Should I invest in RRSP's or TFSA's - a discussion for all Canadian Savers

 

RRSP (Registered Retirement Savings Plan)or TFSA (Tax Free Savings Account)

Most people who want to save for retirement will have this argument with themselves over time, and "time" it seems is really the key to determining whether or not you should contribute to your RRSP or to your TFSA in any given year.


Firstly let me point out what should be obvious to our readers now.  These are not "Savings" accounts so much as they are "Investment" accounts.  Within both vehicles you can purchase most kinds of investments from stocks to bonds, mutual funds, ETF's and real estate in the form of REIT's

Some people believe that splitting savings between these two investing vehicles is a safe bet, but in many instances they would be wrong.

One unique aspect of the Canadian RRSP (similar to a 401(k) in the U.S.) and the TFSA (similar to a Roth IRA in the U.S.) is that there is a "limit" to the contributions you can make in any given year but that limit "carries over" to the following year should you fail to contribute.

This fact alone should tell you how to best invest your money at different points in your life and career.  For instance, when one is a young adult, say in your 20's, it is common that your income is much less than it will be later in your life, say in your 40's and 50's which are usually you "maximum" income years.

Knowing this, one simplified plan is to contribute as much as you can to your TSFA in those early years when your income is low, then, depending on your personal circumstances, gradually switch to the RRSP as your income increases later in life.

Why? Because it is better to reduce your tax burden on the higher income rather than the lower income, and the accumulation of contribution room over years, allows for a much larger RRSP deposit, thereby reducing your tax burden even further. Tuned in Canadians know that reducing your tax burden is a big part of retirement saving and planning.

If you were prudent and maxed out your TFSA during your 20's and into your 30's, "and" you invested well in that account ( It is really a tax free "investment" account, not just a savings account)
then you would have a considerable amount in your TSFA to tap into to ensure you max out your RRSP at the top end of your income earning years.

Here is a good primer on this very issue courtesy of  BNN.

Is the RRSP headed for retirement?

Target date retirement funds or retirefunds are growing in popularity

Target dated Retirement funds are known as Retirefunds. They are often set up to target a specific date which is usually the retirement date of the individual investor in question.

Examples of such funds can be found at BMO, Scotiabank, Manulife, T. Rowe Price, Pimco, American Funds, and many other banks and financial institutions too numerous to mention here.  These funds are the "cruise control" of mutual funds. As the investor gets closer to retirement, the fund's asset allocation becomes more conservative and focuses on fixed income. The changing asset allocation is called the glide path.

 "In the U.S., target-date funds hit the public consciousness after the Pension Protection Act of 2006. The legislation allowed 401(k) plan sponsors to make life cycle funds the default investments for participants who didn't choose their own funds. The logic was that since investors were now in charge of their own retirement funds, sitting in cash wasn't going to get them there".(See Nasdaq)

In Canada, target dated funds began gaining more interest around the same time. These funds have some very positive aspects which are desired by many investors.  Many individuals are so busy with their own careers, family and lives that they truly want their retirement funds on cruise control. Although I often point out you are the best keeper of your retirement plan and your money, many people either do not, or cannot look after their own plans.

There are however some drawbacks to these plans you should be aware of. The Canadian investment review has an excellent article on this very subject entitled: The trouble with retirement dated funds.

Retirefunds may not be for everyone but there is a growing investor base that wants to keep their investments on cruise control.  If you are interested in this form of retirement financing, you should contact a qualified financial adviser.

Ed