TFSA or RRSP — which is better for me?

It depends on your marginal tax rate now versus in retirement. If your rate is higher now (common for mid-to-late-career earners), the RRSP usually wins because you deduct at a high rate and withdraw at a lower one. If your rate is low now (students, early career), the TFSA often wins. The TFSA vs RRSP tool computes the dollar difference at your specific bracket.

How much do mutual fund fees really cost?

A typical Canadian mutual fund charges around 1.9% MER versus roughly 0.20% for a broad index ETF. On a portfolio compounding over 30 years that gap can total around $214,000 in foregone growth. The ETF / Index Fund Comparison tool shows your personal fee-drag number.

Do these retirement projections include CPP and OAS?

Yes. The Retirement Projection tool models CPP and OAS as an inflation-indexed income floor, detects OAS clawback above the threshold, and lets you test starting CPP between 60 and 70 (delaying to 70 increases the benefit by 42%).

$7,000TFSARRSP$32,490FHSA$8,000CESGRESPCPPOAS

semi-annualCMHC4.0%stress-testLTVGDSTDS5.25%OSFIB-20

marginaleffectiveBPA$16,129federalprovincialQuebecabatementsurtax

VEQTXEQTXGROZAGVABMER0.20%ETFcouch-potatorebalance

compoundCAGRRule-of-72nominalrealinflation2%BoCCPIStatCan

capital-gains50%ACBPRELCGE$1.25Minclusiontaxableexempt

amortizationprincipalinterestcrossoverprepaymentIRDtermrenewal

net-worthequityliquidassetsliabilitiesdrawdownRRIF5.28%LIF

$93,454OAS clawbackGISCPP survivorQPPpensioncommutedLIRALIF

50/30/20surplusemergency fund6 monthsHISAGICCDIC$100kinsured

Investing & Retirement Calculators Canada

Grow your money and plan the finish line — TFSA vs RRSP, fee drag, compounding, rebalancing, and a CPP/OAS-aware retirement projection.

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TFSA vs RRSP

At your marginal rate, which account wins — and by how much over 30 years.

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Compound Interest / Investment Projection

Monthly contributions, inflation toggle, multiple scenarios overlaid on one chart.

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Retirement Projection

CPP + OAS included, RRSP withdrawal phasing, target retirement age, runway to 95.

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ETF / Index Fund Comparison

Lifetime MER fee-drag odometer: see the $214,000 that quietly disappears into mutual fund fees over 30 years.

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CAGR Calculator

4 modes: find CAGR, end value, years, or start value. Works on any growth series.

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Couch Potato Rebalancer

Enter current holdings + target allocation, get exact buy/sell trades to rebalance.

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Fees and account choice quietly decide your outcome

Two Canadians who save the same amount can retire hundreds of thousands of dollars apart — not from picking better stocks, but from account choice and fees. A 1.9% mutual-fund MER can quietly cost about $214,000 over 30 years versus a low-cost index ETF.

TFSA vs RRSP isn’t universal — it depends on your marginal rate today versus in retirement. And most retirement calculators ignore CPP and OAS, the inflation-indexed floor that can be worth $1,600–$2,200/month for life.

These tools answer the questions that actually move the needle: which account, how much fees cost you, what compounding does over decades, and whether your money lasts to age 95.

Informational only, not financial advice. Projections are illustrative; past performance does not predict future returns.

Also useful

Income tax — find your marginal rate Capital gains on your investments Net worth — track the whole picture Budget — free up more to invest