How Do You Invest within an RESP?
I'll have to admit that I've thought and re-thought about how I should invest my kids' education money. I feel an extra sense of responsibility because I don't consider the money 'mine'.
While I control the account and I can get the money back now or if the kids don't go to school, for its intended purpose - funding an education - it's not mine anymore, and that's how I treat it.
If I allocated $20,000 towards my childrens' education, the last thing I want is for them to end up with less than $20,000. The second-last thing I want is the stress of trying to earn back losses. While some argue that kids can take on debt to fund their education, I've seen how huge college debts can be debilitating. When a fresh graduate needs to start repaying big student loans within six months of graduating, they don't have the time to be picky. They take the first decent job they can get and become debt-slaves for the rest of their lives. Many probably won't be debt-free again until retirement - and debt is the antithesis to freedom.
Student loans --> credit cards --> car loans --> mortgage
Everyone I know who graduated with big student loan debts has not lived a free life. All these people have dreamt about 'doing what they love' but none could because they could never get a break from their debt repayments. I don't want my kids to go through that.
So, if I put in $20k I want my kids to receive at least $20k. Of course, if invested in equities the probability that I accomplish this rises with my kids' investing time horizon. Research has shown that very few historical 5yr equity market returns are negative.
How do you invest within an RESP?
The first step is simple. Simply put money into an RESP account and get that sweet, sweet Canadian Education Savings Grant (CESG) of up to $500 per child per year. This easy first step nets an instant 20% ROI.
Next, consider when your child(ren) will need the money. If it's in less than 5 years I would suggest being very conservative. More than 5 years? Then you can start to take a little more risk.
Personally, I add an extra layer of conservatism on top of my baseline allocation. For example, if I considered a baseline allocation for a particular person with a 7 year time horizon to be 70/30 then I might ratchet down to 60/40. Also, within this mix, despite ridiculously low rates, I consider an allocation to risk free deposits (high interest savings accounts, GICs, CDs).
I know I'll get flack for being too conservative, but I do this because time-lines are fixed. When a child graduates from high school they immediately (usually) go to college and have to pay a fixed cost. In contrast, I can delay retirement or adjust my expenses to live off less if I mess up my retirement account.