Can a clone fund reduce my RRSP's foreign content?

Warren Baldwin, vice-president of T.E. Financial Consultants, has the answer.

Warren Baldwin 20 February, 2003 | 2:00PM
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Dear Expert:

I am advised that a U.S. equity fund that I currently hold in a non-registered account has a clone-fund equivalent, which could circumnavigate the 30% foreign content rule if we invested instead in the clone in my RRSP account. I know what a clone is, but I'm not sure of what and how such a thing could work in this particular situation.

Expert Opinion:

Your question about "transferring" a clone to your RRSP is a good one. In effect, you would switch your investment outside the RRSP into the clone fund first, and then move the clone into the RRSP. The clone is a derivative-based fund; it holds mostly Canadian cash, but mimicks the performance of the underlying U.S. fund thanks to the derivatives. Thus it is not considered to be foreign content, and your foreign content level would not be reduced if the clone was moved into the RRSP. However, this does represent a way to increase your exposure to the U.S. market within your RRSP.

To find out how much an RRSP contribution may save you, try Morningstar's RRSP Calculator.

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Warren Baldwin

Warren Baldwin  

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