What is a TFSA?

The Tax-Free Savings Account, or TFSA, is a government sponsored program designed to encourage Canadians to save their money. Today, Alex will explain the basics of what the TFSA is, how it works, and how you can use your TFSA most effectively.

Hi, I’m Alex McVean for McVean Wealth.

One of the most common questions for people starting to invest, is “what account should I open?” Today we’re going to look at one of the best options for Canadians, the Tax-Free Savings Account or TFSA.

Despite the name, the tax free savings account is nothing like your traditional savings account. You can think of it more as a government incentivized program to help Canadians save their money. Your TFSA can hold a variety of investment holdings including stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFS, or GIC’s.

There are 2 main benefits to a TFSA over a regular investment account.

The first is that any gains or income earned within your TFSA, will not be taxed, ever. 

The second, is that any money withdrawn from the TFSA is exempt from being taxed as income. 

The government allows Canadians to invest $5,500 per year into their TFSA. And any unused contribution room can be carried forward indefinitely.

So even if you haven’t been making contributions to your TFSA, you have that unused contribution room going back to 2009.

Since you are not taxed on the investments within the TFSA, the TFSA should hold your investments with the highest opportunity for gain or income.

While each individual will have their own unique risk profile, the TFSA is best used as your growth-oriented account.

For McVean Wealth, I’m Alex McVean.

You might also like:

Just leave us your details and we'll get back to you soon.