EDMONTON, ALBERTA — (Marketwire) — 03/04/12 — BMO Financial Group today released the findings of its Third Annual Post-RRSP Deadline Study, which found that 42 per cent of Albertans contributed or planned to contribute to their Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs) before the February 29th deadline. This tied Alberta with Manitoba and Saskatchewan for the highest participation rate in the country. The national average this year was 38 per cent.
Other key findings from Alberta:
“It-s a positive sign that Albertans were the most engaged in the country this RRSP season and seem to recognize the importance of saving for retirement,” said Greg Allen, Divisional Sales Leader, Western Canada, BMO Retail Investments. “However, our study also showed that, while the participation rate in the province was healthy, the average amount contributed was significantly less than the national average. This is something Albertans need to consider when determining their RRSP contribution budget now and into the future.”
Key National Findings:
“Many Canadians are financially stretched and saving for retirement often gets pushed down the list of priorities,” said Tina Di Vito, Head of the BMO Retirement Institute. “However, saving for retirement doesn-t have to happen all at once. The key is to make regular contributions to your RRSP, regardless of the amount. You-ll be surprised how quickly your nest egg will grow over time.”
BMO offers advice on how to find those extra dollars for your RRSP:
For more information on planning for retirement, please visit .
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The survey was completed online from February 21, 2012 to February 23, 2012, using Leger Marketing-s online panel, LegerWeb, with a sample of 1,500 Canadians. A probability sample of the same size would yield a margin of error of +/- 2.5%, 19 times out of 20.
About BMO Financial Group
Established in 1817 as Bank of Montreal, BMO Financial Group is a highly-diversified North American financial services organization. With total assets of $538 billion as at January 31, 2012, and more than 47,000 employees, BMO Financial Group provides a broad range of retail banking, wealth management and investment banking products and solutions.
Contacts:
Media Contacts:
Amanda Robinson, Toronto
416-867-3996
Laurie Grant, Vancouver
604-665-7596