Why Jane shouldn’t cash out on stock crash fears + MORE Mar 12th

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Q. I am 68 years old and already retired. Is there any point in contributing to a TFSA?
– Michelle
A. Any point? Why yes. There are lots and lots of points. I’ll make a few of them here.
The Tax-Free Savings Account is a great vehicle to reduce your taxes whatever your age. You’re already retired, so you’re not saving for that phase of your life. But you may have assets that could benefit from the tax shelter that the TFSA provides.
Money that you withdraw from an RRSP or a RRIF is taxed as income. But TFSA contributions are made with after-tax income, so you don’t pay a second time when you pull the money out. This means that whatever you draw from the TFSA will not impact “income-tested” benefits like Old Age Security or the Guaranteed Income Supplement.

Related: Should we tap the RRSP and feed the TFSA?

Remember, too, that you can’t contribute to an RRSP after age 71 and you’ll have to start withdrawing money from your RRIF, according to the amounts the government mandates…

Beijing’s restrictions on foreign property purchases have resulted in a dramatic slow down in spending, the sector’s deal makers say

When I smile, tell me some bad news / Before I laugh and buy or sell like a fool.

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Q. I retired in 2008, just in time for the market crash. Fortunately, I did not need my invested money right away. But now, 10 years later, I have begun taking money out for living expenses—just in time for the February downturn. I sat tight the first time and things gradually got better, but I can’t now. What should I do?  
– Jane
A. First off, Jane, you deserve a lot of credit for the discipline you showed in 2008. A lot of new retirees panicked during that devastating crisis. It was hard to blame them, but anyone who sold their investments paid dearly by locking in their losses and missing the swift recovery that followed. You’re probably in good shape now because you stuck to your long-term investment plan.
Now that you’re getting ready to draw down your portfolio, however, I worry that you may not have the right plan for this stage of your life. You’re correct that you don’t have the option of stopping your withdrawals during a downturn. But with a good plan, you won’t have to…

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A handful of exchange-traded funds on both sides of the border are capitalizing on the perceived investor need for investments chosen through the lens of gender diversity or equity. Whether these prove to deliver good returns or are merely the latest marketing gimmick remains to be seen. It wouldn’t be the first time the fund industry dazzled with a bit of clever marketing and investors should take care to mix up good intentions with sound portfolio strategy.
The ETFs sport stock market ticker symbols like HERS and SHE. HERS is the TSX ticker for the Evolve North American Gender Diversity Index ETF. Billed as “Canada’s first Gender Diversity ETF,” the ETF was listed on Sept. 20, 2017 and is available in hedged and unhedged versions.
Despite that billing, HERS is predominately in the U.S. market (87%), with only13% in Canada. As of February, its top sector weightings, both are information technology and financials, both at 16%. The fund, which has an MER of 0.55%, is equal weighted: the biggest holding is Amazon…