2021, what a year it was. As I look back on this past year, I first want to thank all of our clients for your trust in us to look after your financial matters. The lifelong relationships we build with our clients are what truly energizes and motivates us to keep working hard every day in our mission to manage wealth better than it’s ever been done before. We are proud of our progress at Sagium in 2021 and look forward to an even better 2022. 

It is hard to highlight all of our successes for the year as we have made significant progress in many areas:

Portfolio Management – We have been able to knock it out of the park with a record-breaking year thanks to the ingenuity of our partners at Kinsted Wealth.

Insurance – We have substantially grown our Insurance and Employee Benefit’s business lines and continue to find ways to open access to private care for our clients.

Financial Planning – We have digitized our processes around the discovery and implementation phases of financial plans to help make the process smoother for our clients. 

Digital Portal – To ensure the transfer and storage of your personal information is secure, we have set up a portal so our clients know their data is in safe hands.


At Sagium, our corporate commitment is to donate 1% of our top-line revenue back to the community in our 4-pillars of giving: “MAKE” (Mental Health, Athletics, Kids, Education). We have been impressed at the resilience in the community as we watch very talented individuals lead charitable organizations towards adapting to help those most in need. The tireless efforts made by these organizations and their volunteers are a true sign of the best in humankind. We have done our best to continue supporting these community efforts. In 2021, we rolled up our sleeves to continue our mission to educate citizens and the donors of charitable organizations around tax, estate, and philanthropy planning in an effort to educate everyone on how they can multiply their charitable impact and minimize their taxes as a result of strategic planning. 

Over the past several years, we are proud to have been involved with many charitable organizations, including: 

On behalf of the Sagium Team, we wish you joy over the Holiday Season and the hope of a fantastic 2022!

- Rick Green, Wealth Strategist & Founding Partner

The season of giving is upon us, and like many individuals, you may be beginning to think of causes that are important to you or how you’d like to give back this holiday season. Charitable organizations have most likely started running their campaigns in which organizations and individuals can support through donations of time, money, or wisdom. Whether you have a cause that is important to you or you’re not sure how much you can afford, it’s essential to take steps to determine how much you can contribute. 

At Sagium, we believe that the first step in determining what to give back is understanding what you and your family require for financial security and what amount can be allocated to the community or the greater good. Depending on your age and stage in life, this may be as simple as working through a budget exercise. Excess dollars can be contributed on a monthly or annual basis and can be adjusted just as easily. 

Depending on your situation, you may want to take a bigger picture approach. If you’ve accumulated wealth in your lifetime, financial planning may reveal that much of what you have built is not required for your financial independence. Rather than donating from cash flow, you may consider donating wealth that you have built within an investment portfolio, life insurance policy, or other assets. Donations can be made in your lifetimes or by Will at death.

The most common beneficiaries of excess wealth are surviving family members and the taxman. Of course, no one (that we know of) has ever named the CRA in their Will or as a beneficiary on their life insurance policy or RRSPs. Unfortunately, in the absence of proper financial planning, a disproportionate amount of your wealth may end up going straight to taxes. A trusted advisor who understands your objectives and the tax, legal and financial implications of different strategies will help to make sure that you don’t miss out on any opportunities. Check out some common charitable gifting strategies from our recent Insight update.

Once you understand the requirements for your financial independence, you can consider how and how much to allocate to charitable causes. If you are looking to be more active in your contribution, donating your time and wisdom to a charitable organization or foundation might be the right approach.  Or, if you have accumulated wealth in your lifetime, you may look to identify a cause and use donor-advised funds or other financial tools to direct your financial contribution to where you believe it will have the most impact.

Living in Canada, most of us have access to necessities and luxuries; however, there is also a great need both locally and globally. If you wish to understand your financial independence so you can plan ways to contribute to a better world, please reach out to one of our Wealth Strategists, who will be happy to start you on your philanthropic journey.

With tax season right around the corner, it is time to start considering your Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) contributions for 2021. There are many elements to consider when it comes to your RRSP, such as deadlines, contribution room, tax strategies, and Spousal RRSP’s. Here, we have outlined a few simple strategies to get you thinking about your RRSP. 

Maximizing the value of your registered plans by making annual contributions is an important wealth planning strategy. This year’s deadline to contribute to your RRSP is fast approaching. Contributions you make to your RRSP in the first 60 days of the year can be used to offset income from the previous year or the current tax year. 

The last day to contribute for the 2021 tax year is March 1st, 2022.

Each year, you can contribute up to 18% of your previous year’s income into an RRSP, to a maximum of $27,230 for 2020 and $27,830 for 2021. If you happen to miss contributing all of your room in a particular year, that room can be carried forward and contributed to your RRSP in another year. Your Notice of Assessment will provide you with the cumulative room available in your RRSP.

One reason to contribute to your RRSP is the tax deduction or refund you will receive come tax season. There are several ways you can contribute to your RRSP, including a lump sum or scheduled contributions. 

In Canada, tax rates increase as your income increases. A common strategy is to make your RRSP contributions in your higher income-earning years. For example, suppose you plan a parental leave, leaving you with a lower income for the year. In that case, it can be suggested to put your money into a non-registered investment or a TFSA and save the RRSP contribution for a different year, when you can further benefit from the tax break. 

Another common planning consideration is your career path. In the early stages of your career, your income may be quite a bit less than it will be once you approach your peak earning years. You may want to contribute to a TFSA in those earlier career years and save the RRSP room for when you are in your higher income-earning years.

A Spousal RRSP allows you to contribute to your spouse’s RRSP but provides you with the tax deduction and comes out of your contribution room. However, the income at retirement from the Spousal RRSP will be taxed on your spouse. This can help reduce the overall family tax burden at retirement, particularly if one spouse earns significantly more or has more assets than the other. This provides flexibility for the future.

When it comes to your RRSP and ensuring you are maximizing the value of your registered plans, there is a lot to consider. Working with an advisor who understands your objectives to build your financial plan is an excellent start to ensuring you are maximizing the benefit of your contributions, both in the short term and in the long term.

If you would like to have a conversation with one of our wealth advisors about contributing to an RRSP or TFSA or building a plan to make sure you are implementing the right strategy for your vision, give us a call.

Strategies to Maximize the Value of your RRSP

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