The Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) investing vehicle is one of the best, and perhaps most under-utilized, tools available to Canadian investors. This account allows Canadian investors to put $7,000 in after-tax dollars to work in an investing account, with the corresponding growth and dividend income provided by the investments in this account eligible to be pulled out tax-free at any point in time.
For those planning for retirement, having access to a tax-free chunk of capital when it comes time to retire is a big deal. That goes double for those who plan to work into retirement, and/or those who expect to have a higher tax burden down the line. With the way fiscal spending is trending everywhere, that’s a bet many may be willing to make.
Here are three tips investors looking to maximize the performance of their TFSAs may want to think about right now.
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Focus on growth
Generally speaking, most financial planners would advise investors to first consider which types of investments they’re thinking about including in their TFSA. A very high-growth stock such as Shopify (TSX:SHOP) or Constellation Software (TSX:CSU) that has seen rapid price appreciation in recent years would be disproportionately rewarded by being held in such a fund.
That’s simply due to the fact that such stocks have continued to compound over time, and that capital appreciation investors would have seen from investing in such stocks early on would have resulted in most of the value of their current holdings being in price appreciation. In a TFSA, this price appreciation is tax-free.
Diversification matters
That said, putting all of one’s TFSA funds in one or two particular stocks is a strategy most financial experts would also be up in arms about. A TFSA does disproportionately benefit investors who want to pick growth stocks that perform well. The key is that such holdings need to perform, and there are no guarantees on this front.
Thus, holding a broader basket of diverse growth stocks may be the optimal choice for most passive long-term investors. Whether it’s a growth-focused ETF or mutual fund, supplementing single-stock picks is a strategy I’m personally in favour of, and it is a strategy I think most investors should consider.
Stay invested
One of the problems with a TFSA (which is similar to a Roth 401(k) in the U.S.) is the relative ease at which investors can pull their capital out of a TFSA when needed. While liquidity is great (and that’s a feature of this investment vehicle), in terms of saving for retirement, excessive withdrawals over time from a TFSA can really degrade the long-term value that can come from holding high-quality growth stocks in this account.
As such, I think the prudent advice for most investors is to put whatever possible into a TFSA (preferably to the maximum allowed), and let these funds sit there for as long as possible. That’s the advice most financial experts would provide, and it’s easier said than done. But for those who are patient and willing to let their winners ride, this is the account that makes the most sense to do so.
