Media Room

"Act now and act decisively": TD RRSP Boot Camp

TORONTO, Feb. 19 - General (Retired) Rick Hillier, former Chief of the Defence Staff and Patricia Lovett Reid, Senior Vice-President, TD Waterhouse give last minute marching orders from TD RRSP Boot Camp; sound, strategic military principles that you can apply to your financial plan. As the RRSP deadline rapidly approaches, General Hillier and Ms. Lovett Reid have three key military directives for investors.

1. Take control of the situation:
"When a key deadline approaches, go on the offensive and gather intelligence in order to make an informed decision about your future actions," says General Hillier.

"This is not the time to retreat. Take control of your financial future and plan to maximize your RRSP contribution," says Ms. Lovett-Reid. "Maximizing your RRSP contribution is one of the best ways to generate a tax refund, which can be used to pay down your mortgage, reduce your debt or put in a TFSA for tax-free savings in the future."

2. Rely on your battle buddies:
"When you only have a short time to get ready for action, remain calm and rely on your ‘battle buddies'- those people on your team who will give you confidence and advice to make the right decisions," says General Hillier.

"While it's natural to be emotional about money in times like these, we can't let our feelings steer us away from our long-term investment strategy. With only a few days left to contribute money into your RRSP, there is still time to speak to a professional and ensure your financial plan stays on track," says Ms. Lovett-Reid.

3. Act now and act decisively:
"If you don't act decisively when you have all the information you need, you will miss the opportunity to act at all," says General Hillier.

"Act now and make your RRSP contribution or else you will miss out on the potential tax savings. Don't worry if you haven't decided how to invest your money by the deadline of March 2, 2009, you can temporarily hold your funds in cash in your RRSP and take the time afterwards to work with an advisor to decide the right investments," says Ms. Lovett-Reid. General (Retired) Rick Hillier joined TD Bank Financial Group in September 2008 as a senior advisor, to support select client/customer experience initiatives, and leadership development and training activities.

Further information about making an RRSP contribution at TD:
Clients can make sure their retirement savings plans are on track by going into a branch for a TD Personal Assessment. They'll walk away with a review of their current investments, a clear idea of how much they should be contributing to their RRSPs to meet their savings goals, advice and recommendations for next steps, and a feeling of confidence in their financial future.

With 50% longer hours than the other banks, TD Canada Trust is open "8 'till late, six days straight." For clients who can't make it into a branch before the March 2 deadline, RRSP contributions can be made 24/7 online and over the phone at TD Canada Trust EasyWeb, TD Waterhouse WebBroker, and TD Canada Trust EasyLine.

For more information, visit:

http://www.tdcanadatrust.com/ and
http://www.tdwaterhouse.ca/

TD Canada Trust Branch Hours:
Monday - Wednesday, 8:00 am to 6:00 pm
Thursday & Friday, 8:00 am to 8:00 pm
Saturday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm

For further information:

Barbara Timmins
TD Bank Financial Group,
(416) 307-6498,
barbara.timmins@td.com