Tax Strategies

Tax Refund is NOT a Benefit of RRSPs

Getting a tax refund is one of the main motivators for contributing to RRSPs. However, there are two main benefits of RRSPs and the tax refund is not one of them. The benefits of RRSPs are: Tax-free growth (same as the TFSA). Tax gain or loss depending on your post-retirement tax bracket when you withdraw…

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Paying too much tax? How much is too much?

Do you ever wonder whether you are paying more tax than you need to?  Do you hear stories about people claiming all kinds of deductions or about rich people being able to avoid tax? At tax time each year, these questions are foremost in Canadians’ minds.

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Case Study: Figuring Out Your Optimal RRSP/TFSA Contribution

In the last article, Ed Rempel discussed the steps to creating your optimal RRSP/TFSA contribution. Here is a case study to help put the steps into practice. Case Study: Optimal RRSP/TFSA Contributions for John and Mary Smith To understand the interplay between these six factors, lets look at an example. John Mary Income $100,000 $60,000 Marginal…

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The Optimal RRSP Contribution

In RRSP season, you may wonder “How much should I contribute to my RRSP?” The proper way to figure this out is to identify your “optimal RRSP/TFSA contribution”. Understanding how to figure out the very best RRSP contribution to make is a vital concept. It is a key factor in every retirement plan. This article was…

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The Optimal RRSP/TFSA Contribution

Now that we are in RRSP season, you may be wondering “How much should I contribute to my RRSP?” The proper way to figure this out is to identify your “optimal RRSP/TFSA contribution”. This is a key factor in every retirement plan.

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Converting Income to the Right Type with Corporate Class Funds

Investing for income can mean that you have to chose between the most appropriate investment and the most tax-efficient one. You can convert investment income into the right type using corporate class funds. The most highly taxed income is interest. There is a significant benefit for you if you can convert interest income into dividends…

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Tax-Efficient Income

Once you retire, it is important to understand how all your income will be taxed. Your investment choices will affect the type of income your receive. You can save a lot of tax by knowing which type of income is taxed the least by your income level. This article was written for The TaxLetter, a…

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TFSA, RRSP or Both?

Ever since tax-free savings accounts (TFSAs) were introduced, there has been a debate about which is the best for retirement investments – TFSAs or RRSPs? To fully understand this debate, you need to consider your tax rates before and after retirement, including the clawbacks on seniors. I have seen no other articles anywhere that properly…

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