The Registered Disability Savings Plan is now an official Canadian Registered Plan and can be issued by Financial institutions across Canada. The RDSP promises to be a life-changing future planning tool for hundreds of thousands of Canadians with a disability, and we are excited that this has become a reality. We see the RDSP as an opportunity for families and individuals across Canada to greatly increase their future financial security and quality of life.
Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network (PLAN) is also excited to announce the launch of our new website www.rdsp.com . This website is the go-to website for any information relating to the RDSP, including financial updates, provincial treatments, details and analysis, stories, the new RDSP Calculator, and much more.
National and Provincial Update
The Provincial Governments of British Columbia, Newfoundland, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Yukon have all fully exempted the RDSP from affecting Disability Benefits as an asset or income. This is a very exciting development as it means that Canadians in all of these provinces will be able to fully benefit from the RDSP. Quebec and New Brunswick have exempted the RDSP as an asset, but only partially exempted the income coming out of the plan ($300 per month exempt – QB, and $800 a month – NB). Visit www.rdsp.com for more detail.
Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Northwest Territories and Nunavut have yet to announce the treatment of the RDSP for those receiving Disability Benefits, but are expected to announce in the next few months. Keep checking this blog and our new website www.rdsp.com for updates on these provinces/territories.
Financial Update
Currently, Fédération des médecins omnipraticiens du Québec (Quebec Federation of General Practitioners) is the only financial institution that has signed an agreement with the Federal Government to offer the RDSP. FMOQ has indicated that it will offer the RDSP to its members (general practitioners) and their patients, and anyone referred to them by financial institutions who do not offer the plan (Québec residents only). To learn more visit: http://www.fmoq.org/Accueil/Accueil/Index.aspx
Currently no other national or regional financial institutions are issuing the RDSP. A few other financial institutions are expected to be ready to issue the RDSP in the next few months. Please check www.rdsp.com or this blog for updates on financial institutions.
We would like to thank the Federal Government of Canada, the Provincial Governments who have come out in support of the RDSP, and the large number of people across Canada who have advocated and supported the plan throughout its development and implementation. We believe this plan has the potential to change lives of hundreds of thousands of people across Canada.
If you are interested in setting up an RDSP, visit www.rdsp.com for details on the plan, instructions on how to set up the plan and other helpful tools and links.
For ongoing updates and to support PLAN in our ongoing advocacy work, sign up for free and receive RDSP related materials and information at www.rdsp.com