Is It A Good Idea To Get RRSP Loans?
RRSPs are said to be a powerful investment medium. This is the reason why banks may offer you certain loans to contribute to your RRSP when you don’t have the money to do so. The sales pitch talks on how you can be refunded in your tax for every dollar contributed to your RRSP. It sounds appealing since it would mean that aside from contributing to your retirement, every dollar you put up will also return in a chunk of cash.
However, there’s an issue when considering this strategy. Basically, you’ll be refunded based on your final tax rate and not on the marginal rate. Let’s say, you’re tax bracket is 40% on your salary, bear in mind your RRSP contribution together with the other deductions will eventually reduce your taxable income.
Your RRSP Contribution
So, if you’re to contribute $5,000 this year on your RRSP, you’d probably expect a $2,000 for your refund. However, by giving the $5,000, you’re apparently reducing your bracket into a lower aspect. This may result to an estimated return amounting to $1,750 (35% of $5,000).
Now, we need to check whether getting loans for your RRSP is worth the risk. The point is since just got a partition of the loan through your refund, you still have the outstanding balance from your bank. Say, if you loan $10,000 for your RRSP contribution and later on getting 35% in return, you have the $6,500 that you owe from the bank. Though your income tax return may cover some of this portion, the fact that your getting into debt to invest is not a good idea.
Facts About RRSP Loans
Bank employees may say that the more investment you put up for your RRSP, the better life you’ll have when you retire. However, they tend not to quote the long-term expenses of the loan. Utilizing compound interest to prepare for retirement is not a bad idea, but complying with your loan obligation and enduring the consequences of debt is what makes it worse. You must be aware of the arguments between investing in RRSP and paying your debt to come up with a wise decision.
When To Take RRSP Loans
It is deemed to be safe and less risky to take an RRSP loan when the total return that you’ll be getting will cover the full payment of your loan. So, before you jump in and take the loan, you must check and calculate whether your return can cover your loan amount. This way, you can decide whether getting a RRSP loan will benefit you or not.
RRSP Loan = (Total RRSP Contribution x Tax Rate) / (1 – Tax Rate)
You have to determine your actual tax rate right after the deductions. Below is an example:
RRSP Loan = $10,000 x 0.35 / (1 – 0.35) = $5,385
This indicates that contributing $10,000 to your RRSP and then taking a loan for $5,385, will give you the same return, which is $5,385. In this case, your return is enough to cover the the payment of your loan in full. Though you’ll be paying a bit of the interest, the fact that you’re definitely getting $5,385 is worth it. Again it’s completely important to apprehend what is your final tax rate before considering this calculation.
