The Royal Bank of Canada’s 2013 Retirement Myths and Realities Poll is out exposing some of the myths and realities facing today’s Zoomers as they approach retirement. The Poll suggest that while 80-per cent of Canadians approaching retirement think they’ll get to choose the day they step away from their careers, the reality is that more than 40 per cent of retirees say they did not leave on a date of their choice. The key reasons for their unanticipated departure were employer’s request; affecting 41 per cent and health reasons; affecting 22 per cent. The annual poll, which surveys Canadians aged 50 plus, also revealed that 20 per cent of retirees had as little as one month or no advance notice before retirement, with a majority reporting they had a year or less of notification. Amalia Costa, the head of Retirement Strategies and Successful Aging at RBC, says chances are two out of three retiring Canadians will have less than a year to transition into their next stage of life and they are going to have to create a new pay cheque to support that next stage. RBC is advising clients to begin refining their retirement ‘roadmap’ at least five years before they expect to retire, to get a clearer idea of their retirement lifestyle, as well as the corresponding retirement income plan that will help them achieve it. Despite being pushed into retirement, about 75 per centr of those surveyed said in hindsight, they retired at the right time.