The Canadian government regulates investments. If you want to take trading into your own hands, you need access to a brokerage account.
A brokerage platform is either an independent broker or one affiliated with a financial institution, for example, CIBC Investor’s Edge. As a large-scale platform under the umbrella of one of the Big Five, CIBC Investor’s Edge is a versatile option and a great fit for many Canadian investors.
CIBC Investor’s Edge Overview
| Best For | – Low trading fees – Multiple account types and investment options – Real-time quotes – Research tools |
| Types of investment accounts | – FHSAs – TFSAs – RRSPs – RESPs – Alternative registered accounts – Non-registered accounts (ie. cash accounts, margin accounts, & non-personal accounts) |
| Types of investment options | – Stocks – ETFs – Options – Mutual Funds – GICs – Fixed income – CDRs |
| Cost | – Stocks & ETFs: $0 – $6.95/stock or trade – Options: $4.95 – $6.95 + $1.25/contract – Money market mutual funds: $0 – Mutual funds: $6.95 – Annual account fees: $0 ($100 for balances less than $10,000 across all accounts, except for students and young investors) |
| Tools/Research Features | – Screeners – Technical insight – Morning news call – Advanced charting – Advanced orders – Trade-fill notifications – Watch lists – Daily market report – Regular investment plans |
What Is CIBC Investor’s Edge?
CIBC Investor’s Edge is an online brokerage owned by CIBC that allows investors to take a DIY approach to investing. You can buy and sell a variety of financial instruments, manage your portfolio, monitor stocks, get real-time updates, and access educational tools. All from your computer or mobile device.
The digital platform charges relatively low commission fees for trades, especially compared to online trading platforms from other big banks. Plus, there are discounts offered to active traders and students, which can make CIBC Investor’s Edge even more affordable.
CIBC Investor’s Edge Promo
Get 100 free trades when you open a CIBC Investor’s Edge account* using promo code EDGE2425. Plus, get $200 or more cash back. Offer valid until March 31, 2025.
Types Of Investment Accounts You Can Trade In Using CIBC Investor’s Edge
Registered Accounts
| FHSA | A First Home Savings Account is a registered tax-free savings account that allows first-time homebuyers to save money to purchase their first home. You can save up to $8,000 per year, with a lifetime limit of $40,000. |
| TFSA | A Tax-Free Savings account means there are no fees on capital gains or dividends, nor interest earned. It allows you to withdraw funds and use any extra contribution room in your account. |
| RRSP | Registered Retirement Savings Plans let you reduce your tax burden, use the full room in your RRSP and pay no tax until you take funds out of the account. These accounts also allow you to maintain different currencies simultaneously. |
| RESP | These enable you to save for your children’s post-secondary studies, with the Registered Education Savings Plan being eligible for a yearly grant of $500. The amount grows free of tax until funds are withdrawn. During its maturation period, you can also get access to other grants to add to its value. |
Alternative Registered & Locked-In Accounts
These accounts include Registered Retirement Income Funds (RIFs) and other locked-in retirement funds. Each of the accounts differs in structure, benefits and drawbacks. To learn more about which fits your goals best, you can contact CIBC Investor’s Edge.
Non-Registered Accounts
| Cash Account | Either structured as Corporate, Joint, or Individual accounts, these let you diversify your investments across stocks, bonds, and industries. These accounts enable automatic transfers through Dividend Reinvestment and Regular Investment setups. |
| Margin Account | Built to up your purchasing ability, these accounts use your investment as borrowing security. It’s popular for both complex investment strategies and those looking to short stocks. These accounts have higher fees but offer eligibility for options trading as long as the account meets a certain threshold. |
Non-Personal Accounts
Available to Corporations and Partnerships, Investment Clubs, Estates and Formal Trusts, these accounts allow more than one individual to participate in the investment strategy. Also used for future planning, these accounts are opened through a CIBC Investor’s Edge professional and require more steps than other account types.
Types Of Investments You Can Buy With CIBC Investor’s Edge
To supply a variety of investment options, CIBC Investor’s Edge offers different types of accounts. Depending on your personal investment philosophy, you can opt for one or several investment types.
| Stocks | Purchasing stocks means that you are buying a small part of the company. That shared quality means that when the business thrives, so do your investments. Investing in stocks diversifies your investments across different industries and sectors. |
| Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) | Exchange Traded Funds are investment funds that trade the same way as a stock. Investment in ETFs allows for affordable portfolio diversification. |
| Options | Investing in options is for those with experience. When used correctly, strategically placed options can let you gain profit. If not used correctly, they can lead to the potential loss of your investments. |
| Mutual Funds | This fund effectively collects a range of companies, diversifying the portfolio against types of assets, industries, currencies, and geographical positions. The fund does the diversification on the investors’ behalf. |
| GICs | Guaranteed Investment Certificates secure the principal investment. You invest a set amount of money over a chosen period. After that, you are entitled to the original amount and interest accrued. Depending on your goals, you can set maturity dates at different intervals. |
| Fixed Income | The investor chooses from a large set of fixed-income options, ranging from corporate to asset-backed accounts. Each has a unique set of terms, features, and risk levels. The fixed part of the investment means you get a predictable return. |
| Canadian Depositary Receipt (CDR) | Canadian Depositary Receipts (CDRs) let Canadians invest in global companies on a Canadian stock exchange without dealing with currency exchange or cross-border trading. Each CDR represents a fraction of a global share and is hedged against currency fluctuations. |
CIBC Investor’s Edge Tools And Research Features
As with any brokerage platform, CIBC Investor’s Edge has an array of features aiming to set it apart from the competition. One of their biggest focus is providing data investors can use to make good investment decisions.
Advanced Orders
In addition to the classic trade order types, CIBC Investor’s Edge offers more advanced orders for more experienced and aggressive traders, like limit orders, stop limit orders, and conditional trade orders.
Screeners
This feature is a customizable filter system, enabling you to distill market information based on specific criteria. Search by industry, sector, price change percentage, and market cap. Additionally, there are pre-designed screening tools established by the platform itself. This sorts the stocks you want to track, enabling quicker trades and easier access to information.
Technical Insight
Designed to integrate current events with the impact on stocks, this gives you the chance to search for technical developments. Consider strategizing an investment on a pending patent, and being able to track that patent to calculate opportunities. This tool is designed to test theories, offer validation through fact-checking, and enable you to curate a data-based investment strategy.
Charting Tools
If you are a visual learner, the charting tool allows you to assess the market from various standpoints. You can customize the charts against indicators, enabling you to view the market from different angles.
Watch Lists
This feature lets you curate a series of watchlists. You can use it to measure your active portfolio and keep tabs on stocks of interest. By allowing you to make these assessments separately, you can analyze the market from various perspectives.
Regular Investment Plans (RIP)
For any investment strategy to work, you need to continually add to the amount invested. This feature allows automatic bank account transfers regularly. You can schedule regular investments to take advantage of dollar-cost averaging.
CIBC Investor’s Edge Cost
| Investor* | Active Investor | Young Investors | Student Investors | |
| Stocks and ETFs | $6.95/stock or trade | $4.95/stock or trade | $0 | $5.95/stock or trade |
| Options | $6.95 + $1.25/contract | $4.95 + $1.25/contract | $6.95 + $1.25/contract | $5.95 + $1.25/contract |
| Money market mutual funds | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Mutual Funds | $6.95 | $6.95 | $6.95 | $6.95 |
| Annual Account Fees | -Total market balance of all accounts exceeds $10,000: $0 -Total market balance of all accounts is $10,000 or less: $100 | -Total market balance of all accounts exceeds $10,000: $0 -Total market balance of all accounts is $10,000 or less: $100 | $0 | $0 |
*Investor = less than 150 trades per quarter
Active investor = more than 150 trades per quarter
Young investors = under 25 years of age
Student investors = over 25 and students
How To Open CIBC Investor’s Edge Account
Opening an account is easy and takes just a few minutes. The route you take depends on whether you already have a CIBC debit card.
Step1. Open An Account
- New Client – As a new client, you’ll need to start a new application that requires various personal, financial, tax, banking and employment information.
- CIBC Client – If you’re already a CIBC client, enter your debit card number and password to log in to your online CIBC account. Then click “Add a New Account” under the profile menu. Your personal details will then be prefilled on your Investor’s Edge application.
Step 2. Set Up Your Online Login Credentials
Once you’ve opened a CIBC Investor’s Edge Account, you’ll need to register for online and mobile brokerage services. You’ll need your account number to do this step.
Step 3. Add Funds To Your Account
After registering for the online and mobile brokerage services, you can sign in to your Investor’s Edge account and deposit funds into it. You can either transfer money from your CIBC bank account, your brokerage account, or another bank account.
CIBC Investor’s Edge Pros and Cons
As with any self-directed investment platform, there are benefits and drawbacks to CIBC Investor’s Edge.
Pros
- Versatility: Investment portfolios are all about diversification. The multiple accounts and investments available open up countless opportunities for personalized investments.
- Research tools: The platform offers a whole host of research opportunities; so, if you are a DIY investor, you can curate a strategy instead of randomizing your investments. Both media and technical options for research enable you to structure an approach that suits your needs.
- No investment minimum: At one time, funding was the true barrier to investments, where people had to centralize funds to trade. Now, there are opportunities for those with little startup cash to still use the market to their advantage.
Cons
- Fees: Unlike other platforms, there are several fees associated with this approach. While they are reasonable, it does add to the amount of startup cost associated.
Final Thoughts
The CIBC Investor’s Edge platform stands out from other investment apps in terms of special features. Ideal for those who want to curate an actual investment strategy based on real-world data, this is a worthy platform. It’s easiest to use for those banking with CIBC. Provided you use the tools available and make efforts to curate a portfolio fitting your plans, CIBC Investor’s Edge offers everything you need to get the job done.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CIBC Investor’s Edge available as an app?
Does CIBC Investor’s Edge require an account minimum?
Is CIBC Investor’s Edge safe?
How do I send money to my CIBC Investor’s Edge account?
*Newly opened accounts that are of the same type as accounts already held by an existing CIBC Investor’s Edge client are not eligible for the Offer. Joint accounts are not considered a separate account type for the purpose of the Offer. The Offer will be applied to either one (1) individual or joint account of each type as appropriate, not both
