If you’ve been contributing to a pension or Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) and retirement or your 71st birthday is around the corner, you’re required to convert that nest egg into a Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF). This benefits you because an RRIF allows you to withdraw savings as income while still letting you grow your investments and minimize taxes.

The primary difference between an RRSP and an RRIF is that RRSPs are designed to accumulate savings throughout your lifetime, while RRIFs provide you with income during your retirement years. Like RRSPs, RRIFs allow you to hold a variety of investments. You’re in control of how the funds are allocated, and you can own more than one RRIF to maximize your potential for continued growth through retirement.