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Better understand RRSPs

The Registered Retirement Savings Plan, commonly called RRSP, is a way to save now to supplement your retirement income later.

It offers you two tax advantages:

  • Your contributions are deducted from your taxable income.
  • The return on your investment is entirely reinvested into your tax-sheltered plan.

Basic RRSP rules

Your RRSP contributions should not exceed a certain percentage of your income.
There are four types of RRSPs: individual RRSP, spousal RRSP, group RRSP and self-directed RRSP.
There are two ways to invest: through regular instalments made at your own pace, and cash, at your convenience.

RRSPs are not only for your retirement

They can be used:

  • to buy your first property with the Home Buyers' Plan (HBP);
  • to pay your return to school with the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP);
  • as a source of revenue in the event of a period of unemployment or parental leave.

For additional information, read the FAQ-RRSPs section or RRSP Guide (PDF format, 606 KB).


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