A TFSA is definitively a fun and useful investment program, if I can name it that way, but a TFSA can also be a trap. Well, it is for me, for my specific debt-and-investment situation.
A TFSA allow investors to earn dividend and capital gain free of tax. You can contribute up to 5 000$ per year in a TFSA. The amount of money you withdraw can be invested in totally, but only the year after following the withdraw. For 2011, I can invest 12 000$ into my TFSA.
We are now in January 2011, but I won't transfer 12 000$ into my TFSA. Why?
It's because of my margin situation in my non registered account. If I transfer 12 000$ from my non registered account to my TFSA, it will have a negative effect on my margin. 12 000$ is not that much but it's still a good amount. A transfer of 12 000$ into the TFSA will decrease of 12 000$ the value of my margin in my Canadian non registered account. And I don't want that happen because I want to see the value of my margin increase.
Why I don't like the TFSA
You may say that my debt is the trap and not the TFSA. But in my case, my investment, if not my whole life (lol) rely on my debt. Why?
Well, while investing, the money you take to invest have to come from somewhere. In my case, more than 50 000$ had been borrowed for investment purposes. The money is coming from credit card balance transfer, RSP loan, credit line and margin. I guess I might have one of those good credit because so far, while dealing mostly with TD Canada Trust, I had been able to get EVERYTHING I ever wanted. It's a I have a good credit situation or that at TD Canada Trust, they LOVE the Dividend Girl. What do you think? It's one or the other lol..
Personally, that TFSA drive me sick because at TD Waterhouse, they have a one withdraw per year rule. Which mean that at TD Waterhouse, you can withdraw from your TFSA or transfer from TFSA to non registered account (but that still count as a withdraw). If you exceed the one withdraw per year, TD Waterhouse will charge you something like 30$ for each additional withdraw. Very very bad from TD Waterhouse...
Try to manage a Stop Working strategy of a guy name Derek Foster with one withdraw per year from your TFSA! That's impossible! Dividend is my cash, I want to have access to it at anytime. Even if, at this time, all of my dividend incomes are enrolled to a DRIP. A DRIP yes, but there's always some left-over (cash left behind after the dividend had generate into stocks). That's my cash, and I want to be able to withdraw it anytime, anywhere. But that's impossible with a TFSA.
Try to manage a Stop Working strategy of a guy name Derek Foster with one withdraw per year from your TFSA! That's impossible! Dividend is my cash, I want to have access to it at anytime. Even if, at this time, all of my dividend incomes are enrolled to a DRIP. A DRIP yes, but there's always some left-over (cash left behind after the dividend had generate into stocks). That's my cash, and I want to be able to withdraw it anytime, anywhere. But that's impossible with a TFSA.
Basically, you have to decide: not to pay tax on your dividend or the liberty to do just whatever you want.
TFSA reduce what I need most: liberty. The freedom of doing what I want with my money. That TFSA is not perfect. The Tories are behind it and it show. Trust me that it show! Ahhhhhh!
If you have a situation like mine where you are trying to build health while using not more than 30% of the money available on the margin, maybe you'll like to forget the TFSA for one or 2 year, until, like me, you reach the 150 000$ in assets. After what, we'll come back to it, to the (un)famous TFSA of the Tories government! I promise.
I prefer to maximize my RRSP contribution. That way, I reduce the taxes I have to pay on the income. For me, RRSP better than TFSA.
Anyhow, this plan could change. But as always, I will let you know what I will be doing with the (un)famous TFSA. But everything I do is being control by my Debt situation.
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