Start off the New Year on the right foot – savings-wise

As the snow flies, signaling the true start of another winter, there’s an opportunity (as well as some time) to put your savings hat back on.

So writes Dale Jackson for BNN Bloomberg.

Jackson notes that he is pretty optimistic about 2024. “Canadians who invest for retirement have a lot to feel good about,” he writes, citing recent positive trends in both the U.S. and Canadian stock markets.

He offers up four “risk free ways to boost portfolio returns in 2024.”

First, Jackson says, it’s time to address debt.

“A massive five-per-cent hike in the Bank of Canada benchmark interest rate in less than two years has more than doubled monthly debt payments for some Canadian households,” he writes.

“For many, the best investment for 2024 is to pay down debt, starting with the highest rates. Balances owing on credits cards, for example, can top 25 per cent. There is no comparative investment that can produce a 25 per cent risk-free return,” he explains.

Next, he continues, is the opportunity to shore up (or create) a fixed-income portfolio.

“A big silver lining from higher borrowing rates is higher lending rates,” he writes.

“After three decades of lacklustre yields, fixed-income options such as guaranteed investment certificates (GICs) are returning more than five per cent annually.

Higher fixed-income yields bring an opportunity for investors to lower overall portfolio risk without sacrificing returns by shifting assets away from the volatility of equities,” Jackson explains.

His third strategy for boosting income is to “take advantage of tax perks.”

“Some experts say a good investment tax strategy can boost returns by 25 per cent over the lifetime of an investor. For most Canadians, that requires utilizing their registered retirement savings plans (RRSPs), tax-free savings accounts (TFSAs) and any other tax perks available,” Jackson notes.

This year, he continues, “Canadians will be permitted to contribute an additional $7,000 to their tax-free savings accounts (TFSAs). As it stands, the current limit for those who were 18 years or older when the TFSA was launched in 2009 is $88,000, but it can vary among individuals depending on withdrawals made over the years.”

He also notes that contributions to a registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) made before the end of February are tax-deductible for your 2023 taxes.

His final piece of advice is to pay very close attention to investment-related fees.

“Most Canadians invest for retirement through mutual funds, which can charge annual fees above 2.5 per cent. That means the fund would need to generate a return higher than 7.5 per cent to give investors a five per cent return,” he writes.

“Many mutual funds outperform the broader market after fees but most don’t. Consider less expensive alternatives such as basic market-weighted exchange traded funds (ETFs) with much smaller fees,” he concludes.

If you’re a member of the Saskatchewan Pension Plan, you’re already taking advantage of lower fees. SPP’s pooled, professionally managed Balanced Fund operates with a fee that is typically less than one per cent! Not a member? SPP is open to any Canadian with RRSP room, so check out SPP today and see how we can get your retirement savings plans back on track!

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While it’s never great to make a mistake, they have the interesting side effect of teaching you what not to do.

Save with SPP decided to hunt around for some tips on what not to do when it comes to saving for retirement.

According to the Espresso blog on MSN, there are a couple of retirement plans that can backfire on you.

Many who haven’t saved much for retirement plan to continue working past age 65. But, the article warns, your body may have other ideas. A StatsCan finding from 2002 was that 30 per cent of those who took early retirement did so “because of their health.”

If you are saving via an investment product that charges high fees, you may find those charges “can eat up huge amounts of your savings over time,” the article reports. Be careful and look for lower-fee options, the article advises.

A key tip is to get saving, even if you start late. “According to BNN Bloomberg, 32 per cent of Canadians approaching retirement don’t have any savings,” the article notes. “Anyone hoping to rely only on the Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security will find it difficult to maintain a comfortable lifestyle in retirement, which is why middle-aged and older Canadians should start saving as early as possible,” the article concludes.

The Motley Fool blog offers up a few more ideas.

Be aware of your registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) limits, the blog warns — there can be penalties if you over-contribute.

If you are running your own money and wanting to think outside the box, don’t use your RRSP as the test bed, The Motley Fool warns. “You should test out your investment strategies in a non-registered account before investing in RRSPs. Apply your successful investment strategies in RRSPs because losses cannot be written off,” the blog suggests.

Other advice includes diversification — don’t go fixed-income only in an RRSP, because you’ll get more growth from equities, the blog advises.

Over on LinkedIn, Brent Misener, a certified financial planner, provides a few more ideas.

Don’t procrastinate on retirement saving, he notes. “The power of compounding is a significant advantage when it comes to saving and investing. Starting early allows your money to grow and work for you over an extended period. Take action now and harness the power of time to maximize your retirement nest egg,” he writes.

Have a handle on what your expenses will be after you retire, Misener writes. “Medical costs, housing, leisure activities, and unforeseen events can quickly deplete your savings if not accounted for,” he warns.

In a similar vein, he says you must not ignore the possible impacts of inflation. “Consider inflation as you plan for the future and ensure that your investments and savings can keep pace with rising prices. Consider how much everyday items like groceries and utilities have increased dramatically in the last two years,” he adds.

If you are among the fortunate few who have a workplace pension plan, don’t stop saving outside that plan, Misener states. “Whether it’s a defined benefit or defined contribution, it’s important to remember that your pension may not cover all of your spending needs. Most retirees plan on spending more in retirement and often work pensions may only cover basic expenses,” he concludes.

These are all good tips to be aware of.

If you don’t have a workplace pension plan, or you want to supplement the savings you are getting from one, have a look at the Saskatchewan Pension Plan. SPP is an open, voluntary defined contribution plan that will invest your money at a very low fee. Your savings will grow within SPP’s pooled investment fund, and when it’s time to retire, you have the option of a lifetime monthly annuity payment, so that you will never run out of money. Check out SPP today!

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RRSPs on the rebound: RBC poll

After hitting “a historic low” in 2021, a new poll suggests that 53 per cent of Canadians are now “using registered retirement savings plans (RRSPs) to save for their future,” reports BNN Bloomberg.

That’s a seven per cent jump from last year, the broadcaster reports, citing findings from a recent Royal Bank of Canada poll.

Interestingly, the research found that savers – even younger ones aged 25 to 34 – are okay with the idea of paying fees with their investment portfolio “if it will give an opportunity to earn higher returns,” the report notes.

“When assessing value, investment performance after fees is what really matters,” Stuart Gray, director of the Financial Planning Centre of Expertise at RBC, states in the article.

“It’s encouraging to see that younger Canadians understand how crucial this is in achieving your retirement savings goals and building a strong financial future,” he states.

What’s prompting younger Canadians to save more for their faraway retirements?

“The poll found 85 per cent of younger investors are worried about balancing their current financial situation and saving for the future as basic living expenses continue to rise,” the article notes.

But, Gray states in the piece, “it’s a good sign many Canadians are placing the spotlight on their investments, as it will help them manage future uncertainty around inflation and the COVID-19 pandemic.”

If you are worried about when to jump into the world of investments, Apurva Parashar of Alitis Investment Counsel tells the Campbell River Mirror that the best time to get investing is now.

“A lot of people wait for the ‘perfect time’ to invest, or the ‘perfect investment’ that grows their portfolio to their long term goal in less than a year. But it’s better to treat investments as a slow and steady process,” she tells the Mirror.

Asked by the Mirror for her thoughts on people “saving for retirement, a down payment on a house, or other financial goals,” Parahar was very clear.

“Start as early as you can. Don’t wait for the perfect time, and don’t overthink it,” she tells the Mirror. “Trust the process.”

Save with SPP remembers being a young reporter in Thunder Bay when a colleague talked up the value of RRSPs. We got the message – anything you put away today, in your 20s, will be worth much more 40 years from now. And, the colleague said at the time, you’ll get a tax refund. It was the thought of the refund that actually pushed us towards RRSP saving.

So, let’s sew these ideas together. More than half of us have RRSPs, and even the young are willing to pay fees if they get investment performance. At least one expert says now is the time to start investing.

Enter the Saskatchewan Pension Plan. While last year’s sparkling 11.53 per cent rate of return is no guarantee of future performance, the SPP has returned more than 8 per cent (on average) annually since its inception 36 years ago. And while there are indeed investment fees, they are low – usually less than one per cent. You can start small, and ramp up your contributions as you get older and earn more, and can leave the professional investing decisions to the experts at SPP. Slow and steady can create a fine nest egg for when you unshackle yourself from the bonds of commerce.

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Will some Canadians stay frugal and keep saving – even after the pandemic?

An interesting report from BNN Bloomberg suggests that a significant chunk of us Canadians plan to carry on being savers – and trimming back on spending – once the pandemic is over.

The report cites recent Scotiabank research, which found that 36 per cent of those surveyed “are planning to eliminate unnecessary spending from their lifestyle,” and a further 28 per cent “will continue to build their emergency fund.”

Scotiabank’s D’Arcy McDonald is quoted in the article as saying there is a “record number of deposits in Canadians’ bank accounts.” He further states that this stash of cash “presents a huge opportunity, especially for the sectors hardest hit by the pandemic, like travel and hospitality.”

In plainer terms, he’s expecting Canadians will spend that cache of cash on things they haven’t been able to do, like jumping on a jet plane, or even taking friends out for dinner. And the research seems to bear that out – but with more than a third of respondents promising NOT to spend money like they did before, and nearly 30 per cent more putting money in long-term savings, one wonders if it will play out like bankers and politicians expect.

A higher savings rate is never a bad thing. As recently as 2017, according to the CBC, the national household savings rate was about 4.6 per cent, and 65 per cent of Canadians said they were saving for retirement.

Jump ahead to 2020, and – according to the National Post – we have a national savings rate of 28.2 per cent, and an estimate cash stockpile of $90 billion. And that number solely looks at savings accounts, the article notes – if invested dollars were counted, the number would be even higher.

Are any of the excess dollars being earmarked for retirement?

It would appear so. According to the Canada Buzz blog, the average registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) balance in Canada is around the $100,000 mark – it averages $92,000 and change in the Prairies and hits $116,000 in Alberta. B.C. weighs in at $96,000-plus and Ontario leads at $128,000.

The pandemic has been a nightmare for some of us, who have seen jobs and paycheques dry up, or who have been forced to close businesses. Retirement savings is of course not a priority for this group. But if you are someone who has managed to keep working throughout the crisis, and have built up some extra savings, don’t forget about your retirement savings account. Those dollars will be handy for the retired, future you.

The Saskatchewan Pension Plan, celebrating its 35^th year of operations, is of course a logical destination for any excess cash you may want to earmark for the future. SPP invests the contributions on your behalf, and at retirement, can convert your invested dollars to a retirement income stream. Check them out today!

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It’s the start of the New Year, and if there’s one thing we think everyone can agree on, it is really nice to see 2020 not hitting the door on the way out.

A New Year brings new promises, in the form of resolutions. Late-night host Conan O’Brien sums up how we all feel about the crazy year just ended, saying that his resolution for 2021 is “spend less time with my family.” Ouch.

Save with SPP took a look around the Interweb to see what people are resolving to do this year on the savings front.

At the Save.ca blog, there’s some good resolution advice on what to do with any extra money that comes your way in 2021, perhaps via a raise, a bonus, or a lottery payout.

“Whatever the source of the windfall, a good rule of thumb is to divide the extra money among the past, present, and future. If you have significant debts, use one-third of the windfall to pay some of those off, addressing concerns from the past. Save one-third, looking to the future,” the blog tells us.

“Use no more than one-third to address your present wish list — things like home improvements or even the purchase of something you’ve had your eye on but couldn’t previously afford,” say the folks at Save.ca.

Other advice for 2021 – save big by eating more at home, leave the ATM card at the house, and “pay yourself first.” You should “start adding yourself to the list of bills that need to be paid. Pay yourself with a set amount designated for investment or savings each month,” Save.ca advises.

The CBC suggests a “30-day spending detox” immediately as the New Year begins. The broadcaster quotes Calgary finance expert Lesley-Anne Scorgie as saying a “detox” means “turning the taps off to that habitual spending that you were doing throughout the month of December — and, let’s face it, for many months before the holiday season as well.”

The detox, she says in the CBC article, can be carried out by reducing spending “on anything that’s non-essential.” Suggestions include take-out coffee, subscriptions to streaming TV services, “the nails, the rims for your car,” and so on, she states.

A bunch of little cuts can add up to $25 a day – or close to $700 a month – that can be put away in a savings account, Scorgie says.

CityNews Toronto reports on recent research by Bromwich+Smith, which found Canadians “are eager to make fundamental life changes in 2021 following months of pandemic induced lockdowns and restrictions.”

Sixty per cent of those surveyed want to “support small and local businesses going forward,” the broadcaster notes. Fifty-nine per cent want to “enjoy the little things in life,” and 47 per cent want to live “more frugally.” Other top resolutions included being kinder to others (41 per cent) and travelling to other provinces (35 per cent), CityNew reports.

Whatever you do to improve your finances, take small steps, advises noted financial reporter Pattie Lovett-Reid.

Talking on BNN Bloomberg’s show The Open, she says thinking too large “may be too big and audacious a goal,” she explains. Instead, she recommends we say to ourselves “OK, what can I do each month to move forward our financial plan?” If you succeed, great, if you don’t, there are many more months to go, she notes. “You have to know how much you owe, and how much you own – that will give you an opportunity to make changes, and to get corrective action in place,” she explains.

Looking for a 2021 resolution? How about this – why not increase your contribution to the Saskatchewan Pension Plan. It’s a quick and easy way to pay yourself first, whether you contribute weekly or monthly, or via a lump sum. Not an SPP member? Check out SPP today; in 2021 SPP is commemorating 35 years of providing retirement security.

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Retirement income will come from many different buckets – so be aware of tax rules

When we are working full time, taxes are fairly straightforward. Our one source of income is the only one that gets taxed. Very straightforward.

It’s a far different story, writes Dale Jackson for BNN Bloomberg, once you’re retired. Income may come from multiple sources, he explains.

“Think of your retirement savings as several buckets with different tax consequences: registered retirement savings plan (RRSP), spousal RRSP, workplace pension or annuity, part-time work income, tax-free savings account (TFSA), non-registered savings, Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Old Age Security benefits (OAS), and home equity lines of credit (HELOC),” he explains. 

“The trick is to take money from the buckets with the highest tax implications at the lowest possible tax rate and top it off with money from the buckets with little or no tax consequences.” Jackson points out.

A company pension plan is a great thing, he writes, but income from it is taxable. “If you are fortunate enough to have had a company-sponsored pension plan – whether it is defined contribution or defined benefit – or an annuity, you have the misfortune of being fully taxed on withdrawals in retirement,” he explains.

It’s the same story for your RRSP – it’s fully taxable. Both pension income and RRSP income may be eligible for income splitting if you qualify, Jackson notes.

He explains how a spousal RRSP can save you taxes. “If one spouse contributes much more than the other during their working life, they can split their contributions with the lower-income spouse through a spousal RRSP. The contribution can be claimed by the higher-income spouse and gives the spouse under 65 a bucket of money that will be taxed at their lower rate,” Jackson writes.

CPP and OAS benefits are also fully taxed, and the latter can be clawed back in whole or in part depending on your other income, he notes.

Other buckets to consider include part-time work. “More seniors are working in retirement than ever,” Jackson writes. While income is taxable, he recommends that you talk to your financial adviser – there may be work-related expenses that are tax-deductible. And you can always work less if you find your other sources of income are increasing!

Interest from non-registered investments like Guaranteed Investment Certificates (GICs) or bonds is taxable. Dividends on non-registered investments are also taxable, but dividend tax credits are available. You will be taxed on half of the gains you make on investments like stocks (again, if they are non-registered) when you sell, Jackson explains. There’s no tax on interest, dividends or growth for investments that are in a RRSP, a Registered Retirement Income Fund, or a TFSA, Jackson notes.

Tax-free income can come from TFSAs or reverse mortgages and HELOCs, but Jackson warns that “a HELOC is a loan against your own home… you will pay interest when the house is sold or the owner dies.”

The takeaway from all this great advice is this – be sure you’re aware of all your sources of post-work income and the tax rules for each. That knowledge will making managing the taxes on all these buckets a little less stressful.

The Saskatchewan Pension Plan is celebrating its 35^th year of operations in 2021. Check out their website today!

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US looks at making retirement plans easier for small businesses to offer

Up here in Canada, workplace pension plans are becoming scarce, especially for small, private sector employers.

It’s the same story in the USA – however, a report in Benefits Canada suggests that our friends south of the line are getting encouragement from their government to roll out more retirement programs for small business employees.

The article reports that “the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act, known as the SECURE Act, won final congressional approval” late last year, and has been signed into law by President Donald Trump.

One of the more interesting angles of this legislation, the magazine notes, is that it will make it easier for “small businesses to band together to offer 401(k) and other retirement plans. The option, called multiple-employer plans, lower the costs of administering a plan.”

A 401(k) is a defined contribution-like product that is similar to an RRSP. Unlike an RRSP, the 401(k) can have an employer match. So instead of each small business having to face the cost of setting up and administering its own 401(k), this new legislation would allow them to join together with other small companies to form a multi-employer plan – a plan for multiple businesses. This would greatly lower administration costs, the article notes.

As well, the old $500 credit US businesses got for starting a retirement plan has increased ten-fold to $5,000, the article reports.

It’s hoped, the article concludes, that this new legislation will increase access by companies with less than 50 employees to retirement benefits – right now, only half of them have any kind of retirement program through work.

The 401(k) program got a boost recently from Alan Greenspan, former head of the US Federal Reserve, although it was a bit of a backhanded compliment.

In a recent interview broadcast on BNN Bloomberg, Greenspan suggested that the American equivalent to the Canada Pension Plan, Social Security, be changed from its current defined benefit mode to a 401(k) like defined contribution model.

“The source of the problem is that we have a defined-benefit program for social security…  what we need to do is go to a defined contribution program… that will put a damper on our major problem,” he says in the interview. The concern in the US is that the Social Security program, paid entirely out of tax revenue, is not sustainable for the long term.

Putting the two thoughts together, perhaps having more workplace retirement programs is a good thing if the Social Security program that backstops US retirement isn’t in the best of health. Let’s choose to focus on the good news that a federal government is making it easier for small businesses to offer retirement benefits.

If you don’t have a workplace pension plan, or you do but want to contribute even more towards your retirement, the Saskatchewan Pension Plan is a logical place to start. The SPP offers the winning combination of low fees, a strong track history of growth, and the ability to convert your savings into a lifetime stream of retirement income. It’s a one-stop retirement centre – check them out today.

Written by Martin Biefer
	Martin Biefer is Senior Pension Writer at Avery & Kerr Communications in Nepean, Ontario. A veteran reporter, editor and pension communicator, he’s now a freelancer. Interests include golf, line dancing, classic rock, and darts. You can follow him on Twitter – his handle is @AveryKerr22

Would people be better off if they worked a little longer, and collected their retirement benefits a little later?

A new study from the Canadian Institute of Actuaries (CIA) called Retire Later for Greater Benefits explores this idea, and proposes a number of changes, including moving the “target eligibility age” for the Canada Pension Plan and Quebec Pension Plan to 67 from 65, while moving the earliest age for receiving these benefits from 60 to 62. As well, the CIA’s research recommends that the latest date for starting these benefits move from 70 to 75.

Old Age Security (OAS) would see its target age move to 67 from 65. For registered pension plans (RPPs), the CIA similarly recommends moving the target retirement age to 67 from 65, and the latest retirement date to 75 from 71.

Why make such changes? An infographic from the CIA notes that we are living longer – a 65-year-old man in 2016 can expect to live for 19.9 years, while a woman can expect 22.5 more years of living. This is an approximately six-year improvement versus 1966.

So we are living longer, the study notes, but face challenges, such as “continuing low interest rates, rising retirement costs, the erosion of private pensions and labour force shortages.”

Save with SPP reached out to the CIA President John Dark via email to ask a few questions about these ideas.

Is, we asked, a goal of this proposal to save the government money on benefits? Dark says no, the aim “is not about lowering costs to the government. The programs as they are currently formulated are sustainable for at least 40 to 75 years, and we believe this proposal will have minimal if any implications on the government’s costs.

“We are suggesting using the current increments available in the CPP/QPP and OAS to increase the benefits at the later age.” On the idea of government savings, Dark notes that while CPP/QPP are paid for by employers and employees, OAS is paid directly through government revenue.

Our next question was about employment – if full government pension benefits begin later, could there be an impact on employment opportunities for younger people, as older folks work longer, say until age 75?

“We’re not recommending 75 as the normal retirement age,” explains Dark. “We are recommending that over a phase-in period of about 10 years we move from a system where people think of ‘normal’ retirement age as 65 to one where 67 (with higher benefits) is the norm.

“The lifting of the end limit from 71 to 75 is at the back end; there are currently those who continue to work past normal retirement and can continue to do so even later if they choose,” he explains. “Current legislation forces retirees to start taking money out of RRSPs and RPPs at age 71 – we think this should increase to 75 to support the increasing number of Canadians who are working longer.”

As for the idea of younger workers being blocked from employment opportunities, Dark says “if we had a very static workforce this might as you suggest cause a bit of blockage for new entrants, but as we say in the paper, Canada has the opposite problem.

“Many areas are having a difficult time finding workers,” he explains, adding that “in the very near future a great many baby boomers will begin to retire. We think allowing people who want to remain in the work force can help with that.

“It’s important to remember that if you have planned retirement at 65 this proposal won’t prevent you from doing that except that OAS wouldn’t be available until 67 instead of 65 (and we expect the government would explore other options for supporting vulnerable populations who need OAS-type support at earlier ages).” Dark explains.

Would starting benefits later mean a bigger lifetime benefit, and could it help with the finnicky problem of “decumulation,” where retirement savings are turned into an income stream?

“Under our proposal,” Dark explains, “people could work just a little longer and get higher benefits for life. By itself that doesn’t make decumulation any less tricky – but perhaps a little more secure.

“For many people in defined contribution (DC) plans who have no inflation protection, longevity guarantees, or investment performance guarantees from an employer, using your own funds earlier and leaving the start of CPP and OAS to as late as possible can help provide some of the best protection against inflation for at least part of your retirement income,” he adds. And, he notes, because you waited, you will get a bigger benefit than you would have got at 65.

Finally, we asked if having a longer runway to retirement age might help Canadians save more for their golden years.

“Clearly by having a longer period of work you have more opportunity to accumulate funds, and by providing more security of retirement income it will help as well,” Dark notes. “We also know that Canadians are already starting their careers later in life – getting established in their 30s rather than their 20s, for example – and need that longer runway anyway.

“Overall, to me the most important word in the report is `nudge.’ If we can get people to think about retirement sooner and get governments to act on a number of areas that we and others have outlined we hope to improve retirement security for Canadians. This is just the start of a journey that will have lots of chapters.”

We thank John Dark, as well as Sandra Caya, CIA’s Associate Director, Communications and Public Affairs, for taking the time to speak with Save with SPP. Some additional research of the CIA’s can be found on Global News Radio, BNN Bloomberg and the Globe and Mail.

Even if the runway towards retirement age is lengthened, it’s never too early to start saving for retirement. If you don’t have a workplace pension plan, or do but want to augment it, the Saskatchewan Pension Plan may be a vehicle whose tires you should consider kicking. It’s an open DC plan with a good track record of low-cost investment success, and many options at retirement for converting your savings to a lifetime income stream.

Written by Martin Biefer
	Martin Biefer is Senior Pension Writer at Avery & Kerr Communications in Nepean, Ontario. A veteran reporter, editor and pension communicator, he’s now a freelancer. Interests include golf, line dancing and classic rock. He and his wife live with their Shelties, Duncan and Phoebe, and cat, Toobins. You can follow him on Twitter – his handle is @AveryKerr22