A million-dollar retirement is a dream figure even in the current environment. Relying on just one source of income is not enough. At the pace at which artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the world, if you don’t upskill, you can become obsolete. Relying only on your job for income or only on the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) for retirement could put you in financial trouble.
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Is a $1 million portfolio enough to retire?
The CPP is designed to help you meet a third of your expenses. The remaining two-thirds has to be borne by you. The scary part is that you don’t know how the cost of living will grow in the future. Some years could eat up half of your life savings.
Instead of having an absolute dollar value retirement target, use that as a base and let your money grow as per market cycles. Your retirement portfolio should be able to fight inflation and sustain an economic crisis. The sustaining part of the retirement portfolio comes after you have built a sizeable $1 million base.
Three stocks that could help you reach $1 million by retirement
If you invest $50,000 today, you need stocks that can grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18% for 19 years to convert it to $1 million. No stock has such consistent high growth for the long term. There are periods where some stocks grow 1,000% in the five-to-seven-year growth cycle. The key is to buy and forget, or rather keep holding them till that secular growth is still intact. No one can time the market, but one can hold their position and wait for windfall returns, while moving on with daily life.
Ballard Power Systems
Ballard Power Systems (TSX: BLDP) is a stock to buy and forget. It is a futuristic stock waiting for its hypergrowth. For over two decades, the company has been testing and perfecting hydrogen fuel cell technology for commercial vehicle usage. It has overcome several challenges and made fuel cell technology safe-to-use and relatively easier on the pockets than in the past. However, it is still costlier than a gas engine, but it is getting there.
Ballard Power Systems reported its first positive gross profit in 2025 and looks to generate positive free cash flow by 2027. After a 67% rally since March 2026, its stock price jumped 45% in two days between May 4 and 6, as the company reported positive gross profit in its first quarter 2026 earnings. Investors did some profit booking after the earnings, which has pulled the stock down 13%. The recent surge is a sign that long-term growth is ahead for the stock.
It is too early for valuations for this stock as the business has not yet delivered profits. The next 10–15 years could see hydrogen fuel cell technology further penetrate the clean energy market, as it can help countries reduce their dependence on oil and gas in transportation. A decline in logistics costs could be a boon to the world and help reduce inflation.
Celestica stock
Celestica (TSX: CLS) stock has slipped 10% since May 4 as traders book profit after the earnings jump of 16% from April 28 to May 4. The company expects to begin recognizing revenues from two hyperscalers in the second half. Its first-quarter revenue surged 53% year-over-year, driven by a 69% surge in the Communications segment and 101% surge in the Enterprise segment. The second quarter could see its Enterprise segment revenue jump 130% from the hyperscaler order.
Celestica has just begun its AI race. The electronics manufacturer has the potential to grow by triple digits for the next two to three years.
Broadcom stock
Broadcom (NASDAQ: AVGO) is a long-term growth stock that has sustained its rally for over 15 years through organic growth and acquisitions. It is a market leader in communication chips. The software solutions provider is now tapping the cloud and AI networking space with its Ethernet switches. A good Ethernet switch helps improve the performance and life of the AI or communications infrastructure. If it keeps adjusting and adopting new technologies to remain relevant, it could be a millionaire maker in the long term.
