Tag Archives: RRSPs

My RRSP playbook for 2017: Ready for prime time

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Welcome to 2017.

The annual 2-month RRSP “season of madness” has arrived. I made my list, checked it twice so ready-set-go.

Understanding the RRSP regime makes it easier to stickhandle your planning marathon.
This workhorse has delivered on retirements since its intro in 1957, now a 60-year old boomer.

The RRSP has transformed over the years. For example, RRSP room carry forward was introduced in 1991. RRSPs really fit two groups of investors like a glove: those without employer pension plans and the self-employed.

Some investors still shun RRSP deposits. I see three solid reasons to pursue RRSP accumulations:

  • Long-term, tax-deferred investment growth.
  • Future withdrawals ideally at lower tax rates.
  • Contributions provide immediate tax savings.

Stay focused on how the RRSP dovetails into your total game plan. The power of tax-deferred compounding really delivers.

Your RRSP mission is three-fold:

  • Keep it simple.
  • Treat it as a building block.
  • The journey lasts a long time.

My updated RRSP playbook summarizes these seven vital planning areas:
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Baby sitting & RRSPs: a 9-year old’s rules for when to TFSA

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9-year old Carlie Weinreb lectures financial bloggers on when to use TFSA or RRSP

By Carlie Weinreb

Special to the Financial Independence Hub

I lectured about RRSPs and TFSAs this November 3rd at the CPA Mastering for Money Conference for 45 minutes. I was a bit nervous because I knew that Former Prime Minister Paul Martin was also speaking. My example was very detailed with lots of Excel spreadsheets.

I then had a sleepover at my friends house the next weekend after dance class. My friend’s parents heard I lectured to over 400 Chartered Professional Accountants about RRSPs and TFSAs. They asked “OK what’s better?” I said “Well, it depends on your income and a couple of other things.” I knew they were not satisfied. I could tell they wanted like a 15 second answer.

The following week I was lecturing at the Canadian Personal Finance Conference presenting on RRSP and TFSAs again but they gave me only 20 minutes. And most recently, I presented on RRSPs versus TFSAs at Microsoft. They only gave me ten minutes.

3 quick rules

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15 tax saving tips to end 2016

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By David Rotfleisch

Special to the Financial Independence Hub

Want to pay less tax? The year-end brings with it your last chance for legitimate, allowable opportunities for tax planning that can lower your taxes payable to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) for 2016.

1.) Timing of Expenses

Taxpayers in business should accelerate expenses to make purchases that can be deducted this year rather than waiting for 2017. Employees can claim tax depreciation (CCA) on cars, planes, and musical instruments. Tradespersons and apprentices are permitted to deduct the cost of their tools up to a limit. Individuals planning on purchases should do so now to enjoy the benefit of depreciation claims this year.

Plan to purchase any capital property before the tax year-end to be able to claim CCA (at 50% of full rate) this year.

2.) RRSPs

RRSPs are a key tool for tax planning and allow Canadians to receive a deduction for the amount contributed, while also allowing the capital to accumulate tax-free until retirement.

Even though the deadline is March 1st, 2017, taxpayers should contribute to their RRSPs as soon as possible for compounded growth.

3.) Open TFSAs

While deposits to a Tax-free Savings Account (TFSA) are not tax deductible like RRSPs, accrued profits in the account are not subject to tax when earned or when withdrawn. Consider lending funds to a spouse or children to allow them to make their own TFSA contributions. Continue Reading…

Americans worried about Retirement, unlikely to save more in 2017

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While 70% of Americans say they saved for retirement in 2016, many are anxious about the level of their savings and the need to direct money towards other goals and expenses, says a Harris Poll of 2,000 American adults conducted by the personal finance site NerdWallet. You can find the full results here.

Other major financial concerns include lack of emergency funds (cited by 35%), health care expenses (also 35%)and credit-card debt (27%). Retirement remains the most commonly cited savings priority (mentioned by 28% surveyed) but only 29% feel confident they saved enough in 2016, while one in three aren’t saving for retirement at all (including 43% of Millennials aged 18 to 24). Lesser forms of financial anxiety in 2016 include making mortgage or rent payments (19%), stock market volatility (17%), student debt (14%), and paying income taxes (13%).

Next year may not be much better: of those with workplace pensions, only 32% plan to increase their contributions in 2017. Older Americans aged 45 to 54 are most likely to report concern about lack of retirement savings (40% surveyed), while only 20% are confident they saved enough this year.

Savers should favour tax-advantage accounts over savings accounts

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LIRAs — the RRSP’s less flexible cousin

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Locked-in Retirement Accounts (LIRAs) differ from RRSPs in that you usually can’t “unlock” the funds in them before age 55.

I guess the annual RRSP season is just around the corner, based on some of my most recent writing assignments. Earlier in the week, for MoneySense.ca, I made the case for semi-retirees in their Sixties (like me!) for starting the process of withdrawing money from RRSPs early. Click on the headline Retirement Tax Tips. The Hub summary ran here under the headline The case for Early RRSP withdrawals.

Then at the end of the week, the Financial Post ran my column titled The RRSP’s less flexible cousin: Everything you need to know about the LIRA, which is also available in the Saturday print edition.

As TriDelta Financial wealth advisor Matthew Ardrey told me for the FP article, you’re going to see a lot more about LIRAs in the coming years. Whether you’re leaving a classic Defined Benefit pension plan or a more market-tied Defined Contribution pension plan, the job market these days is in such flux that a lot of people are going to have to start learning about what happens when you leave an employer pension plan earlier than you might once have envisaged.

LIRAs will multiply as Boomers reach Findependence

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