TFSA - My Own Advisor

Get over it, with the $10,000 TFSA limit everyone wins

Posted on May 3, 2015 by Mark | 73 Comments

I think the title says it all. At least this is my position. At the time of this post, Finance Minister Joe Oliver made good on a Conservative promise to increase the annual contribution limit (to $10,000) for Tax Free…

Weekend Reading – Dividend hikes, tax deadlines, TFSAs and so much more

Posted on April 30, 2015 by Mark | 10 Comments

Welcome to some fine Weekend Reading friends! After some travel I’ve now turned my attention to staining our deck and working on our garden for spring. We hope to put our deck stain down tomorrow after we spent a few…

ETFs 101

Posted on March 30, 2014 by Mark | 14 Comments

ETFs 101 I’ve received a few emails of late from readers asking about Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). It inspired this ETFs 101 post. This particular question caught my attention: Hi, I’ve recently learned I can use my TFSA for much…

Our TFSA and RRSP Considerations for 2014

Posted on March 16, 2014 by Mark | 17 Comments

Over the last few weeks, I’ve received a number of emails from readers asking questions about Tax Free Savings Accounts (TFSAs) and Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs). Here was another recent question, paraphrasing and quoting where I can: “Love your…

Tax Free Investing – TFSAs 101

Posted on November 19, 2013 by Mark | 8 Comments

Tax Free Investing – TFSAs 101 If you were a resident of Canada, aged 18 in 2009 or now 18 today, did you know you had the opportunity to save thousands of dollars in a tax free account? Learn about…

Name Changes Needed to Canadian Financial Accounts

Posted on November 3, 2013 by Mark | 29 Comments

Name Changes Needed to Canadian Financial Accounts As part of financial literacy month I thought I’d propose a few changes I feel are necessary to some Canadian financial accounts. Let me know what you think about my proposals in a…

Consider what you spend for your enough number

Posted on September 2, 2013 by Mark | 27 Comments

Consider what you spend for your enough number Earlier this year, I wrote one of the biggest retirement questions and potentially one of the most frequently asked retirement questions is “How much is enough”? The answer to this question at…

Managing the refund well is the linchpin in the RRSP vs. TFSA debate

Posted on February 26, 2013 by Mark | 8 Comments

Managing the refund well is the linchpin in the RRSP vs. TFSA debate You need to know why managing the refund well is the linchpin in the RRSP vs. TFSA debate. While you can and should strive to max out…

Weekend Reading – The power of the TFSA and much more

Posted on February 11, 2012 by Mark | 9 Comments

This week, we read about little things and powerful things. Starting with little things, we watched NDP rookie MP Sana Hassainia pressed into leaving her seat just ahead of a House vote, because she was accompanied by her three-month-old boy,…

If you spend that RRSP refund then TFSA makes more sense

Posted on February 5, 2012 by Mark | 18 Comments

If you spend that RRSP refund then TFSA makes more sense Every year there are articles discussing the merits of contributing to the Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA) over the Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) or vice-versa. Most of the…

I’ll maximize my TFSA first, thanks

Posted on May 29, 2011 by Mark | 27 Comments

I’ll maximize my TFSA first, thanks Some time ago, I returned home from an annual golf vacation, a “boys vacation” in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Ottawa to Myrtle Beach (and back again) is a long drive, about 30 hours in…

Building tax-free income using Canadian dividend-payers

Posted on March 13, 2011 by Mark | 2 Comments

Volumes of articles have been written about the TFSA and RRSP, which one is better for your retirement savings. Potentially, if you’re in a low tax bracket it might make sense to use the TFSA. You maximize your TFSA while growing RRSP…