How we support you
You come first in everything we do. If you have a complaint, we encourage you to let us know and give us the opportunity to resolve the issue. We promise to address your complaint quickly, efficiently and professionally, because retaining your confidence is very important to us.
Read the detailed complaint handling brochure
For a comprehensive understanding of the complaint handling process, review BMO’s Complaint Handling Process (PDF,447 K) brochure, which is available online and at all BMO Branches.
Explore the complaint handling steps
Explore the steps in our Complaint Handling Process to understand what to expect at each stage. Use the tabs below to view the process for Banking, Investment, or Insurance complaints.
Banking complaints
Please refer to this section if your complaint relates to:
- Chequing and Savings Accounts
- Travel Insurance
- Overdraft Protection
- Credit Cards
- Mortgages, Loans and Lines of Credit
- GICs and Term Deposits
- Business Banking
- Commercial Banking
- Creditor Insurance
- Privacy
How we handle banking complaints
BMO’s banking complaint handling process is comprised of three steps:
- Step 1: Sharing your concern
- Step 2: Escalate to a senior officer
- Step 3: Escalate to the Customer Complaint Appeal Office (CCAO)
Step 1: Sharing your concern
The first step begins when you share your concerns with a BMO representative at a branch, the office where your normally conduct your business or by calling BMO Virtual Connect:
- Personal Banking
1-877-225-5266
- Business Banking Services
1-877-262-5907
- BMO Credit Cards
1-800-263-2263
Note: *For clients who are deaf or hard of hearing, BMO supports calls from third party relay service providers trained to relay communications through message relays (MRS) or video relays (VRS)
- BMO Private Banking (Platinum Banking): Contact the Relationship Manager indicated on your account or call: 1-800-844-6442.
- Commercial Banking: Contact your Relationship Manager or visit here
- Creditor & Travel Insurance Products (For insurance products offered through the Bank of Montreal including on mortgages, lines of credit and BMO Credit Cards)
Call: 1-877-225-5266
Step 2: Escalate to a senior officer
If your banking complaint is unresolved after following Step 1 of the process or you wish to escalate your complaint, you can do so directly to a senior officer of the business. Your complaint will be automatically escalated to a senior officer if we are unable to resolve it at Step 1 within 14 days from the date you raised it.
For matters relating to Personal and Business Banking, please contact:
BMO Bank of Montreal
Senior Officer c/o Resolution Office
Call: 1-800-372-5111
If your concerns relate to Commercial Banking, please contact:
BMO Commercial Banking Headquarters
BMO Commercial Banking Headquarters
If you are a BMO Platinum Banking customer, please contact:
BMO Private Banking (Platinum Banking)
Senior Officer c/o BMO Platinum Banking Headquarters
1 First Canadian Place, P.O. Box 150,
Toronto, ON M5X 1A1
For matters relating to Personal and Business Banking Collections, please contact:
Account Management Unit
Senior Officer c/o Resolutions Department
PO Box 3100 Streetsville
ON, L5M0S1
BMO Creditor Insurance
Office of the President
9-250 Yonge Street,
Toronto, ON M5B 2L7
Call: 1-866-488-2595
Step 3: Escalate to the CCAO
If your banking complaint is unresolved after following Steps 1 and 2, you may escalate to the Customer Complaint Appeal Office.
The CCAO is employed by BMO Financial Group and is not an independent dispute resolution service. The CCAO does not report to any business area and is not involved in BMO’s business operations. The process is voluntary and focused on complaints for individual and small-business customers. If you allow CCAO to review your concerns, you can still escalate to the OBSI.
The CCAO will review your concerns to determine if they are within its scope. The CCAO does not review certain types of complaints including business, credit, or risk management decisions, and matters that are, or have been, before a court. If the CCAO determines your concerns are within its scope, a review will be conducted and at the conclusion the CCAO may facilitate a resolution or support the outcome provided by Step 2.
CCAO contact:
1 First Canadian Place, P.O. Box 150
Toronto, ON M5X 1H3
Call: 1-800-371-2541
Fax: 1-800-766-8029
By requesting a review of your concerns by BMO’s Customer Complaint Appeal Office, you agree and acknowledge the terms of service that govern CCAO reviews which can be found at the link. These terms provide that our response is confidential and intended solely to provide our views on your complaint. It is not for broader use, circulation or publication except that you may share it with the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments. You are also not prohibited from disclosing matters that are protected under whistleblower laws without notice or consent from BMO.
Contacting the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI)
OBSI is an independent and impartial dispute resolution service for consumers with a complaint they can’t resolve with their banking services or investment firm. The OBSI process is free of charge and confidential.
If we cannot resolve your complaint internally within 56 days from the date we received your complaint, we will notify you of the potential delay and you will have the option to raise your complaint to OBSI.
You may also escalate your complaint to OBSI if you remain dissatisfied with the outcome received from the CCAO. Please note that OBSI requires that complaints be escalated within 180 days of receiving BMO’s final response.
Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments
20 Queen Street West, Suite 2400
P.O. Box 8, Toronto, ON M5H 3R3
Call: 1-888-451-4519 / 416-287-2877
Fax: 1-888-422-2865
Teletypewriter (TTY): 1-844-358-3442
Contacting The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
If your complaint is about the privacy of your personal information and remains unresolved, you may escalate to:
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
Call: 1-800-282-1376
Alternative Options
Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC)
The FCAC supervises federally regulated financial institutions to ensure they comply with federal consumer protection laws and voluntary codes of conduct and public commitments.
For example, financial institutions are required to provide consumers with information about complaint handling procedures, fees, interest rates and branch closures.
If you have a complaint concerning a consumer protection law or voluntary code of conduct or public commitment, you may contact the FCAC at:
Financial Consumer Agency of Canada
427 Laurier Avenue West, 5th Floor
Ottawa, ON K1R 1B9
Call (English): 1-866-461-FCAC (3222)
Call (French): 1-866-461-ACFC (2232)
For calls from outside Canada: 613-960-4666
Teletypewriter (TTY): 1-866-914-6097 / 613-947-7771
Fax: 1-866-814-2224 / 613-941-1436
Note: The FCAC does not provide redress or compensation and will not get involved in individual disputes.
For a complete list of federal consumer-protection laws, voluntary codes of conduct and public commitments, visit here
Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF)
As the regulatory body for Quebec’s financial sector, the AMF protects consumers and enforces Quebec’s financial legislation and regulations. The AMF offers guidance to consumers in preparing formal complaints regarding investments (if GIC is issued by BMMC or TRCO) and insurance products. If you are dissatisfied with how your complaint has been handled, you may have your file transferred to the AMF. The AMF may review your complaint or offer voluntary mediation to help resolve a dispute. To arrange for the transfer of your complaint file, complete the transfer form available on the AMF website. If your complaint involves several institutions, you have the right to file a complaint with other institutions, intermediaries or agents involved in the complaint.
Autorité des marchés financiers
800, rue du Square-Victoria, bureau 2200
Montréal (Québec) H3C 0B4
Call: 514-395-0337 (Montreal)418-Call: 525-0337 (Quebec City)
Toll-free: 1-877-525-0337
Fax: 514-873-3090
Legal assistance
You may consider retaining a lawyer, at your own expense, regarding your complaint. You should be aware that there are legal time limits for taking civil action called limitation periods. A lawyer can advise you of your options. Once the applicable limitation period expires, you may lose the right to pursue some claims.
Our commitment to addressing complaints
BMO takes your complaints seriously and we will work to address your complaint quickly, efficiently, and professionally. We will also send a written acknowledgement of your complaint.
Investment complaints
Please refer to this section if your complaint relates to:
- Our BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc. full service investment management firm
- Our BMO InvestorLine Inc. online self-directed trading platform
- A BMO Investments Inc. mutual fund product or service
- A BMO Private Investment Counsel Inc service
- A BMO Trust Company product or service
- A BMO Asset Management Inc. product or service
How we handle investment complaints
BMO’s investment complaint handling process is comprised of two steps:
- Step 1: Sharing your concern
- Step 2: Escalate to a senior officer
Step 1: Sharing your concern
Talk to a representative at the branch or office where your complaint originated, or where you normally conduct your business. If your concerns remain unsolved, please involve the manager or supervisor. You can also refer to the complaint handling process or terms and conditions documents given to you when you opened your account to determine where to best raise your concern.
Alternatively, you may contact:
BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc.
Contact your BMO Private Wealth Market Leader, as set out in your investment account statement.
BMO Investments Inc.
Contact the Branch Manager at the branch indicated on your account statement.
BMO InvestorLine Inc.
Call: 1-888-776-6886
Visit: Self directed or Advice direct
BMO Private Investment Counsel Inc. and BMO Trust Company
Contact the Relationship Manager indicated on your account statement.
Call: 1-800-844-6442
If you have a concern relating to services you have received from BMO Asset Management Inc., please contact your Relationship Manager directly.
Call: 1-800-361-1392
Step 2: Escalate to a senior officer
If your investment complaint is unresolved after following Step 1, you may escalate to the appropriate business group Senior Officer, listed below:
BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc.
Designated Complaints Officer
BMO Nesbitt Burns, Retail Compliance
1 First Canadian Place, P.O. Box 150
Toronto, ON M5X 1A1
Call: 1-866-391-5897
BMO Investments Inc.
Office of the Chief Compliance Officer
1 First Canadian Place, P.O. Box 150
Toronto, ON M5X 1A1
BMO InvestorLine Inc.
Designated Complaints Officer
BMO InvestorLine, Compliance
1 First Canadian Place, P.O. Box 150
Toronto, ON M5X 1A1
Call: 1-888-776-6886
BMO Private Investment Counsel Inc.
Office of the Chief Compliance Officer
1 First Canadian Place, P.O. Box 150
Toronto, ON M5X 1A1
BMO Trust Company
Office of the Chief Compliance Officer
1 First Canadian Place, P.O. Box 150
Toronto, ON M5X 1A1
BMO Asset Management Inc.
Office of the Chief Compliance Officer
1 First Canadian Place, P.O. Box 150
Toronto, ON M5X 1A1
If your still not satisfied
If you are dissatisfied with our investment complaint review, there are other options for escalation.
Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI)
OBSI is an independent and impartial dispute resolution service for consumers with a complaint they can’t resolve with their banking services or investment firm. The OBSI process is free of charge and confidential.
If your complaint is unresolved after a senior officer has provided a final response, or 90 days have passed since you originally raised your complaint to us, you may contact OBSI and ask them to review your complaint.
Please note that OBSI requires that complaints be escalated within 180 days of receiving BMO’s final response.
You may also escalate your complaint to OBSI if you remain dissatisfied with the outcome received from the CCAO.
Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments
20 Queen Street West, Suite 2400
P.O. Box 8, Toronto, ON M5H 3R3
Call: 1-888-451-4519 / 416-287-2877
Fax: 1-888-422-2865
Teletypewriter (TTY): 1-855-TTY-OBSI / 1-855-889-6274
Customer Complaint Appeal Office (CCAO)
The CCAO is employed by BMO Financial Group and is not an independent dispute resolution service. The CCAO does not report to any business area and is not involved in BMO’s business operations. The process is voluntary and focused on complaints for individual and small-business customers. If you allow CCAO to review your concerns, you can still escalate to the OBSI.
The CCAO will review concerns to determine if they are within Its scope. The CCAO does not review certain types of complaints including business, credit or risk management decisions, and matters that are, or have been, before a court. If the CCAO determines your concerns are within its scope, a review will be conducted and at the conclusion the CCAO may facilitate a resolution or support the outcome provided by Step 2.
Customer Complaint Appeal Office (CCAO)
1 First Canadian Place
P.O. Box 150, Toronto, ON M5X 1H3
Call: 1-800-371-2541
Fax: 1-800-766-8029
By requesting a review of your concerns by BMO’s Customer Complaint Appeal Office, you agree and acknowledge the terms of service that govern our investigations which can be found here. These terms provide that our response is confidential and intended solely to provide our views on your complaint. It is not for broader use, circulation or publication except that you may share it with the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments. You are also not prohibited from disclosing matters that are protected under whistleblower laws without notice or consent from BMO.
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
If your complaint is about the privacy of your personal information and remains unresolved, you may escalate to:
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
Call: 1-800-282-1376
Alternative options for complaint resolution
Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO)
CIRO is the self-regulatory organization in Canada that investigates complaints about mutual fund dealers and their representatives, and takes enforcement action where appropriate. You may make a complaint to the CIRO at any time, whether or not you have complained to us. CIRO does not order compensation or restitution to clients of Members. CIRO exists to regulate the operations, standards of practice and business conduct of its Members and their representatives with a mandate to enhance investor protection and strengthen public confidence in the Canadian mutual fund industry.
CIRO has also entered into a Co-Operative Agreement with the Autorité des marchés financiers and actively participates in the regulation of mutual fund dealers in Quebec.
Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization
Bay Adelaide North
40 Temperance Street, Suite 2600
Toronto ON M5H 0B4
Toll-free (Canada/US): 1-877-442-4322
Fax: 1-888-497-6172
Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF)
As the regulatory body for Quebec’s financial sector, the AMF protects consumers and enforces Quebec’s financial legislation and regulations. The AMF offers guidance to consumers in preparing formal complaints regarding investments and insurance products. If you are dissatisfied with how your complaint has been handled, you may have your file transferred to the AMF. The AMF may review your complaint or offer voluntary mediation to help resolve a dispute. To arrange for the transfer of your complaint file, complete the transfer form available on the AMF website. If your complaint involves several institutions, you have the right to file a complaint with other institutions, intermediaries or agents involved in the complaint.
Autorité des marchés financiers
800, rue du Square-Victoria, bureau 2200
Montréal (Québec) H3C 0B4
Call: 514-395-0337 (Montreal)
Call: 418-525-0337 (Quebec City)
Toll-free: 1-877-525-0337
Fax: 514-873-3090
Residents of Manitoba, New Brunswick or Saskatchewan
Securities regulatory authorities in these provinces have the power to, in appropriate cases, order that a person or company that has contravened securities laws in their province pay compensation to a claimant. The claimant is then able to enforce such an order as if it were a judgment of the superior court in that province. For more information, please visit:
Legal Assistance
You may consider retaining a lawyer regarding your complaint. You should be aware that there are legal time limits for taking civil action called limitation periods. A lawyer can advise you of your options. Once the applicable limitation period expires, you may lose the right to pursue some claims.
Insurance complaints
Please refer to this section if your complaint relates to:
- BMO Insurance & BMO Estate Insurance
- Term Life Insurance
- Permanent Life Insurance
- Income Annuity
- Critical Illness Insurance
- Insurance products purchased through BMO Estate Insurance Advisory Services Inc.
How we handle insurance complaints
BMO’s insurance complaint handling process is comprised of three steps:
- Step 1: Sharing your concern
- Step 2: Escalate to a senior officer
- Step 3: Escalate to the CCAO
Step 1: Sharing your concern
You may share your insurance concern by contacting the BMO Insurance & BMO Estate Insurance Advisory Services Inc.
BMO Insurance (for BMO Life Assurance products and services)
Please contact BMO Insurance at 1-866-488-2595, or your advisor if applicable.
BMO Estate Insurance Advisory Services Inc.
Please contact the Advisor indicated on your account statement.
Step 2: Escalate to a Senior Officer
If your complaint is unresolved after following Step 1 of the process or you wish to escalate your complaint sooner than 14 days, you can do so directly to a senior officer of the business:
BMO Insurance
Office of the President
9-250 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON M5B 2L7
Call: 1-866-488-2595
BMO Estate Insurance Advisory Services Inc.
Office of the Chief Compliance Officer
1 First Canadian Place P.O. Box 150, Toronto, ON M5X 1A1
Step 3: Escalate to the CCAO
If your complaint is unresolved after following Steps 1 and 2, you may escalate to the Customer Complaint Appeal Office.
The CCAO is employed by BMO Financial Group and is not an independent dispute resolution service. The CCAO does not report to any business area and is not involved in BMO’s business operations. The process is voluntary and focused on complaints for individual and small-business customers.
The CCAO will review your concerns to determine if they are within its scope. The CCAO does not review certain types of complaints including business, credit or risk management decisions, and matters that are, or have been, before a court. If the CCAO determines your concerns are within its scope, a review will be conducted and at the conclusion, the CCAO may facilitate a resolution or support the outcome provided by Step 2.
CCAO contact
1 First Canadian Place, P.O. Box 150
Toronto, ON M5X 1H3
Call: 1-800-371-2541
Fax: 1-800-766-8029
By requesting a review of your concerns by BMO’s Customer Complaint Appeal Office, you agree and acknowledge the terms of service that govern our investigations which can be found here.These terms provide that our response is confidential and intended solely to provide our views on your complaint. It is not for broader use, circulation or publication except that you may share it with OmbudService for Life & Health Insurance (OLHI). You are also not prohibited from disclosing matters that are protected under whistleblower laws without notice or consent from BMO.
Contacting the OmbudService for Life & Health Insurance (OLHI)
If you are a client of BMO Life Assurance Company or, alternatively, if you are a BMO wealth customer who has purchased insurance products through BMO Estate Insurance Advisory Services Inc., you may escalate your concerns to OLHI if you remain dissatisfied with the outcome received from the CCAO.
OLHI is a national independent complaint resolution and information service for consumers of Canadian life and health insurance products and services, including life, disability, employee health benefits, travel health insurance, and insurance investment products such as annuities and segregated funds.
OmbudService for Life & Health Insurance
2 Bloor St. West, Suite 700
Toronto, ON M4W 3E2
Call (English): 1-888-295-8112
Call (French): 1-866-582-2088
For a complete list of federal consumer-protection laws, voluntary codes of conduct and public commitments, visit here.
Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF)
As the regulatory body for Quebec’s financial sector, the AMF protects consumers and enforces Quebec’s financial legislation and regulations. The AMF offers guidance to consumers in preparing formal complaints regarding investments and insurance products. If you are dissatisfied with how your complaint has been handled, you may have your file transferred to the AMF. The AMF may review your complaint or offer voluntary mediation to help resolve a dispute. To arrange for the transfer of your complaint file, complete the transfer form available on the AMF website.
Autorité des marchés financiers
800, rue du Square-Victoria, Bureau 2200
Montréal, QC H3C 0B4
Call: 514-395-0337 (Montreal)
Call: 418-525-0337 (Quebec City)
Toll-free: 1-877-525-0337
Saskatchewan residents
If you reside in Saskatchewan, you may contact the Superintendent of Insurance at:
Superintendent of Insurance
Insurance and Real Estate Division
Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority
4th Floor, 2365 Albert Street
Regina, SK, S4P 4K1
Call: 306-787-6700
Legal assistance
You may consider retaining a lawyer, at your own expense, regarding your complaint. You should be aware that there are legal time limits for taking civil action called limitation periods. A lawyer can advise you of your options. Once the applicable limitation period expires, you may lose rights to pursue some claims.
Alternative options
Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC)
The FCAC supervises federally regulated financial institutions to ensure they comply with federal consumer protection laws and voluntary codes of conduct and public commitments.
For example, financial institutions are required to provide consumers with information about complaint handling procedures, fees, interest rates and branch closures.
If you have a complaint concerning a consumer protection law or voluntary code of conduct or public commitment, you may contact the FCAC at:
Financial Consumer Agency of Canada
427 Laurier Avenue West, 5th Floor
Ottawa, ON K1R 1B9
Call (English): 1-866-461-FCAC (3222)
Call (French): 1-866-461-ACFC (2232)
For calls from outside Canada: 613-960-4666
Teletypewriter (TTY): 1-866-914-6097 / 613-947-7771
Fax: 1-866-814-2224 / 613-941-1436
Note: The FCAC does not provide redress or compensation and will not get involved in individual disputes.