UCU Wealth Strategies Group – Self-Directed Investment Accounts

 

UCU Wealth Strategies Group, partnered with Credential Securities and Credential Management Inc., provides expert investment advice for every type of investor from the cautious to the risk-tolerant. But UCU Wealth Strategies Group Advisors also realize some people prefer to make investment decisions on their own - and they encourage those investors to consider UCU Self-Directed RRSP, RESP and TFSA Investment Accounts or Qtrade for their investment needs.

UCU Investment Accounts

UCU provides a range of Investment Accounts that can help you save for your retirement, your child’s education or for whatever else is important to you. These are government registered plans that offer tax advantages that will help your invested funds grow tax-free until they are withdrawn.

RRSP - Registered Retirement Savings Plan

The gold standard investment account for retirement planning.  Created by the federal government to encourage Canadians to save for their retirement – it provides tax breaks to those who invest in RRSPs.

Contribute up to the yearly maximum amount outlined on your most recent income tax return and you will not pay tax on that investment amount on the following year’s tax return.

An RRSP is considered a tax-deferred account – meaning you do not pay tax on the investment amount while it is growing in the fund. You will however pay tax on the amount you withdraw – but since your yearly income in your retirement years may be substantially lower – your yearly income tax payment will be lower as well.

RESP - Registered Education Savings Plan

An investment account designed to help save for a child’s post-secondary education.

The RESP account subscriber can be the child’s parent, grandparent or family friend - the account beneficiary is the child who enrolls in an accredited post-secondary institution.

Contribute up the maximum lifetime total of $50,000 per child and watch the funds in the RESP grow in value tax-free.  When the money is taken out to pay for the student’s post-secondary education the withdrawals will appear as income on the student’s tax return. Since the student will most likely earn little to no income while studying, the student will most likely pay little to no income tax on the RESP investment.

Open an RESP and take advantage of the Canadian Education Savings Grant. The Canadian government will contribute 20% of RESP contributions up to a maximum of $2,500 per year for a total lifetime grant benefit of $7,200 per beneficiary. That’s free money to support your child’s education.

TFSA - Tax-Free Savings Account

One of the best investment accounts for growing your money tax-free. It was created by the Canadian government to encourage people to invest and grow their savings. A TFSA can be used for any savings goal with no restrictions placed on what you can spend your money on after you take it out.

Invest up the yearly limit of $6,000 and you won’t pay taxes on the investment income or the money earned in your TFSA. There are no restrictions on when you can withdraw your money – you can have access to it anytime – and you won’t pay a penalty for taking out your money. It is a win-win investment account for savers.

More information about the investment accounts can be found on the UCU website (link to webpage)

Qtrade Investor

Qtrade is an online self-directed investment platform that allows you to build your investment portfolio at a low cost.   It is Canada’s number one online trading platform and it will give you access to a catalogue of in-depth research of publically traded stocks. Qtrade will also provide you with some customer support - but you are ultimately in charge of the decision making, stock selection and maintenance of your investment portfolio.

More information about Qtrade Investor can be found on the UCU Wealth Strategies Group  webpage 

*Mutual funds are offered through Credential Asset Management Inc. Mutual funds and other securities are offered through Credential Securities, a division of Credential Qtrade Securities Inc. Credential Securities is a registered mark owned by Aviso Wealth Inc.