A Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) is a dedicated savings plan to help you save for a child’s education after high school.

Most RESPs are opened for children, but you can open a RESP for yourself or another adult. The person who opens the plan is called the subscriber.

When your child enrolls in post-secondary education, they can start taking payments, called educational assistance payments (EAPs) from their RESP. EAPs are made up of the investment earnings and government grant money in the RESP. The person who is named to receive EAPs under the plan is called the beneficiary.

1. Your savings grow tax free. There is no tax on the investment earnings, as long as they stay in the plan.
2. If you save for a child age 17 and under, the federal government also puts money into the RESP as a grant or bond. In some provinces, the provincial government may contribute too.
3. You can usually put money in whenever you want, up to a lifetime maximum of $50,000 per child. But some plans require set monthly or annual contributions.
4. The contributions are not tax deductible. But you can withdraw them tax free from the plan at any time for any reason.
5. There is a wide range of investment options available for RESPs. Examples: stocks, bonds, mutual funds, GICs. Some plans let you decide how to invest your savings. Others invest your money for you.
6. Your child can take money out of the RESP when they enroll in university or college or another qualifying education program or specified education program.
7. A RESP can stay open for up to 36 years. Under specified plan rules, the plan can stay open for up to 40 years for beneficiaries eligible for the disability tax credit.

Please call me or text me and I can provide more information on RESPs at 647-4075731 or 905-369-0222.  I can also be reached via email at anita@www.test.atlinksinsurance.com