There may be alleged to be no such factor as free lunch on this world, however an pointless variety of Canadians can be loads hungrier at retirement as a result of they gave up that supply on a platter.
We spend countless hours on the lookout for methods to maximise investments, however a assured 100 per cent return by means of employers’ matching contributions is sitting proper in entrance of a few of us.
The one largest mistake Canadians make, particularly youthful ones, isn’t choosing the unsuitable investments; it’s leaving large sums of employer-matching contributions on the desk.
When your organization presents to match your retirement funding, you’ve already received. But, roughly 10 to twenty per cent of Canadians take a look at that assured win and switch it down, leaving these tens of millions on the desk.
A current Solar Life Monetary Inc. survey, carried out with Ipsos in the summertime of 2025, examined Solar Life plan members with employer-sponsored financial savings plans and located that whereas 90 per cent of these surveyed took the total match, a cussed minority nonetheless missed out.
The maths is straightforward, even when the paperwork to hitch a plan is a chore. The utmost worker match within the survey was as a lot as 5.6 per cent. If you happen to’re pulling in $100,000 a yr and also you tuck away $5,600 into your
and your organization fingers you one other $5,600, you simply doubled your cash. Strive making that wager on the observe.
The net analysis research surveyed 1,981 members aged 25 to 75 in the summertime of 2025.
Bernadette Chik, the chief of the outlined contribution advisory enterprise at Mercer Canada, a enterprise of Marsh & McLennan Cos. Inc., mentioned participation varies. The extra beneficiant the plan, the upper the participation, she mentioned, however 80 to 90 per cent is the vary.
“Even once we see some plans that default individuals into one on the full price, individuals peel it again,” Chik mentioned, noting that some workers attempt to decide out of the very applications designed to save lots of them. “Attending to 100 per cent could be very troublesome.”
Why the hesitation? Some individuals simply don’t anticipate to have a protracted tenure on the job, and saving for retirement doesn’t resonate. Toronto-Dominion Financial institution’s current survey discovered that solely 43 per cent of
contribute to
, in contrast with 79 per cent of
and 68 per cent of
.
The retirement mindset doesn’t appear to be as sturdy within the youthful demographic.
“Some employers are attempting to be smarter with how the plan is communicated and shifting away from calling it a retirement plan to a versatile financial savings plan,” Chik mentioned. “Over the past 20 years, the rigidity of those applications has modified.”
There’s additionally the lingering worry that your cash is locked away in a vault you may’t contact. Whereas deferred revenue sharing plans (DPSPs) usually limit you from touching the employer’s portion till you permit the corporate, the
has strict guidelines guaranteeing that cash is yours finally.
I’ll make my very own confession right here. Again in my early days on the Nationwide Publish, I used to be virtually a kind of younger holdouts. I wasn’t signed up for the corporate’s outlined profit plan till an “old-timer” columnist, who was roughly the age I’m now, pulled me apart and requested, “What are you, an fool?”
He defined that the corporate was primarily making an attempt handy me free money, and I had my fingers in my pockets.
Right now, these gold-plated outlined profit plans are principally a relic of the previous within the personal sector. They’ve been changed by outlined contribution plans the place you, the worker, typically must be proactive.
However no matter sort of plan, some employers nonetheless supply employer-matched group RRSPs: You test the field, you continue to get the money.
Group RRSPs and DPSPs have turn into extra widespread with each workers and employers, with the concept that you may entry your personal cash that you just put into them, though you may face charges or withholding taxes. Some employers will even match a
contribution.
Alex Jessop, a licensed monetary planner with Meridian Credit score Union Ltd., mentioned he has seen these “free cash” accounts develop to $500,000 and even $1 million by the point somebody retires.
“You’d be stunned how many individuals don’t elect to join it,” Jessop mentioned. He admits he missed a couple of alternatives early in his profession, when he was simply out of college and strapped for money.
And that’s the crux of the difficulty. Once you’re selecting between a retirement contribution and paying the lease or shopping for groceries, the long-term play appears like a luxurious.
However Chik advised a shift in perspective. A bunch RRSP may be marketed as a down fee instrument. Beneath the Residence Consumers’ Plan, you may pull out as much as $60,000 out of your RRSP in your first residence. That’s your employer serving to you get the keys to a entrance door.
Tannis Dawson, a vice-president and high-net-worth planner at TD Wealth, mentioned she struggles to discover a draw back. Certain, you pay tax when the cash comes out in your 60s, and also you may need barely much less funding flexibility than a self-directed brokerage account, however you’re beginning with a 100 per cent achieve.
“Even in these good years that the market has had, it’s onerous to make 100 per cent,” Dawson mentioned.
I’d say unattainable, except you’re taking an excessive danger. In case you are one of many 10 or 20 per cent not benefiting from this top-up, you may be crying at retirement.
Except you’re really, desperately broke and dealing with high-interest debt, there is no such thing as a monetary justification for leaving an employer match on the desk. If you happen to’re one of many 10 or 20 per cent passing this up, you won’t be ravenous at retirement, however you’ll be envious of among the meal choices others have.
• E-mail: gmarr@postmedia.com
