Investment products
BMO has investment products and choices to help every investor make real financial progress. Whether you’re investing for long-term growth or for your life today, we have diversified options to suit your needs and risk appetite.
Investments for every investor
One of the first things to consider when choosing your investments is to figure out your goals and when you’d like to achieve them – that will help determine your investing time horizon. Are you saving for a large purchase in the next few months? A home in the next few years? Retirement in the next few decades? Then you can determine your .
Investment types
Guaranteed investment certificates are low risk and provide a steady rate of return, GICs are a basic investment type in a diversified portfolio that typically offer fixed terms and fixed, guaranteed returns.
Great for: Investors who want to protect their principal while earning interest.- Typical risk level: Low
- Typical investing horizon: Short- to long-term
Bonds are a fixed income investment that are typically issued by the government or businesses. Your investment acts as a loan that is then paid back in regular increments –plus interest—over the course of your investment term.
- Great for: Investors who want regular payments and principal protection.
- Typical risk level: Low to Medium
- Typical investing horizon: Medium- to long-term
A mutual fund is a type of investment that pools your money with that of other investors to buy a portfolio of individual investments overseen by a professional portfolio manager.
- Great for: Investors who want diversification and assets managed by professionals.
- Typical risk level: Low to High
- Typical investing horizon: Medium- to long-term
Exchange traded funds are hybrid, low-cost investments combining the advantages of both traditional stocks and mutual funds. Think of ETFs as baskets of securities made up of equities, fixed income and other assets.
- Great for: Investors who want diversified, low-fee investments.
- Typical risk level: Low to High
- Typical investing horizon: Medium- to long-term
When people think of online trading, they think of buying and selling stocks (also referred to as equities), which are units of ownership in a public corporation. You own shares in a given company, giving you a claim on their assets and future earnings.
- Great for: Investors who want to own shares in particular companies.
- Typical risk level: Medium to High
- Typical investing horizon: Medium- to long-term
Options are financial instruments that give the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to buy and sell an asset, usually a stock or ETF, at a predetermined price within a specific timeframe. They allow you to hedge, speculate, or generate potential income based on market movements.
- Great for: Investors seeking strategic flexibility and opportunities in market volatility.
- Typical risk level: Medium to High
- Typical investing horizon: Short to medium-term
Automatic savings contributions make investing easy and help you reach your goals faster. Learn more about our Continuous Savings Plans.
Products for every goal
Unsure which investment products are right for you? Start by determining your investing goal to get a better sense of which might fit best.
I want to: | Suggested investment products: |
|---|---|
Mutual funds | Stocks | ETFs | GICs | |
GICs | ETFs | Mutual funds | |
ETFs | Mutual funds | Stocks | |
GICs | ETFs | Mutual funds | Bonds | |
GICs | Bonds |
Help me choose
Investing products FAQs
Two of the most important factors for determining the right investments for you are your risk tolerance and investing time horizon. Generally speaking, the longer you have to invest, the higher your risk tolerance can be as your portfolio can weather market volatility and take advantage of upswings. For example: if you have 30 years to save for, say, retirement, you may want to build a portfolio of stocks and mutual funds. As you approach your retirement goal, you may want to switch investments to alternatives that are lower-risk and can provide better capital preservation, such as bonds and GICs.
Contact a BMO investment professional to discuss your options or learn more about our online investing platforms to see which would be best suited for your investing goals.
The time horizon depends on your age and your investing goals. If you’re in your 20s and your goal is retirement, your horizon would be long-term. If you’re planning to buy a home in the next five years, your investing horizon is more short-term. Contact a BMO investment professional to discuss your options or learn more about our online investing platforms to see which would be best suited for your investing goals.
That depends on your time horizon and risk tolerance. If you have more than 5 years to invest, or are comfortable with some risk, stocks, ETFs and Mutual Funds are great investment types. If you’re approaching retirement, GICs, bonds and some low-risk ETFs and Mutual Funds are great options. Contact a BMO investment professional to discuss your options or learn more about our online investing platforms to see which would be best suited for your investing goals.
First, choose the investing method that works best for you. Then, assess your investing horizon and risk tolerance. Once those are established, you can open your accounts and fund them accordingly.
You have several ways to connect with us to discuss your options and open an account:
- INVESTING WITH A PROFESSIONAL
- ONLINE INVESTING
You can start investing with any amount of money and we have investing options for all types of investors. Contact a BMO investment professional to discuss your options or learn more about our online investing platformsto see which would be best suited for your investing goals.
Ways to contact us
There are various ways to get in touch. Choose your preferred method.
Investing with a professional
Manage your investments online
