★ TFSA INVESTING GUIDE · WHAT TO HOLD ★

Maximize the tax shelter. Hold growth.

The TFSA shields ALL investment gains from Canadian tax — forever. The strategy: hold your highest-return assets inside. Growth stocks. Canadian dividend ETFs. Aggressive ETFs. Bonds and cash work but waste the shelter.

See 4 strategies
🛡TAX-FREE SHIELDAll gains · forever
★ 4 PROVEN TFSA STRATEGIES ★

Pick the one for your timeline

The One-FundYOUNG · LONG HORIZON
RISK
XEQT100%

Set & forget. 100% global equity ETF auto-rebalances itself.

Couch PotatoAGES 35-55
RISK
VFV40%
XIC30%
VAB30%

Classic balanced. 70/30 stocks/bonds.

Dividend IncomeINCOME-FOCUSED
RISK
XEI50%
VDY30%
VAB20%

Quarterly dividend income, modest growth.

ConservativeNEAR-RETIRE · 3-5YR
RISK
VBAL70%
VAB30%

Lower volatility. Good for nearing first goal.

★ DO / DON'T ★

TFSA tax efficiency rules

✓ DOHold Canadian dividend stocks

Canadian dividends are tax-EFFICIENT outside TFSA but TAX-FREE inside. Best home for high-yield Canadian equity.

✗ DON'THold US dividend stocks inside TFSA

US withholds 15% on dividends paid to TFSA (no treaty benefit). Better home for US dividends: RRSP (treaty exempts).

✓ DOHold growth stocks/ETFs

Highest expected returns → put them in your tax-free wrapper. Every dollar of gain is yours.

✗ DON'THold cash/GICs at 4% in TFSA when you have RRSP room

TFSA is BEST FOR HIGH-RETURN assets. Bonds/cash work but the value is in protecting growth from tax.

✓ DOReinvest dividends automatically (DRIP)

Compounding works inside TFSA without ANY tax drag. Set up DRIP at your broker.

✗ DON'TDay-trade inside TFSA

CRA can reclassify as "business income" and tax it all. Famous 2023 case: $400k+ recovered. Long-term hold only.

YOUR QUESTIONS

TFSA investing · straight answers