TORONTO, June 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Canadian ETF Association today proposed a new investment savings account, the Maple Investment TFSA, designed to help everyday Canadians save more — and to keep more of those savings invested here at home.
The idea is simple: for Canadian households earning $90,000 a year or less, the federal government would match every dollar they put into the account — up to $1,000 a year — as long as the money is invested in Canadian companies and funds. Put in $1,000 and the government adds another $1,000.
Many Canadians are finding it harder to set money aside as the cost-of-living climbs. At the same time, a growing share of the savings that do happen is leaving the country. Canadians now hold roughly $300 billion in U.S. domiciled ETFs — money that could instead be helping to build Canadian businesses, support Canadian jobs, and strengthen Canada’s own markets. The Maple Investment TFSA is built to address both challenges at once: it gives people a reason to save, and it channels those savings into the Canadian economy.
“For too many Canadians, saving feels out of reach — and the savings that do happen are increasingly leaving the country,” said Eli Yufest, Executive Director of CETFA. “The Maple Investment TFSA changes both. It rewards people for putting money aside, and it makes sure that when they do, their money is working for Canada — supporting Canadian businesses and Canadian jobs. It’s a simple, targeted way to help families get ahead while strengthening our own economy.”
Even Canadians who already save often leave money on the table. Almost 90% of people with a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) do not use all the contribution room available to them, and nearly half hold their TFSA in cash rather than investments — missing out on years of potential growth. By rewarding people for investing, the Maple Investment TFSA is intended to help close that gap.
CETFA notes the Maple Investment TFSA could be offered either as a new account or built directly into the existing TFSA system that millions of Canadians already use, keeping it familiar and straightforward to adopt.
CETFA estimates the matching grant would cost the federal government about $2.7 billion a year — roughly 0.08% of the size of Canada’s economy, or about $69 – $77 billion over 25 years. In return, the program could draw up to $55 billion in new savings into Canadian investments** over that period and bring an estimated 13 million more Canadians** into a savings account. Because eligibility is capped at $90,000, all the government’s support would go to lower- and middle-income households.
CETFA is encouraging the federal government to include the Maple Investment TFSA in Budget 2026 and notes the program could be launched on a phased or pilot basis so its impact can be measured before any broader rollout.
About CETFA
The Canadian ETF Association (CETFA) is the national voice of Canada’s exchange-traded fund industry. CETFA works with investors, advisors, regulators and policymakers to promote the adoption and sustainability of ETFs in Canada.
As of May 31, 2026, Canadian ETFs represented nearly $850 billion in assets under management across more than 2,000 funds, offered by 49 Canadian asset managers and held by more than one in five Canadians.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d1882419-4530-44de-a2e6-fdcd4717fcc5