A brokerage account to manage your investment
Choosing an account is the first step to becoming a self-directed investor.
The brokerage account is different from the bank account. It allows do-it-yourself investors to invest in the markets.
Here's what you can do:
- Choose products that match your financial goals
- Implement your tax and investment strategies
An account for all your goals
Registered accounts | Non-registered accounts | ||||||
Advantages | TFSA | RRSP/RRIF | Spousal RRSP/RRIF |
RESP | Cash | Margin | Short selling |
Taxable capital gains and dividends | |||||||
Tax free | |||||||
Unlimited deposits | |||||||
Contributions to your spouse's account | |||||||
Grants | |||||||
Tax deductions | |||||||
Taxable withdrawals | |||||||
Tax-free withdrawals | |||||||
Possibility of trading most products | |||||||
Borrowing on margin | |||||||
Available in US currency | * | ||||||
For more information | Learn more about RRSPs |
Learn more |
Learn more |
* RRSP only
Accounts for legal entities
Does your company, corporation or association have surplus cash? Why not use it to make a profit with a cleverly chosen investment? NBDB offers a selection of accounts for legal entities and guides you through the process of opening your account. To open one of those accounts, call one of our agents:
- Company account
- Sole proprietorship account
- Trust account

Tips from our experts
A margin account offers many advantages, such as a very competitive rate when borrowing against the securities held in your account or against a portion of a future purchase..
Other types of account
With NBDB, you can also have an account for specific circumstances and conditions.
- Estate account 1
- In trust account 2
1 Open the account at a National Bank branch
2 Call one of our agent to open the account
- LIRA
- LRSP
- LIF
Fully-paid securities lending program
Lend your fully-paid securities and earn extra income effortlessly
The fine print
Definitions of accounts for legal entities
Company account
A corporate body separate from its shareholders and managed by a board of directors and officers.
Sole proprietorship account
A business with a sole proprietor who personally owns all the assets, manages the business, collects all the income and assumes all the financial and administrative responsibilities.
Trust account
An entity administered by a trustee to which assets have been transferred to achieve a specific purpose.
Definitions of the other types of account
Estate account
An estate bequeathed by a deceased person and administered by an executor.
In trust account
An alternative option for clients (usually parents) who would like to open a brokerage account for a minor.
Locked-in retirement account (LIRA - Provincial) and locked-in registered retirement savings plan (LRSP - Federal)
LIRAs and LRSPs are retirement savings instruments into which you can transfer the value of your locked-in rights accumulated in a retirement savings plan. These types of accounts are available in Canadian and U.S. dollars and your investments grow tax free.
Life Income Fund (LIF)
A LIF is a registered account into which you can transfer money from your supplemental pension plan or locked-in retirement account (LIRA). It has the same features and advantages as an RRIF, but with a maximum withdrawal limit. This type of account is available in Canadian dollars.