TFSA Riches: 2 Stocks I’d Hold for Retirement and Beyond

Investing in buy-and-hold stocks through a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) is one of the simplest and most powerful ways to build retirement wealth. This lets your gains and dividends grow entirely tax-free. By owning quality companies that steadily increase earnings and dividends over decades, you allow compounding to do the heavy lifting.

Over time, the combination of tax-free compounding, dividend reinvestment, and patience can turn even modest contributions into a reliable stream of income. One lasts throughout retirement, giving you more flexibility and peace of mind when it matters most.

ATD

Alimentation Couche-Tard (TSX: ATD) might be one of the best buy-and-hold stocks on the TSX. Its business touches millions of people daily across more than two dozen countries. The dividend stock has spent decades quietly rolling up fragmented markets, expanding from its Quebec roots into a global powerhouse. Every acquisition, from Circle K to its newer European and Asian chains, has been carefully integrated with a relentless focus on cost control and margin growth.

What makes Couche-Tard so powerful as a TFSA holding is its consistency. It generates predictable cash flow even in economic slowdowns because people keep buying fuel, snacks, and coffee regardless of market cycles. Its margins are stable, and management squeezes more profit out of every square foot and every litre sold. The TSX stock’s dividend is modest but rising, supported by low payout ratios that leave room for future increases. And because it buys back shares aggressively, long-term investors enjoy both capital appreciation and an ever-larger share of earnings.

Looking ahead, Couche-Tard’s runway is still long. It’s expanding in emerging markets, testing electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure at its sites, and exploring new store formats that blend retail, food, and mobility. The risk lies mainly in fuel’s slow decline over time, but Couche-Tard is already adapting to a world beyond gas pumps. With a strong management team, a proven acquisition engine, and a business that thrives on everyday spending, it’s the kind of name that can carry you comfortably into retirement and beyond.

SJ

Stella-Jones (TSX: SJ) is another top option. It manufactures and sells pressure-treated wood products that are essential to modern infrastructure. Because utilities and railways constantly need to maintain and replace their networks, Stella-Jones benefits from recurring demand that doesn’t depend on consumer spending or tech cycles. That stability makes it a hidden gem for long-term TFSA investors looking for slow, reliable compounding.

Over the years, Stella-Jones has proven that boring can be beautiful. Its revenue and earnings have grown steadily through disciplined acquisitions and operational efficiency. The TSX stock generates strong free cash flow, which it uses to raise dividends, repurchase shares, and fund expansion. Its dividend yield isn’t huge, but the payout ratio is low, leaving ample room for increases.

What makes Stella-Jones especially appealing for a retirement-focused investor is its resilience. The TSX stock supplies products that governments and large corporations must continually buy, even in recessions. Its contracts are long term, its customers are sticky, and its products are essential. Management has also shown a knack for adapting to market changes, like increasing its presence in the residential lumber market when infrastructure demand softens. With a solid balance sheet, conservative leadership, and a focus on essential industries, it’s positioned to keep rewarding patient investors long after retirement.

Bottom line

Even now, investors looking for long-term holds can benefit from a small but stable dividend in both of these TSX stocks. In fact, here is what $10,000 divided equally can bring in even today.

All in all, these two TSX stocks offer a substantial return, dividends, and stability for investors. That makes them the perfect long-term hold for any investor looking towards retirement and beyond.