The Globe and Mail reports in its Saturday edition that a dubious distinction is up for grabs: Who will be the last to introduce a first-home savings account to clients? The Globe's Rob Carrick writes that among the heavyweight contenders are TD Direct Investing, Canada's biggest on-line broker, and BMO InvestorLine; both brokers are highly ranked. First-home savings accounts (FHSAs) are an ideal way to save for the down payment on a first home, and there are few good arguments for not having one, but the rollout of FHSAs since they became available in April has been laboriously slow. If your investment dealer does not offer them yet, you may not want to wait. Open an account before Dec. 31 and you get $8,000 in contribution room that can be carried forward to 2024 if unused, said Aravind Sithamparapillai at Ironwood Wealth Management Group. If you wait until 2024, you lose out on the $8,000 in room for this year because contribution room for an FHSA starts to build only when you open an account. "If people are modestly serious about buying a home, then they should probably accelerate their timeline and open an FHSA this year," Mr. Sithamparapillai said. The weakening state of Canadian real estate also helps.