How can I leave more money to my children?

A 72 year old reader, married for a second time, wants to leave more to her children, and she has heard that a RRIF meltdown is the way to do it. Allan sets the label aside and focuses on the goal underneath it. He builds a base case from her current spending and assets, then tests a larger RRIF withdrawal against it. The result may surprise some readers: taking more from the RRIF can lower the tax at death, yet the money lands in a taxable account, so the children may end up with about the same. From there he looks at holding a more tax efficient fund, which can help limit a future clawback of government benefits, and at gifting to adult children while she is alive, for example into their TFSAs. It is a useful read for parents who want to leave more to their children.