DUCA has paid a large portion of its profits back to our Members in the form of Class "A" Bonus Shares* since 1999. We call this bonus-share program our "Get More Profit Sharing" program. Shares are based on the interest Members paid and the interest Members earned in the previous calendar year. The Board of Directors sets the level of new Class "A" Bonus Shares issued, at its discretion, every year.

Members are notified every January about the number of Class "A" Bonus Shares they receive. Everyone who joins DUCA becomes a Shareholder/Member and may therefore be eligible to earn Bonus Shares.

• Only Members can earn Bonus Shares. Additional shares cannot be purchased.
  
• Annual statements will indicate the total value of Bonus Shares.
• In the event of death, Shares can be transferred to the Estate of the deceased or redeemed at full face value.

The total amount of Shares paid to Members, including both Patronage and Dividends, is based on our performance as a credit union throughout the year and is determined by the Board of Directors at the end of our fiscal year.

Shares cannot be redeemed in the year of issue. They can be redeemed in subsequent years as follows:

• 50% of face value in year 2
• 60% of face value in year 3
• 70% of face value in year 4
• 80% of face value in year 5
• 90% of face value in year 6
• 100% of face value in year 7 and beyond

*Bonus Shares are part of our equity as a credit union. Redemption of these shares is only possible up to a legal limit of no more than 10% of the total Shares outstanding for all Members in any one year, on a first-come first-served basis.

Profit sharing and your loan and mortgage interest:

• the amount you receive is tax free unless the interest paid was claimed as a tax deduction
• you can contribute the shares to an RRSP Share account and receive a contribution receipt 
• you contribute the shares to a TFSA Share account

Profit sharing and your RRSP interest:

• no tax is payable as the Shares will be paid to your RRSP plan and held as Shares in that plan
• no tax receipt will be issued and your contribution room will not be affected
• additional Shares can be transferred to this account for which a contribution receipt will be issued, assuming there is contribution room available

Profit sharing and your RRIF interest:

• no tax is payable as the Shares will be paid to your RRIF and held as Shares in that plan
• minimum annual payments will be made from your plan and transferred as Shares to a non-registered Share account
• if you are under 71 years of age, you can transfer these Shares to an RRSP Share account

Profit sharing and your Savings and Term Deposit interest:

• Shares earned will be paid to a Bonus Share account and treated as interest income for the year in which you received them
• a tax slip (T5) will be issued in the following year
• you can contribute the Shares to a Share RRSP account as a deposit and receive an RRSP contribution receipt, assuming there is contribution room available

The Board of Directors is pleased to declare a dividend of 3.50% on Class B Series 1 shares. This is an increase of 50 basis points over the minimum dividend rate specified at the time of the Series 1 Investment Share Offering. Payment of the dividends was made on March 1, 2020 based on a Member's Class B Series 1 share balance as of December 31, 2019.

Class A shares dividend of 2.00% was paid on March 1, 2020. Class A shares are accumulated by our Members based on the amount of interest earned or paid during the year.

We are delighted to report that over DUCA's history and including the current year's declaration, a total of $80 million of patronage, Class A and Class B dividends, have been returned and/or paid to our Members.

Can I buy more Bonus Shares?

No, you can’t. Bonus Shares are distributed to Members based on the amount of interest paid and/or received during the previous calendar year. Shares cannot be purchased.

What can I do with my Shares?

Class "A" Bonus Shares offer you lots of options and value. For example, if you used the First Time Home Buyers Plan to borrow from your RRSPs to purchase your first home, the Bonus Shares can represent at least a part of your minimum annual re-payment. In general, you can make your Bonus Shares work harder for you by transferring them into a Share RRSP account.

Why do I have to pay tax on my Shares?

In many cases, there are ways you can avoid or defer paying tax on Bonus Shares. Please refer to our Tax Implications information.

Why do I have to wait to cash my Shares?

We encourage you to keep your Bonus Shares and let them grow. With RRSP Share accounts and competitive annual return, keeping your Shares is generally more beneficial than cashing them. Also, since Shares are part of DUCA's capital, redemption must be controlled. The redemption schedule is discussed in the Class "A" Bonus Share Features.