Posts by Jason Heath

The article “Reasons To Tap RRSPs Before Age 71” was original published on MoneySense on July 12, 2017. Doing this makes sense for plenty of Canadians. Is it the right option for you? Q: If you are self-employed and have a holding company, does it not make sense to use your RRSP funds before 71 and…

The article “Should You Use RRSPs To Pay Down The Mortgage?” was originally published on MoneySense on July 5, 2017. Careful, the tax hit may be hefty if you tap your RRSP early Q: My husband and I will have good pensions. He is thinking that we should cash out our RRSPs to pay down our…

The article “Collecting CPP While Working In The U.S.” was originally published on MoneySense on June 27, 2017. How to transfer Social Security credits from the U.S. to Canada Q: I worked outside Canada for nearly 10 years (1992-2002) in the USA. I have two questions in regard to my circumstances: How do I calculate the CPP…

The article “Tax Facts When Hiring A Nanny” was originally published on MoneySense on June 20, 2017. You have different obligations depending on if your nanny is your employee or is considered self-employed Q: I have four children for whom I can claim child care expenses. I would like to hire someone to look after them who…

The article “Retiring To Mexico – For A Lower Tax Rate” was originally published on MoneySense on June 13, 2017. You technically have to pay just 15% on your Canadian income, but there’s more to the story Q: We have a friend living in Mexico 10 months of the year. She says she pays a flat…

The article “Using Real Estate vs. RRSPs To Fund Retirement” was originally published on MoneySense on June 6, 2017. You’ll have to unwind the RRSP regardless, so watch the tax bill when selling a home for retirement income purposes Q: We have three rental properties in Vancouver (one is mortgage free) and own our own home (mortgage free)…

The article “Turning Investment Income Into Mortgage Payments” was originally published on MoneySense on May 30, 2017. For conservative investors, paying down debt provides a great return Q: I have a mortgage of $120,000 with an interest rate of 2.25% variable. I have some monies which I move around depending on the interest I get with…

The article “Retirement Income Jitters” was originally published on MoneySense on May 23, 2017. Penny has a defined benefit pension, but no equities. Will she have enough income in her golden years? Q: I have a defined benefit pension, real estate (but not income-generating) and cash in GICs, but no equities. At 63, I would like…

The article “Can You Have RRSPs and RRIFs At The Same Time?” was originally published on MoneySense on May 16, 2017. And more importantly, should you? Q: I have various RRSP accounts and am considering converting some (all) to RRIFs. Must I convert all my RRSP accounts to RRIF at the same time for the total…

The article “How To Get The Most Out Of The Capital Gains Exemption” was originally published on MoneySense on May 9, 2017. Not everyone qualifies for the lifetime capital gains exemption, but there are other options Q: I would be interested in understanding the $500,000 lifetime capital gains exemption and what it can be used…