A retirement fund similar to an annuity contract that pays out income to a beneficiary or a number of beneficiaries. To fund their retirement, RRSP holders often roll over their RRSPs into an RRIF. RRIF payouts are considered a part of the beneficiary's normal income and are taxed as such by the Canadian Revenue Agency in the year that the beneficiary receives payouts. The organization or company that holds the RRIF is known as the carrier of the plan. Carriers can be insurance companies, banks or any kind of licensed financial intermediary. The Government of Canada is not the carrier for RRIFs; it merely registers them for tax purposes. |||The RRIF plan is designed to provide people with a constant income flow through retirement from the savings in their RRSPs. RRSPs must be rolled over by the time the contributor reaches age 69, but by converting an RRSP into an RRIF, people can keep their investments under a form of tax shelter, while still having the chance to allocate assets according to contributor specifications.
A move against the direction or trend of the broad market. Contra market securities and sectors tend to have a negative correlation with the broader market index and general economy; when the economy suffers, these segments thrive and vice versa. Taobiz explains Contra Market A contra market stock or sector is one that does well in bear markets and underperforms in bull markets. For example, defensive stocks - so called because of their relative immunity to economic cycles - such as large pharmaceuticals and utilities may outperform during bear markets because of their stable revenues and cash flows. However, they may fare less well during strong markets when investors favor riskier stocks. "Safe haven" securities such as U.S. Treasuries and gold, which have the greatest appeal during economic turmoil, are also classic examples of contra market plays.
A formal review of a company’s endeavors in social responsibility. A social audit looks at factors such as a company’s record of charitable giving, volunteer activity, energy use, transparency, work environment and worker pay and benefits to evaluate what kind of social and environmental impact a company is having in the locations where it operates. Social audits are optional--companies can choose whether to perform them and whether to release the results publicly or only use them internally. In the era of corporate social responsibility, where corporations are often expected not just to deliver value to consumers and shareholders but also to meet environmental and social standards deemed desirable by some vocal members of the general public, social audits can help companies create, improve and maintain a positive public relations image. Good public relations is key because the way a company is perceived will usually have an impact on its bottom line.
A federal subsidy that allows businesses to reduce their taxable income dollar for dollar based on specific types of fuel costs. There are several types of fuel credits. For example, a 2005 fuel credit to companies that produce biofuels provided a tax credit to companies that combined diesel derived from biomass with diesel derived from petroleum to create an alternative fuel mixture. Watch: Tax Deduction Vs. Tax Credit The black liquor tax credit, once part of the alternative fuel credit, was a tax loophole allowed to companies for using black liquor - a paper production byproduct that the paper and pulp companies were already using - mixed with diesel as a fuel source. The paper and pulp companies began adding diesel to their black liquor so they could claim a tax credit. This achieved the reverse of what the bill intended, increasing the use of fossil fuels and reducing the use of biofuels.
A form of a trust that provides pension benefits for an employee of a company upon retirement. RPPs are registered with the Canada Revenue Agency. The employee and employer, or just the employer make contributions to this retirement plan until the employee leaves the company or retires. |||Contributions to an RPP are tax deductible for both the employee and the employer. Contributions to the plan and gains on underlying assets are tax deferred, so the funds are taxed when they are withdrawn from the plan.
A collection of various benefits provided by an employer, which are exempt from taxation as long as certain conditions are met. Any employee who receives taxable fringe benefits will have to include the fair market value of the benefit in their taxable income for the year, which will be subject to tax withholdings, and social security benefits payments. Fringe benefits commonly include health insurance, group term life coverage, education reimbursement, childcare and assistance reimbursement, cafeteria plans, employee discounts, personal use of a company owned vehicle and other similar benefits.
An account on the balance sheet of a corporation or entity that offsets the balance of a related and corresponding account. Taobiz explains Contra Account An example of a contra account would be accumulated amortization. This contra asset account credits the amortization account, offseting the debit position.
An economic indicator based on the theory that listening to what people are talking about at their children's soccer games (or similar event) is one of the best ways to find out how the economy or investing environment was doing. The soccer mom indicator is considered a lagging indicator. This means that if a parent is talking about internet stocks, then you know the internet stock phenomenon is nearing its end because everyone already knows about it.