CI Direct Investing is one of a number of robo advisors available to Canadians, being in direct competition with other companies like Wealthsimple and Questrade. It offers a good range of products and services suited to varying levels of investing and all risk tolerance profiles.
They even offer Private Investment Portfolios, which have broad diversification. All of this combined with their unbiased, unlimited professional financial advice makes WealthBar worth considering, if you’re okay with their higher than average fees.
CI Direct Investing features
Let’s take a look at some of CI Direct Investing’s primary features:
Why You Want It
Access professional investment portfolios + Get expert financial advice.
Special Features
- Access to Private Investment Portfolios with broad diversification
Features
Types Of Accounts
- RRSP
- TFSA
- Individual
- RESP
- Joint
- Corporate
- LIRA
- RRIF
- LIF
- RDSP
- HISA
- Entity
- Spousal RRSP
Minimum Investment
$100
Minimum Balance For Minimum Fee
$500,000
Minimum Deposit To Cover Transfer Fee
$25,000
Socially Responsible Investing Options
Email Support
Live Chat Support
Phone Support
Average MER
See Issuer for Details
Minimum Fees
0.35%
Maximum Fees
0.6%
Cover Transfer Fees?
Maximum Covered Transfer Fee
$150
Promotion
N/A
Promotion End Date
N/A
CI Direct Investing product rating: 3.5 stars
There are a number of investment platforms available these days, so competition is pretty fierce. CI Direct Investing is a solid offering, with a wide range of account types and solutions for varying levels of risk tolerance.
That said, CI Direct Investing is clearly targeted toward wealthier clients as it has higher fees than its competitors, offers Private Investment Portfolios, and has high transfer requirements to get fees reimbursed.
Rating methodology
To evaluate robo advisors, we analyze over 20 data points to generate a trustworthy Genius Rating. We consider all aspects of a robo advisor, including fees, investment options, minimum investment amount, access to support, perks, customer satisfaction, and promotions, to assess its overall value. Then, the robo advisor’s features are rated based on how they stack up against other available options.
Learn more about our rating methodology.
The pros of CI Direct Investing
So what is there to like about CI Direct Investing?
Pros
Good range of account types
If you’re looking to invest your hard-earned cash, CI Direct Investing probably has something for you. Once signed up, you can open an RRSP, TFSA, RESP, LIRA, RRIF, RDSP, and a variety of other types of accounts. If you’re just starting out in your investing journey, CI Direct Investing will be able to grow along with you, from the start of your career all the way through retirement.
Tax-loss harvesting and automatic rebalancing
Tax-loss harvesting and automatic rebalancing help you save money and earn more money over time, and it’s always something to look out for if you’re not particularly interested in managing your investments in a direct and detailed way. That being said, CI Direct Investing’s tax optimization is only available on a case-by-case basis.
Socially responsible investing options
Whichever portfolio you choose on CI Direct Investing comes with the option of adding a “Cleantech add-on” that ensures at least 5% of your investments are going towards helping the world switch to hydro, solar, or wind energy. While this is a valuable service and important to many people, other robo advisors go even further than this, allowing you to focus even more on eco-conscious investments.
Real support from qualified humans
CI Direct Investing offers unlimited product and investment advice through live chat, email, or through a scheduled phone call. Their trained financial advisors don’t work for commission, so they’re working on your behalf, not for anyone else.
Access to Private Investment Portfolios
Private Investment Portfolios have increased diversification for extra fees. These portfolios are intended to be less volatile over time, giving you a little more reassurance that your investments will perform well.
The cons of CI Direct Investing
And what about CI Direct Investing should you keep an eye on?
Cons
Higher than average fees for an online brokerage
If fees are a concern for you, CI Direct Investing is probably not going to be at the top of your list, as they do have higher fees than many robo advisors. However, it can be argued that you get what you pay for, including live support and actively managed portfolios.
Transfer fees are only forgiven for large transfers, and have a cap
Because there’s a lot of competition in this field, many investment platforms will reimburse transfer fees in hopes of enticing you to move your money over to their service. CI Direct Investing only rebates fees for transfers over $25,000, and even then they cap them at $150 rebated in total.
CI Direct Investing alternatives
CI Direct Investing is only one of a host of different online investing options – here's a look at how it stacks up against a few competitors:
 |  |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Account | CI Direct Investing | Moka | Justwealth | ModernAdvisor |
| Genius Rating | ||||
| Why You Want It | Access professional investment portfolios + Get expert financial advice. | Auto invest in your future with expert-approved portfolios + Low monthly fee. | Low MER and account fees + Work with a personal portfolio manager. | Low cost investment portfolio service + Simple platform. |
| Types Of Accounts |
|
|
|
|
| Minimum Investment | $100 | $0 | $5,000 | $1,000 |
| Minimum Balance For Minimum Fee | $500,000 | $0 | $500,000 | $0 |
| Minimum Deposit To Cover Transfer Fee | $25,000 | $15,000 | $25,000 | N/A |
| Socially Responsible Investing Options | | | | |
Show More | ||||
| Open an account See more CI Direct Investing products Compare | Open an account See more Moka products Compare | Open an account See more Justwealth products Compare | Learn More See more ModernAdvisor products Compare |
FAQ
What does CI Direct Investing offer that other online investment services don’t?
CI Direct Investing offers Private Investment Portfolios to anyone who has an account with them, which have broad diversification.
What are CI Direct Investing’s fees like?
CI Direct Investing’s fees are higher than most, ranging from 0.35% to 0.6% for their regular portfolios, on top of MER fees. Some other investment platforms offer lower percentages, or even flat rates for their services.
Can I transfer my accounts to CI Direct Investing?
You can, but you will be charged transfer fees for doing so. If the amount you transfer is over $25,000, your fees will be rebated up to a total of $150.
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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