For more information about commissions and general fees, please refer to our brochure.
National Bank Direct Brokerage (NBDB) has been transforming the Canadian online brokerage industry with innovative solutions since 1987. As the first broker of a Canadian bank † to offer $0 commission on all Canadian and U.S. stocks and ETFs, NBDB is leading a new era of investing. Our intuitive platform and powerful tools can help you take control of your investments with complete autonomy and simplicity.
Fixed-income securities
The minimum amount for trades varies depending on the security, and any applicable commissions are included in the price
Savings bonds issued by Épargne Placements Québec
Free
on the product’s anniversary date of issue $25 for early redemptions
Options trades
$60
in addition to the fees indicated for online trades
International securities trades
$60
Estate asset liquidation 4
$60
Trades available online, but assisted by an agent
$60
A 60$ fee may apply
Opening an account
Free
Opening a 2nd account of the same type and currency for the same holder (opening a second root†)
$50**
Opening an account for holding shares of a Canadian-controlled private corporation (CPCC)
$200
†An account root is defined by the first six (6) digits of the account number. The root identifies the main account and allows several sub-accounts to be grouped under it, simplifying their management.
Annual administration fee for accounts requiring two signatures
$100**
per account, per year
Non-resident fee
$100
per account, per year
Unclaimed account (account for which the address has been unknown for at least 12 months or account referred to the Curateur public du Québec or a similar organization in another province)
$100
per account, per year
Save $100 in annual fees by meeting at least one of the following exemption criteria5 :
*** The year runs from June 1 to May 31.
Electronic Funds Transfer
Free
Wire transfer (non-NBC account)
$50
Cheque withdrawal
$50**
Asset transfer from another institution
Free
Depending on the amount invested, we’ll reimburse the transfer fees
Internal security transfer between Canadian and U.S. currency accounts
$9.95**
per security
Donation** or substitution of a security
$50
per position
Certificate deposit or Direct Registration System (DRS)
$150**
Total or partial transfer to another institution
(plus
commissions if applicable)
$150**
per account
Transaction Amount (USD) | Spread (BPS) | Spread (%) 12 |
---|---|---|
$0 – $24,999 | 230 | 1.70% |
$25,000 – $249,999 | 160 | 1.20% |
$250,000 – $499,999 | 125 | 0.90% |
$500,000 – $999,999 | 100 | 0.70% |
$1,000,000 or more | 75 | 0.60% |
NBDB offers accounts primarily in Canadian and American currencies. Currency conversion is necessary for transactions involving securities denominated in a different currency than the account's settlement currency, transfers between accounts of other currencies, or when amounts such as dividends, interest, or deposits need to be converted.
The exchange rate applicable to the operation varies according to several factors, including market fluctuations, the amount, date and nature of the operation, and includes a spread. 13 The spread NBDB applies to the operation also varies according to the amount of the operation, as indicated in the table below.14
Tax slips
Free
Trade confirmations 16
$2.50
per trade (billed monthly)
Portfolio statements 17
$7.50
per quarter, per root†
†An account root is defined by the first six (6) digits of the account number. The root identifies the main account and allows several sub-accounts to be grouped under it, simplifying their management.
Custodial services for a client
$50**
per security, per month
Correction fees
$50
Refund of excess contribution to the RRSP
$150**
Registration or delivery of a physical or electronic certificate
$150**
Deposit of a physical or electronic stock certificate
$150**
Administration of restricted shares (plus commissions if applicable)
$200
Estate settlement
$200**
InvestCube
Some fees are related to the InvestCube service. Visit nbdb.ca/investcube
†National Bank Direct Brokerage is the first Canadian bank broker to offer $0 commissions on online equity and ETF transactions.
*Only fees charged in a registered account are subject to GST and provincial sales tax.
**Fees subject to GST and provincial sales taxes.
GST and provincial taxes are billed where applicable. The commission and fee schedule may be modified at any time. General fees are payable in the currency of the account. Any administrative operation or transaction not specified in the commission and fee schedule may generate additional charges. Other charges may apply, including but not limited to, all re-registration fees incurred from the transfer agent, legal representative or issuing company.
All transaction and general fees are payable in the account's currency.
For more information about commissions and general fees, please refer to our brochure.
1 Management fees and other expenses may be associated with ETF investments. Please read the prospectus before investing. ETFs are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated.
2 The minimum amount to carry out an investment fund purchase transaction, through National Bank Direct Brokerage, is set at $1,000.00 or corresponds to any other amount required by the investment fund company, whichever is greater. Subsequent trades are at least $500.00, or any other amount required by the investment fund company, whichever is greater.
3 Options commission is $0 + $1.25/contract. A minimum fee of $6.25/trade applies. The maximum fee is $19.95 when the transaction value is less than $2,000. An option contract gives the holder the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell a given position in an underlying security at a given exercise price. Contracts are for 100 shares. For transactions with an agent, a $60 fee + $1.25/contract applies.
4A fixed commission of $60 per position is applicable for liquidating transactions to be carried out by National Bank Direct Brokerage. The executor may carry out liquidating transactions according to the regular commission schedule.
Commissions are billed in the same currency as the transaction.
Each partial execution of a transaction is subject to the full commission, unless the transaction is executed in its entirety on the same trading session. Full commission is charged on all separate transaction performed on the same security. Additional fees may be charged by the local securities exchange commission and/or by the stock market and are billed in the same currency as the transaction.
When an order is placed through one of our services (e.g., an agent) and then modified via another service (e.g., the website), the commission is based on the higher of the two commissions applicable. The commission charged to exercise an option is the same as the one applicable when trading the underlying securities through an agent. A currency conversion is required for any trade involving a security in a currency other than that of the account in which the trade is settled. When carrying out this conversion, National Bank Direct Brokerage acts as principal and can earn, in addition to the commission applicable to the transaction, revenue based on the spread between the bid and ask rates. Borrowing fees, which vary according to the market and without prior notice, may be incurred when selling securities short or when carrying out any other transaction resulting in a short position in an account. These fees are charged directly to your account the following month in the currency of the account, regardless of whether the position is covered or not. Contact one of our agent for more information regarding these fees.
There may be situations in which National Bank Direct Brokerage (NBDB) will receive fees or payments from third parties on transactions it executes. Such fees and payments will not accrue to the clients’ account and may be considered as part of NBDB’s routing decision-making process, though this is not a sole determinant. If such situations create a material conflict of interest, NBDB undertakes to take the necessary steps to identify and address such situations fairly and reasonably, in keeping with the regulatory obligations to which it is subject in its relationships with its clients, and considering the best interest of its clients.
5 These fees are applicable to any account root opened before December 1st of the previous year. If there is a difference between the period indicated in the commission and general fee schedule and the period published on our website, the latter will apply. An account root refers to all the accounts held by a client whose first six digits are identical. A client may have several account roots. Annual administration fees and exemptions are calculated on all accounts held by a client under the same account root, rather than on each individual account. If none of the criteria are satisfied, the $100 fee will be divided between all of the client's accounts. For example, a client with an RRSP account and a TFSA account will be charged $50 for each account. To avoid the annual administration fee, the exemption criteria must be satisfied each year by May 31.
6 Annual fees charged for the administration of the securities of a Canadian-controlled private corporation (CPCC).
7 Eligible assets include cash, stocks, options, exchange-traded funds, debentures, bonds and NBI Altamira CashPerformer Accounts.
8 You must be aged 30 years or younger on May 31 of each year to be eligible for the annual administration fee waiver.
9 Including Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) and/or Home Buyers’ Plan (HBP) withdrawals.
10 This fee is charged when transferring from a LIF account to a locked-in account.
11 The interest rate paid on a credit balance or charged on
a debit balance may change without notice.
Interest is
calculated daily on your account’s credit or debit balance, covering
the period from the 16th of the previous month to the 15th of the
current month, inclusively.
12 Calculated for demonstration purposes only and rounded to the nearest tenth. We use basis points for foreign currency exchange conversions. The figures shown are based on the trailing 12 month USD/CAD Bank of Canada Daily exchange rate [opens to external site] (as of Feb 1, 2025).
13 The exchange rate applicable to the operation is established by NBDB or persons related to it. Each time a currency conversion is required, NBDB acts as principal in converting the currency and is remunerated on the basis of the difference between the price you pay for the currency and the price obtained by NBDB or persons related to it for that same currency.
14 Spread is subject to change without notice.
15 Upon opening an account, the preselected delivery method for portfolio statements, trade confirmations, and tax slips is “by mail”. Access to our online services is required to change the delivery method for these documents to electronic transmission.
16 If the delivery method selected in your profile for trade confirmations is “by mail”, you will be charged a $2.50 fee per trade on the last business day of the current month for transactions carried out between the last business day of the previous month and the next-to-last business day of the current month. These fees will be debited from the account in which the trades were carried out and in the currency of the account. You can change the delivery method for trade confirmations to “online” at any time to avoid mailing fees.
17 If the delivery method selected in your profile for portfolio statements is “by mail”, you will be charged a $7.50 fee on the last business day of the current quarter (i.e., on the last business day of the month in December, March, June and September). The fee will be debited from one of the accounts you hold under the same root and in the currency of this account. You have until up to 48 business hours before the last business day of the current quarter to change the delivery method to “online” and avoid the mailing fee.
18 Including account statements, trade confirmations, tax slips and RRSP contribution receipts.
19 To facilitate the management of your portfolio, here are some of the personalized reports available upon request: A tax package that includes the gains and losses report, foreign property and income statement, corporate fiscal year-end report, transaction report, Projected income report, portfolio evaluation report as of a specific date, unrealized gains and losses report...
Please note that portfolio statements, execution notices, and securities transaction summaries sent to you are the only official documents issued by National Bank Direct Brokerage. NBDB does not guarantee the completeness and accuracy of the data contained in the customized reports upon request.
20 Fee for filing a T3 declaration related to non-qualifying securities operations in registered accounts.
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