The majority of Canadian baby boomers have not discussed their retirement plans with their spouses.

RBC’s annual Retirement Myths and Realities Poll reveals that 68% of Canadians over the age of 50 who are still working have yet to speak with their partners about the sort of life they hope to lead after they retire. Respondents were particularly reluctant to mention the inevitabilities of old age, with 86% hesitant to discuss how they will manage if one of them has health problems and 81% disinclined to talk about how one will manage when the other dies.

Another 65% were reluctant to talk about what activities they will do in retirement, and spouses sometimes had different plans. While 57% of men expected to spend more time with their spouse, only 52% of women felt the same way. Women indicated they were more interested in spending time with family (53% vs. 37% of men), friends (51% vs. 36%), and working as volunteers (63% vs. 50%).

The poll also revealed that only 36% of respondents had discussed how they will finance their retirement and where they will live once retired.