Canadians who know how to use their Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) have made millions in tax-free wealth. The CRA’s TFSA statistics for the 2023 tax year say it all. Canadians in the 50–54-year age group made a total TFSA contribution of $8.2 billion and had a total fair market value of $40.4 billion, which is almost five times their contribution.
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The secrets that TFSA millionaires know
Even you can become a TFSA millionaire if you know the secret to making the most of this account.
Secret #1: Regular investing in your TFSA
If you had been maxing out on your TFSA contribution since 2009, your invested amount alone would have touched $109,000. Assuming you consistently contribute $7,000 to TFSA annually for the next 20 years and earn an average annual return of 10% on your portfolio, you can have a $1.17 million-dollar TFSA portfolio.
The trick is to invest as much as you can in the early stages of your life. So if you invest less in the latter stage, you will still be able to meet your financial goals as the power of compounding will fill the gap of incremental investment.
You don’t need too many stocks, just a balance of a few growth and dividend stocks that can bring your average portfolio return to 10%.
Secret #2: Reinvesting dividends
The biggest mistake most Canadians make with their TFSA is making consistent withdrawals. While the account gives you the flexibility to withdraw anytime, one should understand the opportunity cost of that one withdrawal. Suppose you contribute $7,000 in 2026 and withdraw your dividend amount even when you don’t need that extra cash. By doing so, you are losing the opportunity to reinvest that dividend without overcontributing and limiting that money to its dollar value as of that date.
Manulife Financial (TSX: MFC) is a good dividend stock not for its 3.9% dividend yield but for the 10% average annual dividend growth it has given shareholders for the last 12 years. The insurer has once again raised its 2026 dividend by 10.2%, showing the company’s ability to pay dividends. Generally, the companies that offer high dividend growth do not offer a dividend reinvestment plan (DRIP). But Manulife Financial even offers DRIP, allowing you to compound your returns.
| Year | MFC Dividend/Share | MFC Stock Price as on January 1 | Dividend Amount | DRIP Shares | Total Share Count |
| 2026 | $1.94 | $50.03 | $1,432.75 | 25 | 739 |
| 2025 | $1.76 | $44.36 | $1,255.65 | 25 | 713 |
| 2024 | $1.60 | $29.11 | $1,101.76 | 33 | 689 |
| 2023 | $1.46 | $24.35 | $957.34 | 34 | 656 |
| 2022 | $1.32 | $24.74 | $821.03 | 28 | 622 |
| 2021 | $1.17 | $22.77 | $694.87 | 28 | 594 |
| 2020 | $1.12 | $26.48 | $633.99 | 21 | 566 |
| 2019 | $1.00 | $19.19 | $545.46 | 25 | 545 |
| 2018 | $0.91 | $26.19 | $473.90 | 16 | 521 |
| 2017 | $0.82 | $24.24 | $414.07 | 15 | 505 |
| 2016 | $0.74 | $20.39 | $362.60 | 490 |
Had you invested $10,000 in Manulife in 2016, you would have gotten 490 shares. The dividend growth would have increased your annual dividend from $362.60 in 2016 to $950.60 in 2026, and your investment value to $24,514 (490 shares x $50.03).
DRIP could have enhanced your dividend amount to $1,432 in 2026, and your investment value to $37,000 (739 shares x $50.03) as the share price and share count both increase.
Secret #3: Choosing opportunistic growth stocks
TFSA millionaires know that they don’t have to pay tax on capital gains from US stocks. Thus, they look to invest in opportunistic growth stocks that can double or triple their money in three to five years, book a profit, and look for other growth cycles. NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) enjoyed the artificial intelligence (AI) growth cycle from November 2022 to 2025, surging 1,300%.
It is almost impossible to predict such growth cycles, but you can tell that this cycle has more upside. Those who jumped the Nvidia growth cycle in November 2023 still tripled their money. The stock growth cycle has paused as investors wait and watch the return on the AI models built so far before investing more.
The next three years will see the investment put to work, with new AI data centres. This has created an acute shortage of memory chips, driving Micron Technology’s share up 330% in a year. If you invested in Nvidia, you could consider selling it and buying Micron.
