Category: Cross-border Investing
-
A Sunbird’s Guide to Canada: Key Financial Tips for US Citizens
This article is for the “sunbird” (aka a “reverse snow bird”)—a US citizen owning property in Canada and spending several months here each year, but whose primary home and tax residency remain in the United States. If this describes you, you’re in a unique financial situation that requires careful planning. My goal here is to…
-
Escaping the Optimization Trap
In the world of personal finance, it’s easy to get lost in the weeds of optimization. We tweak withdrawal strategies to reduce our 40-year failure rate by 1%. We passionately debate the merits of a market-weighted portfolio versus a factor-based one. We scrutinize MERs, ready to switch ETFs for a .02% advantage. We post our…
-
How Best to Exchange Currency (CAD and USD)
A thread that winds through many of the posts on this site is the idea of finding the balance between satisficing and optimizing, and currency exchange strategies are no exception. Below, I’ll outline some of the best ways to exchange currency between Canadian Dollars (CAD) and US Dollars (USD). There isn’t one best way, though,…
-
Moving from the US to Canada – Part 3: After You Move
In Part 1 of this series on moving to Canada we covered some of the key finance related differences between the US and Canada. Part 2 highlights some important things to consider doing before you move, and here in Part 3 we’re going to focus on actions and considerations after you’ve made the move. This…
-
Moving from the US to Canada – Part 2: Before You Move
If you’re planning to move the US to Canada and are looking for some personal finance tips, you’re in the right place. Part 1 of this series covers some of the differences between the US and Canada in terms of things like taxation, investing, banking and estate planning. Here in Part 2, we have a…
-
Moving from the US to Canada – Part 1: What’s Different?
So you’ve decided to move to Canada. Welcome! My family made the move in 2020, and we haven’t regretted it for a moment. At the same time, in the process of moving, we’ve had a lot to learn. Personal finance in the US and Canada differ in some important ways. I’ll provide an overview of…
-
How to Move a Roth IRA to Canada
The US-Canada Tax Treaty allows Canada to recognize Roth IRAs. If you follow a few simple steps, the CRA will treat your Roth IRA similarly to the US: capital gains, interest, and withdrawals will remain tax-free in Canada. When we moved to Canada, we found the election filing process a bit daunting, but it’s actually…
-
How to Move a Taxable Account from the US to Canada
In my experience, it is hard to find a US brokerage that will hold a taxable (called “non-registered” here in Canada) account for a Canadian resident. So when you move, you’ll likely by moving your US taxable investments to Canada with you. The good news is that it’s easy to find a Canadian brokerage that…
-
Deciding How to Invest in a Group RRSP with High Fees
I’m a big believer in the efficacy of investing in low-cost index funds. At the same time, I’ve also found myself facing high-fee group RRSP options. What is the best way to approach limited options in a group RRSP plan? Let’s explore some of the different ways you might approach investing in a group RRSP…
-
Late Roth IRA Elections and Canadian Contributions
The good news for people moving from the US to Canada is that the Canada-U.S. tax treaty allows for Roth IRAs to be tax-free on both sides of the border. There is a process to be followed, though. Specifically, you are asked to file an election with the CRA on or before the tax filing…