tuyop posted:There are a lot of resources in the financial independence world for working this out. I think that basically you can figure out your retirement "income" level by filling in the variables here: This is a good point, I should definitely need less at retirement than making now, obviously adjusted for inflation. Still, it's hard when income varies a lot. Oh well! cowofwar posted:Also I believe your tax return should indicate both your TFSA contribution and RRSP contribution limits.
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# ? Sep 25, 2013 23:42 |
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# ? May 15, 2024 03:28 |
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HookShot posted:Oh cool, I know I have a letter from CRA somewhere telling me my RRSP contribution limit, I bet it also has my TSFA one, I didn't even think of that, thanks!
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# ? Sep 25, 2013 23:54 |
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I have another question of my own, is there any issues with transferring money from one TFSA to one at another institution in terms of procedure, to ensure that you don't lose that money for your contribution limit in that year and have to wait until next January to re-contribute? Or is TFSA -> TFSA money movement very simple?
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# ? Sep 26, 2013 05:05 |
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You have to set up a special transfer I think. Easiest to just withdraw in December and deposit it in the new one in January.
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# ? Sep 26, 2013 05:59 |
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cowofwar posted:You have to set up a special transfer I think. Wish I could, but it's for my dad/mom and they can't take it out in December because it was in some stupid 2.70% MER mutual funds, but it becomes penalty-free to take out each of their first 3 years' of contribution in February. I looked it up and it's called a "Qualifying Transfer" but nowhere seems to explain how to make one of them, so guess when it comes time I'll call the institutions.
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# ? Sep 26, 2013 06:50 |
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I am living overseas for a while but will be back in Canada for a bit over new years, and want to set up an investment account during my visit. From my understanding after reading this thread, I can just walk into a TD bank branch to open an e-series mutual funds account then handle the rest by mail and online? I already actively use EasyWeb. Further, I have about 10k in a TFSA and 30k in a chequing account. From the sounds of it I can use my TFSA as my mutual funds account but I will be limited to my TSFA contribution limit. Is this correct? Sorry for the dumb questions, I just wanted to have a vague idea of where to start before I go balls out on the research.
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# ? Sep 26, 2013 08:07 |
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Zo posted:I am living overseas for a while but will be back in Canada for a bit over new years, and want to set up an investment account during my visit. I can't speak to opening it but yes after it's open you should be able to do everything online. I am not sure what you mean by using your TFSA as a mutual fund account. You could have 8 TFSAs if you wanted to, at different institutions. Just don't go over the overall contribution limit. So you would need an TD e-series TFSA. If your original TFSA is from TD and can hold mutual funds, then yes you can just convert it. If you're transferring the TFSA, as I just found out, you need to have it transferred by the institution directly, not just take out, transfer, put back in. I don't even know if I answered your question, if I didn't, just ask it again. And welcome to this thread. Don't feel bad asking questions, the more activity in here, the bigger and better it will get and the more we'll all learn.
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# ? Sep 26, 2013 08:27 |
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I'm looking at transferring about 200k (a little bit more) from CAD to USD. Is Norbert's Gambit the best way to do so (looks like I'd be paying the bid-ask spread of about 0.2% over the spot rate), or can I get competitive rates on a transaction of that size through TD Waterhouse/BMO InvestorLine/etc? Are companies like KnightbridgeFX a reasonable alternative in this amount range?
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# ? Sep 26, 2013 09:04 |
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Zo posted:I am living overseas for a while but will be back in Canada for a bit over new years, and want to set up an investment account during my visit.
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# ? Sep 26, 2013 13:44 |
If any discount brokerage will do, you can open a Questrade account completely remotely. The RRSP and TFSA, if I remember correctly, just require digital signatures and scans of ID. You can then buy ETFs for free and just pick up any of the recommended funds from Canadian Couch Potato. e-series mutual funds are not on there though.
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# ? Sep 26, 2013 14:28 |
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blah_blah posted:I'm looking at transferring about 200k (a little bit more) from CAD to USD. Is Norbert's Gambit the best way to do so (looks like I'd be paying the bid-ask spread of about 0.2% over the spot rate), or can I get competitive rates on a transaction of that size through TD Waterhouse/BMO InvestorLine/etc? Are companies like KnightbridgeFX a reasonable alternative in this amount range? I highly recommend Norbert's Gambit. I don't think there's a more efficient way to transfer USD <=> CAD. You'll get a rate virtually identical to the mid-market rate, and then only pay transaction costs ($10 * 2 at BMO, Waterhouse, etc since you'll have a portfolio value > $50k). The security pair DLR and DLR.U are good vehicles for this. It's a stable, USD-denominated ETF created precisely for this purpose. Good luck - just make sure you do your research properly before you execute.
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# ? Sep 26, 2013 14:28 |
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HookShot posted:Ok cool... I don't have an RRSP because I'm stupid (and also because I didn't expect to come back to Canada when I left) so I should probably get onto that. I honestly don't have a clue what tax bracket I'm going to be in when I'm of retirement age though. Friendly reminder - "saving for retirement" and "having an RRSP" are closely related but not exactly the same concept. Everyone needs to save for retirement, in one form or another. Not everyone should use an RRSP to do so. I don't. Having a TFSA is a no-brainer, and anyone who doesn't is likely leaving money on the table. Not so for the RRSP.
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# ? Sep 26, 2013 20:02 |
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rhazes posted:I have another question of my own, is there any issues with transferring money from one TFSA to one at another institution in terms of procedure, to ensure that you don't lose that money for your contribution limit in that year and have to wait until next January to re-contribute? Or is TFSA -> TFSA money movement very simple? If they're not invested, just go to the bank you want to bring the investments over to. There's a form to fill out. Transfer should take a few weeks. Either way, it won't affect your contribution room. EDIT: Just saw your 2nd post saying the TFSA is invested in mutual funds. The only way for your parents TFSA investments to stay as-is after being transferred to a different bank is to set up a self-directed investment account at the other bank they're going to. If they're not doing that, they'll have to switch the investments from mutual funds to savings deposit in order to do the transfer. And still- their contribution room wouldn't be impacted. Zo posted:I am living overseas for a while but will be back in Canada for a bit over new years, and want to set up an investment account during my visit. Also, if you're living in the U.S. (and have U.S. citizenship) the U.S. Government can, and probably will, tax your gains in your TFSA. I know. It's hosed. But they can do it. melon cat fucked around with this message at 05:10 on Sep 29, 2013 |
# ? Sep 29, 2013 05:07 |
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melon cat posted:Hold on, now. You said you're out of the country. Have you been outside of Canada long enough to be considered a non-resident of Canada? Because if you're a non-resident, you won't accumulate any more contribution room for as long as you're a non-resident. Nor can you make additional contributions. That's a good point, thanks for bringing it up. I looked up the non-resident status criteria and seems I would be considered a non-resident as of now. Good thing I haven't increased my TFSA contribution in the last year. I suppose I will just open a non-TFSA mutual funds account then. No big loss, considering the majority of my Canadian savings is not doing anything at all right now.
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# ? Sep 29, 2013 05:23 |
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melon cat posted:That depends- are the funds in the TFSA invested in any way? If yes, then you'll need to switch them to a TFSA Savings Deposit (sell the securities they're invested in) or wait for the investments to mature before you can switch the TFSA to a different FI. They are selling the (terrible, actively managed, 2.70% MER) mutual funds once they're eligible to cash in a large proportion of them in february, so it'll be transferred as cash. Does it really take a few weeks? I'd like to think Questrade would be a bit faster, but they are a discount brokerage, and you can't argue with how pretty much nothing you do has fees with them. They'll have a taxable investment account already setup at the destination of course.
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# ? Sep 29, 2013 12:28 |
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Zo posted:I suppose I will just open a non-TFSA mutual funds account then. No big loss, considering the majority of my Canadian savings is not doing anything at all right now. rhazes posted:They are selling the (terrible, actively managed, 2.70% MER) mutual funds once they're eligible to cash in a large proportion of them in february, so it'll be transferred as cash. Does it really take a few weeks? I'd like to think Questrade would be a bit faster, but they are a discount brokerage, and you can't argue with how pretty much nothing you do has fees with them.
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# ? Sep 29, 2013 16:35 |
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Boy, am I glad someone opened a specific thread After a quick read, I just want to get into this thread with a couple of points, but I'm going to be asking questions as well. I've found the #1 issue with the TFSA is that many institutions are pushing them as a glorified but typical "savings account" - not as a true investment vehicle. I mean, if you're fine collecting 1%+ interest, just get a GIC or something short term inside the TFSA, but that is such a disservice to what they can do. I've got tons of poo poo in my TFSA ... mostly equities but I think a couple of funds too. The hardest thing was finding a financial institution that has offers a proper TFSA which lets you do that poo poo. I am a HUGE fan of the TFSA and the government, love them or hate them, did a great thing with their creation. Also, about PC Financial and online banks; I've been with PC F for years. I think the thing that is keeping me with them is the ability to use a CIBC ATM for easy deposits and withdrawals since they're almost everywhere.
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# ? Sep 30, 2013 20:23 |
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slidebite posted:Also, about PC Financial and online banks; I've been with PC F for years. I think the thing that is keeping me with them is the ability to use a CIBC ATM for easy deposits and withdrawals since they're almost everywhere. Yeah, as much as you're able to use the Exchange network for ING and not only ING branded ATMs, I still envy the convenience my wife enjoys using her PC card at any CIBC. Part of the problem isn't even the difference in locations but lacking the knowledge of where to even look. I'm lost without the app. For example, the closest bank machine to my work or home is a municipal employees union machine nestled in next to the washrooms at Metro Hall, with zero notice or visibility. Most people's mental maps of the city neglect to include places like that (or would actively avoid like that credit union bank machine on the corner at College & Spadina) whereas I've never even touched BMO but could rhyme off dozens of locations because they're much easier to spot and remember. Then again, I get free email transfers and she doesn't so it balances out. Lobok fucked around with this message at 20:54 on Sep 30, 2013 |
# ? Sep 30, 2013 20:50 |
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slidebite posted:Boy, am I glad someone opened a specific thread Something to keep in mind is that while the TFSA offers a large upside to investing in equities during bull markets it offers a double cost during bear markets if capital losses are accrued. Not only do you lose out on gains but you also permanently lose that contribution space to your TFSA AND those capital losses cannot be written off against your taxable income. So be careful of the risk that you take in a TFSA.
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# ? Sep 30, 2013 21:05 |
cowofwar posted:unfair tax shelter to the rich but not to the lower and middle classes. It's just 5.5k/year. Even an apprentice tradesperson in most cost of living areas can save 460/month if they'd like. Unless there's like a special TFSA for the rich that I haven't heard about.
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# ? Sep 30, 2013 23:09 |
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Plus the rich have a higher marginal tax rate so... It'd seem to me that TFSA would advantage lower income taxpayers more than RSRP. Unless you mean the rich have a higher risk tolerance and will get more tax free investment return, but even then it's just 5500 a year, which is peanuts for the rich.
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# ? Sep 30, 2013 23:32 |
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FrozenVent posted:Plus the rich have a higher marginal tax rate so... It'd seem to me that TFSA would advantage lower income taxpayers more than RSRP. Yup. In my opinion, unless you're at a really, really substantial marginal tax rate, it's a mistake to 'save for retirement' within an RRSP. Doubly so if you're young. Everyone still needs some retirement game plan of course - but I don't think RRSP is the way to go outside of the very-high-income criterion.
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# ? Oct 1, 2013 00:56 |
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cowofwar posted:Any broker that offers registered accounts can provide a TFSA investment account. I guess what I am trying to say is I think it's fair to say most people don't understand what the TFSA is and that's partially because people don't care, the banks marketing it as some sort of generic savings account and not anything like an investment account, and the government doing a poor job educating when they were doing the big push at first. quote:I disagree with you that the TFSA was a good move by the government, it's great for wealthy individuals quote:but was a tactic used to pander for votes at the expense of the long term economic stability of the country (along with the GST cuts). Over time it will erode the tax revenues by the government and it provides an unfair tax shelter to the rich but not to the lower and middle classes. quote:But that's not really the point of this thread. quote:Something to keep in mind is that while the TFSA offers a large upside to investing in equities during bull markets it offers a double cost during bear markets if capital losses are accrued. Not only do you lose out on gains but you also permanently lose that contribution space to your TFSA AND those capital losses cannot be written off against your taxable income. So be careful of the risk that you take in a TFSA. slidebite fucked around with this message at 04:09 on Oct 1, 2013 |
# ? Oct 1, 2013 00:59 |
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I use a financial advisor (RBC Dominion Securities) and the guy is really nice and has steered me to some decent funds, however, I also hate fees especially in my non-registered account if I want to do a trade in equities. Keeping that in mind few questions: What do the people here use? Online brokerages? I know enough to get myself into trouble, but I know little about the real nitty gritty of buying/selling and I am a little apprehensive but not scared to learn. I read in this thread some people saying the questrade platform isn't great... does that mean complicated? What is an "-e" series I've seen some posts here? We have amassed a not-insignificant amount in a generic "high interest" 1.35% savings account at PCF but it's starting to be stupid since the interest we are making is a pittance to begin with and taxes are taking a ton of that. I do not need access to the cash right away but want it to be as close to secure as I can get it. Mrs. Slidebite reminded me that dividends are taxed at a lower rate than interest. Are there any good dividend paying funds out there that are worthwhile looking into? I have theAGF:257 large cap dividend fund in our RRSP portfolio. Assuming the tax shelter options are fully utilized (RRSPs/TFSA), what are the cool kids doing with savings outside of them?
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# ? Oct 1, 2013 04:09 |
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slidebite posted:What is an "-e" series I've seen some posts here? Explained pretty thoroughly in the OP. Read that, then come back if you still have questions.
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# ? Oct 1, 2013 21:44 |
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I thought I did.. but looking at the TD site I think I understand it better.
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# ? Oct 2, 2013 01:44 |
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slidebite posted:I thought I did.. but looking at the TD site I think I understand it better. It's just the same drat mutual funds at a third of the cost. Classic price discrimination move.
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# ? Oct 2, 2013 02:19 |
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INGDirect.ca is running a promotion (TFSA kick-start account). http://www.ingdirect.ca/en/save-invest/tfkickstart/index.html You put in money now and earn 2.7% for the period up to January 1st. You get the interest from 1.35% each month and then you get the three month interest from the second 1.35% on January 1st. What I do is put in $5,500 now, collect interest on it, then remove it before January 1st and transfer it to my real TFSA at my investment broker before it auto-transfers in to my ING TFSA. On January 1st I still get the bonus interest.
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# ? Oct 2, 2013 19:16 |
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cowofwar posted:INGDirect.ca is running a promotion (TFSA kick-start account). Not a bad plan I guess if you have money sitting around in cash anyway, but we're talking a gain of less than $40 here. I'm not sure it's worth the effort if it comes at the expense / delay of setting up a longer-termed investing strategy of which the TFSA is a part. Just my $0.02.
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# ? Oct 2, 2013 19:21 |
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Lexicon posted:Not a bad plan I guess if you have money sitting around in cash anyway, but we're talking a gain of less than $40 here. I'm not sure it's worth the effort if it comes at the expense / delay of setting up a longer-termed investing strategy of which the TFSA is a part. If you don't have an INGDirect account it's more work but then it's worth signing up for the payroll $100 bonus. Although a note is that it would probably auto-transfer that $20 or whatever in to a TFSA for you since it's paid out on Jan 1. So your TFSA contribution for 2014 to a different TFSA would be $5,500 less that amount.
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# ? Oct 2, 2013 19:25 |
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A co-worker and I were having a bit of a discussion today and a scenario came up that we were bouncing ideas off each other, so I thought I'd play/ask here and see what the thoughts are. Lets say someone comes into $100K-$200K. Won a prize on a lottery or something. So it's not enough money to retire on but certainly nothing to sneeze at, what would you do with it? My immediate answer was pay off any and all debts, including mortgage if applicable. Other than that though..? Assuming all else is sitting good (no debts, already decent retirement fund, RRSPs, etc) where would you put it to work? In that scenario, my answer is probably some sort of a dividend fund like I mentioned in an earlier post.
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# ? Oct 3, 2013 01:02 |
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Just got confirmation of my Permanent Residence here (US citizen.) I've never made more than a couple thousand dollars to fly up here, being supported by my spouse all this time minus a few small injections of funds to help out with bills/groceries. Needless to say I am very eager to start working and earning, but I'm very, very new to all of it, having been essentially trapped in a suspended teenage-hood for 8 years of illegal status agony. I want to be successful and, if not wealthy, quite comfortable by middle age. I'm 26 now, if it matters. After a few hours of reading around (mainly this thread but also other places to understand all of the terms), what should my priorities be? Should I just open a simple account with a bank like PC Financial or ING that has decent interest rates and not worry about jumping in with investment portfolios and a TFSA account? Or should I be going with the TD e-series TFSA (and second, non-TFSA) accounts? My goal is a medium-long term, medium risk investment, with my spouse covering most of the short term costs (though if I had the money available for going halfway on bills and rent that'd be ideal.) We'd probably continue to rent out our relatively cheap place and not worry about buying a house or fancy big investments. Also; is the IRS going to ding me with FATCA for my TFSA account? I assume yes, but if anyone has experience with FATCA in action I'd love to know a little better what the heck is up with it/what to expect.
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# ? Oct 3, 2013 12:26 |
slidebite posted:A co-worker and I were having a bit of a discussion today and a scenario came up that we were bouncing ideas off each other, so I thought I'd play/ask here and see what the thoughts are. I would probably pay off debts, sell/store all my belongings, invest like 75% of it in a discount brokerage in one of the Canadian Couch Potato ETF portfolios, and go on a mini-retirement odyssey for one or two years with my partner. Alternative answer: buy a house, continue as usual.
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# ? Oct 3, 2013 15:08 |
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slidebite posted:
Earwig posted:Just got confirmation of my Permanent Residence here (US citizen Second, a disclaimer before I say anything else. Everything I'm about to tell you is based on my personal experience and any advice I'm about to give you isn't to be taken as professional advice. So, with that out of the way. You said that your goal is a medium-to-long term, medium risk investment. A regular savings account (such as those provided by PCF, ING, or the other banks) probably isn't what you're looking for. Savings accounts are better for short-term savings because they're easily-accessible, and let's be honest- Canadian savings accounts are currently paying out less than 2% interest, these days. It may not even beat inflation. Look towards other investments. But, some questions. Will you EVER need access to the funds you're saving up? If you do, what would you be accessing the money for? Are you okay with seeing your investments' value fluctuate? Even if someone told you that you could lose money? Do you want ANY involvement in your investments, or are you a hands-off type guy who'd rather leave that for someone else? And when you say "medium to long term", how many years are you looking at until you'll start using these funds? And to your last question- if you have a TFSA and you have any sort of permanent residency in the U.S., the IRS can (and probably will) tax your TFSA. melon cat fucked around with this message at 15:58 on Oct 3, 2013 |
# ? Oct 3, 2013 15:38 |
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slidebite posted:Lets say someone comes into $100K-$200K. Won a prize on a lottery or something. So it's not enough money to retire on but certainly nothing to sneeze at, what would you do with it? Not to get all philosophical, but I would always approach questions of this nature with a view to increasing happiness. Buying "stuff" - cars or even property is usually not the right way to do this. For me, the point of money, en route to happiness, is to provide freedom and a secure baseline. So I'd probably invest in liquid things - indexing as outlined in the OP, and maybe a vacation
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# ? Oct 3, 2013 15:56 |
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Thank you! I'm still in a state of shock, honestly. As long as my non-savings portion of my income successfully offset rent and bills, I won't need to access, no. Though I may have to look into a cheap used car soon since he doesn't drive, but I've no sense of the expenses a car puts on a household having never had one before (and whether I could do it confidently from chequings rather than savings.) The car market will be a whole other new ocean to jump into of course. There's a few things I'd like to do as one-time medium-cost things: enough for a plane ticket for him and I to visit the states finally, some nicer clothing for us because I'm sick of him going to work in crinkled/torn suits and I need more than two pairs of pants. That kind of thing. But mainly costs would be pretty tightly managed. I'm rather Scroogey once one-time important purchases are out of the way. I'm really coming from a fetal life financially however, and right now it seems like strange wafty clouds of dollar signs rather than feasible, hard numbers. melon cat posted:Are you okay with seeing your investments' value fluctuate? Even if someone told you that you could lose money? Yeah. I wouldn't want it to feel like outright gambling of course; if I had assurances that it trended towards the positive I'd be more likely to chance it. But I would risk that if I felt that it was leaning on my side of the 50/50. Or, let's say 60/40. Medium risk but not a coin toss. melon cat posted:Do you want ANY involvement in your investments, or are you a hands-off type guy who'd rather leave that for someone else? If they came highly regarded and weren't silver-tongued about it, I'd trust someone with my funds for sure and would prefer a professional since I definitely don't know what I'm doing. My preference is a no-nonsense professional who doesn't completely offset any potential earnings with their fees. I'll be starting out pretty low-income, of 20-28k most likely, so I don't want to make the mistake of jumping in as though I had more. Just not sure how to start out with minimal income and make that into a higher pull, quite yet. A lot of guides seem to be for 50k+. melon cat posted:And when you say "medium to long term", how many years are you looking at until you'll start using these funds? I guess I mean 10-20 years about before I start wanting to stick my hand in the cookie jar a little. Late 30s to mid/late 40s. Or at least, have enough savings by then that I can reach in every so often for emergencies or rare treats without breaking my bank/ruining my savings entirely. I've been poor my whole life, and want to do things correctly, now that the power's finally in my hands. A proper stable financial life without exorbitant spending. I'm pretty cheap so I think I could do it as long as I have a good base to start with. But I don't want to have a completely hands-off savings till I'm 60-something. melon cat posted:And to your last question- if you have a TFSA and you have any sort of permanent residency in the U.S., the IRS can (and probably will) tax your TFSA. I figured as such, yeah. So far as I know, FATCA is for $50k in your account at the end of the tax year (don't have to file if you spend it or remove it from the account), or $75k total at any point during the year. Since I'm currently at $0 a year it's crazy to think I'd hit the point of $75k-- but if I do it right I guess it's not too far out of reach after all. Thank you for taking the time to reply! Means a lot since I'm kind of blindly wandering through this for the first time. No one I know has an interest in investment or finances so I can't really get real-world advice. Mainly I just get hearty shrugs.
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# ? Oct 3, 2013 16:18 |
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Has anyone looked into ACIC? http://www.acicinvestor.ca/ It's a mortgage investment company and they're offering 7% on TFSA now, which seems insanely good. They have a pretty good track record, so I'm trying to find reasons not to move my TFSA fron ING to them. I just finished reading the OP... I'm guessing the housing market bubble is one reason to stay away. Kashwashwa fucked around with this message at 17:27 on Oct 3, 2013 |
# ? Oct 3, 2013 17:22 |
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Andrew Coyne (yes, yes, I know many people dislike him, though I don't really see why) wrote a pretty compelling piece on the argument in favour of index investing:quote:Think you know how to pick winning stocks? You don’t, so park your money in index funds http://business.financialpost.com/2013/10/02/andrew-coyne-etfs-stocks/
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# ? Oct 3, 2013 18:59 |
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Kashwashwa posted:Has anyone looked into ACIC? http://www.acicinvestor.ca/ I don't know anything about them, but after 15 seconds on the website - I wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole.
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# ? Oct 3, 2013 19:01 |
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# ? May 15, 2024 03:28 |
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So I have been reading a little bit on that couch potato website and those TD -e series funds. After reading what you guys here say and understanding MERs you have a really good point about fees and we pay out the rear end for trade fees outside the TFSA. I'm seriously thinking of going to one of those online brokerage outfits and self direct accounts. My wife and I are presently with RBC Dominion Securities and have 6 accounts with them 2x TFSA 2x RRSP 1x LIRA 1x Unregistered generic investment account How big of a deal is it to move accounts over in kind from a brick and mortar brokerage like RBCDS to one of those online places with TD Waterhouse or Questrade? Is it a huge exercise in frustration? This is largely our life savings we're talking about so it's kind of a big deal if there are issues. I am a newbie with trading. I know enough to get into trouble and that's about it. Is there a good Canadian read that can be recommended? Not that I am planing on becoming a day trader, but I want to understand what I am doing if I am using some online account and I buy/sell on my own instead of via a person that understands what they're doing.
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# ? Oct 4, 2013 14:26 |