, he most certainly did. He knew that as people age, their concerns narrow to a smaller list of critical topics such as Financial Security, Health, and Safety. During his 2024 presidential campaign, Donald Trump focused heavily on appealing to older voters, who historically make up a significant portion of the electorate and are more likely to vote. His campaign emphasized economic stability, protecting Social Security and Medicare, and national security—particularly relevant to older demographics.

Let’s take a closer look at how the Trump administration could impact Canada's senior demographic in the following areas:

Inflation

Background: Inflation has a direct correlation to the cost of living. As the prices of goods and services rise over time, the purchasing power of money decreases – a challenge for many seniors.

Critical expenses like housing, healthcare, food, and utilities could increase noticeably, putting pressure on limited retirement incomes and pensions. All this is stressful. According to a 2024 national survey of over 2,000 Canadians (conducted by Leger on behalf of FP Canada), money remains the top stressor for Canadians, with 44 percent citing money as their primary concern; That's up from 40 percent in 2023 and 38 percent in both 2022 and 2021.

What This Means: Two of Trump’s biggest promises in his campaign (mass deportation of undocumented immigrants and more restrictive trade regulations) would have a "significant impact," according to an article by Ellen Cushing in the Atlantic. A domestic labour shortage plus double-digit import taxes would raise food prices on both sides of the border. Cushing goes on to say that “deporting undocumented immigrants would reduce the number of workers who pick crops by 40-50%.” While this rhetoric may have played well during the campaign, you can't fake the simple math here. Fewer workers means higher wages. That means higher prices. And the senior demographic will be hit hard because of their fixed incomes. Many will eat less of the expensive grocery store items like fresh meat, fruits and vegetables to make ends meet. Food prices will inevitably climb with these policies. The only question is when. According to a new poll conducted for CIBC and Financial Planning Canada on November 27, 2023, approximately 75% of working Canadians still need a formal financial plan for retirement. And many retirees face economic difficulties. A whopping 25% are still carrying debt into retirement. Many also report they have a substantial portion of debt and report that their retirement lifestyle isn't as comfortable as expected. The impact of inflation could be dire with few solutions; it is different for these older Canadians because they cannot re-enter the workforce. The only saving grace is that many of the hardest-hit Canadians are homeowners with equity options.

Interest Rates

Prediction: According to Beata Caranci, SVP & Chief Economist of TD Bank, the US is likely to raise interest rates to control growth. Canada is also expected to increase its rates, mainly to keep the Canadian dollar stable against the U.S. dollar. The Bank of Canada could be forced to rescind the projected planned interest rate reductions or at least reduce them. However, it's a delicate balancing act. Our economy could suffer if we don’t mirror the US increases in interest rates.

Impact: Increasing Canadian interest rates will impact seniors by increasing mortgage carrying costs. At the same time, older Canadians with investment savings could see increased returns on these savings. A rise in interest rates would also impact housing prices and foreign exchange rates.

House Prices

Background: Economic, demographic, and policy-related factors influence home prices in Canada. The new Trump administration will undoubtedly impact these factors. To understand this area, let's examine some significant variables affecting housing costs.

1. Supply and Demand

When housing supply is limited, and demand is high, prices rise. Conversely, when supply exceeds demand, prices stagnate or fall. Should the new administration adopt more restrictive immigration policies in the US, Canada might see an increased influx of skilled workers and families seeking an alternative place to live. Housing demand will likely increase in major Canadian cities—Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary- resulting in price increases.

2. Population Growth

An increase in population or immigration boosts housing demand, particularly in urban centers, consequently increasing home prices. Canada welcomed 485,000 immigrants in 2024, many of whom settled in cities like Toronto and Vancouver. This influx has driven up demand for housing, contributing to price increases. The Canadian government has recently reduced the number of immigrants we allow into our country, dropping the number from 500,000 to 395,000 in 2025. Current immigration numbers plus any overflow from the US should keep demand buoyant and we could see home prices continue to rise.

However, Canada needs more housing, especially in high-demand urban areas. In addition to immigration, slow construction timelines and zoning restrictions are contributing factors.

Canada's ongoing housing shortage and the potential impacts of Donald Trump's election win in the U.S. could exert upward pressure on home prices, particularly in major cities like Toronto and Vancouver. These cities, already grappling with limited housing and high prices, will likely see further price increases due to increased demand.

Without robust policy interventions to increase the housing supply, Canada’s housing prices, particularly in major centers, will likely continue rising. And there will be winners and losers here. This is great news for seniors wishing to sell and exit the market by finding other living arrangements, such as renting, moving in with family, or entering retirement homes. It is even better news for seniors wishing to age in place as they will have more equity to fund their retirement. But it’s disappointing news for those wishing to downsize and stay in the same communities. They may be able to sell high, but they could also be forced to buy high.

3. Foreign Currency

Trump's policies, such as tax cuts and protectionist trade measures, have historically strengthened the U.S. dollar. If similar policies are reintroduced, the U.S. dollar could become more robust due to increased investor confidence and perceived economic growth in the U.S. That’s bad for Canadians traveling or living in the U.S. Trump's potential trade disputes, particularly with China, and his aggressive geopolitical stance could also create uncertainty in global markets. While this might temporarily strengthen the U.S. dollar as a haven, long-term concerns about trade wars and deficits could cause fluctuations, impacting the Canadian dollar's stability against the U.S. dollar.

This volatility directly impacts Canadians, especially those with significant financial exposure to the U.S. dollar.

A second Trump presidency will likely impact the exchange rate between Canadian and U.S. dollars, which is especially relevant for 85% of Canadian Snowbirds, who, according to Snowbird Advisor, spend winters in the United States. This number was estimated to be 900,000 in 2023. These seniors may face increased expenses for property taxes, utilities, and other daily living costs in the U.S. If exchange rate volatility persists, locking in more favourable rates or using specialized currency exchange services, US credit/debit cards with lower transaction fees, and using US dollar accounts might be wise - especially for more significant financial transactions.

The Bottom Line

One thing is certain. Trump's second term has the potential to impact many Canadian seniors if he implements the policies he discussed during his election campaign. While some could benefit financially from higher home equity and investment returns, many may need help with increased living costs, especially food and foreign exchange challenges, particularly Snowbirds and those on fixed incomes. While we are all watching this situation unfold, one thing is sure. It's difficult to predict if Trump’s second term will make Canadian or US seniors "great again."

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Sue Pimento

Founder | CEO

Focused on financial literacy and retirement strategies. Authoring new book on home equity strategies to help seniors find financial freedom

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Mar 25, 2026

6 min

Your Retirement Reset: My New Book will Be in Stores on Sept. 8th

This one has been a long time coming. My new book, Your Retirement Reset: How to Convert Home Equity into Financial Security, published by ECW Press, finally has a publication date. Why I Wrote This Book I have spent decades watching far too many older Canadians carry unnecessary financial stress into what should be a more secure and dignified stage of life. Throughout my career as a mortgage broker, business owner, and later as an executive at HomeEquity Bank, I saw the same painful pattern again and again: people who had worked hard, paid down their homes, built real equity, and still felt trapped. Many were living with fear, cutting back on basic pleasures, worrying about every bill, and feeling ashamed that they had not “saved enough.” Meanwhile, a major asset was sitting right beneath their feet. What struck me most was this: younger homeowners often see home equity as a financial tool, but many retirees do not. For many older Canadians, the idea of borrowing against their home feels frightening, even when it could improve their quality of life and help them stay independent. This resistance is not just about math. It is emotional. It is psychological. And it is deeply tied to identity, security, family, and fear. The Retirement Problem We Are Not Talking About Honestly Enough The old retirement script is failing too many people. We are living longer. The cost of living keeps rising. Private sector pensions have largely disappeared. Healthcare and long-term care costs are real concerns. And many people reaching retirement are discovering, far too late, that the traditional advice to simply save, downsize, and make do does not reflect today’s reality. At the same time, most older Canadians want to age in place. They want to remain in the homes and communities they know and love. They do not want to be pushed into selling, renting, or moving in with family unless they truly choose that path. Yet many are gripped by what I call FORO — Fear of Running Out. That fear shapes countless decisions and robs people of peace of mind. It’s actually rooted in neuroscience and the way we’re wired to behave as we do. I’ve posted about this here in my newsletter and Substack a lot. Because it’s important. This is not a fringe issue. It is a national issue. And it deserves a more honest conversation. Why This Book Matters for Canadians 55+ There is a critical gap in this country when it comes to retirement literacy. Many Canadians over 55 have substantial value tied up in their homes, yet traditional retirement advice often does not seriously incorporate home equity into the conversation. At the same time, the information people do find is often fragmented, biased, overly technical, or scattered across lenders, planners, brokers, lawyers, accountants, media stories, and well-meaning family members. That leaves people vulnerable. They may rely on outdated assumptions. They may wait too long to explore options. They may make decisions out of fear rather than clarity. And because older adults usually do not have decades to recover from a financial mistake, the stakes are high. I want to be direct about this: one wrong decision later in life can be extremely hard to reverse. Seniors need unbiased, transparent information they can actually trust. I wanted to create a resource that is practical, plainspoken, and empowering. Not a sales pitch. Not a jargon-filled textbook. Not a one-size-fits-all solution. What I Hope This Book Will Accomplish I hope “Your Retirement Reset” helps Canadians 55+ do a number of things. First, I hope it helps people understand their options more clearly. Too many retirees only hear about a narrow set of choices. I want readers to see the full landscape and understand how different strategies work, including the pros, cons, and trade-offs. Second, I hope it helps people replace fear with confidence. Retirement should not be defined entirely by scarcity thinking. When people understand how to use all of their assets strategically, including home equity, they can make decisions from a position of strength rather than panic. Third, I hope it helps families have better conversations. One of the great hidden challenges in retirement planning is communication. Adult children often mean well, but they may not understand the emotional reality of aging, independence, or financial vulnerability. These conversations matter, and they are often avoided until a crisis forces them. This book is meant to encourage healthier, earlier, and more respectful dialogue. Fourth, I hope it helps more older Canadians protect their dignity and independence. To me, this is the heart of the matter. As I work through my current MBA studies, my life today is filled with spreadsheets. But retirement shouldn’t be. It is about autonomy, confidence, lifestyle, peace of mind, and the ability to live on your own terms for as long as possible. The Information Gap Nobody Is Filling One reason I felt so compelled to write this book is that the resources simply are not where they need to be. There is no shortage of opinions in the marketplace. But there is a shortage of clear, balanced, accessible education specifically designed for older Canadians trying to navigate retirement in the world as it actually exists now. Many books in this category are dated, narrowly focused, or too technical for many of the people I speak with. And it’s to be expected that much of the consumer-facing content around financial products like reverse mortgages comes from lenders themselves. Many seniors are left trying to piece together a life-changing financial strategy from disconnected advice and Google searches. That is the gap I am trying to fill. Canadians need impartial, balanced information they can trust — especially around home equity strategies and retirement financing. I believe Canadians deserve better than that. They deserve a resource that speaks to them in plain language, respects their intelligence, acknowledges the emotional complexity of these decisions, and gives them practical tools to move forward. We Need a More Modern Retirement Roadmap This book is built around a simple idea: retirement planning cannot just be about accumulating savings. It also has to be about learning how to use those resources wisely. That includes understanding how to: • create income • manage spending • shelter income from unnecessary tax pressure • protect savings from fraud and bad decisions • evaluate whether home equity should play a role in your retirement strategy These are the pillars I keep coming back to. They reflect what I believe Canadians in this stage of life truly need. I want readers to come away not just informed, but steadier. More capable. More hopeful. This Is Personal for Me I am part of this demographic myself. I understand the questions, the transitions, the uncertainty, and the pressure. I also know from lived experience that retirement is not simply a financial event. It is a life event. It affects your confidence, your relationships, your routines, your health, and your sense of who you are. That combination — professional experience and personal experience — is exactly what I bring to every page. That is why I have approached this book not simply as a finance book, but as a practical guide for real people facing real decisions. My hope is simple: that this book helps more Canadians 55+ move into the next chapter of life with greater knowledge, less fear, and a stronger sense of possibility. Because retirement should not just be about getting by. It should be about living with confidence, dignity, and choice. The Book is Now Available for Pre-Order If this message speaks to you, or to someone you love, I hope you will pre-order a copy of Your Retirement Reset. Available September 8, 2026. PRE-ORDER NOW: https://ecwpress.com/products/your-retirement-reset And if you love supporting Canadian booksellers, please also check with your local independent bookstore. Most can easily order it for you. Don’t Retire… Re-Wire! Sue

Mar 13, 2026

10 min

Retirement Maxxing: How Small Decisions Help You Build a Better Future

The basic idea is to pick a corner of your life and optimize it ruthlessly. Sleep maxxing. Health maxxing. Productivity maxxing. In its more extreme corners, people are attempting to optimize their actual physical features. Go ahead and Google "looksmaxxing" if you are curious and have a strong constitution. One influencer named Clavicular — a 20-year-old from Hoboken who claims to have taken a literal hammer to his face to coax a chiselled jawline — has become the reigning king of this particular rabbit hole. Medical experts would prefer you not try that at home. The Globe and Mail published a comprehensive explainer on the whole phenomenon. The Republican National Committee put out a press release praising Donald Trump for "jobsmaxxing" the economy. The Department of Defence posted a soldier with the caption "lethality maxxing." It has become, as one writer put it, the suffix that just will not quit. Retirement Maxxing: because chin waxing, I mean maxxing, was already taken. And yet, buried beneath all the absurdity, the underlying impulse is not entirely ridiculous. Humans want to optimize things. We always have. The real question is whether we are optimizing the right things. Then, as these things sometimes happen, three articles landed in my inbox in the same week and refused to leave my mind. Maxxing. The psychology of future selves. A golfer named Max Greyserman, who sits just one-tenth of a stroke from the top of his sport. I am not a woman who ignores signs. The connection was obvious once I saw it: retirement might be the most important time to apply this kind of thinking. Not the obsessive version involving ice baths and fourteen supplements before breakfast. The practical version. Thoughtful maxxing that quietly stacks the odds in your favour over decades. Retirement isn't just one decision; it's hundreds made over the years, each guiding your future self toward either financial dignity or a Shaggy tribute tour you never signed up for. The “Shaggy Problem”: How Your Retirement Decisions Today Determine Your Financial Security Tomorrow You remember Shaggy. The reggae artist. Enormous hit. "It Wasn't Me." When it comes to retirement, it absolutely was you. Every decision you make today is writing a letter to your future self. Some of those letters are generous and thoughtful. Others arrive decades later, like a bill you forgot to pay, from a creditor with excellent memory and zero sympathy. The seventy-five-year-old version of you hopes the fifty-five-year-old paid attention. The eighty-five-year-old version would very much like functioning knees, a dignified income, and the ability to say "I planned for this" rather than "I did not think it would go this fast." It went that fast. That's why the most useful habit you can develop right now is what I call the future-self test. Before making a major financial or lifestyle decision, pause and ask: how will this look from the other end? Will I still think this tattoo is a good idea when I’m ninety? Will I regret staying in a house that is too large and too expensive for another decade? Will my future self thank me for delaying CPP, or curse me for taking it early because waiting felt uncomfortable? Or as the Beatles asked rather memorably: “when I'm sixty-four, will you still need me, will you still feed me?” The song is charming. The financial planning version is considerably less so if you have not thought it through. The future-self test is not complicated. It is just the habit of writing better letters. What Sports Analytics Can Teach Us About Smarter Retirement Decisions Speaking of decisions that come back to haunt you, let's discuss probabilities. A recent New York Times article about golfer Max Greyserman stopped me mid-scroll (Lindgren, 2026). Not because of the golf — though the golf is fascinating — but because of what it revealed about the gap between what the data says and what people actually do when the stakes are high. Greyserman's scoring average is less than one-tenth of a stroke per round away from the elite level. One-tenth of a stroke. Not a full swing, a putting mistake, or a collapse on the eighteenth. The difference between obscurity and greatness in pro golf is about the time it takes to find your reading glasses. Which, as we've established, were on your head the entire time. Hockey analytics have demonstrated that teams trailing late in a game should often pull the goalie much earlier than the traditional last-ninety-seconds rule. Research indicates that pulling the goalie around the eight-minute mark can significantly boost the chances of scoring, as the extra attacker alters the odds. However, most coaches still wait until the final minute or two. Why? Because if you pull the goalie at eight minutes and lose badly, it can look like you lost your mind. The math checks out, but the optics are terrifying. Soccer offers a similarly uncomfortable example. A widely cited study analysing thousands of penalty kicks found that about one-third of kicks are aimed straight down the middle of the net, yet goalkeepers stay in the centre only around six percent of the time (Chiappori, Levitt, & Groseclose, 2002). Shooting directly down the middle often provides good odds because the keeper has already committed to diving one way or the other. But if the goalkeeper stays put and makes the save, the kicker seems to have tried to outsmart the odds and failed. The math checks out. The optics, however, are still terrifying. Retirement is filled with these moments. And most people make their decisions based on the optics. Common Retirement Decisions Canadians Get Wrong — And What the Data Actually Says: Working a couple of extra years often delivers significantly better retirement outcomes, yet people retire early because they feel emotionally ready. Delaying CPP can greatly increase guaranteed lifetime income, yet many choose to claim early because waiting seems risky. Downsizing can free up cash and lessen financial stress, yet people stay in large homes because selling feels like giving up. Using home equity wisely can boost retirement income, yet many retirees dismiss this option because of a stigma rooted in outdated beliefs rather than current data. In each case, the emotionally comfortable choice is not the one with the best long-term odds. Fear of loss, fear of regret, fear of looking foolish — those emotions sprint ahead of rational thinking every single time. That is why the future-self test matters. Math is universal, but money is deeply personal, and the goal is to let one inform the other before it is too late. The Psychology of Retirement Saving: Why We Treat Our Future Self Like a Stranger The second New York Times article examined the psychology of how we connect with our future selves (The New York Times, 2026). The findings are humbling. Psychologists have discovered that people often see their future self almost like a stranger, which explains why saving for retirement can seem somewhat punishing. It feels less like helping yourself and more like sending a cheque to someone who shares your cheekbones but whose problems seem distant and abstract. Research led by Hal Hershfield found that when people feel more connected to their future selves, they save more and make consistently better long-term financial decisions (Hershfield, 2011). Retirement planning is not just about spreadsheets and withdrawal rates. It is about being genuinely generous towards the person you are becoming. It is a love letter, written in small decisions, over a very long time. So, write a good one. Your future self is counting on you. How to Optimize Your Retirement: A Practical Framework for Canadians If retirement maxxing were a lifestyle trend — and I am formally proposing that it should be — it wouldn’t involve bone-smashing or extreme jawline enhancement. It would look more like this. Health Maxxing: Why Strength and Mobility Are Financial Assets Move your body. Lift weights now and then. Walk up hills. Muscle strength is one of the most underrated assets for retirement that nobody discusses at dinner parties. Research from the National Institute on Aging confirms that strength training improves mobility, balance, and healthy longevity (National Institute on Aging, 2023). These are the very factors that influence whether your later years feel like a gift or a burden. People hesitate over the cost of a gym membership while ignoring the significant long-term benefit of staying upright, independent, and capable. Skipping exercise to save a few dollars is like stepping over a hundred-dollar bill to find a quarter. As Aunt Equity likes to say: be careful not to get out over your skis. (Yes, that was an exercise metaphor. You’re welcome.) Income Maxxing: How to Build Reliable Cash Flow That Lasts Build reliable income streams so you can sleep at night without one eye on the market. Pensions, annuities, dividends, home equity, and carefully structured withdrawals — these all play a role in a well-crafted retirement income plan. The goal isn’t to maximize a single number – it’s to reduce the worry behind all of them. If your retirement plan currently makes you watch financial news at midnight while eating crackers over the sink, something has gone wrong and we should talk. Purpose Maxxing:Why It Matters for Your Health and Longevity Retirement is not a forty-year holiday. Humans need purpose, connection, and something worth getting out of bed for — especially on days when nobody expects you anywhere and the morning is entirely, terrifyingly yours. NIH research consistently shows that social engagement and a sense of purpose are linked to better health and longer life (National Institute on Aging, 2023). Purpose is what makes a retirement that feels like freedom different from one that feels like a long Sunday afternoon with nowhere to go. Somewhere along the way, society decided that aging meant quietly fading into the background. Retirement is when you finally have permission to dye your hair a vibrant colour, volunteer somewhere meaningful, start a project that genuinely excites you, or do all three at once and totally surprise your grandchildren. Purpose is not optional. It is the foundation. Decision Maxxing: How to Overcome Emotional Bias Use data when the stakes are high. Emotions are useful for choosing dessert but much less reliable for planning a thirty-year income. Don't swat away analytics like a fly at a family picnic just because they suggest something uncomfortable. Run projections. Stress-test your plan. Understand probabilities. Pull the goalie early if the math indicates so, even if it looks odd at the moment. Because appearing odd now and being wrong later are not the same thing. Not even close. The Ending That Brings It All Together: Small Decisions That Compound Over Time Here’s what three articles about “maxxing” our future selves, and golf, taught me about retirement. Clavicular is out there taking a hammer to his face in pursuit of optimization. Max Greyserman is grinding for one-tenth of a stroke. Hal Hershfield is reminding us that we treat our future selves like strangers when we should treat them like people we love. And somewhere between all three of them is the retirement insight that really matters: the best decisions compound quietly. Tiny improvements in health, income strategy, purpose, and decision-making build up into dramatically different outcomes over decades. Not because of one dramatic move, but because of many small, sensible ones made with the future in mind. Your future self isn't a stranger waiting to judge you. They are the person you are intentionally becoming, shaped by every decision you make today. Perform the future-self test before making risky decisions like pulling the goalie, shooting down the middle, or getting a tattoo that might lead to an awkward chat with your colonoscopy technician (this is for you, JK). Consider whether your fifty-five-year-old self is being kind to your seventy-five-year-old self. Look at what the data says, not just what feels right. Retirement maxxing isn't about perfection. It's about making small, sensible decisions consistently and thoughtfully over time. Think of it as compound interest for your future self. Einstein allegedly called compounding the most powerful force in the universe. He was talking about money, but he might as well have been talking about the small, steady choices that create a retirement worth living. Your future self will be deeply grateful—having functional knees, a dignified income, and a tattoo they still absolutely love. And when you turn sixty-four, and someone asks how you got there so gracefully, you won't need to channel your inner Shaggy. You just smile and say: It was me! Sue Don’t Retire…ReWire! P.S. Aunt Equity approves. Ready to start retirement maxxing? Here are two things you can do today. Run the future-self test on one financial decision you have been avoiding. Just one. Write down what your seventy-five-year-old self would think of the choice you are leaning toward. You might be surprised what comes up. Move your body and find your people. Join a pickleball club, a walking group, a trivia night, or a bridge league. Laugh often. Sweat occasionally. Your future self needs both, and your colonoscopy technician will be thrilled. Want more insights like this? Subscribe to my free newsletter here, where I share practical strategies, real-world stories, and straight talk about navigating retirement with confidence—not confusion. Plus, all subscribers get exclusive early access to advance chapters from my upcoming book. For Canadians 55+: Get actionable advice on making your home equity work for you, understanding your options, and living retirement on your terms. For Mortgage Brokers and Financial Professionals: Learn how to become the trusted advisor your 55+ clients desperately need (and will refer to everyone they know). This isn't just another revenue stream—it's your opportunity to build lasting relationships in Canada's fastest-growing demographic.

Mar 6, 2026

5 min

My MBA at 69: Q1 Results Are In. And Nobody Is More Surprised Than Me

When I wrote my first post about starting an MBA at 69, I was running on caffeine, stubbornness, and a mild identity crisis. I was drowning in software platforms, APA formatting, and the humbling reality that open-book quizzes could still make me sweat. Fast forward to today. I am now 25% complete. Even typing that makes me sit up straighter. More surprising? I am maintaining an A average. Yes. An A. Let that land for a moment. Before anyone faints, let me be clear. I am not retiring my original mantra. "Even C's Get Degrees" still lives on a sticky note in my brain. I repeat it whenever the ego starts strutting around like it owns the place. The goal was never perfection. The goal was sustainable progress and full nights of sleep. The A average is delightful. The mantra is protective. My dog Dottie approves of both. She now perches on the back of the couch while I work, casting supervisory glances in my direction like a very small, very opinionated board member. We are in a much better place emotionally. The household has stabilized. What I did not anticipate was how much this experience would reveal about me. Lesson #1: Experience Is the Assignment Nobody Grades The content is strong. The business frameworks and systems I am learning are elegant. But the real gift has been realizing that my decades of experience give depth to everything I read. When the textbook discusses competitive positioning or industry cycles, I do not see abstract diagrams. I see real businesses. I hear boardroom conversations. I remember decisions that worked beautifully — and others that required creative explanations and, occasionally, some very careful walking back. The theories have texture because I have lived them. This MBA is not separate from my work. It is sharpening it. Every case study filters through the same question: How does this apply to retirees? I cannot turn that lens off. Frankly, I would not want to. At the same time, not every concept survives intact outside the classroom. We are taught that firms must choose clearly between cost leadership and differentiation. Tidy in theory. Messier in practice, where most organizations stumble through imperfect hybrids while real-world pressures refuse to behave according to the textbook. I learn the models thoroughly. I cite them properly. I demonstrate mastery. And yes, after nearly losing my mind over whether a journal article published in 2019 requires a DOI or a retrieved-from URL, I can now format an APA 7th edition reference in my sleep. Whether I want to is another conversation entirely. But maturity lets me see where the models bend. Lesson #2: Selective Excellence Is Not Laziness. It's Wisdom. One of the biggest lessons this term has been prioritization. At 29, I wanted to prove myself. At 69, I want to improve myself. Earlier in life I would have tried to ace everything equally. Today, I allocate energy strategically. Marketing excites me. Strategy energizes me. Organizational behaviour feels like coming home. Those subjects get my full intellectual investment. Accounting gets solid, disciplined, B-minus effort. I say that proudly. Retirement is also selective excellence. You do not need to be good at everything anymore. You get to double down on what lights you up. Coursework. Careers. Life. All of it. But growth is not without discomfort. Lesson #3: The Classroom Has No Hallways Anymore My program is entirely virtual. No hallway conversations. No accidental coffee chats that turn into the best part of your week. Everything happens on screens, and group projects test my patience more than any midterm ever could. I even considered removing my photo from my profile to avoid immediate age assumptions. Then I took a breath and remembered who I am. If someone sees my age and quietly categorizes me as someone's grandmother, so be it. They have never met Aunt Equity when she puts her purse down. For the record: I do not own a purse. In one recent group assignment, a teammate gently pointed out that I had used an em dash in a formal case report. A rookie mistake, apparently. Instead of bristling, I thanked them for the compliment. If I am still making rookie mistakes, I am still capable of growth. That exchange meant more to me than the grade. Lesson #4: The Advantage of Having Nothing Left to Prove Age has given me something powerful: detachment. I am not chasing internships. I am not competing for promotions. I am here because I want to be here, and that freedom changes everything. I can question thoughtfully. I can log off at a reasonable hour. I can engage with students young enough to be my grandchildren without an ounce of ego about it. Mostly. And still, whenever I feel the ego creeping back in about that A average, I whisper: "Even C's Get Degrees." It works every time. Lesson #5: Curiosity Does Not Come With an Expiry Date The deeper curriculum of this MBA has little to do with GPA. It has taught me that humility sharpens thinking. That curiosity does not expire. That stretching intellectually at 69 feels remarkably similar to climbing toward Everest Base Camp at 60. You question your sanity. You adapt. You keep moving. When I look at my latest grades, I do not feel relief. I feel possibility. If I can adapt to new technology, academic writing standards, and Zoom calls at 7 AM, then reinvention is not reserved for youth. It is available to anyone willing to risk being a beginner again. Are You Putting Your Experience To Work? If you are over 60 and thinking about taking a course, writing a book, starting a business, or learning something that scares you a little — here is the truth: Your experience is not a liability. It is leverage. Your decades are not dead weight. They are the whole point. And if you are willing to risk being a beginner again, reinvention will meet you exactly where you are. I am 25% done. Seventy is approaching. The mantra still stands. Remember, even C's Get Degrees. But when you bring seven decades of lived experience into the classroom, the curve has a way of bending in your favour. Now, if you will excuse me, Dottie has just planted herself directly on my laptop and is staring at me with the quiet authority of someone who has already read the syllabus on Google Scholar. Eighteen courses to go. Multiple pots of extra-strong coffee. A carefully curated cocktail of patience, tolerance, and self-care. The honeymoon is officially over. What lies ahead is a full marathon: War and Peace-length reading lists, spreadsheets that test the limits of human endurance, and enough group projects to make a grown woman question everything she knows about herself. Dottie remains unbothered. She has seen me do hard things. She knows I finish what I start. She also knows the whining, complaining, and pleading will eventually stop. (insert slow, world-weary head shake from a very wise ten-pound dog who has heard it all before). Don’t Retire… ReWire! Sue Want to become an expert on serving the senior demographic? Just message me to be notified about the next opportunity to become a "Certified Equity Advocate" — mastering solution-based advising that transforms how you work with Canada's fastest-growing client segment. Here's the link to sign up.

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