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Are there any fees associated with a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP)?
There is no charge to open an RESP with RBC Royal Bank and there are no annual administration fees.
What are the different types of RESPs?
An RESP may be set up as an individual plan with only one beneficiary who does not have to be related to you. Or an RESP may be set up as a family plan, which lets you name one or multiple beneficiaries. The beneficiaries under a family plan must be related to you by blood or adoption, which includes children and grandchildren, but not nieces or nephews. Both types of plans are offered through RBC Royal Bank
®.
What happens if I don’t contribute enough to warrant the maximum total payable for the CESG?
If you don’t contribute enough to warrant the maximum $500 grant in a given year, the unused entitlement can be carried forward to the next year. Families that have a net family income below $41,544 in 2010 (the threshold is adjusted every year) may qualify for a special enhanced CESG of 40% on the first $500 contributed each year.
What additional Government Grants are available?
Besides the basic CESG, there are additional government incentives available for lower- and middle-income Canadian families to help them save for education. To learn more, please see
Benefits of a RESP.
What contribution options do I have with an RESP?
You can make a lump-sum contribution or set up automatic contributions. A convenient way to set up regular contributions weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually is through our RESP-Matic
® program.
Are there any tax consequences when the child withdraws from the RESP?
Once the student is enrolled in a qualifying post-secondary education or training program, the accumulated income, grants and bonds within the RESP can be paid out to the student at the discretion of the subscriber. These payments are called Educational Assistance Payments (EAPs). The beneficiary must claim all EAPs as income on his or her tax return in the year that they are received. Usually, this results in little or no tax since students tend to be in the lowest tax bracket and can claim tax credits for the personal amount and education-related expenses.
What happens if the child chooses not to pursue post-secondary education?
If the child who is named beneficiary of the RESP decides not to pursue post-secondary education, you have a few options:
- If you have a family plan, you can designate another beneficiary to receive the government grants (to a maximum of $7,200 per beneficiary) and earnings.
- If you have an individual plan, you may be able to name an alternate beneficiary.
- If the beneficiary has reached 21 and the plan is at least 10 years old, the earnings can be withdrawn by the subscriber, subject to withholding tax and a 20% penalty tax unless transferred to an RSP. The amounts withdrawn will be considered taxable income.
The initial contribution can be withdrawn by the subscriber with no tax consequences since it was made with after-tax dollars, but if it is not used for educational purposes, then any CESG remaining in the plan must be repaid, to a maximum amount equal to 20% of the withdrawal.
Please consult your advisor and read the prospectus before investing. There may be commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses associated with mutual fund investments. Mutual fund securities are not guaranteed or covered by the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation or by another government deposit insurer. For funds other than money market funds, unit values change frequently. For money market funds, there can be no assurances that a fund will be able to maintain its net asset value per security at a constant amount or that the full amount of your investment in a fund will be returned to you. Past performance may not be repeated. Royal Mutual Funds Inc. is licensed as a financial services firm in the province of Quebec.
Financial planning services and investment advice are provided by Royal Mutual Funds Inc. (RMFI). RMFI, RBC Global Asset Management Inc., Royal Bank of Canada, Royal Trust Corporation of Canada and The Royal Trust Company are separate corporate entities which are affiliated. RMFI is licensed as a financial services firm in the province of Quebec.