By age 50, many Canadians have spent years constructing their Tax-Free Financial savings Accounts (TFSAs), making this stage of life an excellent time to see how these financial savings are progressing. In accordance with Canada Income Company information, TFSA holders aged 50 to 54 had a mean honest market worth of $35,235 within the 2024 contribution 12 months. Whereas each investor’s journey is totally different, the determine affords a helpful benchmark for these trying to develop their tax-sheltered financial savings earlier than retirement.
Reaching or surpassing that degree isn’t nearly making common contributions. It additionally will depend on proudly owning companies that would steadily enhance in worth whereas producing dependable revenue alongside the way in which. Corporations with resilient operations, robust money flows, and shareholder-friendly capital allocation may assist buyers take advantage of their TFSA over the long term.
Listed here are two high Canadian dividend shares that may very well be worthwhile additions to a long-term TFSA portfolio.

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Scotiabank inventory
The primary inventory I’d take a look at for constructing past the typical TFSA steadiness is Financial institution of Nova Scotia (TSX:BNS), higher often known as Scotiabank, which mixes revenue with regular development. As certainly one of Canada’s largest banks, it has operations throughout Canadian banking, worldwide banking, wealth administration, and capital markets.
It’s not a sleepy revenue inventory proper now both, as BNS inventory has climbed 65% over the past 12 months. The inventory now trades at $122.66 per share, with a market cap of about $151 billion. Regardless of these stable features, it nonetheless affords a dividend yield of three.7%, paid quarterly. That blend of value power and revenue may very well be helpful for buyers making an attempt to construct a TFSA steadiness with out giving up money returns alongside the way in which.
Scotiabank’s newest outcomes additionally confirmed robust fundamentals. Within the April quarter, the financial institution’s internet revenue rose to $2.63 billion, diluted earnings improved to $2 per share, and return on fairness reached 13.1%. Notably, earnings from its world wealth administration section rose 19% 12 months over 12 months (YoY) to $476 million, whereas belongings below administration climbed 18% to $450 billion.
Scotiabank additionally has a number of long-term drivers that would proceed supporting shareholder returns within the years to return. Its Canadian banking enterprise offers a steady supply of earnings, whereas its worldwide operations provide publicity to faster-growing markets in Latin America.
On the similar time, its increasing wealth administration enterprise may generate larger fee-based revenue as consumer belongings proceed to develop. That blend offers the financial institution a number of methods to extend earnings over time as an alternative of counting on a single enterprise section.
Canadian Utilities inventory
The following inventory I’d contemplate for constructing a extra reliable TFSA is Canadian Utilities (TSX:CU), which provides stability and constant revenue. Moderately than counting on financial cycles, it offers important power infrastructure by means of electrical energy and pure gasoline transmission, distribution, energy technology, storage, and cleaner-fuel tasks.
After rallying by 38% over the past 12 months, CU inventory presently trades at $52.30 per share with a market cap of about $10.8 billion. The inventory affords a dividend yield of three.6% on the present market value.
What makes Canadian Utilities inventory engaging isn’t simply its dividend. Most of its enterprise is made up of regulated utility belongings that generate reliable money stream, giving the corporate a stable basis to maintain rewarding shareholders over time. On the similar time, it continues investing in new infrastructure tasks that would steadily broaden its earnings base within the years forward.
That technique is already displaying up in its outcomes. Within the first quarter, the corporate’s adjusted earnings rose to $242 million from $232 million a 12 months in the past, whereas it invested $353 million in capital tasks, with the overwhelming majority going towards its regulated utilities.
Massive tasks such because the Yellowhead Pipeline Challenge and the Central East Switch-Out Challenge also needs to assist its long-term development by increasing Alberta’s power infrastructure and growing the corporate’s regulated asset base.
For TFSA buyers, that mixture of reliable dividend revenue, resilient money flows, and regular long-term development potential makes Canadian Utilities a sexy inventory to purchase and maintain for years.
