Note: Some information in this post might be outdated. For the most current documentation and updates, please refer to the product’s original page.

The Qtrade Investing brokerage platform is a Canadian online broker that provides trading of a wide selection of investment options. They offer a mobile trading app, as well as a web-based trading platform containing in-depth research and powerful tools to help you make your investing decisions. 

The platform offers stocks from all major North American markets, OTCs, ETFs, mutual funds, bonds, GICs, Options, and more. With so many financial products, they recognize the importance of offering different account types such as Cash, TFSA, RRSP, Margin, and others.

The Qtrade Investing brokerage platform is known for its excellent customer service. You can contact them through email or over the phone, and you usually get an answer within seconds. If that doesn’t happen, they have a “let us call you” feature, where you can enter your name and phone number, and they will contact you as soon as possible.

Here are a few key factors you should know about the platform.

With Qtrade you have access to one of the biggest financial markets in the world: The North American market. When you open an account with them you can choose to work with a straight forward Cash account which provides you with a number of investment options as well as joint and group accounts.

You may wish to place your money somewhere safe where you can keep it for retirement. In such a case, the Qtrade Investing brokerage platform offers a Locked in Retirement Account (LIRA), where you can manage pension assets from previous employers. Alternatively you may wish to open a tax-deferred retirement savings (RRSP), which they also offer.

If you are a more sophisticated investor, however, you may wish to take on greater risk to maximize returns. You can do that through a margin account which makes it possible for you to trade leveraged assets like short selling stocks and trade options. 

Now that you’ve been introduced to the platform, it’s time to weigh in its pros and cons

The Qtrade Investing brokerage platform does not run credit checks on applicants, so you do not need a good credit score in order to apply for an account.

A Qtrade investing account is one of the safest places to invest. The company boasts a long track record of high-level investor protection. Besides that, it is overseen by the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC). 

Applying for the Qtrade Investing account is a simple process that shouldn’t take you more than a few minutes, and you can do it online.

Go to Qtrade’s website and on their homepage click on “Open an Account”. You are going to have to create a login to open your new account by providing your first and last legal names, an email address and creating a password.

You will receive a four-digit confirmation code in the same email you used to create your Login. Use that code to continue with the application process.

Once you have done that, you will need to select an account type, enter your personal info such as home address, country of residence, citizenship status, and few other things. 

You will also have to provide your financial background and confirm your identity. It should take you 15 to 20 minutes to complete an investor profile and upload your documents.

You will then have to e-sign and submit your application online. Within a few minutes you will receive a confirmation email if your application has been approved, and tah-dah! You have your Qtrade investing account.

By creating a Qtrade Investing account, you get access to a number of traditional education tools such as tutorials, strategic videos or a platform experience account. Being well informed and in the possession of knowledge is the best way to avoid making costly investing mistakes.

Qtrade’s trading platform helps you make better decisions providing solid search, analyst recommendations, fundamental data and screeners, alert and order functions as well as portfolio reports.

If you would like to learn more about Canadian investment opportunities, we have prepared a quick beginners’ guide. Check it out on the link below.