What happens to a LIRA when you die?

In Ontario a spouse generally has first claim and can usually transfer the balance to their own registered plan on a tax-deferred basis. If there is no spouse or a valid waiver exists, the value is generally taxable on the final return and paid to the named beneficiary or estate after tax.

Can I name my children as LIRA beneficiaries?

You can name them, but a married or common-law spouse generally has a prior claim under pension law unless a valid spousal waiver is on file. Financially dependent children may qualify for special deferral rules in limited circumstances.

What happens to my LIRA at age 71?

By December 31 of the year you turn 71 it must be converted to a LIF or used to buy a life annuity. If nothing is done the plan may be deregistered, which can make the entire balance taxable in one year.

Does my will control my LIRA?

Generally no. A valid beneficiary designation on the registered plan usually governs the plan itself, which is why a designation that contradicts the will causes problems.

Should I unlock before converting at 71?

The one-time 50% unlocking must be applied for within 60 days of the transfer into a new LIF, so the analysis should happen before the conversion, not after it.

Insights

LIRA Beneficiaries, Spouses and the Age-71 Deadline

Two things quietly wreck locked-in accounts: a beneficiary designation nobody checked, and December 31 of the year you turn 71. Both are fixable today.

August 24, 2026 · 8 min read

Most locked-in accounts have not been looked at since the day they were opened. Two details on that untouched account decide what happens to a large sum of money: who is named on it, and what you do in the year you turn 71.

Neither is complicated. Both are unforgiving.

The age-71 deadline

By December 31 of the year you turn 71, locked-in money must stop being a LIRA. It has to become a Life Income Fund or be used to buy a life annuity.

If nothing is done, the institution may deregister the plan, which can make the entire balance taxable income in a single year — the worst possible tax outcome available in the Canadian system, and one that is completely avoidable.

Two things to do well before that year:

Confirm the deadline in writing and diarize it a full year ahead.
Handle the one-time 50% unlocking before the conversion, because it must be applied for within 60 days of the transfer into a new LIF. See how to unlock a LIRA in Ontario and what is a LIF.

Doing the unlocking in the same rushed December week as the conversion is how people lose the window without ever knowing it existed.

Who inherits a LIRA or LIF

Pension law puts the spouse first. In Ontario, a married or common-law spouse at the relevant date generally has a prior claim to a locked-in benefit, ahead of any other named beneficiary, unless a valid waiver is on file.

Spouse as beneficiary: the balance can usually transfer on a tax-deferred basis into the spouse's own registered plan, so nothing is taxed at death.
A financially dependent child or grandchild: special rules may allow deferral in specific circumstances.
Anyone else, or the estate: the value is generally taxable on the final return, and what is left is distributed after tax and any probate costs.

The gap between those first and last outcomes is often six figures. It is decided by a form.

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The mistakes we see over and over

A designation from a former marriage, never updated. Pension law and beneficiary forms do not read your divorce agreement for you.
The will and the designation contradicting each other. Registered plan designations generally govern the plan; the will governs the rest. Two documents, two different instructions, one expensive dispute.
"Estate" named by default on the original transfer form, which can trigger tax and probate that a direct designation would have avoided.
No spousal waiver on file where one was intended, leaving the named beneficiary unenforceable.
Nobody knows the account exists. Executors cannot claim what they cannot find.

The tax nobody planned for

For a household with a large LIF and no surviving spouse, the terminal-year tax bill can be the single largest cheque the estate ever writes — often alongside capital gains on a cottage or rental property. Two ways to deal with it:

Draw it down deliberately through the retirement years at controlled rates, instead of leaving a maximum balance to be taxed at top rates in one year. This is the LIF vs RRIF sequencing conversation.
Fund the bill with permanent life insurance, so heirs are not forced to sell assets on a deadline. Start by sizing the liability with our estate tax calculator, then look at insurance products.

Most families use some of both. What almost never works is discovering the number after the death.

The objections

"My will covers it." Usually not for registered plans. The designation on the plan generally controls.

"My spouse gets it automatically." Often true in Ontario, but the paperwork still needs to be right and the tax-deferred transfer still has to be elected properly and on time.

"I will update it when I retire." Beneficiary designations are the cheapest, fastest fix in personal finance. There is no reason for it to wait.

Here is how we would handle this

We build a one-page register of every registered account, its designation, whether a spousal waiver exists, and its next mandatory date. We cross-check it against the will and any separation agreement, then estimate the terminal-year tax and decide whether to draw it down, insure it, or both. It is a short piece of work with a very large payoff, and it is part of every Fit Review.

Do this this week

Log in to every registered and locked-in account and write down the named beneficiary.
Compare each designation to your will and any separation agreement.
Confirm whether a spousal waiver is required and on file.
Diarize December 31 of the year you turn 71 — and diarize your unlocking review a year earlier.
Size the terminal tax bill with our estate tax calculator.

This is general information, not tax or legal advice for your situation.

If nobody has reviewed your designations and your age-71 plan together, apply for a free 30-minute Fit Review. The roster is limited and every application is read personally by a partner.

Common questions

What happens to a LIRA when you die?: In Ontario a spouse generally has first claim and can usually transfer the balance to their own registered plan on a tax-deferred basis. If there is no spouse or a valid waiver exists, the value is generally taxable on the final return and paid to the named beneficiary or estate after tax.
Can I name my children as LIRA beneficiaries?: You can name them, but a married or common-law spouse generally has a prior claim under pension law unless a valid spousal waiver is on file. Financially dependent children may qualify for special deferral rules in limited circumstances.
What happens to my LIRA at age 71?: By December 31 of the year you turn 71 it must be converted to a LIF or used to buy a life annuity. If nothing is done the plan may be deregistered, which can make the entire balance taxable in one year.
Does my will control my LIRA?: Generally no. A valid beneficiary designation on the registered plan usually governs the plan itself, which is why a designation that contradicts the will causes problems.
Should I unlock before converting at 71?: The one-time 50% unlocking must be applied for within 60 days of the transfer into a new LIF, so the analysis should happen before the conversion, not after it.

The age-71 deadline

Who inherits a LIRA or LIF

The rest of this article — plus the insights checklist

Common questions

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