What is an RRSP and How Does it Work?
January 16, 2024
Maybe you can’t drive stick shift. Maybe you don’t know the name of your local representative. Or maybe you’re still unclear on what, exactly, gluten actually is.
We all have holes in our knowledge that we’re embarrassed to admit. If you still aren’t sure what an RRSP is, or how it actually works — don’t worry. Using an RRSP doesn’t have to be complicated or intimidating. In fact, once you break it down, they’re pretty straightforward. Even better? Learn how RRSPs work, open one, start contributing, and your future self will benefit. So grab a coffee refill and carve out ten minutes. Here’s what you need to know about RRSPs.
What is an RRSP? RRSP stands for Registered Retirement Savings Plan. An RRSP is an investment account you contribute to each year in order to build up long term savings, most often for retirement (as the name suggests).
How an RRSP works The most important way an RRSP differs from a regular (non-registered) account or a TFSA (Tax-Free Savings Account) is how it’s taxed. Your RRSP contributions are tax deductible. So, when you contribute to an RRSP, you pay less in income taxes than you would otherwise. And while the money is in the account, it grows tax free. Later, when you withdraw that money again — typically in retirement — you pay taxes on it as though it’s income.
Lifecycle of an RRSP Step 1: Earning money Chances are, you’re already completing this step. If you work for someone else, your employment income tax is taken off your paycheque automatically. If you work for yourself, you’ll pay those taxes either annually, or on a quarterly basis, depending on how much money you make.
Step 2: Opening an RRSP Once you open an RRSP, you’ll be ready to contribute assets. Think of your RRSP as a box you can put cash and different types of investments into. These can include publicly traded stocks, bonds, ETFs, mutual funds, or GICS — just about any financial product that holds value.
Because you’re almost certainly saving for the long-term, (retirement being the end-game), it’s wise to take advantage of the opportunity to grow the value of your account by investing the money in the account. Working with an advisor helps you choose appropriate investments and products that meet your unique needs.
Step 3: Contributing money Each year, you can contribute 18% of your previous year’s earned income, or the year’s maximum contribution rate, to your RRSP — whichever is less. For the 2023 tax year, the RRSP contribution limit is $30,780. Also, if you didn’t max out your contribution room in previous years, that amount carries forward to the present. To maximize your savings, consider setting up automatic contributions so the money is automatically taken out of your chequing account on a recurring basis.
Step 4: Using your RRSP money You have the option to withdraw money from your RRSP before you retire. Generally, we strongly advise against making early RRSP withdrawals because you’ll be hit with a tax liability — unless you plan to take advantage of the Home Buyer’s Plan or Lifelong Learner Plan. Even then, there may be better ways to get funding.
Step 5: Converting your RRSP to a RRIF Once you retire, the money in your RRSP becomes retirement income. To make these withdrawals, you’ll need to convert your account into a RRIF (Registered Retirement Income Fund). You have to do this by the end of the year that you turn 71, but you have the option to do so sooner. Any money you take out at this stage will be taxed as income when you withdraw it.
One Extra Step: Managing your estate When you pass away, your spouse can inherit your RRSP on a tax-deferred basis. If you don’t have a spouse, any beneficiaries you name receive it as cash but the value of the RRSP is subject to tax in your final tax return. If you haven’t named beneficiaries, it gets rolled into your estate and would be subject to probate fees so its important to name a beneficiary.
RRSP tax benefits You’ll see the benefits of contributing to your RRSP in the form of tax savings. When people talk about RRSP contributions being “tax-deferred,” they mean that you save on taxes now, and pay them later.
You can expect to save 30 to 40 cents on the dollar in tax when you make contributions to your RRSP. This RRSP tax savings calculator can help you determine the tax savings of an RRSP contribution — the exact amount depends on your marginal tax rate which is determined by income level and differs by province. When you withdraw that money in the future, you’ll pay taxes on it equivalent to your tax bracket at that time. Generally, you can expect your income in retirement to be lower, so you’ll pay less taxes.
RRSP vs. TFSA: Which is right for you? RRSPs and TFSAs (Tax-Free Savings Accounts) are both excellent options for long-term investing, and both offer tax advantages. Like the name suggests, the RRSP is typically going to be the best option if you’re investing specifically for retirement. That’s especially true if you’re in your peak earning years. With a TFSA, you don’t benefit from any income tax savings upfront, but when it comes time to withdraw the money from your account, you won’t pay any taxes, even on interest and investment growth. If you think your income will be higher in retirement than it is now, or if you want to ensure that the money’s available for any purpose, not locked away until retirement, then a TFSA might be your best bet. Check out our detailed comparison of TFSA vs. RRSP.
Spousal RRSPs If you’re married, you can set up a joint RRSP for you and your spouse. This can come with several benefits. If one of you earns more than the other, they can make a larger contribution and benefit from the tax break — while you’re both able to withdraw the money later. In that case, if the spouse with the lower income withdraws the money, it will be taxed at their tax rate. This maximizes savings for both spouses. However, there are some requirements you have to meet — such as making sure the spouse with the higher income doesn’t make a contribution the year before the withdrawal. The ABCs of Spousal RRSPs will help explain how you and your partner can make the most of a spousal RRSP.
The 2024 RRSP contribution deadline You have 60 days after the end of the year to make your RRSP contribution for the previous year. The deadline to contribute to your RRSP for the 2023 tax year is February 29, 2024.
What is an RRSP? RRSP stands for Registered Retirement Savings Plan. An RRSP is an investment account you contribute to each year in order to build up long term savings, most often for retirement (as the name suggests).
How an RRSP works The most important way an RRSP differs from a regular (non-registered) account or a TFSA (Tax-Free Savings Account) is how it’s taxed. Your RRSP contributions are tax deductible. So, when you contribute to an RRSP, you pay less in income taxes than you would otherwise. And while the money is in the account, it grows tax free. Later, when you withdraw that money again — typically in retirement — you pay taxes on it as though it’s income.
Lifecycle of an RRSP Step 1: Earning money Chances are, you’re already completing this step. If you work for someone else, your employment income tax is taken off your paycheque automatically. If you work for yourself, you’ll pay those taxes either annually, or on a quarterly basis, depending on how much money you make.
Step 2: Opening an RRSP Once you open an RRSP, you’ll be ready to contribute assets. Think of your RRSP as a box you can put cash and different types of investments into. These can include publicly traded stocks, bonds, ETFs, mutual funds, or GICS — just about any financial product that holds value.
Because you’re almost certainly saving for the long-term, (retirement being the end-game), it’s wise to take advantage of the opportunity to grow the value of your account by investing the money in the account. Working with an advisor helps you choose appropriate investments and products that meet your unique needs.
Step 3: Contributing money Each year, you can contribute 18% of your previous year’s earned income, or the year’s maximum contribution rate, to your RRSP — whichever is less. For the 2023 tax year, the RRSP contribution limit is $30,780. Also, if you didn’t max out your contribution room in previous years, that amount carries forward to the present. To maximize your savings, consider setting up automatic contributions so the money is automatically taken out of your chequing account on a recurring basis.
Step 4: Using your RRSP money You have the option to withdraw money from your RRSP before you retire. Generally, we strongly advise against making early RRSP withdrawals because you’ll be hit with a tax liability — unless you plan to take advantage of the Home Buyer’s Plan or Lifelong Learner Plan. Even then, there may be better ways to get funding.
Step 5: Converting your RRSP to a RRIF Once you retire, the money in your RRSP becomes retirement income. To make these withdrawals, you’ll need to convert your account into a RRIF (Registered Retirement Income Fund). You have to do this by the end of the year that you turn 71, but you have the option to do so sooner. Any money you take out at this stage will be taxed as income when you withdraw it.
One Extra Step: Managing your estate When you pass away, your spouse can inherit your RRSP on a tax-deferred basis. If you don’t have a spouse, any beneficiaries you name receive it as cash but the value of the RRSP is subject to tax in your final tax return. If you haven’t named beneficiaries, it gets rolled into your estate and would be subject to probate fees so its important to name a beneficiary.
RRSP tax benefits You’ll see the benefits of contributing to your RRSP in the form of tax savings. When people talk about RRSP contributions being “tax-deferred,” they mean that you save on taxes now, and pay them later.
You can expect to save 30 to 40 cents on the dollar in tax when you make contributions to your RRSP. This RRSP tax savings calculator can help you determine the tax savings of an RRSP contribution — the exact amount depends on your marginal tax rate which is determined by income level and differs by province. When you withdraw that money in the future, you’ll pay taxes on it equivalent to your tax bracket at that time. Generally, you can expect your income in retirement to be lower, so you’ll pay less taxes.
RRSP vs. TFSA: Which is right for you? RRSPs and TFSAs (Tax-Free Savings Accounts) are both excellent options for long-term investing, and both offer tax advantages. Like the name suggests, the RRSP is typically going to be the best option if you’re investing specifically for retirement. That’s especially true if you’re in your peak earning years. With a TFSA, you don’t benefit from any income tax savings upfront, but when it comes time to withdraw the money from your account, you won’t pay any taxes, even on interest and investment growth. If you think your income will be higher in retirement than it is now, or if you want to ensure that the money’s available for any purpose, not locked away until retirement, then a TFSA might be your best bet. Check out our detailed comparison of TFSA vs. RRSP.
Spousal RRSPs If you’re married, you can set up a joint RRSP for you and your spouse. This can come with several benefits. If one of you earns more than the other, they can make a larger contribution and benefit from the tax break — while you’re both able to withdraw the money later. In that case, if the spouse with the lower income withdraws the money, it will be taxed at their tax rate. This maximizes savings for both spouses. However, there are some requirements you have to meet — such as making sure the spouse with the higher income doesn’t make a contribution the year before the withdrawal. The ABCs of Spousal RRSPs will help explain how you and your partner can make the most of a spousal RRSP.
The 2024 RRSP contribution deadline You have 60 days after the end of the year to make your RRSP contribution for the previous year. The deadline to contribute to your RRSP for the 2023 tax year is February 29, 2024.
The contents of this publication were researched, written and produced by The Link Between (https://www.thelinkbetween.ca/) and are used by Echelon Wealth Partners Inc. for information purposes only.
Disclaimers
Echelon Wealth Partners Inc.
The opinions expressed in this report are the opinions of the author and readers should not assume they reflect the opinions or recommendations of Echelon Wealth Partners Inc. or its affiliates. Assumptions, opinions and estimates constitute the author's judgment as of the date of this material and are subject to change without notice. We do not warrant the completeness or accuracy of this material, and it should not be relied upon as such. Before acting on any recommendation, you should consider whether it is suitable for your particular circumstances and, if necessary, seek professional advice. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The comments contained herein are general in nature and are not intended to be, nor should be construed to be, legal or tax advice to any particular individual. Accordingly, individuals should consult their own legal or tax advisors for advice with respect to the tax consequences to them.
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It seems like just yesterday that you could buy a pint of Stella for $7 or so. Now, more often than not, it is closer to $10. Yep, inflation. It is kind of like a tax on doing things, as just about everything has cost more over the past few years. Hop on a flight, eat at a nice restaurant, refinance your mortgage, the list goes on. With the benefit of hindsight, the current higher inflationary environment can be blamed on a few pretty big factors. Changes in behaviour during and coming out of the pandemic blew up supply changes, as capacity was unable to keep pace with demand. Then, of course, unprecedented money printing magnified the situation, as it made everyone wealthier and more willing to pay $10 for a pint. Of course, the textbook solution is to raise interest rates, which is clearly occurring around the world. These monetary policy shifts are effective but do work with variable lags. Making those lags longer, or even temporally offsetting them, was fiscal policy. It doesn’t take an economist to understand if the monetary policy is trying to slow the economy to tame inflation; materially elevated fiscal spending in an economy that is still growing at a decent pace is counterproductive for the inflation fight.
If the wealth advice service were in the manufacturing industry, the portfolio would be akin to what we make. Sure, there are many value-added services in addition to the portfolio, but it’s the portfolio that has to succeed for the client to reach their long-term goals. So, the more we can think about portfolio construction, the better. One challenge is that while portfolio construction is often based on as long a historical time period as possible, things never remain static. Markets evolve and change over time, relationships change, and the available tools in the portfolio construction toolbox also change over time. One recent change that has been a challenge is the bond/stock correlation. After a couple of decades of very low or even negative correlations between these two core building blocks, correlations are back to being positive. The following chart shows the 2-year monthly correlation between Canadian equities and bonds. It looks rather similar for the U.S. and global markets, but we just thought some Canadian content would be nice. The higher correlation means that, more often, equities and bonds are moving in the same direction. Nobody complains when both are moving higher, like in the past 12 months, but when they move lower together, everyone starts getting grumpy, like in 2022. The 2nd line, beta, measures not just the direction of the two asset classes but the magnitude of the relative move.
The US market is up a little over 10% this year, Canada +6%, Europe +10%, and Japan +15%, while bonds are down about -1%. Huh, that sure does look like asset allocation is working well again after the car crash of 2022. Even better news is that the market is moving higher thanks to good fundamental news, not simply because central bankers are jamming more money into the financial system. Recession risk has continued to fade, as evidenced by the survey of economists. For the UK, Canada, US, Eurozone, China & Japan, the average probability of a recession hit a high in late 2022 at about 60% and has fallen down to a mere 25% of late. The UK, which was as high as 90% and suffered two negative quarters of GDP growth, is now down to 30%, winning the most improved ribbon. Even Canada, which is clearly struggling with higher rates, has improved from over 60% to 30%. Most are clustered around the 30% zone.
Should it be any surprise how calm markets have become? Global equities are up 9.2% year to date. Apart from a 2% decline in January and a 5% drop in April, the trend has been steadily up to the right on the chart. We can easily slap a financial narrative on this, such as improving economic growth globally, a decent Q1 earnings season, or maybe it's just the AI frenzy. More than a third of the advances in global equities are attributed to Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, and Alphabet. Whatever the cause, equity volatility has been very calm so far in 2024. But it is more than this, as it isn’t just equities.  The volatility in the bond market has gone super low (2nd panel in chart). The MOVE index measures volatility in U.S. Treasury Bonds [actually at-the-money options on interest rate swaps, but let’s not go down that rabbit hole]. Even though bond yields moved higher this year, the 10-year started at 4%, gradually up to 4.75%, then back down to 4.5%; these moves pale in comparison to the last couple of years. In case you forgot, the same bond in 2022 went from 1.5% to 4.0% and in 2023, yields oscillated between 3.5 to 5.0%. Looking beyond Treasuries, credit spreads are back down to or close to historical lows. Investment Grade spreads in the U.S. are 50bps. Lows in past mini-credit cycles have been 40-60bps.
I think we might be in that very unique market mood when bad news is good news. The equity market weakness in April can probably be attributed to bond yields moving higher, so any economic data on the weaker growth side is welcome news at the moment. The S&P started to recover on May 3rd, rising 1.3% when the ever-important non-farm payroll labour report came in softer than expected, helping 10-year yields fall back down to 4.5%. Then, over the past few weeks, we have seen generally weaker economic data for the ever-important U.S. economy; bond yields have continued to come down, and equity prices have moved up. Of course, all eyes were on the U.S. inflation print for April, which was marginally softer than expected (soft CPI is truly good news), helping bond yields fall and pushing the S&P 500 to a new all-time high. But really, 0.3% vs. expectations of 0.4% is not huge, especially given that the core reading was in line at 0.3%. This still has the annualized 3-month change running a hot 4.5%. To be fair, there was some good news beneath the surface on the CPI print. But on that day, helping, and less talked about, was a really weak Empire manufacturing survey and weak retail sales.
The normal narrative for encouraging investors to look at emerging markets typically goes like this: The valuations are cheap, the demographics/rising incomes are supportive of growth, and they offer diversification. Perhaps this is more the marketing narrative. Kind of how, like for infrastructure strategies, they always talk about how many bridges need repairing. We are not refuting any of the above reasons, as they have been rather perennial for many, many years. And yet, for those who know us, we have been rather negative or at least cool on emerging markets for a long time. How long? Well, this negative view persisted for well over a decade. This is us giving ourselves a pat on the back since Emerging Markets (EM) have done roughly nothing for the past 12 years as Developed Markets (DM) have charged higher (chart).
Take your pick. There is no shortage of both good and bad news floating about the financial markets. To be fair, this is always the case. The hard part is understanding which side is stronger today and which side will be stronger tomorrow. With markets up low to mid-single digits following a very strong Q4 finish to 2023, most would agree the optimists are carrying the day at the moment. It is not just rose-coloured glasses; there is good news out there. Economic growth signs or momentum appear to be improving year-to-date. Dial back a few quarters, and the U.S. economy remained resilient while other economies softened or were rather lacklustre, including Canada, Europe, Japan, and China, to highlight some of the biggies. Today, while Canada is struggling, momentum in the U.S. has moved even higher, and there are signs of improvement in most jurisdictions.
There are three things you should rarely ever bet against: the Leaf’s opposing team in the playoffs, the American consumer’s ability to spend, and corporate profits. As we are now about halfway through U.S. earnings season, once again, positive surprises remain the norm; 81% have beaten. It's a bit better than the 20-year average of 75%. The fact is that companies are good at managing analysts’ expectations. At least enough to beat them when the numbers hit the tape. The size of the positive surprises have been encouraging as well, at just under 10%. The highest surprise magnitude in some time.  One of our reservations on the sustainability of this market rally over the past couple of quarters has been the flat earnings revisions. In other words, global markets are up over 20% but earnings estimates have remained flat or tilted down slightly. More often than not, markets trend in the same direction as earnings revisions. Earnings get revised up when companies raise guidance and/or analysts become more encouraged about growth prospects. That is a good thing for markets. Obviously, downward revisions are bad. Yet estimates have remained very flat as markets marched higher, a challenging combination.
The oil market has been interesting lately and, to the surprise of many, has been the biggest silent outperformer this year. There is no shortage of geopolitical events to choose from that’s leading to a higher risk premium in oil with Brent breaking $90, whether it’s the Houthis missile attacks in the Red Sea leading to a massive re-route of trade, Ukraine’s drone strikes on Russian refineries, and the latest escalation between Israel and Iran leading to some news outlets using WWIII as click bait-y headlines. Given the run-up in oil prices, Canadian oil equities have clearly benefitted from the much higher torque. But there is a layer of even better news: The Transmountain Expansion (TMX) continues to look to be in operation by May, which would lead to much better pricing on the Western Canadian Select (WCS). With the current setup for the oil markets, some key questions that we often get from investors are: How sustainable is the rally in Canadian energy names? To determine if the oil equities are overstretched, we can look at the debt-adjusted cash flow (DACF) multiples of the major integrated oil names and see how the valuation has shifted in light of the recent oil move. From Exhibit 1, the DACF multiples for the Canadian integrated have been fairly range-bound over the last year, also in line with WTI, which has been in the $70 - $85 range. As a starting point, we can infer that the valuations of the companies have been commensurate with the movements in the underlying oil price deck and in line with where the equities should trade in the cycle historically over the last couple of years. Typically, in the commodities cycle, higher prices are usually coupled with lower multiples as market participants will usually price in lower normalized prices and vice versa, so a cause of concern would be if valuation starts trending towards the 6.5x – 7.0x+ area if oil prices continue to stay in the upper bounds of the $70 - $90 range or higher.
As part of your wealth planning, have you considered your wealth’s longevity? Many of us have heard of the “shirtsleeves curse”: Family wealth is often built up and lost within three generations. You may not be surprised to learn that recipients often make “big” purchases within the first few weeks of receiving their inheritance. This is because many heirs are not focused on the longevity of new-found wealth. What are high-net-worth families doing to help prevent this loss? There has been an increasing focus on intergenerational wealth planning, with the objective of supporting wealth longevity. This involves getting existing generations to meet about their finances and form shared financial goals and values to help encourage lasting wealth. Here are some steps that can be taken as part of this planning process: Start with a plan and document it Start by thinking about your vision for your wealth for the generations to come. The plan should set out goals and provisions for how you wish funds to be used, accessed and replenished. For instance, you may wish for family members to invest in themselves to gain the experience needed to create and grow wealth, using funds for higher education or a business start-up or expansion. Others may wish to leave endowments to a charity. Once you determine your goals and provisions, it is important to formally record them as this document will be passed along to future generations. Communicate your plan Once the plan has been documented, it should be communicated to family members. Often, parents keep their finances and related values to themselves, missing the opportunity to pass along their ideals to children. While specific financial details need not be disclosed, sharing your vision is intended to be a catalyst for meaningful discussions. Some families use this plan to form a family constitution to help future generations carry forward their intentions. Engage in regular meetings Regular family meetings are intended to help cultivate family values based on your vision for your wealth. If wealth has been carefully built up through the generations, it may involve exploring family history. Or, you may use this time to educate children about finances and managing money or introduce high-level strategies to carry out the intergenerational plan relating to running a family business or a family giving strategy. Consider protection tools You may determine through family meetings that beneficiaries will need support. Certain tools can support beneficiaries to meet your goals, or protect future wealth in situations in which beneficiaries may not be capable. For example, a trust can put assets under the control of a responsible trustee, with the terms of the trust specifying the conditions, timing and amount of distributions to be made to heirs. Other tools, such as life insurance, can protect and grow assets while also providing access to cash. Setting up a support system of trusted professionals may help to ensure a successful wealth transfer, especially if heirs do not have the skills to manage funds independently. Monitor the plan’s success By having an ongoing dialogue with family members, you will be able to identify and address any gaps or concerns as they arise. You can also continue to define and refine family roles to ensure that your plan has a greater chance of success. Here to Provide Support While intergenerational wealth planning may not be for everyone, consider that creating a lasting legacy can be one of the greatest gifts you leave behind. If you need assistance with family discussions or educational tools to support children, please contact your Echelon Advisor.
