Can I deduct losses in an RRSP?

Let’s get away from the specifics for a moment and talk about strategy. You are managing your RRSP in a very aggressive way. Your portfolios include some volatile securities, which by definition are higher-risk. This has resulted in significant losses.

I suggest you need to go back to first principles and determine what type of investor you are and what an appropriate strategy should be. You and your husband appear to be quite conservative so a more balanced approach that focuses on conservatively-managed mutual funds would seem to be more appropriate.

You may find my Mutual Funds Update newsletter to be helpful in making a selection of such funds.

To answer your specific question, no, you cannot deduct losses within an RRSP. That’s why it’s so important to invest prudently in your registered plan. – G.P.