There are plenty of retirement plan options in Canada! Stay on top of the best plans right here.
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Harvesting returns from your “explore” investments + MORE Jan 25th
Some investors prefer to park most of their investments in a broadly diversified portfolio of ETFs and then use a small portion of their account to speculate on riskier investments. This “core and explore” approach can be a sensible way to curb your investing FOMO (fear of missing out) without r.... More »
This 34-year-old hospital worker has three kids and a mortgage to pay off. Making $104,000 a year, he wants to save $50K each for his kids. How can he start? + MORE Dec 22nd
Mel would also like to save enough for retirement, at least $1 million each for him and his wife, and also purchase a second real estate property to rent out..... More »
“What type of content am I reading?” + MORE Nov 23rd
You can always tell by how an article is labelled what type of content you’re reading. The label appears not only on the article itself, but anywhere it appears on the website.
No label. If the only label you see is a topic tag, such as Investing or Retirement, that means you’re reading a purely.... More »
Tax implications of making transfers between registered accounts + MORE Dec 21st
Ask MoneySense
I had a locked-in pension, which I converted to a life income fund (LIF). I also took advantage of the ability to unlock up to 50% of the LIF within 60 days and put $120,000 into an RRSP. I did not receive any funds—so I was shocked when I received a T4RIF for $120,000, which means .... More »
Are Canadian pension buybacks worth it? Jul 20th
Ask MoneySense
I am currently transferring my pension from a provincial to a federal government pension plan. I’m trying to determine if it is worth purchasing the balance of service and, if so, should I use my RRSP or TFSA funds. Here’s some relevant info:
Service Credited: 7 years, 140 days.... More »
The ins and outs of tax and estate planning for a RRIF
– moneysense.ca
Q: I’m 81, single, female, with around $265,000 in a RRIF (invested in two different financial institutions, both mutual funds). My withdrawal is about $12,000 a year.
How can I minimize tax payable (by my beneficiaries) at death?
— Lydia
A: The tax savings and deferral from contributing to a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) can be a good thing. But in retirement, and on death, the tax payable on withdrawals from a registered account is an important tax and estate consideration.
As you may know, Lydia, a Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF) can be left on your death to a surviving spouse or common-law partner on a tax-deferred basis. In certain instances, a RRIF can also be left to a financially dependent child or grandchild. They must live with you, be dependent upon you, and have an income below the basic personal exemption in the year of your death. If these conditions apply, some or all of the value of your RRIF can be taxed on their tax return instead of having all of it taxed on your tax return…
How can I minimize tax payable (by my beneficiaries) at death?
— Lydia
A: The tax savings and deferral from contributing to a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) can be a good thing. But in retirement, and on death, the tax payable on withdrawals from a registered account is an important tax and estate consideration.
As you may know, Lydia, a Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF) can be left on your death to a surviving spouse or common-law partner on a tax-deferred basis. In certain instances, a RRIF can also be left to a financially dependent child or grandchild. They must live with you, be dependent upon you, and have an income below the basic personal exemption in the year of your death. If these conditions apply, some or all of the value of your RRIF can be taxed on their tax return instead of having all of it taxed on your tax return…
How will a pension buyback impact your income tax return?
– moneysense.ca
Q. I plan to do a pension buyback for my service with the Government of Canada. Can I deduct the lump sum payment from my total income if I fully pay the amount at once? And will the total income reported on my T4 be reduced if I choose to deduct a certain amount from each pay stub? Looking forward to your reply. Thank you.
— Alice
A. You’re asking about how your pension buyback will impact your yearly income tax return. Great questions!
First, some background: As a participant in the federal government’s defined-benefit pension plan, public sector employees accumulate years of “pensionable service,” which build credits toward an eventual retirement pension.
Then, at retirement, your total pensionable service is used to calculate your pension benefits. This total can include current service (all of the full and partial years you’ve worked while enrolled in the pension plan you’re retiring from), service that you’ve transferred from one plan to another (if you switched jobs and were able to take your pension with you to your new job), and service you have “bought back” to cover a period when you were not contributing to the pension (such as during maternity or parental leave, for example)…
— Alice
A. You’re asking about how your pension buyback will impact your yearly income tax return. Great questions!
First, some background: As a participant in the federal government’s defined-benefit pension plan, public sector employees accumulate years of “pensionable service,” which build credits toward an eventual retirement pension.
Then, at retirement, your total pensionable service is used to calculate your pension benefits. This total can include current service (all of the full and partial years you’ve worked while enrolled in the pension plan you’re retiring from), service that you’ve transferred from one plan to another (if you switched jobs and were able to take your pension with you to your new job), and service you have “bought back” to cover a period when you were not contributing to the pension (such as during maternity or parental leave, for example)…
The Liberals have raised the amount you can borrow from your RRSP to buy a home, but there are costs, writes Gordon Pape.
