1. Capitalizing on Capital Losses:
   If you or your spouse has realized capital gains in the last three years, consider selling an investment that has dropped in value to recover the taxes paid on those gains.
    
2. Maximizing Discretionary RRIF income by borrowing to invest:
   If you are an investor with discretionary RRIF income, you can put that income to good use. By borrowing to invest, you not only achieve the tax savings each year, but gain the potential to significantly increase the value of your non-registered investment portfolio over the long term.
    
3. Unlocking locked-in funds:
   While pension assets represent an important source of retirement income, locking-in restrictions can hamper retirement income planning flexibility. By making full use of maximum withdrawal limits, thousands of dollars of pension savings can be unlocked while remaining tax-sheltered.
    
4. Lower the family tax bill – Opportunities for pension income splitting:
   People often consider tax saving strategies on an individual basis, but overlook family strategies that can save significant tax dollars. If you have a spouse (or common law partner) who is in a lower tax bracket, you and your spouse will be able to elect to have up to 50 per cent of eligible income transferred to the lower income spouse. Eligible income is defined as income eligible for the pension income tax credit.
    
5. Giving more for less – Maximize donations to charities:
   Not only do charitable donations provide individuals with the satisfaction of giving back to their communities, Canadian tax laws ensure that there has never been a more tax-advantaged time to give.
    
6. Making the most of your TFSA dollars:
   Now that we have a new savings vehicle, Tax-Free Savings Accounts (TFSA), it’s time to consider who can best benefit from using them as well as why and how you could use them.
    
7. Final RRSP contributions at age 71:
   The clawback of government benefits can have a significant impact on an individual’s retirement income. Some careful RRSP planning as age 71 approaches, however can reduce taxable earnings in retirement – and reduce the clawback of government benefits.
    
8. Little known facts about the Canada/Quebec Pension Plan (CPP/QPP):
   For Canadians at or nearing retirement, the Canada/Quebec Pension Plan remains a bit of a mystery. Many people realize they’ve been contributing to it for a good portion of their lives, but may not be sure how much they will receive at retirement.
    
9. RESPs no longer just for kids:
   When most people thing of Registered Education Savings Plans (RESPs), they think of an educational savings plan for children. Did you know that RESPs are a great savings plan for adults too?
    
10. Put your retained earnings to work:
    Many business owners have built up significant retained earnings in their corporation and are looking for ways to pull that money out. Well, there’s a simple strategy available that moves retained earnings out of the company and puts them to work generating investment returns – in a tax efficient way.

 
Theresa Wever and the Money Concepts Team.

Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with mutual fund investments. Please read the prospectus before investing. Mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated.