How Self-Directed works for you
$0 per trade
Get unlimited $0 commission trades on Stocks and ETFs plus $0.90 options contract fees.* They’re our lowest fees yet.
Trade smarter
Real-time research and alerts, performance tracking, and margin that adjusts throughout the day.
Support when you need it
We’re here to help with trading and answering any questions.
Make smarter investing decisions with our intelligent platform and personalized insights.
Stay on track toward your financial goals with My Financial Progress and tools that help you monitor your investing progress.
Elevate your trading strategy with institutional-grade tools and advanced capabilities including, BMO Active Trader, multi-leg options, screeners, strategy builders, paper trading, options analyzer, the options barometer, and real-time streaming quotes.
So good, it’s award-winning
Invest with confidence using powerful tools and research with BMO InvestorLine Self-Directed. Recognized for delivering an easy, reliable experience that helps you make smarter moves.
BMO InvestorLine awarded 2026 Best Online Broker by moneyGenius.
What Self-Directed costs
Self-Directed gives you access to tools and resources to help you make informed decisions, with clear pricing and all brokerage account administration fees eliminated.
- $0.90 per options contract
- All brokerage account administration fees are now eliminated
4 types of investment accounts available with Self-Directed
These accounts are registered with the federal government and offer you certain tax incentives. Registered accounts can help with retirement investing, saving for purchase of your first home, saving for education, making other large purchases, and more.
Great for: Investing in the future while getting tax incentives.
Non-registered accounts don’t offer any tax advantages. There are no limits to your contributions, however, so you’re free to contribute and withdraw as much as you want.
Great for: Saving for a large purchase like a down payment.
Accounts offered: Individual, Joint, Cash or Margin
Do you have a pension and are leaving your company? A locked-in account allows you to hold your money once you’ve left, and keep it in the account until you’re ready to enjoy your retirement.
Great for: Investors with a pension.
Accounts offered: L I R A, LRSP, RLSP, LRIF, LIF
A corporate or non-personal account is a type of non-registered account that is set up in the name of a business or other entity.
Great for: Investing on the behalf of another individual, a business, or an association.
Accounts offered: Trusts, estates, associations, corporations, investment clubs or partnerships, personal holding companies.
Investment types available with Self-Directed
Stocks
Stocks are easily tradeable units of ownership in a publicly traded company. Get access to stock trading on the major North American exchanges, including the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX), the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and NASDAQ
Options
Options are contracts that give you the right to buy or sell stock at a set price by a certain date. A great way to broaden your opportunities and help to reduce risk.
CDRs
Canadian Depositary Receipts allow investors to invest in global companies that are listed on foreign exchanges. CDRs are listed on a Canadian exchange and priced in Canadian dollars.
ETFs
Exchange traded funds (ETFs) trade on stock exchanges like stocks and typically hold a basket of securities, such as stocks, bonds and other assets. They can offer diversified exposure and generally come with lower management fees than mutual funds.
GICs
A guaranteed investment certificate (GIC) is a secure investment that guarantee 100% of your principal, meaning your initial investment is safe, no matter what the market does.
Mutual Funds
A mutual fund pools your money with other investors to buy a portfolio of investments overseen by a portfolio manager. They are easy to purchase with low investment amounts.
Bonds
Bonds are fixed-income contracts that function like loan agreements between investors and borrowers.
Experienced trader? Elevate your trading with BMO’s 5-Star Program
Tailored for seasoned traders, our program offers exclusive tools, and dedicated support for those with 15+ trades per quarter or over $250,000 in investments.
- Preferred rates and pricing
- Professional-level tools, like BMO Active Trader
- Industry-leading research
- Dedicated 5-star support
Invest on the go with the new BMO Invest App
Log-in to your Self-Directed accounts wherever you are and start trading now
Buy and sell some of Canada’s most popular ETFs for free
Trade across the major North American exchanges with confidence and ease
Note: The BMO Invest app is designed for mobile phones. For the best BMO InvestorLine experience on tablets please use the latest version of your web browser. Supported browsers include Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari.
Want to learn more about online investing?
What is a Canadian Depositary Receipt (CDR)?
Learn how a CDR can help you invest in global companies to assist with investment goals.
Are you ready for online investing?
Here’s how to know if you’re ready to start investing online.
How much control do you want over your online investments?
Do you want to chart your own course or fly on autopilot?
Still curious about investing?
BMO InvestorLine Self-DirectedFrequently asked questions
Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced investor, Self-Directed gives you the control to manage your own investments. If you’re an active trader, you might want to consider the 5 Star Program.
Each trade of stocks and ETFs you make with Self-Directed costs $0.* Trading options comes with an additional fee of $0.90 per contract.
The following brokerage account administration fees are now eliminated:
- Internal Transfer Fee: $25 → $0
- Transfer-Out Fee: $150 → $0
- Non-Registered Account Minimum Fee: $25/quarter → $0
- RRSP/LIRA Minimum Fee: $100/year → $0
- RESP Minimum Fee: $50/yr → $0
- RRSP/RRIF Deregistration Fee: $50/yr → $0
- Lifelong Learning Plan Withdrawal Fee: $25 → $0
- Home Buyers' Plan Withdrawal Fee: $25 → $0
- Estate Account Certificate Fee: $50 → $0
There is no minimum balance to open a Self-Directed account, just collect the required documents and you can start your application today.
Opening an account is simple–you can complete an online application here, open an account in a branch, or over the phone. Don’t forget to get your documents in order before you start.
You must submit an Authorization to Transfer form. By signing into your account, select Move Money from the top menu bar, our site will guide you on whether your transfer request is eligible for electronic submission or if a manual form is required.
For any additional questions, you can visit our frequently asked questions page.
Have questions? That’s what we’re here for.
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Have one of our Specialists contact you to discuss your needs.