How To Contribute To Registered Retirement Savings Plan Of Canada?
The Canadian government has established a program for its working citizens called the Registered Retirement Savings Plan, or RRSP. The following article will provide information on the advantages of this plan, its eligibility requirements, and how to get started.
Before we get into what the program is, let’s be clear on what it is NOT. It is not, by itself, an investment. It is an account which HOLDS investments. It is very similar to a brokerage account one would open at Canada’s Royal Bank or TD Canada Trust, for example. A person cannot buy an RRSP. What is “bought” is an investment in a retirement plan account which one then contributes into.
This retirement plan has many advantages. It is registered by the Canadian federal government, legally recognized as a trust, and can hold many different types of investments. However, the major advantage the plan provides is its unique tax benefits.
Two major benefits will be discussed in the following paragraphs. The first of which will be tax deferred growth. This benefit involves the profits accrued by the account in the form of interest, dividends, and capital gains.
First of all, it needs to be mentioned that tax deferred is not equal to tax-free. Most other retirement plans not only tax a person when their investment is withdrawn, but also during the accrual of profits to the account. The RRSP sets itself apart in that, while it does tax upon withdrawal at the point of retirement, its does NOT tax immediate profits as earned income. This is considered a benefit due to the fact that most retirees’ income tend to be lower than income made in their peak earning years.
Consider this real world example to gain an understanding of the other major tax benefit, called tax credit, this plan provides. Mary the receptionist makes makes $34,000 in a year and the cap on contributions for that year is 18% or $15,000 (whichever is less), Mary may only contribute $6,120 that year since that is 18% of $34,000. In accordance with the RRSP’s tax credit benefit, this means that Mary only has to pay tax on $27,880 of her income ($34,000 – $6,120 = $27,880) if she contributes his maximum to his RRSP. Because Mary contributed to his RRSP, she received $6,120 in tax credits
So, let’s go over who is eligible to open a Registered Retirement Savings Plan.
Fortunately, most working-age Canadian are already eligible for the Registered Retirement Savings Plan. A person must meet the following criteria.
Be working within Canada.
68 years of age or younger
Contribution room is available.
Pay taxes to the government of Canada.
Any of Canada’s financial institutions are able to open an RRSP to eligible Canadians in person or online.
The Canadian Government allows a person to manage their own retirement with the Registered Retirement Savings Plan by implementing the benefits mentioned in this article. The good news is that most Canadians are eligible for this plan and have many options in opening and planning their account.
Learn more about investing in RRSP and many other ways to invest.
August 23, 2010
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Posted by Michael Gallor
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