Never Keep This Much Money in Your Bank Account — CRA Watching In 2026

$20,000. That is the line above which keeping money in a single chequing or savings account in Canada starts costing you in three different ways at the same time. One of them is one your bank is legally prohibited from warning you about.

I am Andrew Graves. I work in Canadian tax and financial law. In this video I walk through the $10,000 FINTRAC reporting rule, the Suspicious Transaction Report that has no dollar threshold, the seven behaviors that flag your account, and the five places in Canada where your money actually earns a return right now.

📌 TIMESTAMPS
0:00 -- The $20,000 line
1:19 -- Why your bank will never have this conversation with you
2:36 -- Linda -- retired nurse, $130,000 in one account
4:28 -- The Suspicious Transaction Report on Linda
4:48 -- The $10,000 FINTRAC reporting rule
5:45 -- The FINTRAC database
6:36 -- The STR -- no dollar threshold
8:05 -- The 7 behaviors Canadian banks are flagging right now
9:48 -- Structuring -- the crime you can commit without knowing it exists
10:52 -- Tony Tocaj. Adam O'Brien. Real Canadians who lost everything.
13:10 -- What inflation actually costs your savings
14:20 -- The CDIC $100,000 limit
15:13 -- Home Capital. Canadian Commercial Bank. The Principal Group.
16:49 -- Keep 3-6 months in your bank. Move the rest.
17:50 -- 5 places to actually keep your money in Canada
20:53 -- The Andrew retiree stack
22:26 -- 3 retiree-specific danger moments
24:39 -- How to spot a Suspicious Transaction Report
25:31 -- What to actually do this month
26:13 -- $20,000 -- the one number

📌 KEY TOPICS COVERED:
✅ FINTRAC Large Cash Transaction Reports -- automatic reporting on every cash transaction over $10,000
✅ Suspicious Transaction Reports -- 631,137 filed in 2023-24, no dollar threshold, you are never told
✅ Section 8 PCMLTFA tipping-off prohibition -- 5 years imprisonment for your bank telling you
✅ Bill C-12 structuring penalties (Royal Assent March 2026) -- up to $20 million, a 40x increase
✅ Real cases: Tony Tocaj (BC civil forfeiture), Adam O'Brien (de-banked, TSX-listed company)
✅ De-banking complaints up 495% from 2019 to 2023
✅ CDIC coverage: $100,000 per category -- 60% lower than US FDIC
✅ Home Capital Group 2017 -- $1.8B withdrawn in two weeks, hours from OSFI seizure
✅ 5 places to keep your money: HISAs (EQ Bank 2.75-5.00%), GICs (3.60%), T-bills, money market, TFSA
✅ RRIF mandatory withdrawals, OAS clawback at $95,323, retiree danger moments
✅ How to spot an STR -- 6 indirect signs your bank has flagged you
✅ PIPEDA data access request -- see your internal risk classification

⚠️ DISCLAIMER: This video is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Consult a qualified Canadian financial professional for your specific situation.

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Видео Never Keep This Much Money in Your Bank Account — CRA Watching In 2026 канала Andrew Graves