Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are similar to mutual funds, but are bundles of securities that are listed on exchanges, and whose shares trade like an ordinary stock. BMO offers a large number of ETFs you can use to diversify your investment portfolio. You can invest in these either through their investment services, through a robo-advisor service, or through a self-directed investment platform, such as BMO’s InvestorLine.
And while ETFs are similar to mutual funds, their fee structures are different, and ETFs tend to have lower expense ratios. ETFs also tend to be more liquid than mutual funds.
BMO ETFs features
Let’s take a look at what BMO ETFs have to offer.
Why You Want It
Choose from a large number of ETFs + Get personalized advice.
Special Features
- ETF podcasts
Eligibility
- Canadian citizen
Provinces
ALL
Features
Types Of ETFs
- Fixed Income
- Equity
- Asset Allocation
- Alternatives
- Commodity
# Of ETFs
223
Min Management Fee
0.05%
Max Management Fee
1.05%
Min MER
0.06%
Max MER
1.17%
Personalized Advice?
Self-directed Investing Platform Available?
BMO ETFs rating: 3.6 stars
We’ve given BMO ETFs 3.6 stars for a few reasons. They gained points for having a large variety of ETFs available, offering personalized advice, and having a range of learning resources available for all investment skill levels. BMO’s fees are solidly middle of the road, and, while it’s not directly related to their ETF offerings, BMO’s InvestorLine self-directed investing platform is a pretty nice bonus.
Rating methodology
To calculate our Genius Ratings, we compare the features of the account or product in question with other similar products in Canada. We give each feature a score out of 5 based on that comparison. Once we’ve rated all the features, we run them through our proprietary algorithm to produce a final rating out of 5.
Learn more about our rating methodology.
The pros of BMO ETFs
BMO’s ETF offerings have a lot going for them.
Pros
Lower fees than mutual funds
First off, ETFs generally have lower fees than mutual funds. If you’re looking to diversify your investment portfolio, ETFs can be a less expensive way to go.
Large number of ETFs available
BMO has over 200 ETFs available for you to invest in, which is significantly more than even some of the other big banks in Canada. In this way, BMO gives you a huge amount of flexibility, and lets you really focus your portfolio however you like.
Personalized advice
If you ever run into trouble, have questions, or would just like some advice, you can contact BMO by phone or by requesting a representative contact you at a pre-arranged time. If you’d like to call, BMO’s ETF contact number is 1-800-361-1392. Other contact information is available on the BMO website.
Self-directed investing platform
And while it’s not the most newbie-friendly platform out there, BMO InvestorLine is a powerful tool for managing your investments, if you’re the sort of person who likes to be really hands-on. It doesn’t do a lot of hand holding or offer many automated features, but you can get started with no minimum investment. Unfortunately, the per-trade fees tend to be a bit on the steep side.
Learning resources
BMO’s investing website includes their Learning Centre, which provides you with loads of useful information about all their investment options and platforms. They also have a series of podcasts specifically about trading ETFs that can be hugely educational.
The cons of BMO ETFs
BMO ETFs did lose a few points for a couple of slightly lacklustre features.
Cons
Average management fees and MERs
While ETFs have lower management fees and MERs, BMOs ETF fees are similar to those of their competitors, giving no one a real edge in this category.
BMO ETFs alternatives
Here are what a couple of Canada’s other big banks have to offer for ETFs.
 |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Account | BMO ETFs | Scotiabank ETFs | Vanguard Canada ETFs |
| Genius Rating | |||
| Why You Want It | Choose from a large number of ETFs + Get personalized advice. | Fees starting as low as 0.03% + Work with Scotia investment specialists. | Invest in low-fee ETFs + Available at a number of online brokerages. |
| Types Of ETFs |
|
|
|
| # Of ETFs | 223 | 200 | 38 |
| Min Management Fee | 0.05% | 0.03% | 0.05% |
| Max Management Fee | 1.05% | 0.17% | 0.42% |
| Min MER | 0.06% | 0.06% | 0.06% |
Show More | |||
| Open an account See more BMO products Compare | Learn More See more Scotiabank products Compare | Learn More See more Vanguard products Compare |
BMO ETFs FAQ
What are BMO’s ETF fees?
There are 2 fees associated with BMO’s ETFs. Their management fee ranges from 0.05% to 1.05%, and their MER ranges from 0.06% to 1.17%. Read more about BMO ETFs here.
Does BMO offer any personalized support or learning resources for new investors?
BMO has an extensive learning centre that provides a wide range of resources for investors of all skill levels. This includes podcasts and webinars that you can listen to on your own time.
Does BMO have a self-directed investment platform I can use to trade ETFs?
BMO has a self-directed investing platform called InvestorLine. We recently wrote an extensive and detailed review of BMO InvestorLine, which is powerful, but not particularly newbie friendly.
Editorial Disclaimer: The content here reflects the author's opinion alone, and is not endorsed or sponsored by a bank, credit card issuer, rewards program or other entity. For complete and updated product information please visit the product issuer's website.
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