CIBC Investor's Edge review
CIBC / CIBC
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4.3
4.3
Pricing4
Online security4.8
User experience4.5
Customer service3.3
What is CIBC Investor’s Edge?
Backed by the security and dependability of CIBC, one of Canada's Big 6 banks, CIBC Investor's Edge offers a comprehensive platform for do-it-yourself investors to build and manage their own portfolios.
A newly redesigned website combined with low-cost stock and ETF trading has launched CIBC Investor's Edge into the upper tier of the best trading platforms in Canada.
At $6.95 per online equity trade, Investor’s Edge offers competitive trading fees when compared to other Canadian big bank brokerage platforms and is only slightly more expensive than Questrade in terms of stock trading fees.
Clients can trade stocks, ETFs, options, mutual funds and more online or through a mobile app, keep on top of markets with a vast library of research, and set up alerts to monitor stocks and get real-time quotes.
CIBC Investor's Edge welcome offer:
Build your own investment portfolio with the CIBC Investor's Edge online and mobile trading platform and enjoy low commissions. Get 100 free trades when you open a CIBC Investor’s Edge account using promo code EDGE2425. Plus, get $200 or more cash back. Until March 31, 2025.
Get 100 free tradesCIBC Investor's Edge is best for:
- Low trading fees
- Wide range of account types and investment options
- Quotes and Research
CIBC Investor's Edge fees
CIBC Investor's Edge does not charge annual account fees for TFSAs or RESPs.
It charges $100 per year for RRSPs when the account balance is $25,000 or less. So, go get this waived with a $25,000 balance.
Similarly, non-registered accounts with less than $10,000 cost $100 per year, but this fee is also waived once you cross that $10,000 threshold.
Investor’s Edge charges flat-fee pricing of $6.95 per online trade for Canadian and U.S. listed stocks and ETFs.
But, discounts do apply for certain demographics.
Active traders who make more than 150 trades per quarter qualify for “Active Trader” pricing and pay $4.95 per online equity trade.
Students with a CIBC Smart™ Account pay only $5.95 per online trade.
Related: Best student chequing accounts
Young investors (ages 18 to 24) can trade stocks and ETFs online - all for free. Save on the regular rate with unlimited free online Canadian and U.S. stock and ETF trades and a $0 annual account fee with no minimum balance.
Pros & cons
Pros
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Low fee stock and ETF trades
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No account fees for TFSAs and RESPs
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Backed by one of Canada’s largest banks
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Young Investors 18 to 24 can trade stocks and ETFs online - all for free. Terms and conditions apply.
Cons
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$100 fee for RRSP and non-registered accounts with small balances
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No commission-free ETFs
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Reputation for poor customer service (at the bottom of Surviscor’s annual brokerage comparison)
CIBC Investor's Edge features
CIBC Investor's Edge stands out from other big bank online brokers thanks to its newly redesigned website with advanced charting and analysis, convenient notifications and alerts, custom watch lists, and low trading fees on stocks and ETFs.
| CIBC Investor's Edge features | Description |
|---|---|
| Annual fees |
$0 for TFSA, RESP, RRSP with more than $25,000, non-registered with more than $10,000
OR $100 for RRSP w/ less than $25,000 and non-registered w/ less than $10,000 |
| Minimum investment | $0 |
| Types of accounts | RRSP, TFSA, RESP, non-registered, LIRA, RRIF, LIF, Corporate, and more |
| Automatic portfolio rebalancing | No |
| Automatic deposits | Yes (from a linked CIBC chequing account) |
| Transfer fees | $135 |
| Inactivity fees | $0 |
| Access | Website, app, online chat, phone |
| Customer service | Poor |
| Trading fees |
◦ Regular Investor: Flat fee of $6.95 per online trade for stocks and ETFs
◦ Active Investor: $4.95 per online trade for stocks and ETFs when trading more than 150 times per quarter. ◦ Young Investor: $0 per online trade for stocks and ETFs if you’re under 25 with CIBC Smart™ Start ◦ Student Investor: $5.95 per online trade for students over 25 with a CIBC Smart™ Account. |
How does CIBC Investor's Edge compare?
While CIBC Investor’s Edge fares favourably against other big bank online brokers, how does it compare against even lower-cost options like Questrade and Wealthsimple? Let’s take a look:
| The Edge for Investor's | Questrade | CIBC Investor's Edge | Wealthsimple |
|---|---|---|---|
| brand |
|
|
|
| Cost per online trade | $4.95-$9.95 | $6.95 | $0 |
| Cost per online ETF purchase | $0 | $6.95 | $0 |
| Options contract | $9.95 + $1/contract | $6.95 + $1.25/contract | $2 USD per contract or $0.75 USD per contract with a minimum of $100,000 invested |
| Registered account fees | $0 | $0 for TFSA, RESP, and RRSPs with balances greater than $25,000 OR $100 for RRSPs with balances less than $25,000 | $0 |
| Reviews | Questrade review | You're reading it! | Wealthsimple review |
| Get started | Visit site | Visit site | Visit site |
Related: Best trading platform in Canada
The CIBC Investor's Edge platform got a refresh with more improvements promised for this year. Here’s a look at the updated platform:
The biggest change is the better organization of your information on the main dashboard, plus the addition of more user-friendly menus on both the desktop and mobile platforms.
The quotes and research area gives clients a quick overview of the Canadian and U.S. markets, activity and news at a glance:
Investor’s Edge makes it easy to trade stocks and ETFs with a three-step order entry process for both Canadian and U.S. listed securities:
Overall, the newly refreshed Investor’s Edge platform was well executed and offers a great user experience. Trading is simple and easy to navigate, and clients will enjoy the smartly organized dashboard.
FAQs
Is CIBC Investor's Edge worth it?
CIBC Investor's Edge gets top marks for its newly refreshed website and updated platform. They also offer the lowest trading fees of any big bank online brokerage platform and compare favourably to Questrade in terms of fees and the wide availability of account types and investment options. Bonus points for an extremely intuitive three-step entry process for trading stocks and ETFs.
All of this to say, CIBC Investor's Edge is the top choice for self-directed investors who want to stay within the friendly confines of a bank-owned online brokerage with strong security measures.
More specifically, if you’re an existing CIBC banking customer who wants to start self-managing your investments then CIBC Investor’s Edge is certainly worth it. You’ll be able to fund your Investor’s Edge account within the same day (versus two business days coming from an external bank) and toggle seamlessly between CIBC online banking and CIBC Investor’s Edge so you can keep all of your banking and investments in one place.
Do you use CIBC Investor's Edge? Whether you're a former or current user, please chime in with your thoughts below and let those thinking about getting the edge in their investment journey with CIBC is a good move (or not).
Robb Engen is a leading expert in the personal finance realm of Canada and is also the co-founder of Boomer & Echo, an award-winning personal finance blog.
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