CNTower
2024-07-07 10:42:23
It depends on the type of RRSP matching.
What Is RRSP Matching?
RRSP matching is when your employer has a group RRSP that you can join. When you contribute to the RRSP, your employer will either contribute to the plan or match your contributions. (Yes, there is a difference.) It’s a way to get extra money for your RRSP without you having to contribute said amount from your own money.
Is There a Difference Between RRSP Matching and Group RRSPs?
Before we get into how RRSP matching works, we need to define the difference between group RRSPs and RRSP matching.
A group RRSP is a program offered by an employer and usually managed by an outside firm like a bank or an insurance company. If your company has one, you’ll be told about it by the HR department (likely during your onboarding process). In some cases, you may have to wait for your probationary period to end before you can join, but in other cases, if you negotiate, you can join as soon as you start your new role.
RRSP matching can be an option as a part of a group RRSP, but it’s not automatically included. That’s because not all group RRSPs have a matching component. Some do, some don’t, but if RRSP matching is available, it can only be a feature of a group RRSP and not an individual one.
How Does Employer RRSP Matching Work?
Let’s say your company offers a group RRSP with employer matching. Depending on the structure of the group RRSP in question, The employer matching may present itself in two typical varieties. One option is match-for-match contributions. In this example you contribute 5% of your salary, the company matches it with another 5%.
Here’s how that math breaks down using an annual salary of $80,000:
Your RRSP contribution: $80,000 x 0.05 = $4,000
Employer matching (full 5%) = $4,000
Total = $8,000
The other common option is incentive matching. That’s when the company incentivizes you to contribute a certain percentage of your salary with the promise of matching your contributions to a certain stated percentage as well. So when you contribute 5%, the company will match it with an additional 3% or 4%.
Using the same annual salary of $80,000:
Your RRSP contribution: $80,000 x 0.05 = $4,000
Employer matching (3%) = $2,400
Total = $6,400
The main advantage of a group RRSP, especially one that offers matching, is the free money you get towards your retirement.
That’s a lot of extra money for minimal effort on your part.
The second benefit of contributing to a group RRSP is the ease. You sign up for it, determine how much you want to contribute per paycheque and you don’t have to think about it again. Out of sight, out of mind.
As with individual RRSP contributions, employer contributions are tax deductible and reduce your taxable income. This does offset the fact that there might be tax implications, as employer contributions may be considered income and will be reflected as such on your T4 form.
However, there are a couple disadvantages to contributing to a group RRSP. One is you don’t have much freedom to choose your investments as you would with an individual plan. The company plan is managed by an outside financial institution, so we recommend reading any reports, plan documentation and general fine print to see what kind of fees you may be paying, to stay informed about your exposure to risk and other details of the investment plan.
Another con, but one that is easy to manage, is the risk of over-contributing to both your RRSP plans. However, just because you are contributing to a company RRSP, doesn’t mean you still can’t have a personal plan.
If you have both a personal and a company plan, keep an eye on how much you’re contributing each year as employer contributions count towards your overall contribution room as an individual. Excess contributions are taxed at 1% per month over your lifetime over-contribution limit. Still, it’s easy to find out how much room you have in your RRSP plans on your annual tax return.