Protecting Estate Values When Your Investments Decline
The total net value of your estate represents what you will leave to your family when you die. It may include the following:
- Your residence;
- Cottage or other recreational property;
- Investment real estate;
- Stocks, bonds, mutual funds and commodities
- Life insurance;
- Any other assets you wish to leave to your heirs.
After paying off any liabilities, taxes arising at death, last expenses etc., what is left over is what your family will use to maintain the lifestyle that you created for them.
Two easy ways to make sure debt and investment losses do not impact the estate you leave for your family Read more 
TFSAs aren’t just for short-term savers anymore
It’s been a decade since the TFSA was born. It’s grown up quite a bit over that time.
By Bryan Borzykowski for MoneySense.ca
It was hard to know it at the time, but February 26, 2008 has become one of the most significant dates in Canadian investing history. That afternoon, Jim Flaherty, then Minister of Finance, unveiled the Conservative party’s budget and, for the first time, mentioned the Tax-Free Savings Account. On January 2, 2009, the first TFSA was opened and $5,000—the maximum contribution limit that year—was deposited by some savvy investor.
When Flaherty introduced the TFSA, he listed a variety of ways someone might use the account. An RRSP, he said, was meant for retirement savings. A TFSA, where after-tax dollars can grow tax-free, was “for everything else in your life,” like buying a first car, saving for a first home and setting aside money for a “special project” or a personal indulgence. With contribution room only increasing by $5,000 per year for the first few years, using it to save for something made a lot of sense.
Read the rest of the article at www.moneysense.ca
TFSA or RRSP? 2019
One of the most common investment questions Canadians ask themselves today is, “Which is better, TFSA or RRSP”?
Here’s the good news – it doesn’t have to be an either or choice. Why not do both? Below are the features of both plans to help you understand the differences.
Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA)
- Any Canadian resident age 18 or over may open a TFSA. Contribution is not based on earned income. There is no maximum age for contribution.
- For 2018, the maximum contribution remains at $5,500. For 2019, that increases to $6,000.
- There is carry forward room for each year in which the maximum contribution was not made. For those who have not yet contributed to a TFSA, the cumulative total contribution room for 2018 is $57,500. It will increase in 2019 to $63,500. Read more
Steps to Avoid the OAS Clawback
According to the Canadian government website, Old Age Security is the largest pension program in Canada. OAS pays a monthly income to seniors who are age 65 and over. The amount of the payment is not based on past income but rather how long you resided in Canada after the age of 18. If you have turned 65 you are eligible for the maximum OAS income if you have resided in Canada for at least 40 years after turning 18 AND have resided in Canada for at least 10 years prior to receiving approval for your OAS pension. There are some exceptions for those who don’t fully qualify based on temporary absences during that requisite 10-year period.
For the last quarter of 2018, the maximum monthly OAS payment regardless of marital status is $600.85. Don’t get too excited as, as the title suggests, the government can clawback part or all of your OAS benefit depending on your taxable income. As of 2018, you can earn up to $75,950 in annual taxable income (up from $74,788 in 2017) without affecting your payment. For every dollar earned over this threshold amount however, you will be taxed (referred to as an OAS recovery tax) at a rate of 15%. Once you reach taxable income in the amount of $ 123,386 the government will have fully recovered or clawed back the entire amount of your Old Age Security. Read more
