Info-VoyageursVolume 1 • Number 6 • Winter 2011

When it comes to RRSPs and TFSAs, the earlier you start saving, the more your investment will grow, making

saving a breeze. By investing early, compound interest can work in your favour over a longer period of time.

These days, making RRSP or TFSA contributions is more and more easy: what better way than auto-matic deposits to make your life easier! And, it’s simple : you choose how much and how often you want to invest in your RRSP or TFSA and you choose the frequency (every week, every two weeks or every month). You’ll then be adopting good habits that make saving a piece of cake and just look at the results !

The difference between RRSP and TFSA?

RRSP: The registered retirement savings

plan is an excellent financial tool that grows along with you for the better part of your life. Many people begin making contributions to their RRSPs after starting their first job and hold on to their RRSPs until the time comes to convert it into retirement

income.The RRSP has two key

advantages: it provides you with annual tax savings and it

allows your investment income to grow, tax-sheltered.TFSA: The tax-free retirement

savings account is an additional financial tool for your overall investment

strategy. You can begin making contributions to your TFSA when you turn 18 and you can

continue to do so throughout your life.The TFSA also has two keys advantages:

first, it gives you a way to grow your savings tax-freewhile planning your projects. Second, any money you accumulate or withdraw from your TFSA is non-taxable.

Making your dreams a realityNot sure whether to choose an RRSP

or a TFSA? Wondering which option is best to save for your dreams?

Our advisors are always available to help you determine the tax strategies that will help you reach your goals.

Contact us for an appointment:

705-566-3644

RRSP / TFSA

Get An Early Start On Contributions

$50 Weekly Contribution Amount Up To Age 65 accumulated*:starting at 20 years old $663,710starting at 25 years old $473, 232starting at 30 years old $334,206starting at 35 years old $232,733starting at 40 years old $158,670

A difference of more than $500,000 if you start only at age 40! *Based on a 6.5% annual compounded rate of return and a diversified portfolio.

How do I make my RRSP and TFSA contributions? - Contact your Caisse advisor - Call 1-800-CAISSES - Log on to AccèsD Internet 1. Go to Desjardins.com and log on to AccèsD. 2. Choose the «Savings and investments» tab. 3. Click on «RRSP investments»

or «TFSA investments». 4. Select your product, the term, the amount and

confirm your choices.

Proud of its community involvement, Caisse populaire des Voyageurs distributed more than $200,000 in

donations, sponsorships and advertising in 2010. Whether in Sudbury, Midland or the Greater Toronto Area, Caisse des Voyageurs offered financial support to a great number of organizations. - Notre-Dame-de-la-Merci Church

- Centre de santé communautaire du Grand Sudbury

- Club Richelieu Féminin de Sudbury- Crohn’s and Colotis Foundation- Les Draveurs

(Macdonald-Cartier theatre)- MCTV Telethon- Club Amical du Nouveau Sudbury- Conseil des organismes francophones

de la région de Durham- Bivouac Camp- Georgian Bay General Hospital- Schools and Parishes… and many more!

In addition, Caisse populaire des Voyageurs benefits from the power of cooperation by joining forces, for many

years now, with the five other Greater Sudbury Caisses populaires to

sponsor several community organizations and events. - Théâtre du Nouvel-Ontario

(French theatre)- Dynamic Earth

- United Way- St-Joseph Villa

- Maison Vale Inco Hospice- Carrefour francophone de Sudbury

- Laurentian University- Cedar Park Red Wings

… and many more !

At your Caisse, being a community partner is an important commitment. We are proud to offer

the very best financial services to our members, to distribute a dividend, to actively contribute

to local cooperative education and to financially support organizations in our community.

A glimpse: donations and sponsorships in 2010

Close to 230 students took part in the Caisse’s Zoom sur la bourse contest. The objective of the «Zoom sur la bourse» contest is to motivate young adolescents to increase their knowledge of the

stock market and develop research skills by giving them an opportunity to buy and sell on a mock stock market.

Patrick Godin, student at Collège Notre-Dame high school, was awarded first place in this year’s contest. Rebecca Sun and Rose Marie Addesa, of École secondaire catholique Monseigneur-de-Charbonnel in Toronto, received second and third place. In total, $1,700 in cash was awarded to students who win this contest along with their schools. For the top prize, $500 was awarded to the student and $500 to the school. For second and third place, winning students received $250 and their schools received $100. A total of 229 students participated in the contest and this year a record number of students (180) actually turned a profit.

The following schools participated in the 2010 edition of the contest: in Sudbury, Macdonald-Cartier, Sacré-Cœur and Collège Notre-Dame secondary schools and in southern Ontario, Sainte-Famille (Mississauga), Jeunes-Sans- Frontières (Brampton), Monseigneur-de-Charbonnel (Toronto) and Saint-Charles-Garnier (Whitby) secondary schools.

Lots of talent for the stock market

Caisse des Voyageurs’ director, Jean-Marc Spencer, with the winner of Zoom sur la bourse 2010, Patrick Godin.

Desjardins Group, Canada’s leading cooperative financial group, has been named Bank of the Year 2010 - Canada by the prestigious British magazine, The Banker, published by The Financial Times. This is the first time in Desjardins’ history that it has participated in this competition and it’s the first time that a Canadian cooperative financial

institution has won. “This coveted award gives credence to our unique cooperative business model both here in Canada and around the world,” said Monique F. Leroux, Chair of the Board, President and CEO of Desjardins Group. “It also highlights our excellent cooperative and financial performances over the last few years.”

Desjardins Group: 2010 Bank of the Year

1) Can you give a global picture of 2010 with the main highlights for Caisse des Voyageurs?

The Caisse’s Board of Directors mostly focused on the 2010-2012 Strategic Plan. We examined the accomplishments of the Caisse’s business plan and carried out consultations with employees and the Desjardins network to determine our Caisse’s future.

There weren’t many major “projects” in 2010 since the emphasis was placed more on delivering services to our members and engaging our employees.

The Board currently has 9 members, instead of 12, and at our first Annual General Meeting (AGM), we held elections to fill the vacancies.

2) Were the effects of the economic crisis still felt in 2010?

In comparison with 2009, financial results for 2010 appear to be good. However, confidence in the economy is still low, which means that we have to continue to increase our capitalization and improve our profitability to make sure we have the means to grow, to survive and most importantly, to protect ourselves against any future crisis.

3) What have been the Caisse’s great-est challenges and accomplishments?

In 2010, our biggest challenges were the closure of La Toussaint Branch along with the change of activities at Ste-Anne’s. These were two very difficult decisions to make, but

were unavoidable considering the significant decrease in over-the-counter traffic, soaring operational costs and an amount of space at Ste-Anne Branch that vastly exceeded what was needed to offer member services.

As for our greatest accomplish-ments, I call to mind, among other things, the award for cooperative social responsibility that we received from the Ontario Co-operative Association (On Co-op). We are also continually renewing our commitment to young people by offering initiatives like the “Zoom sur la bourse” contest, which had a record number of participants in 2010, and the famous Pancake Breakfast that we put on every year.

4) What do you foresee in 2011?

Now that we have specified targets for our strategic planning and that many initiatives are actually underway, I perceive that we have the ability to face our competitors. We’re optimistic for 2011 because the economy is improving, among many other reasons.

2010 at a glance

Interview with Carole Kairovicius, chair, Board of Directors

The Desjardins Caisses populaires of Greater Sudbury are now on Facebook! On the page, you’ll find news from your caisses, contests, many useful advices and draws.

Search for Caisses populaires Desjardins du Grand Sudbury and become a member now!

Social Network

Credit Cards: Friends or Enemies?Part 1

It has been a long time since we thought of credit cards as a luxury items. Today, they are a necessary part of life: without one you could not reserve a hotel room, rent a

car or even make a purchase over the Internet. We haven’t talked about those nasty surprises either, like the classic stalled car on the side of the road. But, our little plastic friend can also turn into an enemy if we don’t think about how we use it.

Here’s an overview of what we need to know about credit cards.

Considered as a payment cardThe way people use credit cards has changed tremendously

over the last two generations. Credit cards were almost a

frowned upon in certain circles at the beginning; cards were for many years used as a way to get out of an occasional jam or to cover unexpected costs.

Today, it is hard to find merchants who don’t accept credit cards, and even though debit cards are still more popular for everyday small purchases, credit cards are used more and more frequently as payment cards, even at the grocery store. The main reason for that is there are no transaction charges for using them. And, another incentive is reward programs offered by credit card companies.

Good news: most people pay right awayOf course there is always the risk of getting too deeply in

debt by using credit cards, and financial institutions actually assume more bad debt through there cards than through other forms of loans, including guarantees. That being said, 70% of cardholders do pay off their entire balance within the grace period of 21 days. And a good many others pay off more than the minimum amount required.

Interestingly, despite what you might think, youth are not more at risk than other cardholders. In fact, proportionally speaking, Desjardins Card Services’ student card portfolio is comparable to that of Classic cards, for example.

Get a card so you can build your credit history?Yes! The easiest way to start putting together a credit

history that might one day be consulted by lenders is to hold a credit card and use it correctly. Someone who is 40 and wants to borrow money to buy a house will lose points during file analysis if he or she was never taken out a loan or never held a credit card.

In the eyes of the lender, using a card correctly means always paying off the bill in full without ever incurring interest, or at least paying the minimum requirement on time.

In the next edition of Info-Voyageurs, about credit cards, we will talk about how many cards you should have, how to choose the right card, interest and reimbursement rules and cash advances and advanced payments.

Fill out this ballot and you could win a gift certificate from the Fishbowl restaurant located at 900 Lasalle Blvd. Drop off the ballot at one of the branches of the Caisse populaire des Voyageurs in Sudbury, before Monday March 7th, 2011, at 5:00 P.M.

Contest for the members

Name : ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Address : __________________________________________________________________________________________________

Telephone Number : _______________________________________________________________________________________

Skill-testing question (required): 5 x 10 + 80 - 57 = ______________________________________________________

The contest is open to residents of the City of Greater Sudbury, members of the Caisse des Voyageurs. The gift certificate is worth $ 50. One coupon per person.