What is RBC Direct Investing? The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) was one of the first banks in the country to pioneer DIY investing for the everyday investor. With RBC Direct Investing, you can trade Canadian and US stocks, ETFs, mutual funds and bonds. You can fund and manage your registered investment accounts (TFSA, RRSP, RRIF, RESP and more) and access a variety of investing tools to help you make informed decisions. If you already have an account with RBC, then opening an RBC Direct Investin...| Million Dollar Journey
Options are one of the best ways to capitalize on market trends and enhance profitability - if you get your prediction right. While buying options has a limited downside on a per contract basis, it is also one of the “best” ways to lose your money in the market - or as WSJ put it “More Men are Addicted to the Crack Cocaine of the Stock Market”. Options trading is not for the faint of heart, and shouldn’t be used by novice traders. Honestly, the average Canadian investor has no need ...| Million Dollar Journey
What is TD Direct Investing Brokerage? The TD Directing Investing online brokerage is a solid option, even though it doesn’t quite make it to the top of my list of Canada’s best online discount brokerages. As Canada’s second biggest bank (and one of our largest companies, period) it’s probably not a surprise that the TD trading platform has evolved over the years and consistently gotten better. The problem (and it’s a problem not unique to TD Direct Investing, as the other Big Bank ...| Million Dollar Journey
NBDB has made changes over the last two years to make their fee structure competitive among other discount brokers, and have now dropped their commission fees altogether for those trading on their online platform. It seems as though they have taken customer feedback to heart and made improvements to make those customers want to stay as well as attract new ones. In 2019 they were ranked dead last, 8 out of 8, by J.D. Power, but merely one year later in 2020, they moved up considerably to 4th o...| Million Dollar Journey
An RESP, or Registered Education Savings Plan, is a registered tax-deferred investment account designed to help pay for a child’s education. In other words, RESPs are the best possible way to pay for your child’s eventual college and/or university bills! RESPs are eligible for government grants (re: Free Money) of up to $7,200. In this post, we’ll fill you in on all the basics of RESPs, from how (and where) to set up an RESP, and how to maximize your RESP contributions. What is an RES...| Million Dollar Journey
With the government having launched the First Home Savings Account (FHSA) in 2023, more first-time home buyers should really be looking to take advantage of the tax-free benefits of the FHSA in 2024. The idea is obviously to make it easier for Canadians to buy their first home. In addition to the more straightforward benefits, there are a couple of unique ways that you can use your FHSA account. It’s also important to get the details right (especially when combining your FHSA with a partner...| Million Dollar Journey
When I initially wrote this article about building RRSP wealth in your 30s, 40s, and 50s, my goal was to create an easy visual that illustrates just how much you would have to begin saving today if you wanted to be a millionaire “tomorrow” (when you retired). Five years later, the data stands up pretty well. I’m happy to say that my personal RRSP is well on the way to million-dollar status! Now, the more relevant question might be, do you actually need a million dollar RRSP to retire? W...| Million Dollar Journey
There is a TON of investment advice out there. Some should only be taken into consideration after a thorough investigation and planning. Some - like contributing to a TFSA - is just sound advice that should be acted on quickly. The reason? Two words: tax free. That is not something you hear often, and that’s why we want to help you start contributing to your TFSA as quickly as possible to achieve maximum money saving and investment earning results. If you turned 18 on or before 2009...| Million Dollar Journey
The best stock trading apps in Canada have really improved since I started Million Dollar Journey seventeen years ago. New fintech companies have really pushed the old school banks to lower their fees, improve their usability, get more efficient at bringing on new customers, and just creating a better mobile stock investing experience. While I’m still a big advocate of using a desktop for DIY investing, (hence my focus on that platform for my best online brokers in Canada comparison) I have...| Million Dollar Journey
If you’ve started your research on investing, but still aren’t quite sure how or where to get started, you are not alone. Plenty of almost-investors get stuck at the starting line for reasons like not feeling educated enough, feeling like they don’t have enough money to start investing, or simply feeling unclear on which type of investment to choose. When it comes to investing, the best time to start is now, and index investing is the perfect way to begin. It’s simple, easy to manage,...| Million Dollar Journey
Canada’s all-in-one ETFs (also called portfolio ETFs) have been the single most important investment product innovation since I’ve started writing about this stuff nearly two decades ago. The Vanguard, iShares, and BMO all-in-one ETFs are the perfect marriage of index investing strategy, convenience, asset allocation math, and behavioural safeguards. These ETFs - which are actually a collection of smaller ETFs - are so diverse that they actually include several of the Best ETFs in Canada,...| Million Dollar Journey
What is Desjardins Online Broker? When it comes to Canadian online brokers, Desjardins Online Brokerage isn’t typically one of the first names that comes to mind. That being said, in the spirit of providing a full selection of broker reviews, our MDJ editorial team looked under the hood of one of Canada’s original discount brokerages. Desjardins is best-known among those living in Quebec and Ontario; however, it’s also active in western Canada as well. It often goes by the name “Disna...| Million Dollar Journey
When I first launched Million Dollar Journey in 2006 and started writing about Canadian online brokers, the Qtrade vs. Questrade rivalry was already heating up. Fast forward nearly two decades, and not only has the rivalry intensified, but these two platforms have also solidified their positions as the leaders of Canada’s brokerage scene (leaving the big bank brokerages even further behind). As a DIY investor for the last 20 years, I’ve had firsthand experience with over a dozen brokerage...| Million Dollar Journey
Is Questrade Safe & Secure? One of the most common questions that I have gotten in the comments below is: Is investing my money through a Questrade online brokerage account safe? Is Questrade as safe as RBC, TD, CIBC, ScotiaBank, and BMO?- MDJ reader The answer: Yes! Questrade is fully regulated by two key financial oversight bodies in Canada: the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) and the Canadian Investor Protection Fund (CIPF). These aren’t just formalities - they’re fu...| Million Dollar Journey
Current Qtrade New Customer Promotion Qtrade currently has the best cash-back offer on the market in an effort to get you to try their platform. In brief - they want to pay you $150 to open an account with them. Details: Amount in New Qtrade AccountCash Back$1,000-$9,999$50$10,000-$24,999$100$25,000+$150 In order to get your cash back, the minimum you have to invest is $1,000. The good news though is that your amount of “new net assets” can be spread out amongst multiple accounts. In o...| Million Dollar Journey
As we look ahead to summer and the second half of 2025, it’s time for an updated look at the Best Online Brokerages in Canada. With RRSP season in the rearview mirror – and what might be shaping up to be another round of “tariff season” drama ahead – now’s the time to lock in the easy DIY investing wins. I’ve been writing about Canadian online brokers for nearly 20 years, and the changes in the space have been massive. Fees have plunged, platforms are smoother than ever, and com...| Million Dollar Journey