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How is a non-registered account taxed upon death?
– moneysense.ca
With so much information out there about estate planning with RRSPs and TFSAs, the one thing l find hard to find answers to are [questions] related to investments in a non-registered account in a brokerage. I am trying to draw down my RRSPs and RRIFs in a tax-efficient manner so that there isn’t a large amount of future tax payable on the last surviving spouse.
It’s my understanding that you cannot name a beneficiary to your non-registered account at a brokerage and that it will have to go through probate and the estate. Am l better off not having such a large amount in a non-registered account at a brokerage? I currently have a total of $450,000 in there. Should l have it in GICs at a bank or credit union and name a beneficiary for them? Should l slowly sell off my stocks to avoid a large tax bill down the road or in the event that l pass away?
—Joe
During their working years, savers tend to focus on tax deferral, especially using registered retirement savings plans (RRSPs)…
Moving money from RRSPs, RRIFs and TFSAs in retirement
– moneysense.ca

My husband and I are retired with $200,000 in our TFSAs, $230,000 in our RRSPs and RRIFs, and we have an emergency fund. Our household income is $85,000 a year.
My husband may need nursing home care at some point, so I have been moving assets from the RRSPs to our TFSAs for flexibility. My spouse, who is over age 71, has about $50,000 of RRSP contribution room left.
We would like to leave money to our only child and may soon open a non-registered investment account.
Should I move TFSA and other assets into a spousal RRSP before I turn 71, and continue to draw down our RIFs/RRSPs to our TFSAs? Or should I leave things be?
—Irene
Moving money from RRSPs and RRIFs to TFSAs
I like your thinking, Irene. You’re looking ahead to see how you can minimize taxes and create more options for you and your husband. Money withdrawn from a registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) and/or a registered retirement income fund (RRIF) is taxable, so why not move it to a tax-free savings account (TFSA)? That can mean tax-free growth and withdrawals…

In fact, Canadian savers have an abundance of good choices right now for places to earn rates of interest that will keep their money growing ahead of inflation. So, where should you put your money: in bonds, guaranteed investment certificates (GICs) or a high-interest savings account (HISA)? You may be surprised at how similar these are for interest rates. But there’s more to the story.
Is it time for Canadians to invest in bonds again?
The talk of bonds coming back only makes sense if you understand where they went. For most of the past decade, bonds have been a terrible investment as interest rates fell to historic lows, meaning they paid almost no interest. Then inflation took off as the global economy lurched out of the COVID-19 pandemic, and central banks were forced to raise interest rates—fast…