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Investments 

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FINANCIAL PRODUCTS EXPLAINED

GIC
A GIC is a guaranteed investment certificate. May be cashable or non cashable and often you will see slightly higher interest rates with non cashable. GIC’s give you downside protection but very little upside growth. Alternatives should be sought especially in non-registered accounts because of the 100% inclusion of interest in income.
Segregated Funds
A segregated fund is a fund that you hold inside an insurance contract. The term segregated refers to the fact that your money is held separate from the assets of the insurance company. Seg funds are similar to mutual funds in many respects but provide a number of additional features and benefits. Similar to mutual funds, segregated funds are professionally managed and diversified. The benefits of a segregated fund beyond a mutual fund are: death and maturity benefit, potential creditor protection, estate planning made easier, consumer protection and less worry for the purchaser. The guarantees and benefits differ somewhat between companies.

RRSP
The money that you contribute into a RRSP plan, no matter what form of investment vehicle, is a tax deduction. You are taxed on the money only when you take the money out of the plan usually at retirement when you are in a lower tax bracket. The other times you may access your RRSP money without tax consequences is if you are withdrawing money from your plan either as a first time homebuyer or as a loan to yourself for continuing education. In both of these instances for the money to be received tax free it must be paid back into an RRSP within 10 years for the education and 15 years for first time home buyers plan. At any time a RRSP can be transferred to another investment vehicle with out tax implications.
The RRSP must be collapsed on or before the year in which you have your 71st birthday. You can then: Purchase an annuity, or Transfer the assets to a RIF

*** Spousal RRSPs
With a spousal RRSP, you can direct part or all of your maximum allowable contribution to an RRSP in your spouse’s name. A spousal RRSP will help you save tax during retirement through income splitting, since the income eventually created from the funds will then be taxed at your spouse’s lower tax rate.

RRIF
Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF)
A RRIF is an investment plan, established in accordance with Government of Canada requirements, into which you can transfer registered funds (usually your RRSP) without tax liability to establish a source of retirement income.
Some RRIFs are similar to continuing an RRSP beyond age 71, with the exception that you must take some taxable income from the RRIF. You can choose any payment level, as long as the total each year is at least equal to the minimum annual amount. With many RRIFs you can vary your annual payments above the minimum amount to meet your needs. Obviously the higher the payments, the sooner your funds will be depleted. RRIFs can continue for the lifetime of the holder or their spouse.
Minimum Annual Payments
You don’t have to take any payment from a RRIF in the calendar year it is first funded. In subsequent years, the minimum annual payment changes annually, based on your age and the total value of the RRIF at the beginning of the year.
In some cases, it makes sense to elect to base your minimum RRIF payment on your spouse’s birthdate. You must make this election when the RRIF is created:
• If you choose the age of a younger spouse*, your minimum payment will be lower; much lower when your spouse is younger than you.
• If you select the age of an older spouse, your minimum payment will be higher without triggering withholding tax at source.
• If you have RRIFs based on the same birthdates, when one spouse passes away the survivor can combine the two RRIFs into one, rather than having to continue with two RRIFs.
• If you didn’t make this election when you applied for your RRIF, or you marry later, you can transfer your RRIF to a new RRIF based on your younger spouse’s age.
*Note:  Spouse includes a common-law or same-sex partner.

Estate Considerations:

RRIFs also offer simplicity in estate planning. If you die, your spouse or partner can continue to receive income from your RRIF or the account can be transferred tax-free to their RRIF or RRSP, or the remaining balance can be paid to your estate or beneficiary.

LIRA
The Locked-In Retirement Account (LIRA) and Locked-In Retirement Savings Plan (LRSP) enable you, as an
employee to maintain the tax-deferred status of pension plan proceeds received when you leave a company.
You can’t make additional contributions, but you can decide how your money is invested.
The LIRA or LRSP must be collapsed in the year in which you have your 71st birthday. You can then purchase an annuity, or transfer the assets to a LIF or LRIF, depending on the pension legislation governing the LIRA or LRSP

LIF
A Life Income Fund (LIF) is a retirement income plan using locked-in pension money and the owner of the LIF can control the investments held within the fund. In addition to the requirement for a minimum annual withdrawal (like a RRIF), LIFs also set a maximum withdrawal amount.
Your annual withdrawal must be within these minimum and maximum amounts as specified by legislation. In most provinces, when the LIF holder reaches age 80, the LIF must be converted into a life annuity.
The easiest way to think of a LIF is that it’s a RRIF for your locked-in pension money, with a few more restrictions designed to ensure that you have income available for your lifetime.
LIFs vary slightly from province to province, and are not available in P.E.I. and the Northwest Territories. Most provinces require you to have reached age 55 before you establish a LIF, but there is no age restriction in New Brunswick, Quebec, and Alberta.

RESP
It is said that the average cost of a four year degree for a child born in 2007 will be over $100000. The RESP is the government’s incentive to encourage parents to save for their child’s education. An RESP is set up for the purpose of saving for a child’s education but can only be in effect for 31 years. At present there is a lifetime maximum contribution to an RESP per beneficiary of $50000, the yearly maximum contribution has been abolished and the maximum grant allowed per child is $7200 lifetime. The grant is paid ranging from 20%-40% based on family income.
Like an RRSP an RESP is a plan that you open and can hold various investments in. There are different types of RESP’s that you can open. You can go the route of a trust or mutual funds and GIC’s. As with most savings vehicles an RESP can be set up to have automatic deposits at various time intervals. Once invested the money grows tax sheltered until such time as the beneficiary seeks post secondary education with restrictions to qualifying fields and times of study. The money is taxed in the hands of the beneficiary at time of withdrawal. RESP’s are not tax deductible
Tax Free Savings Account
Since January 1, 2009 Canadians have been able to invest in Tax Free Savings Accounts introduced with the 2008 Federal Budget.
The TFSA is a registered savings account that allows taxpayers to earn investment income tax-free inside the account. Contributions to the account are not deductible for tax purposes, and withdrawals of contributions and earnings from the account are not taxable.
According to the 2008 Federal budget, any individual (other than a trust) who is resident in Canada and 18 years of age or older would be eligible to establish a

TFSA (TAX FREE SAVINGS ACCOUNT)