Please log in to bookmark this story.A better way to buy stocks and exchange-traded funds is at your disposal if you’re a client of Canada’s best digital broker.Fractional trading of shares and exchange-traded funds is one of those breakthroughs in DIY investing that come along every five to 10 years or so. By jumping on this trend ahead of many competitors, TD Direct Investing cinched top spot in the 2025 Globe and Mail Digital Brokerage ranking.Full credit to Wealthsimple and Interactive Brokers for being first with fractional shares, which allow people to invest more efficiently by putting all their money to work immediately. Instead of gathering enough money to buy one or more full shares, you simply invest what you have on hand. No more leftover cash sitting in your account earning nothing.TD’s introduction of what it calls partial shares is almost as noteworthy because big bank-owned brokers typically resist or delay change. Offering partial shares is a welcome add-on to TD’s strong efforts to supply DIY investors with the tools they need to succeed.Elsewhere in the ranking, Questrade and National Bank Direct Brokerage have pushed their way to the upper tier by giving clients both zero-cost trading and a strong platform for managing their investments. After much-needed website renos, RBC Direct Investing and Scotia iTrade are also worth a look.TD takes top spot, along with its sidekick, the TD Easy Trade app, which offers 50 free stock trades per year and unlimited zero-commission trading of TD’s family of ETFs. Note: You can’t buy non-TD ETFs through Easy Trade.Some aspects of DIY investing that TD nails include a tight summary of your portfolio on login, including asset mix, one-year performance and relevant earnings, dividend and rating announcements. When ordering a stock or ETF, you have the option to specify the number of shares you want to buy or the amount you want to invest. Throughout, TD keeps things clear and uncluttered.A total of 12 brokers were included in this year’s ranking. On the watchlist for future inclusion are two slick foreign players, Moomoo and Webull. Can they can make headway in the DIY investing marketplace against powerhouses like TD, representing the power of the big banks, and Wealthsimple, an innovation leader?Evaluations in the Globe digital brokerage ranking are based on more than 100 factors, broken down into five categories: Convenience and security, cost, the investing experience, tools and services for retirees. Here’s a rundown on how the brokers in the ranking compare:BMO InvestorLineOwner: Bank of MontrealGrade: B-InvestorLine is an example of bank-owned brokers with old-school pricing, specifically trading commissions just below $10 for stocks and exchange-traded funds. If you pay top price, you have to ask where the value is. InvestorLine delivers for the most part, but without the sparkle needed to be in the front rank in this group. A big plus is the menu of 108 commission-free E
Gio. Feb 13th, 2025
