There are plenty of retirement plan options in Canada! Stay on top of the best plans right here.
Latest News
Want to know exactly what you’ll get from CPP when you retire? Here’s how to find out Jul 20th
You can even get a precise estimate years in advance, thanks to a new online service that goes where the federal government won’t, writes David Aston..... More »
The upside to waiting until age 70 to take CPP benefits + MORE Oct 5th
Q. I am retiring next year at age 65 and I don’t know if I should take my CPP immediately, or wait. My friends and other people I know from work took their CPP when they retired and they are telling me I should take it when I retire. Are they right? When is the best time to draw CPP?
–Jit
A. H.... More »
Are you missing out on RRSP matching and more? Feb 28th
A registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) is a powerful retirement savings tool, yet many Canadians aren’t getting its full benefits. A lot of us are also missing out on RRSP matching and other incentives—essentially, free money—that could go a long way to funding a more comfortable retireme.... More »
Can you delay a RRIF withdrawal? Jun 6th
Ask MoneySense
I read you can base your RRIF withdrawals on your wife’s age to minimize them. Can you please explain exactly what that means? My wife is seven years younger than me, and I am 68. I already have a small RRIF, set up for the pension benefit. When I hit 71, when I convert my RRSP to a.... More »
Investing inside a corporation: what you need to know + MORE Jul 27th
A MoneySense reader writes:
We have $550,000 to invest in our corporation and need something tax-efficient. Although we’re retired, we don’t need this money for the foreseeable future, so we’re investing for the long term. We’re considering either DIY investing following one of the Couch Pot.... 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.
