NerdMetrics.ca
Saving & investing · 2026 rules

Account optimizer

Choosing between index funds moves the needle far less than choosing the right account. This ranks every destination for your next dollar by what it is worth in the first year.

  • Ranked by dollar value
  • Employer match first
  • Marginal-rate aware
Your numberslive
$
$
Employer match
%
$
Debt
$
%
Room and circumstances
$
$

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Where your next dollar belongs
RRSP
Deduction worth 31.5% at your marginal rate
First-year value of following this order: about $3,778 on $12,000 allocated.
Your marginal rate
31.5%
Every deduction is worth this much
Highest guaranteed return
50.0%
The employer match
Destinations ranked
7
Filtered to those with room

Ranked by first-year value

What each destination is worth in the first year, at full allocation
RRSP$3,778
Deduction worth 31.5% at your marginal rate
Employer RRSP match$3,259
50% match on contributions up to $4,000
FHSA$2,918
Deductible going in, tax-free coming out
Clear the credit card$1,364
20.99% interest, guaranteed and tax-free to avoid
Extra mortgage principal$504
A risk-free return equal to your mortgage rate, after tax
RESP$500
20% federal grant on the first $2,500 per child
TFSAbetter$252
No deduction, but never taxed and invisible to benefit tests

A suggested split

RRSPDeduction worth 31.5% at your marginal rate$12,000
Allocated$12,000
Open the registered calculator →

The general ranking

1. Employer matchNothing else comes closeA guaranteed 50–100%
2. Debt above 12%Risk-free and tax-freeIts own interest rate
3. FHSA, if buying a first homeThe only account that is bothDeduction plus tax-free growth
4. RESP, if you have childrenOn the first $2,500 per child per year20% grant
5. RRSP above a ~35% rateWorth most at high incomeYour marginal rate
6. TFSAFlexible, and ignored by benefit testsTax-free growth
7. Mortgage principal or taxableOnce the sheltered room is goneYour mortgage rate
Comparing a one-time refund with an ongoing returnAn RRSP deduction is a one-time value in the year you claim it; clearing a card saves its interest rate every year until the balance returns. When two options score closely, prefer the one that repeats.
How this is calculated

Each destination is scored on its first-year value: the employer match plus the deduction it generates, the interest avoided by clearing debt, the federal grant on an RESP contribution, the deduction on an RRSP or FHSA contribution, and the tax saved on sheltered growth in a TFSA.

The marginal rate is computed from your income and province using 2026 brackets, including provincial surtaxes where they apply.

Benefit clawbacks are not scored here. If you receive the Canada Child Benefit, an RRSP contribution is worth more than its tax value alone, because it also lowers the income the benefit is tested against.

These results are illustrative estimates based on published 2026 rates and typical lender rules. They are not financial, tax, or legal advice, and they are not a mortgage or credit approval. See the methodology and disclaimer.

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