Kids with big dreams?
We’ll get you there.


Kids with big dreams?
We’ll get you there.

 

As a parent, few things are as gratifying as thinking about your child’s promising future. And few things are as worrisome as how to pay for the education to help your child achieve that promising future.

 

In Canada, the average annual cost of tuition in 2022 was $6,834, before books and additional program fees. For kids in many rural Alberta communities, going to college or university often means moving away from home and paying for rent, food, and other living expenses. It’s a heavy financial lift.

 

Fortunately, if you’re planning ahead and contributing regularly – even small amounts – an RESP can add up pretty quickly. For several reasons, it’s one of the most effective ways to save for a child’s education. The trick is ensuring you get the most out of the RESP by:

    • capitalizing on available government grants

    • starting as early as possible (no time like the present)

    • investing mutual funds† that may provide a higher rate of return.

 

At VCU Financial, in partnership with Aviso Wealth we can help you maximize your education savings.

  

 
 
* Mutual funds are offered through Aviso Wealth

As a parent, few things are as gratifying as thinking about your child’s promising future. And few things are as worrisome as how to pay for the education to help your child achieve that promising future.

 

In Canada, the average annual cost of tuition in 2022 was $6,834, before books and additional program fees. For kids in many rural Alberta communities, going to college or university often means moving away from home and paying for rent, food, and other living expenses. It’s a heavy financial lift.

 

Fortunately, if you’re planning ahead and contributing regularly – even small amounts – an RESP can add up pretty quickly. For several reasons, it’s one of the most effective ways to save for a child’s education. The trick is ensuring you get the most out of the RRSP by:

    • capitalizing on available government grants

    • starting as early as possible (no time like the present)

    • investing in the equity markets through qualifying mutual funds† or investments that may provide a higher rate of return than a guaranteed product.

 

At VCU Financial, we can help you maximize your education savings.

  

 
 
* Mutual funds are offered through Credential Asset Management Inc.

Registered Education Savings Plans (RESPs)

A RESP is one of the most effective ways to save for a child’s education. Your RESP contributions become tax sheltered earnings and they can help you qualify for up to $7,200 in matching contributions from government grants. A RESP can be used for tuition, books, living expenses and more.

 


Fast facts:

  • The Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) is a purpose-designed savings plan to help you get the most from your education savings funds. An RESP can be used for tuition, books, living expenses and more.
  • Your RESP contributions can help you qualify for up to $7,200 in matching contributions from government grants.
  • Unlike RRSPs, contributions to RESPs are not tax deductible. These education savings plans are tax-sheltered investments, which means capital gains and income earned on contributions aren’t taxable until the funds are withdrawn. The upside? As a student, the beneficiary will typically have little income and will pay minimal tax when they withdraw the savings.


  • The lifetime limit for contributions for the plan is $50,000 and there is no annual limit.
  • An RESP can be opened as an individual or a family account. Individual accounts can be opened by anyone, family accounts must be set up by a family member. Talk with a VCU Financial advisor to learn which of these is right for you.
  • You must apply and receive a Social Insurance Number (SIN) for the child before you can open the RESP.
  • Withdrawals can start as soon as the student is enrolled in a qualifying post-secondary educational program. Qualifying programs include trade schools, apprenticeship programs (lasting a minimum of six weeks), colleges and universities.

 

Kickstart that promising future.
Contact an Advisor today.

 

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Investing
You work hard for your money. We’ll work hard to help you grow it with an investment portfolio designed for you.
Retirement planning
When it comes to planning for retirement, there’s no time like the present. Find out how you can make your retirement dreams a reality.
Estate planning
A good estate plan is about more than distributing assets, it's an opportunity to take control of the legacy you leave.
Education planning
RESPs: Save for your child’s post-secondary education with tax-sheltered contributions and earnings while supplementing your contributions with government grants.
Employee benefits
A good employee benefits package can help you attract, retain and motivate employees. We can help with that.
Insurance
Safeguard your family’s future with an insurance strategy customized for your life.

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At Vision Credit Union, we take seriously your right to privacy. Read our privacy policy here.​

Privacy Statement

Protecting your privacy is important to Vision Credit Union.

Vision Credit Union has adopted this Privacy Statement to provide you with an overview of the collection, use, retention, and disclosure of personal information that you may provide while using the Credit Union’s products and services (collectively referred to as “Services”).  Vision Credit Union encourages you to read this Privacy Statement, as well as any Terms and Conditions that may be applicable to a particular product and service, in order to understand how we collect and process personal information in the course of providing the Services and your interaction with the Services.

By using the Services, you consent to the collection, use, retention, and disclosure of your personal information for processing as described in, and subject to the limitations set out in, this Privacy Statement.

Personal Information

Personal information is any information that would identify a person directly, or indirectly in combination with data from other sources. For example, personal information includes a full name, home or work address, phone number, national identification number (SSN, SIN, etc.), email address, banking details, IP address, biometric data, payment information, usage data, or any information that may individually identify a person.

Vision Credit Union may collect personal information including without limitation your name, phone number, email address, IP address, and device identifiers, in the course of its Services, and may use or disclose that personal information as described with this Privacy Statement.

Vision Credit Union may also create de-identified or anonymized data from personal information by excluding data components (such as your name, email address, etc.) that makes the data able to personally identify you, through obfuscation, or through other means. In addition, Vision Credit Union may collect and use aggregated, anonymous information to provide data about the Services to advertisers, potential business partners and other unaffiliated entities.  As this information does not identify a person, and is therefore not personal information, Vision Credit Union’s use of such aggregated, anonymized and/or de-identified data is not subject to this Privacy Statement.

Consent and Collection of Personal Information

If you use Vision Credit Union’s website, or conduct a transaction through the Credit Union’s website where personal information is essential, your consent is implied to collect and use your personal information to facilitate that use or complete that transaction requested or initiated by you only. Examples of instances in which personal information may be collected by Vision Credit Union are, but are not limited to:

  • When you request information or Services, and/or when requested information or Services are provided to you,

  • When you access and navigate Vision Credit Union’s website, or engage in communication and/or business transactions with Vision Credit Union,

  • When Vision Credit Union is administering, planning, and managing its relationship with you or communicating with you in relation to this relationship,

  • Where Vision Credit Union seeks to better understand how Vision Credit Union may improve its products and services, to develop and conduct its business and operations, and for other internal business purposes,

  • Where Vision Credit Union seeks to provide you with information on current and future products and services or other developments with respect to Vision Credit Union and its affiliates and partners,

  • Where Vision Credit Union needs to comply with applicable legal and regulatory requirements, or protect Vision Credit Union’s legal rights and property, or

  • If you knowingly submit Personal information through Vision Credit Union’s website for the purpose of registering for a service, a contest, or authentication.

During these instances, Vision Credit Union may collect data such as, but not restricted to: name, email address, phone number, address, areas of the Services or Vision Credit Union websites you visit, transaction type(s) you engage in or request (and amounts thereof), content you view, your IP address, data downloaded or submitted by you, as well as the nature of the individuals or entities with whom you communicate or transact business using the Services.

If at any point you wish to withdraw consent to personal information collection, please contact the Vision Credit Union Privacy Officer noted in this Privacy Statement.  Please note that certain Services may only be able to be offered or provided to you if you disclose the personal information necessary to facilitate those Services, and therefore Vision Credit Union may not be able to provide you with certain Services in the event that you choose not to disclose that personal information to Vision Credit Union.

Anonymous Information

When you interact with a Vision Credit Union Service, similar to most other websites, apps, and online services, certain anonymous technical information about your visit is automatically logged and collected by Vision Credit Union.  This may include information about the type of browser you use, operating system, the date and time you access the Service, the links you accessed while using the Service, and the internet address of the website, if any, which linked directly to the Vision Credit Union Service. This information is used for system administration purposes such as diagnosing problems with Vision Credit Union’s Services, servers and websites, compiling aggregated and statistical information, and to improve the operation and content of Vision Credit Union’s websites and Services.  It is not personally identifiable, and is not considered personal information and subject to this Privacy Statement.

Personal Information Use

Vision Credit Union may use collected personal information for such purposes as:

  • Helping to establish and verify the identity of users, and to keep user accounts secure,

  • Opening, maintaining, administering and servicing users’ accounts or memberships,

  • Providing Services and support to users,

  • Improving Vision Credit Union’s websites, including tailoring its websites to users’ preferences,

  • Providing users with product or Service updates, promotional notices and offers, and other information about Vision Credit Union,

  • Corresponding with you, and responding to your questions, inquiries, comments, and instructions,

  • Maintaining the security and integrity of Vision Credit Union systems, and,

  • Complying with applicable laws.

Once collected, Vision Credit Union will store and process your personal information in secure locations.

Personal information will only be retained by Vision Credit Union for the length of time required to fulfill the purpose or complete the transaction for which it was collected, or as may be required by law. Beyond that point, personal information in the possession or control of Vision Credit Union will be anonymized or securely destroyed.

Security

Vision Credit Union maintains reasonable physical, technical, and administrative security measures to minimize the risk of unauthorized loss, theft, copying, misuse, access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction of your personal information.

Vision Credit Union also restricts access to your personal Information to only those persons who have a legitimate business need or legal requirement to view it in connection with the Services.  You, as a personal information owner, may also authorize any persons you may choose to have access to your personal information.

Although Vision Credit Union does utilize security measures appropriate to the level of risk, no method of data transfer or storage on the internet is 100% secure and security risks cannot be eliminated entirely.  As such, Vision Credit Union cannot guarantee perfect security, integrity, or confidentiality of personal information.

In the event of a data breach or security incident involving the Services, Vision Credit Union will take all reasonable steps to comply with the breach reporting obligations that may be applicable to it under Alberta privacy laws.  Vision Credit Union may also seek to notify you in such event. If notification is appropriate or required, Vision Credit Union may notify you by email, messaging to your device, or other reasonable means.

Disclosure of Personal Information

Vision Credit Union does not provide personal information to unaffiliated third parties for their use in marketing directly to you.  We may use unaffiliated companies, or trusted third party service providers, to help maintain and operate our Services for reasons related to our business operations and to better serve you, and those companies may receive your personal information for that purpose.  When Vision Credit Union shares personal information with third-party services that support our delivery of the Services, we require that they use your personal information only for the purposes we’ve authorized, and that they protect your personal information to at least the same standards used by Vision Credit Union.

Vision Credit Union may also disclose personal information about you in connection with legal requirements, such as in response to an authorized subpoena, governmental request or investigation, or as otherwise permitted by applicable law (including, without limitation, to prevent fraud or abuse, or to protect Vision Credit Union’s legal rights, property, or the safety of Vision Credit Union, its employees, users or others).

Finally, as Vision Credit Union’s business develops, it may sell or buy corporate assets, and in such transactions personal information may be one of the transferred business assets.  If Vision Credit Union, its internet businesses, or substantially all of its shares or assets, is acquired or an acquisition is contemplated, personal information may be one of the assets assessed or transferred in connection with that transaction.

“Cookies” and Advertisers

The Vision Credit Union websites, or the third party companies used to host, operate, or maintain these websites, may place a “cookie” on your computer in order to allow you to use these websites and to personalize your experience.

A “cookie” is a small piece of data, or an alphanumeric identifier, that can be sent by a web server to your computer or device, which then may be stored by your browser on your computer or device. Cookies allow Vision Credit Union to recognize your computer or device while you are on our websites and help customize your online experience and make it more convenient for you. Cookies are also useful in allowing more efficient log-in for users, tracking transaction histories, and preserving information between browsing sessions. The information collected from cookies may also be used to improve website functionality.

The advertisers and/or other content providers that may appear on Vision Credit Union websites may also use cookies that are not sent by Vision Credit Union. Such ads or content may contain cookies that help track and target the interests of users of our websites in order to present “personalized” advertisements or other messages that the user might find interesting. Vision Credit Union is not responsible for any such cookies.

Most web browsers have features that can notify you when you receive a cookie or prevent cookies from being sent. If you disable cookies, however, you may not be able to use certain personalized functions of Vision Credit Union websites.

Rights With Respect to Personal Information

Vision Credit Union is committed to ensuring you retain full access to and control of your personal information. To that end, we endeavor to respect your right to be informed regarding the collection, use and disclosure of personal information, and your right of correction and access to it, via this Privacy Statement.

If you would like to access, correct, remove, request a copy of, withdraw consent to collection of your personal information, or are looking for any additional information on how your personal information may be collected, used or disclosed by Vision Credit Union, please contact the Vision Credit Union Privacy Officer via the Contact & Questions area at the bottom of this Privacy Statement.  Subject to certain exceptions and limitations that may be prescribed by applicable law, you will be provided with reasonable access to your personal information, and will be entitled to have it amended or corrected as appropriate.

In certain circumstances, you may have the right to have your personal information, or certain components of your personal information, erased by Vision Credit Union, to have your personal information moved, copy or transmitted from Vision Credit Union’s systems to other systems, or to object to or restrict certain processing of your personal information by Vision Credit Union.  In the event that you wish to inquire about, or seek to exercise any of these rights (as they may be applicable), please contact Vision Credit Union’s Privacy Officer.

External Links

Vision Credit Union Services may contain links to other websites, apps, or services, including those of advertisers or third party content providers who offer downloads as part of a Vision Credit Union Service. Vision Credit Union is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of other websites, apps, or services.  We encourage you to read the Privacy Policies published by such third parties before divulging your personal information to them.

Changes to this Privacy Statement

Vision Credit Union reserves the right to modify or supplement this Privacy Statement in its discretion, at any time. If a material change to the terms of this Privacy Statement is made, we will post a notice on our website and a link to the new or amended Privacy Statement.  The collection, use and disclosure of your personal information by Vision Credit Union will be governed by the version of this Privacy Statement in effect at that time.  Your continued use of Vision Credit Union’s websites and/or Services subsequent to any changes to this Privacy Statement will indicate your consent to the collection, use and disclosure of your personal information in accordance with the amended Privacy Statement.

Contact & Questions

If you have any questions or comments regarding this Privacy Statement or any aspects of Vision Credit Union Services, please contact Vision Credit Union’s Privacy Officer at 780-672-1175 or contactus@visioncu.ca.

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