After death of spouse, CPP survivor’s benefit can be a shock
Here’s an important article I wanted to share from CBC News. It addresses some of the scenarios widows and widowers could face if they continue to be reliant on CPP after the death of a spouse.
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