BMO InvestorLine review

What you can trade on BMO InvestorLine

• Stocks
• ETFs
• Bonds
• Mutual funds
• Options
• GICs
• IPOs

Where BMO InvestorLine shines

We like that BMO InvestorLine lets you trade a solid range of securities in a wide variety of account types, including registered, non-registered, cash and margin accounts. The platform supports many order types, such as market, limit and stop orders. If you’re comfortable with advanced trading strategies, you can also short sell stocks.

BMO InvestorLine also stands out for allowing you to settle trades in Canadian or US dollars, making it easier to take advantage of market opportunities south of the border. Additionally, high-balance investors can skirt around account maintenance fees.

Where BMO InvestorLine falls short

If you don’t already have a BMO bank account and aren’t interested in opening one, you’ll have to transfer funds into your InvestorLine account from your bank via bill payment. BMO InvestorLine‘s trade fees are on the high side compared to discount brokerages in Canada, although it’s in line with what you can expect to pay with other Big Bank trading platforms.

If you can’t start out with a balance at or above $15,000 (for non-registered account holders) or $25,000 (for registered account holders), expect to pay $100 per year in account maintenance fees.

BMO InvestorLine fees

Minimum deposit	$0
Account fee	A quarterly administration fee of $25 is charged on unregistered accounts with balances below $15,000. An annual administration fee of $100 is charged on registered accounts with balances below $25,000 ($50 annual fee for RESPs). The fee is waived if you make 2+ commissionable trades in 6 months. Conditions apply.
Stock & ETF trade fees	$3.95–$9.95
Domestic wire payments	Wire in: $16 Wire out: $50
Account transfer fee	$150

Is BMO InvestorLine legit?

Yes, BMO InvestorLine is owned by the Bank of Montreal, one of Canada’s Big Five Banks. It’s regulated by the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC), and accounts are protected by the Canadian Investor Protection Fund (CIPF). This means that investors’ balances are protected up to $1 million in the unlikely event BMO goes bankrupt.

BMO InvestorLine is easy to use

BMO InvestorLine software is user-friendly and has all the bells and whistles you might need in an online trading platform. It’s easy to buy and sell your investments, and you can use a wealth of research tools to help inform your investment decisions.

You can easily sign up for an account online or through a BMO branch in a matter of minutes. You can also use the online learning resources and tutorials that BMO offers to figure out how to use the software most effectively.

BMO InvestorLine app

Through the BMO Invest mobile app, available for Android and iOS, you can view your InvestorLine or Nesbitt Burns account balances; transfer funds; create watchlists to track securities you’re interested in and trade stocks, ETFs, mutual funds and more. The app conveniently supports biometric access, so you can log in with your fingerprint ID.

BMO InvestorLine’s desktop tools

You can take advantage of a number of research tools to help inform your investment decisions:

• Industry research. Get consolidated analysis and technical insight about the investments you’re interested in.
• Market data. Make more informed decisions about when to buy and sell your investments with real-time market data.
• Screeners. Screen hundreds of investments based on specific criteria to find the investment that’s the best match for your unique set of needs.
• Charting tools. Develop your investing strategies by quickly identifying and charting out the performance of any Canadian or US stock or mutual fund.

BMO InvestorLine’s app store reviews

Google Play app reviews	4/5 stars based on 1.03K BMO Invest reviews
Apple App Store app reviews	4.4/5 stars based on 3K BMO Invest reviews

Related: Explore the best stock trading apps in Canada

BMO InvestorLine’s customer support

You can reach out to BMO InvestorLine customer service by phone or live chat during business hours, Monday through Friday. Email support is also available as is in-person service at local BMO branches.

How to open an account with BMO InvestorLine

If you think you meet all the eligibility criteria and you’re ready to start investing with BMO InvestorLine, follow these steps to open an account:

1. Visit BMO's website and select Open an account.
2. Fill out and submit the online application with personal information like your name, email address and proof of ID.
3. Once approved, transfer funds into your BMO InvestorLine account from another BMO bank account or from a different bank via bill payment. Now you can start trading.

Eligibility and required information

• Canadian resident
• Be at least the age of majority in your province or territory (18 or 19 years old)
• (If you’re not an existing BMO customer) valid government-issued ID and a credit card statement, bank statement or loan account statement
• Social Insurance Number (SIN)
• BMO bank account to fund your investment account (or you can transfer funds from a non-BMO account via bill payment)

How safe is BMO InvestorLine?

BMO InvestorLine maintains physical, electronic and procedural safeguards to keep your money safe, including privacy policies, deposit insurance and data management protocols. This means that you don’t need to worry about losing all your money in the case of a bank failure. It also means that your personal information and investment history is strongly protected against unauthorized access.

Some of the measures BMO takes to protect your money and personal data include:

• Encryption
• Two-step verification when necessary
• Automatic account timeouts

According to BMO’s Online Security Guarantee, you’ll be 100% reimbursed for any direct losses in your InvestorLine account due to unauthorized transactions, provided you’ve met certain responsibilities.

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