First Home Savings Account (FHSA)
First Home Savings Account (FHSA) is a registered savings account designed to help Canadians save for the purchase of their first home. Available now at BMO, the FHSA is a new savings vehicle in Canada for first time home buyers and can hold various investment types to help you grow your money tax-free.
Invest in your FHSA up to the annual limit and watch it grow, tax-free- You can fill your FHSA with various investments, such as stocks, bonds, ETFs, mutual funds and GICs
- Make a tax-free withdrawal when you’re ready to purchase your first home
The FHSA is now available at BMO
Connect with a BMO Investment professional to learn more about the FHSA. Prefer direct investing? You can now open a FHSA account through BMO InvestorLine's Self-Directed or adviceDirect platforms.
Why invest in FHSA?
Save for your first home
With a $40,000 lifetime contribution limit over a maximum span of 15 years and a tax-free withdrawal for a single property purchase, the FHSA was designed to provide first-time homebuyers with a savings account geared towards buying a home. You can carry forward unused contribution room for as long as you have the account.
A flexible account
With a FHSA, you won’t pay tax on any growth on investments while it’s in your account and you have the flexibility to transfer your FHSA funds to an RRSP or RRIF.
The right investment mix
You can grow your FHSA with a mix of BMO Guaranteed Investment Certificates (GICs), and BMO Mutual Funds. Customize your portfolio to suit your risk tolerance and investing horizon. Get started by setting up a Continuous Savings Plan (CSP) and paying yourself first to take advantage of compound savings growth.
FHSA by the Numbers
$8,000:
FHSA annual contribution limit.
$40,000:
Your lifetime contribution limit.
15 years:
The maximum lifespan of your FHSA account.
FHSA Calculator
Try our new calculator to see how an FHSA can help you save for your first home.
Investments you can hold in your FHSA account
We have a comprehensive selection of professionally managed mutual funds that can be a great fit in your account. Design the portfolio that works for your goals and how much risk you’re comfortable with.
Ways to Invest:
- With a BMO professional
- Online with BMO Self-Directed and adviceDirect
Guaranteed investment certificates protect your initial investment, so you’ll get that investment back at the end of the set term. Plus, you can count on a guaranteed rate of return, depending on the GIC you pick.
Pro tip: Market-linked GICs offer higher return potential than traditional Guaranteed Investment Certificates.
Ways to Invest:
- With a BMO professional
- Online with BMO Self-Directed and adviceDirect
FHSA Savings offers you both security and liquidity. It offers you a competitive interest rate and gives you the convenience of withdrawing the cash at a suitable time in the future to meet your first home buying goal or other emergencies.
Ways to Invest:- In-person or over the phone with a BMO investment professional
- Online with BMO Self-Directed and adviceDirect
Stocks – or equities as they’re also known - are shares of ownership in a company. These investments allow your money to grow as the company grows – either through stock price increases or shared earnings like dividends.
Ways to Invest:
- Online with BMO Self-Directed and adviceDirect
Bonds are a fixed-income investment, meaning they provide a set interest payment on a regular schedule to investors allowing you to invest with a predictable return.
Ways to Invest:
- With a BMO professional
- Online with BMO Self-Directed and adviceDirect
Exchange traded funds, like stocks, can be traded on financial exchanges. ETFs up of several assets, similar to a mutual fund– making them a diverse investment option.
Ways to Invest:
- With a BMO professional
- Online with BMO Self-Directed, adviceDirect and SmartFolio
Helpful Resources
Learn more about the First Home Savings Account on the CRA's website or the FHSA brochure.
Learn more about investing in FHSA with BMO
Compare: FHSA vs TFSA vs RRSP
Learn about the key differences between FHSAs, TFSAs and RRSPs.
What is a tax-free First Home Savings Account?
Learn more about the new tax-free First Home Savings Account and how it can help you achieve your dream of owning your first home.
Understanding TFSAs: The Basics
A TFSA is a great investing option for Canadians of all walks of life – and unlike an RRSP, it has no cut-off age.
FHSA FAQs
General questions
An FHSA is a tax-free account designed to help you save for a qualifying first home purchase with tax-deductible contributions (up to applicable limits). Visit a BMO branch or call 1-877-225-5266 for help opening an FHSA and for personalized investment guidance for your goals. One affordable and convenient way to save in an FHSA is with a Continuous Savings Plan (CSP).
A CSP lets you put your savings on autopilot with automatic contributions from your bank account into mutual funds on a schedule that suits you. This can help you grow your investments faster through compound returns while smoothing out market volatility through dollar-cost averaging. It also helps ensure you never have to scramble to invest by the FHSA contribution deadline.Yes. The FHSA is a registered plan introduced by the Government of Canada in 2023 that is available at BMO to savers and investors seeking to own their first home.
You can contribute $8,000 annually up to a maximum lifetime contribution amount of $40,000. You can also carry forward up to $8,000 in unused annual contribution room to future years so that the max contribution you can make in a single year is $16,000 ($8,000 from the previous year plus $8,000 from the current year).
No, if you and/or your spouse or common-law partner own a home in which you lived as your principal residence at any time during the current year or the preceding four calendar years, you are not eligible to open an FHSA.
While both account types help Canadians save tax-free for their goals, there are some important differences to be aware of. Some of the main differences include:
- How you can use the money you save: With an FHSA account, your withdrawals are only tax-free if used for a qualifying first-home purchase. On the other hand, you can withdraw tax-free from your TFSA for any reason.
- Tax-deductibility: Unlike with a TFSA account, contributions to your FHSA account are deductible on your income taxes.
- Contribution rules: With an FHSA account, you can contribute up to $8,000 per year, and unused contribution room up to $8,000 is carried forward to the following year. You only start to accumulate this contribution room in the year you first open an FHSA. On the other hand, with a TFSA, you automatically begin to accumulate contribution room from the time you turn 18 as a Canadian resident, even if you haven’t opened one up, and your contribution room is carried forward each year, with no lifetime maximum.
- Age requirements: An FHSA must be closed after 15 years or by the end of the year the accountholder turns 71. A TFSA has no age limit and can be held throughout the accountholder’s life.
Yes. Canadians may take advantage of both the FHSA and the RRSP Home Buyers’ Plan for the same home purchase.
Opening an FHSA
It’s quick and easy to open an FHSA. Simply book an appointment with a BMO investment professional, visit your local BMO branch or call 1-877-225-5266 to get started with personalized advice to help you get closer to your big move.
The First Home Savings Account (FHSA) is now available through BMO InvestorLine.
A resident of Canada and at least 18 years of age who is a first-time home buyer, meaning that they have not owned a home in which they lived at any time during the current year or at any time in the preceding four calendar years.
Yes, you can transfer an RRSP to an FHSA on a tax-free basis, subject to FHSA contribution limits.
Yes. The FHSA is designed to help Canadians save tax-free for a down payment on a qualifying first home. Money can also be withdrawn from an FHSA for any other reason but will be subject to withholding taxes.
FHSA Investment Types
A BMO FHSA can hold cash, GICs, and mutual funds. Each of these has its own advantages. Cash provides an important source of liquidity in your portfolio, providing an immediate source of money that doesn’t fluctuate with the markets. GICs are important to investors seeking principal protection, often accompanied by a known, guaranteed interest rate. Mutual funds provide access to professional, active portfolio management with the potential for higher returns.
Visit a local BMO branch or call 1-877-225-5266 for personalized advice on the right investments for your FHSA.
No. It’s not possible to directly transfer your TFSA to an FHSA. You first have to withdraw the money from your TFSA and then contribute it to your FHSA. It’s also important to be aware of how the TFSA withdrawal may affect your available TFSA contribution room.
Yes. A BMO FHSA account can hold a variety of GICs including cashable, non-cashable, as well as market-linked GICs with higher return potential linked to stock markets. Whether you’re looking to make a down-payment on your new home in the very near term of years down the road, there is a BMO GIC to suit your needs and goals.
An FHSA is a registered account type to help Canadians save tax-free for their first home with tax-deductible contributions (up to applicable limits). The RRSP Home Buyers’ Plan (HBP) is not an account type, but is a feature of an RRSP allowing you to withdraw up to $35,000 from your RRSP to buy or build a qualifying home for yourself or a specific disabled person. An HBP withdrawal is not subject to tax at the time it is withdrawn, but the withdrawn amount must be repaid into your RRSP within 15 years.
Ways to contact us
There are various ways to get in touch. Choose your preferred method.
Investing with a professional
Online Investing
- Footnote dagger detailsTerms and conditions apply
- Footnote double dagger details Interest is calculated on your daily closing balance and paid monthly. Interest rates are per annum and are subject to change.
- Footnote 1 details Contributions made to your FHSA may be deductible on your income tax and benefit return. Maximum contribution limits apply.
- Footnote 2 details Includes interest, dividends, and capital gains. Speak to your tax advisor for details
- Footnote 3 details If you withdraw from your FHSA for a purpose other than purchasing a home, any amounts withdrawn are taxable, added to your income taxes, and subject to withholding tax.
- This material is for informational purposes only. This material is not intended to be relied upon as research, investment, or tax advice and is not an implied or express recommendation, offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security or to adopt any particular investment or portfolio strategy. Any views and opinions expressed do not take into account the particular investment objectives, needs, restrictions and circumstances of a specific investor and, thus, should not be used as the basis of any specific investment recommendation. Investors should consult a financial advisor and/or tax information applicable to their specific situation.
- All investments, including these, are subject to risk, including the possible loss of principal.
- Investment professional refers to Personal Bankers, Financial Planners, Investment and Retirement Planning and Investment Specialists that are representatives of BMO Investments Inc.
- BMO Mutual Funds are managed by BMO Investments Inc., which is an investment fund manager and a separate legal entity from Bank of Montreal. BMO Mutual Funds are not insured by the CDIC.
- Commissions, trailing commissions (if applicable), management fees and expenses all may be associated with mutual fund investments. Please read the ETF facts, fund facts or prospectus of the relevant mutual fund before investing. Mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated.
- For a summary of the risks of an investment in the BMO Mutual Funds, please see the specific risks set out in the prospectus. ETF Series of the BMO Mutual Funds trade like stocks, fluctuate in market value and may trade at a discount to their net asset value, which may increase the risk of loss. Distributions are not guaranteed and are subject to change and/or elimination.