What is the CPP Survivor’s Pension? How can Canadians claim this benefit? + MORE Feb 15th

Not sure how to make a retirement plan? Read on…
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Canada’s income tax brackets for 2023, plus the maximum tax you’ll pay based on income + MORE Dec 7th

Taxes are an inescapable fact of life in Canada. Despite this, many of us don’t think too hard about the specific federal and provincial tax brackets that govern our taxable income. Nonetheless, understanding what bracket we fall into is key to accurately estimating the amount of tax we owe on our.... More »
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Planning for retirement with little or no savings to draw on + MORE Mar 21st

Despite their best intentions, some Canadians, facing a variety of financial challenges throughout their working lives, are not able to save much towards retirement. It can be difficult to know how to manage in these circumstances, especially when so much of the financial planning advice that gets s.... More »
 retirement savings

Making sense of the markets this week: October 15, 2023 + MORE Oct 19th

Kyle Prevost, creator of 4 Steps to a Worry-Free Retirement, Canada’s DIY retirement planning course, shares financial headlines and offers context for Canadian investors. Clearly, the biggest world news is the conflict in Israel and Gaza. This week we are holding off discussing the effects.... More »

How to plan for retirement for Canadians: A review of Four Steps to a Worry-Free Retirement course + MORE Oct 26th

With November incoming and being Financial Literacy Month in Canada, it seems appropriate to devote this edition of the Retired Money column to a new Canadian DIY retirement course created by MoneySense’s “Making sense of the markets” columnist Kyle Prevost. Entitled 4 Steps to a .... More »
 pension

Making sense of the markets this week: September 17, 2023 Sep 21st

Kyle Prevost, creator of 4 Steps to a Worry-Free Retirement, Canada’s DIY retirement planning course, shares financial headlines and offers context for Canadian investors. U.S. inflation battle: Mission not accomplished  Despite increasing interest rates and hawkish talk from the U.S. F.... More »
Amid the tumult of sharply rising interest rates, stubbornly high inflation and geopolitical risks, stocks have continued to slide. The market rout that began in early 2022 has hit retirees and those saving for retirement particularly hard.

Even bonds, usually thought of as a safe haven for investors, lost their value as interest rates spiked, given the inverse correlation between interest rates and bond prices.

In this environment, investors saving for retirement may want to consider a different approach to boost their income. One strategy that could help is to use a covered call writing strategy. Before we explore that, though, let’s look at the financial instrument the strategy uses: call options.

What is a call option? 

A call option is an agreement between two parties that gives the option buyer the right, but not the obligation, to buy a stock at a certain price (the “strike price”), within a specified time frame. The buyer pays a fee, called a premium, to the seller for that right…

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Ask MoneySense
My wife passed away, and I heard about the survivor’s pension. Can you tell me more about this benefit and how to receive it?—Kevin

What is the CPP Survivor’s Pension?

Thanks for your email, Kevin. Losing a spouse or common-law partner is one of the most challenging experiences we can face in our lifetimes. The Canadian government does offer a benefit payment program under the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) program for surviving spouses that could be payable to you if you qualify. It is called the CPP Survivor’s Pension, and it is a monthly payment paid to the survivor that helps to cover the pension payment the deceased would have received while still alive. 

Now, let’s review who qualifies for the benefit, how much you could receive and how to apply.

Who can qualify for survivor benefits?

The CPP Survivor’s Pension benefit is only payable to select Canadians. To qualify, the applicant must be legally recognized as the common-law partner to or married to the deceased…

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RRSP contribution rules highlights
Your RRSP contribution limit is based on the maximum RRSP contribution room set by the Canadian government, the income you earned during the previous tax year, and any unused contribution room from previous years. Overcontributing to your RRSP by more than $2,000 can result in a penalty of 1% per month on excess funds left in the account.

Putting money into a registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) is one of the best ways to save for retirement. Some people choose to contribute a lump sum to their RRSP, either at the beginning of the calendar year or just before of the annual deadline, while others prefer to contribute regularly through automatic withdrawals or deposits. Whichever option you choose, be aware that there’s a limit to how much you can add to your RRSP in any given year. The RRSP contribution room calculator above will get you the numbers you need, but keep reading for more information on RRSP contribution limits.

What’s an RRSP?

An RRSP is a savings account registered with the Canadian government…

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RRSP contribution deadline highlights
The RRSP contribution deadline for 2022 is March 1, 2023. Contributions made before the deadline must be reported on your 2022 tax return, but you can choose to carry the deductions forward into 2023 or beyond.

Every year, Canadians are asked to prepare an income tax return for the previous tax year. Most of the time, the tax year and calendar year align perfectly, meaning you’ll file a return in 2023 based on income you earned and deductions you qualified for between January 1 and December 31, 2022.

There’s one well-known exception to this rule: With registered retirement savings plans (RRSPs), Canadians have 60 days after the end of the calendar year to make contributions for the previous tax year. This means you have until March 1, 2023, to make an RRSP contribution and lower your taxable income for the 2022 tax year.

What’s an RRSP? 

An RRSP is a registered savings account designed to help Canadians save for retirement…

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