How To Open An Investment Account

Types Of Investment Accounts

Hopefully, you are still with me. I know the above was a lot, but I do hope it makes sense to you and that you have a better understanding of what good investment accounts should offer.

One last area to consider are what types of investment accounts you might want to consider opening.

Pending on your goals, your savings, and knowledge, what you choose can be different from the next person. Here are a few examples of options you will have.

Registered Education Savings Plan

Parents can use an RESP to save for their childs post-secondary education. You can contribute up to $50,000 to the account per child and use an individual or family RESP account.

Benefits of a Registered Education Savings Plan include tax-free growth and later taxation in the hands of your child when they withdraw funds to pay for school.

In addition, the government matches your RESP contributions at a rate of 20 cents per $1 up to $500 per year through the Canada Education Savings Grant . Low-to-moderate income families may be eligible for extra government grants through the additional CESG and Canada Learning Bond .

Grant money is available until your child turns 18. A child can get up to $7,200 in maximum CESG benefits and up to $2,000 in CLB benefits.

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Other registered investment accounts in Canada are:

• Registered Retirement Income Fund
• Locked-In Retirement Savings Plan

Investment Accounts For Beginners

There are plenty of investment companies and financial services to choose from. In fact, for a first-timer, it can get a bit overwhelming.

How do you choose the right investment account for you?

Im not going to tell you the best one specifically for you. Why? Well because depending on your financial goals, interests, and the value you see, your choice may be very different than mine.

However, I will give you some of the essentials you need to look for when choosing your investment company and some examples of the companies I think are the best options.

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How To Open A Sipp Account

Opening a SIPP is similar to opening an ISA or GIA.

If you already have a brokerage account, and your provider offers them, there should be a simple option to open a SIPP.

Alternatively you can open a SIPP from scratch. This will require you to provide the usual personal and financial information needed to open a brokerage account.

Probably the biggest difference between opening a SIPP, as opposed to an ISA or GIA, is the level of documentation involved.

There are a lot of rules governing SIPP operations and thus a lot of terms and conditions you need to be aware of before opening one.

Open An Investment Account

If you don’t have a 401, you can invest for retirement in an individual retirement account, like a traditional or Roth IRA.

If you’re investing for another goal, you likely want to avoid retirement accounts which are designed to be used for retirement, and thus have restrictions about when and how you can take your money back out and choose a taxable brokerage account. You can remove money from a taxable brokerage account at any time.

A common misconception is that you need a lot of money to open an investment account or get started investing. That’s simply not true. Many online brokers, which offer both IRAs and regular brokerage investment accounts, require no minimum investment to open an account, and there are plenty of investments available for relatively small amounts .

» Get the details:How to open a brokerage account

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How Do I Choose An Online Stock Trading Platform

Youll need to carefully consider your trading needs before deciding on the right online stock trading platform. Some of the features to consider include:

• Fees and commissions. Look at how much youll have to pay for your stock trading account before you sign up. There are many mobile platforms out there that come with zero fees and zero commissions .
• Trading resources. Some platforms offer resources such as educational tutorials, market analysis and investment advice while others have relatively few. Be prepared to pay a fee if you want to access additional resources.
• Customer service. Many trading platforms operate entirely online while others come with dedicated advisors. Think about how much help youll need and pick the service that has the best online reviews for customer support.

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Decide On A Brokerage Firm

You’ve gathered your information about various firms’ costs, fees and the conveniences they offer. For each brokerage, you should weigh the pros and cons as they pertain to your investment objectives, and determine which broker is right for you.

For more information, check out our top picks for the best brokerage accounts for beginners.

Determine Your Risk Tolerance

Heres the million-dollar question: how much risk are you willing to take?

Every type of investment comes with a certain level of risk, which is often linked to the potential return. Generally speaking, the more risk youre willing to take, the greater the return. A few examples:

• GICs are considered the safest investments in Canada, but the best GIC rates usually range between 1 to 3%, depending on the term.
• Bonds are considered a low-risk option that helps balance out your portfolio from tumultuous times.
• Stocks are more volatile, going through bear and bull markets where the market rides a rollercoaster of ups and downs. We saw this most recently during the stock market crash during the COVID crisis. As a result, on average, the stock market returns around 9-10% per year.
• Cryptocurrency is one of the most volatile investments you can make. Case in point: the value of Bitcoin increased by more than 90% during the COVID-19 crisis. But in May 2021, the Bitcoin price plummeted 40% simply because China decided to crack down on crypto.

Investing is a balancing act: the goal is to build a risk-appropriate portfolio meaning a set of investments that match your risk tolerance. But how do you determine your risk tolerance?

Do some self-reflecting. Do market ups and downs make you feel pukey and panicked? Do you sleep better at night with a bond buffer in your portfolio? Or are you game to go all-in and build a portfolio of 100% stocks? Be realistic!

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Fund Your New Account And Start Investing

Once your account is open, youll be able to establish your online credentialsuser ID and passwordfor logging on.

To get started trading, youll need to put some cash into your account. Youve got some options here, but by far the easiest way to go is to link a bank account to your brokerage account. Youll need your banks nine-digit routing number and your account number, which is usually ten digits. You can find the routing number on a check or on your banks website, or by using the routing number lookup on the American Bankers Association website.

You can also write a check and mail it, but that will delay the opening of your account by a week or so. The benefit of linking a bank account to your brokerage account is the ease of moving money back and forth. U.S.-based brokers, by regulation, will not allow you to fund a brokerage account using a credit card.

Some brokers also let you set up a regular monthly transfer of cash from checking to brokerage. We find this helpful, especially for those who are funding a retirement account or saving for a particular goal. Getting in the habit of making regular deposits is an ideal use of technology.

Most brokers now charge a small fee, $1-2 monthly, to send paper statements and confirmations, but you can opt into electronic notifications and avoid those fees. You should also go into your profile and define the types of emails and snail mails you want to receive from your broker and their partners.

What Is A Brokerage Account And How Do I Open One

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The investing information provided on this page is for educational purposes only. NerdWallet does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it recommend or advise investors to buy or sell particular stocks or securities.

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Open Your Account In Just 6 Steps

Once you’ve opened your account, take our Risk Profiling Questionnaire to find the investment products that suit your needs. You can complete it online or on our Mobile Banking app.

Add Your Personal Details

Now its time for step one.In step one youll be asked to fill out some personal details. So and lets get going!

Its important to note that, just like the big banks in Canada, Wealthsimple is regulated by the IIROC and is totally safe to give your SIN number and other personal information to. As Wealthsimple investors are insured by the CIPF, you wont lose money from hackers or in the unlikely event that Wealthsimple goes bankrupt.

Once youve completed filling out all your personal details, youll move into step two of the process. In step two youll fill out information in regards to your risk tolerance and your current and desired financial situation.

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Opening A Bank Account If Youre Not A Canadian Citizen

You may be able to open a bank account with the proper identification in Canada if youre not a Canadian citizen or if you live in another country.

You may need to go to the financial institution in person to open a bank account.

Contact the financial institution for more information about opening a bank account if you’re not a Canadian citizen.

Robo Advisors: For First

A robo advisor is a great way for new investors to start building a portfolio while keeping costs low. All you have to do is answer an online questionnaire and the computer algorithm builds a personalized portfolio of low-cost ETFs and index funds geared to your risk tolerance and financial goals.

READ MORE: The best Robo Advisors in Canada

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Understand The Basics Of Investing:

Opening an investment account and investing money without understanding the basics, is like jumping out of a plane without a parachute.

Okay, maybe a little extreme but you get where Im going. I read books and some content online for almost 3 months before opening an account and investing money.

You dont have to know everything, but its good to understand how the stock market works before diving in.

Whats A Brokerage Account

A brokerage account is the type of account used to buy and sell securities like stocks, bonds and mutual funds. You can transfer money into and out of a brokerage account much like a bank account, but unlike banks, brokerage accounts give you access to the stock market and other investments.

Youll also see brokerage accounts referred to as taxable accounts, because investment income within a brokerage account is taxed as a capital gain. This is compared with retirement accounts that have a different set of tax and withdrawal rules, and may be better for retirement savings and investing.

» Ready to compare brokerage accounts? See our roundup of the best online brokers

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Stocks And Shares Isa Account

A stocks and shares ISA is a tax efficient account that you can use to invest in stocks, ETFs and lots of other investment products.

The key benefit of these accounts is that you donât have to pay tax on any capital gains you realise through your investments. Any dividends you receive from UK-listed shares are also tax exempt.

But there are a couple of caveats to this.

First of all, you canât invest whatever amount you like â you have an annual ISA allowance that determines how much money you can invest in a stocks and shares ISA in a given year.

The annual allowance for 2022/23 is £20,000, so you can only put up to that amount in an ISA to invest.

The other thing is that you do have to pay tax in a couple of ways.

Solo 401 Retirement Accounts

• Eligibility: Self-employed business owners with no employees can open these retirement investment accounts.
• Investment options: These depend on your account provider, but generally you can invest in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and ETFs.

Solo 401s are retirement investing accounts for self-employed individuals. A solo 401 functions a lot like a conventional 401, and is available in traditional and Roth versions. Crucially, with Solo 401s, you can make contributions as both the employer and employee.

As an employee, in 2020 and 2021 you can contribute up to $19,500, plus an additional $6,500 for those over 50. As an employer, you can contribute up to 25% of your net compensation. All together your contributions cannot exceed $57,000 for 2020, or $63,500 if you are 50 or older. In 2021, this total rises to $58,000 or $64,500 if you are 50 or older. Contributions are deductible as a business expense or from your personal taxes, depending on if they are employer or employee contributions.

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How To Buy Stocks In Canada

Now that youve opened an account, youre ready to start trading. Heres how to buy stocks online:

1. Fund your account

You need sufficient funds in your online trading account to cover the cost of the transaction, including any fees that apply.

Most online trading platforms require you to link a bank account to deposit money to invest, and it often takes two or three business days for that deposit to clear. However, some brokerages allow what they call instant deposits that make it possible for you to invest the deposited amount right away while it is being processed. Credit cards are typically not allowed for depositing funds into a brokerage account.

2. Choose the assets you want to buy

Start researching stocks that match your investment goals. To help you make informed decisions, access a wide range of market research, analysis and even trading recommendations through your platform.

Also consider the number of shares you want to buy. This is determined by your budget and your investment goals, but keep in mind that most trading platforms require you to buy full shares. So if a company stock trades for $1,000/share, youd need to invest $1,000 to buy a full share. However, some trading platforms are beginning to offer fractional shares.

3. Place your order

This is where trading can get confusing for novice investors. You have three main options when placing a trade to buy shares:

4. Monitor the performance of your investments

5. Sell your shares

Transferring Your Account From Another Broker

If you have already opened an account with one broker, you can transfer your portfolio and any cash holdings to another provider.

You may have to speak to both your current broker and prospective one to make it happen, although sometimes the broker you are transferring to will handle the paperwork involved for you.

Transfer times vary and some account types take longer to move over than others.

You can learn more on how to transfer ISAs and other accounts with our dedicated guide.

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Choose The Type Of Brokerage Account You Need

When youre choosing a broker, think about your investing style. Are you interested in staying on top of the markets every day? Or are you more of a set it and forget it type of investor?

If you want to stay engaged in the markets, consider the types of assets youre comfortable trading or want to learn to trade. Most investors hold stock, exchange-traded funds , and/or mutual funds. If youre looking at trading options, there are a number of self-directed online brokers with a wide range of tools that can help you choose appropriate strategies. Though trading options is considered riskier than trading stocks and ETFs, there are some very conservative strategies designed to generate income that you can learn about with Investopedia’s Options Basics tutorial.

Many brokers let you invest in fixed income securities online, and have bond screeners and other tools to help you build a portfolio.

For those who want to invest money but not time in building wealth, you should take a good look at a financial advisor or a robo-advisory service. Robo-advisors present you with a short survey of your time horizon and appetite for risk and ask you to state how much you plan to invest. If youre investing for retirement, and that date is decades in the future, you might be more willing to invest in riskier asset classes than if you need to use your investments in three years.