THE FUTURE MARKETACADEMY
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School of Money (education only)

TFSA, RRSP and FHSA Explained (Canada)

Step 2 of 6 in Money House

Next in your path: 5.4 Investing Basics: stocks, ETFs, risk

What you'll be able to do
  • Explain what a "registered account" is, and why it is a container, not an investment.
  • Describe how a TFSA works, including the 2026 limit, withdrawals and over-contribution tax.
  • Describe how an RRSP works, including the deduction limit and the 2026 dollar limit.
  • Describe how an FHSA works, who can open one and what a qualifying withdrawal is.
  • Compare the three accounts side by side and avoid the most common mistakes.

This course is education only and covers Canadian federal rules from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). It is not personal financial or tax advice. Limits change every year. Before you contribute, check your own room in your CRA account and consult a licensed professional (for example a certified financial planner or an accountant).

Words in this course 26Open the Vocabulary Hall
01

Registered accounts are containers

In simple words

A registered account is like a special lunch box. The lunch box itself is not food. You choose what goes inside. The special part is that the government gives the lunch box tax rules that help your savings grow.

Key facts
  • TFSA (Tax-Free Savings Account), RRSP (Registered Retirement Savings Plan) and FHSA (First Home Savings Account) are accounts registered with the CRA. Each has its own tax rules.
  • They are containers. Inside, you can usually hold things like cash savings, GICs, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs or stocks, depending on what the bank or brokerage offers.
  • Opening a TFSA does not mean your money is "invested". If you only put cash in, it stays cash.
  • What is protected also depends on what is inside: for example, CDIC deposit insurance covers eligible deposits and GICs up to $100,000 per category, but not stocks, ETFs or mutual funds.
  • Each account has a contribution limit ("room"). Putting in more than your room can lead to a penalty tax.
  • You can see your TFSA, RRSP and FHSA information in your CRA My Account. The CRA also advises checking your own financial institution records, because CRA numbers may not include the latest transactions.
Step by step
  1. Write TFSA, RRSP and FHSA on a page and draw a box around each one.
  2. Write inside each box what you could hold: cash, GICs, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs or stocks (it depends on your bank or brokerage).
  3. Remember that an account with only cash inside is a savings account in a registered container, not an investment.
  4. Check what protection applies to what is inside, for example CDIC covers eligible deposits and GICs, not stocks or ETFs.
  5. Sign in to CRA My Account to see your room, and compare it with your own bank records.
  6. Check: you can say that each account has a limit (room) and a penalty if you go over.
LESSON 01Registered accounts are containers
LESSON 01 / ANIMATED LESSON / AI VOICE00:00 / 01:00
Read the video script
[Host] "TFSA, RRSP, FHSA. Three letters each. Let's make them simple."
[Text on screen: ACCOUNT = CONTAINER] "First thing to know: these are containers, not investments."
[Screen: an empty box labelled TFSA with cash, GIC and ETF cards beside it] "You choose what goes inside: cash, GICs, funds, stocks."
[Host] "If you put in cash and never invest it, it stays cash. That's okay, but know what you chose."
[Screen: CRA My Account sign-in page] "And your room, how much you're allowed to put in, is in your CRA account."
Try it now

Write down which of these accounts you already have (if any), where they are held, and what is inside each one (cash, GIC, fund, other).

ClaudeStuck? Copy a ready-made prompt for Claude

Copy this, open Claude, paste it, and Claude will walk you through the lesson step by step.

For a grown-up: Claude is for adults (18+). Copy this, paste it into Claude, and use the answer to explain the lesson to your child.

I'm learning "TFSA, RRSP and FHSA Explained (Canada)" on The Future Market. Lesson 1: "Registered accounts are containers".

What the lesson teaches:
- TFSA (Tax-Free Savings Account), RRSP (Registered Retirement Savings Plan) and FHSA (First Home Savings Account) are accounts registered with the CRA. Each has its own tax rules.
- They are containers. Inside, you can usually hold things like cash savings, GICs, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs or stocks, depending on what the bank or brokerage offers.
- Opening a TFSA does not mean your money is "invested". If you only put cash in, it stays cash.
- What is protected also depends on what is inside: for example, CDIC deposit insurance covers eligible deposits and GICs up to $100,000 per category, but not stocks, ETFs or mutual funds.
- Each account has a contribution limit ("room"). Putting in more than your room can lead to a penalty tax.
- You can see your TFSA, RRSP and FHSA information in your CRA My Account. The CRA also advises checking your own financial institution records, because CRA numbers may not include the latest transactions.

The exercise I'm working on:
Write down which of these accounts you already have (if any), where they are held, and what is inside each one (cash, GIC, fund, other).

I'm stuck. Please:
1. Explain the main idea in plain, simple words with one everyday example.
2. Walk me through the exercise one small step at a time. Ask me what I've done so far before giving the next step.
3. Don't just give me the final answer. Help me do it myself, and check my work when I share it.
4. This is for learning only. Remind me to check with a licensed professional before I make a real decision about my own money, health or legal situation.
I'm a parent helping my child (about 8 years old) with a lesson called "Registered accounts are containers" from the course "TFSA, RRSP and FHSA Explained (Canada)".

Here's what the lesson says:
A registered account is like a special lunch box. The lunch box itself is not food. You choose what goes inside. The special part is that the government gives the lunch box tax rules that help your savings grow.

The activity:
Write down which of these accounts you already have (if any), where they are held, and what is inside each one (cash, GIC, fund, other).

Please explain this so an 8-year-old understands: short sentences, a fun everyday example, and no hard words.
Then give me 3 simple questions I can ask my child to check they understood, and a way to do the activity together, one tiny step at a time.
Keep it general and educational. This is not advice for a real situation.
Open Claude
Sources
My notes
02

The TFSA

This lesson is part of full access: every course and every level for one payment.

03

The RRSP

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04

The FHSA

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05

Side by side

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06

Common mistakes to avoid

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++

Final project

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??

Quiz

  1. Is a TFSA an investment?

  2. What is the TFSA dollar limit for 2026?

  3. When does TFSA room from a withdrawal come back?

  4. What is the tax on a TFSA over-contribution?

  5. What is the RRSP dollar limit for 2026?

  6. How is new RRSP room generally calculated?

  7. What are the FHSA annual and lifetime limits?

  8. Is a qualifying FHSA withdrawal for a first home taxed?

  9. Name one event that ends the FHSA participation period.

  10. Are contribution limits per account or per person?

EX

Final exam

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CE

Certificate

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