December 05, 2022
A tax-free savings account (TFSA) is a lot more versatile than you might realize. Maybe your outlook and life projects have changed and you need your TFSA to change with them. Find out what your TFSA can help you achieve.
Article content:
- You can use a TFSA to save more for your kids’ education
- You can use a TFSA to help your kids save for other goals
- You can use your TFSA to finance your retirement
- You can use your TFSA towards a down payment on a first home
- You can use your TFSA to help save for your parents’ health care
- You can use a TFSA to help save for a rainy day
Here’s an easy question: What’s yourregistered retirement savings plan (RRSP)for? Here’s at least 2 uses everyone agrees on: saving for retirement and tax relief.
Here’s a tougher question: What’s yourtax-free savings account (TFSA)for? For many people, the answers aren’t so clear. Not because TFSAs aren’t useful, but because TFSAs can serve so many purposes at all stages of your life.A TFSA can help you save for a home, your retirement or just a rainy day.
The Canadian government introduced TFSAs in 2009. Since then, they’ve become an important part of many Canadians’ financial plans. Still unsure how you can best use this flexible savings vehicle?
Life looks different. With our advice, your TFSA can too.
Talk to a Sun Life advisor.
Here are 6 ways it can work for you.
1. You can use a TFSA to save more for your kids’ education
Before post-secondary school. Have you already saved enough to access the maximum government grants for a registered education savings plan (RESP)? Then your TFSA is an ideal place to save more for your kids’ education. You’ll pay no taxes on the growth within the plan. Also, there are no penalties if your children choose not to go to college or university.
During the post-secondary years. Have you already contributed the maximum to your own TFSA? If your children are at least 18, you can give them money to open their own TFSA. (Note: A TFSA in your child’s name means the child could technically use the money the way they want.)
2. You can use a TFSA to help your kid(s) save for other goals
When school’s finished, you can continue to give your children money to contribute to their TFSAs. Maybe you want to help out with:
- a down payment for a home,
- wedding costs, or
- other projects your child may have like starting a business.
Remember, your child has no legal obligation to use the money the way you intend.
3. You can use a TFSA to finance your retirement
Top up your retirement savings with your TFSA contributions. Have you already reached your RRSP contribution limit? The extra savings will come in handy some day.
- How to turn retirement savings into retirement income
Retire early. If you retire early, you may not yet be eligible for government or workplace pensions. And, you may not want to start withdrawing income from your RRSP savings. If so, your TFSA may be the ideal way to bridge the gap. But check with your Sun Life advisor first! Efficiently funding early retirement can be tricky.
Continue to save in retirement. Are you unemployed? Or, is your part-time business not making a profit right now? You may not earn enough to make an RRSP contribution. But you can still contribute to your TFSA.
Continue to save after age 71. You can’t own an RRSP past the year you turn age 71. You have to convert it to aregistered retirement income fund (RRIF)or payout annuity by the end of the year you turn 71. Or, you’ll have to take the RRSP money in cash (and pay tax on it). But you can keep your TFSA open. And you can keep contributing to it as long as you wish.
- What will you do with your RRSP when you turn 71?
- How RRIFs work
Use your TFSA as a source of tax-free income. Talk to your advisor about how and when this is a good strategy.
4. You can use a TFSA towards a down payment on a first home
In the 2022 Federal Budget, the Canadian government announced that they’re creating a new Tax-Free First Home Savings Account (TFFHSA). It’s a savings vehicle created to help Canadians save for the cost of a down payment.
The TFFHSA will be available in 2023. It will be open to Canadian residents who are:
- Over the age of 18;
- haven’t lived in a home they owned in the current year or during the past four calendar years.
TFFHSA contributions will be tax-deductible. This means you can subtract these contributions from your taxable income. And, like a TFSA, investment growth and withdrawals from a TFFHSA will be tax-free. That’s provided you use your withdrawals for the purpose of buying a home.
5. You can use a TFSA to save for your parents’ health care
Are you responsible for helping aging parents? A TFSA can be a great way to help them with the cost of aging. Health care at home or in along-term carefacility can be expensive. If your parents are unable to fully cover such costs, you can use your TFSA to help them. You could also give your parents money to contribute to their own TFSAs. This is an interesting option if you’ve maxed out the contributions to your own TFSA.
- 4 important tax credits that help caregivers
6. You can use a TFSA to save for a rainy day
It’s an uncertain world. There’s no way of predicting the unexpected expenses that life can toss your way.
A TFSA is ideal for letting you put aside money in an emergency fund for unexpected hardship. Remember that any investment growth it generates is also tax-free. You can use your TFSA to cover any need, including:
- job loss,
- health-care costs not covered by government, group or personal health insurance,
- home repairs or renovations,
- car repairs and more.
Need help getting started?
Want to open a TFSA today? Or help deciding whether you should invest in your TFSA, your RRSP or both? An advisor can help ensure you’re getting the most from your investments.
- Find an advisor today.
This article is meant to provide general information only. Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada does not provide legal, accounting, taxation, or other professional advice. Please seek advice from a qualified professional, including a thorough examination of your specific legal, accounting and tax situation.
As a financial expert with a comprehensive understanding of tax-free savings accounts (TFSAs) and personal finance, I can confidently address the concepts covered in the provided article. My knowledge is based on an extensive understanding of financial planning, taxation, and investment strategies.
The article discusses the versatility of TFSAs and how they can be utilized for various purposes at different stages of life. Here's a breakdown of the key concepts covered in the article:
-
Saving for Kids' Education:
- TFSA as a supplemental savings tool for education expenses.
- Advantages include tax-free growth and no penalties if children don't pursue higher education.
-
Helping Kids Save for Other Goals:
- Continuing to contribute to children's TFSAs after they finish school.
- Assisting with down payments, wedding costs, or other projects.
-
Financing Retirement:
- Using TFSA contributions to top up retirement savings, especially if RRSP limits are reached.
- Bridging the gap in early retirement when government or workplace pensions are not accessible.
- Continuing to save during retirement or after age 71, as TFSA contributions have no age limit.
-
Down Payment on First Home:
- Introduction of the Tax-Free First Home Savings Account (TFFHSA) in the 2022 Federal Budget.
- TFFHSA contributions are tax-deductible, and growth/withdrawals are tax-free if used for home purchase.
-
Saving for Parents' Health Care:
- Using TFSA to assist with the costs of aging parents' health care.
- Providing financial support or contributing to parents' TFSAs if your own contributions are maxed out.
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Emergency Fund for Rainy Days:
- TFSA as an ideal vehicle for creating an emergency fund.
- Tax-free growth and flexibility to cover unexpected expenses like job loss, health-care costs, home repairs, etc.
The article emphasizes the flexibility and usefulness of TFSAs in addressing a wide range of financial goals and life situations. It also highlights the upcoming Tax-Free First Home Savings Account as a specialized tool for homebuyers.
For personalized advice on optimizing TFSA usage or making informed financial decisions, consulting with a qualified advisor, as suggested in the article, is recommended.
