Canadian investment calculators

Investment math doesn't change with the product, only the inputs do. A 6% return on a Canadian-equity ETF and a 6% return on a five-year GIC produce the same future value when compounded over the same period at the same compounding frequency. The calculators in this section compute the math — compound growth of a contribution stream, time-weighted vs annualized return (CAGR) on a position, and the after-tax difference between an RRSP and a TFSA at withdrawal — without taking a view on which product, account, or asset class fits a given situation.

Three external numbers anchor most investment calculations. The risk-free rate, used as a baseline for opportunity-cost comparisons, is published daily by the Bank of Canada in its interest-rate series and through the Valet API. Inflation, which separates nominal returns from real ones, is the Consumer Price Index series from Statistics Canada, updated monthly. Marginal tax rates from the CRA and provincial finance ministries determine the after-tax conversion at withdrawal — particularly the RRSP-vs-TFSA decision, which depends on the difference between the marginal rate in the contributing year and the marginal rate in the withdrawal year.

Compounding frequency matters. Calculators here apply the federally legislated semi-annual compounding convention only when explicitly modelling a closed Canadian fixed-income product (mortgage, GIC, bond) — most investment math uses the periodic rate as supplied. Each calculator documents which convention it applies and why on the page itself.

Sources, formulas, and verification dates are listed on every calculator. No tool in this section recommends an investment, predicts a return, or evaluates whether a strategy fits a particular goal — they accept your assumptions as inputs and report the outcome the math produces.