Using ETFs to get the most out of your TFSA contribution room – MoneySense

In addition, holding cash can mean missing out on the magic of compounding—and the turbo-boost of growing an investment inside a tax-free savings account (TFSA). Despite its name, a TFSA is not just savings account, and it can hold a wide range of qualified investments, including exchange-traded funds (ETFs.)

What are ETFs?

ETFs are large baskets of individual stocks or bonds, similar to mutual funds. They come in many flavours: some track a broad market index, while others focus on a specific sector, region or factor. Unlike mutual funds, ETFs trade on exchanges, and their prices change throughout the day based on supply and demand. You can purchase shares of an ETF, known as units, through a registered dealer and gain exposure to the performance of individual securities within the fund, without owning the securities themselves.

ETFs are constructed and managed by investment firms. Management fees are included in an ETF’s management expense ratio, or MER, which is expressed as a percentage of the fund’s assets under management. ETF fees can be lower than those of mutual funds—one reason why ETFs are immensely popular with investors.  

One investment that may fit your needs is an all-in-one ETF, such as Fidelity’s All-in-One Balanced ETF (FBAL) or Fidelity All-in-One Growth ETF (FGRO). An all-in-one ETF generally invests in a selection of lower-cost ETFs to create a globally diversified portfolio of stocks and bonds that can cater to different investment styles.

Take advantage of tax-free growth

You can hold ETFs within a TFSA. Introduced in 2009, the TFSA enables Canadian residents aged 18 or older to grow their savings and investments tax-free. Contributions to a TFSA, as well as any income earned in the account—including capital gains and dividends—are not taxed. You can withdraw your holdings anytime, and unlike an RRSP, there is no time limit on having a TFSA account.

With the ability to grow and withdraw investments tax-free, it’s no wonder TFSAs are so popular. As of the end of 2020 (the most recent statistics available from the Canadian government), about 16.1 million Canadians had one or more TFSAs.

While Canadians love their TFSAs and ETFs, and they are piling record funds into both, the idea of investing in ETFs inside a TFSA is still eluding many people—and some investors aren’t aware that all-in-one ETFs such as FBAL and FGRO are eligible to be held in a TFSA. Here’s how:

Capitalize on your contribution room

As of 2024, the maximum contribution room for a TFSA is $95,000, the total of the annual contribution limits since 2009. The most recent CRA data show that in 2020, only about 1.4 million of Canada’s nearly 16.1 million TFSA holders had contributed their maximum amount. On average, Canadians were holding $26,614 in their TFSAs at the end of 2020, according to the CRA. This means most of us have catch-up room to fill.