Gifts for new retirees

Your retiring clients are ready to enjoy the next stages of their lives. Instead of a watch or a set of personalized luggage tags, why not give them a gift that shows you pay attention to their interests?

Low cost, medium impact$15/client

If your client is age 55 or older, send her a membership for the Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP), which advocates on behalf of seniors. The association offers discounts on items like travel, health and pet insurance, fitness memberships and rental cars. If you purchase online, a basic membership costs $14.95 for one year, or $29.95 for a membership plus a one-year subscription to Zoomer magazine, a lifestyle publication for seniors.

Read: How Canada’s wealthy will retire

Medium cost, high impact$93/client

A retiree recently told us the best part of being retired is having no time constraints. So why not give your newly retired clients tickets to a matinee theatre performance? Mid-week tickets are less expensive, and matinees don’t usually sell out. Two tickets to see Titanic: The Musical in Toronto, starring Canadian superstar tenor Ben Heppner, will cost $93 per person for the best seats in the house on a Wednesday afternoon. Evening tickets for the same seats are $107 per person.

Read: Is a home a nest egg or an investment risk?

Medium cost, high impact$180/client

Most people have a secret interest they’d like to explore, whether it’s cake decorating, wine tasting, furniture restoration or learning another language. Community colleges offer a wide range of courses for all interests. For instance, basic cake decorating at Algonquin College in Ottawa costs $179.60 for a four-week course. A two-day moccasin making class at Carlton Trail College in Humboldt, Sask., costs $75.

Read: Gifts for music lovers

High cost, high impact$1,938/client

Treat your clients to a dream getaway. A Tuesday to Saturday stay at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, Nev., including return flight from Toronto, costs about $924 per person. The same trip costs about $1,017 for a Thursday to a Monday. There’s also the option of a cruise. Five nights on Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas costs around $1,938 per person for a room with a balcony (price doesn’t include return flight to Tampa, Fla.).

Read: Deciding on client gifts? Follow these tips

Lisa MacColl is an Ontario-based financial writer.