Financial Product Reviews
A BMO TFSA can hold a variety of investment products, including GICs, stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and cash savings accounts. So whether you prefer a hands-off or a DIY approach to investing, BMO may have an option for you though their various TFSA products.
- Backed by a good reputation
- Get guaranteed returns with BMO GICs
- Keep your money accessible with a savings account
- BMO InvestorLine for the DIY investors
- Leave investing to the experts with mutual funds and portfolios
- Low interest rate on the savings account
- Make sure you know the applicable fees of certain investment products
- Nothing special to set BMO apart from the big bank pack
- Age of majority
- Canadian citizen
- Redeemable
- Non-redeemable
- Income Builder
- Market-linked
The BMO home equity line of credit, called BMO Homeowner ReadiLine, is like having a mortgage and line of credit all in one. It’s best understood as one loan with 2 parts: the mortgage portion, which has regular payments, and the line of credit portion, which you pay back only as you need to use the funds.
- Line of credit portion can be used for anything
- Split up your mortgage payments
- Line of credit stays open as long as you own your home
- Lower interest rates because it’s secured against your home
- Can only borrow up to 65% of your home’s value for the line of credit portion
- Your mortgage must be at BMO
- At least 20% equity in your home
- Smart Fixed rates available
- Lock in a rate with 130-day guarantee
- Balance protection
- Payment protection
When it comes to online brokers in Canada, the list of choices for your business seems to be growing each year. But with $0 commission trades on equities, mutual funds, ETFs and more, and no quarterly commission fee as of October 2025, Qtrade is a top pick for many individual investors. It's also received accolades coming from leaders in the industry and individual investors who use their service.
- $0 commission on ETFs, mutual funds and more
- No quarterly administration fee
- Up to 5% cash back on every dollar invested
- Excellent mobile app
- Educational tools
- Options Lab
- Get up to $2,000 cash when you open new accounts
- Some activities still carry fees
- $0 commission trades on mutual funds, equities, ETFs and more
- Trial account available
- Second-to-none portfolio analytics tools (including scoring against key ESG components)
- Pre-market and after-hours trading available for US markets
- $0 quarterly administration fee
- Cash
- TFSA
- RRSP
- Spousal RRSP
- LIRA
- RIF
- LIF
- RESP
- Margin
- FHSA
- LRSP
- Corporate
- Formal Trust
- Informal Trust
- Investment Club
- Estate
- Stocks
- ETFs
- Mutual Funds
- Bonds
- New Issues
- GICs
- Options
- 1 year: 7.34%
- 2 year: 6.99%
- 3 year: 6.54%
- 4 year: 6.34%
- 5 year: 6.49%
- 5 year (smart fixed): 6.39%
- 6 year: 6.59%
- 7 year: 6.69%
- 10 year: 7.19%
- 10 year (smart fixed): 7.09%
BMO fixed mortgage rates give you predictability over the course of your mortgage term, since your rates are locked in (or “fixed”) for the length of the term. With 8 closed fixed terms to choose from, plus the option of a 6-month convertible mortgage, you have plenty of flexibility when it comes to choosing your term length.
- Reputation of a big bank
- One of the longest rate guarantees in Canada
- Get pre-approved online
- Average (or slightly above average) rates
- Limited time offers with no specified end date
- Smart fixed rates available
- 5 year: 4.7%
If you’re looking for BMO mortgage rates, one of their variable rate offers may have caught your attention. The rate is decent, there's a valuable cash back promotion available, and you can get pre-approved for your BMO mortgage online in just a few minutes.
- Get your mortgage at a reputable company
- One of the longest rate guarantees on the market
- Convenient online pre-approval
- Neither the best or worst on the market
BMO offers a wide range of Guaranteed Investment Certificates (GICs), giving investors plenty of choice between cashable, non-redeemable, U.S. dollar, and market-linked options. Most come with a minimum investment of $1,000 and can be held in accounts like an RRSP or TFSA, making them flexible for different savings goals.
- Low risk investment
- There are no fees to invest in GICs
- Guaranteed returns
- BMO Market Growth GIC
- Available as registered accounts
- Higher return GICs generally tie up your money for a relatively long period
- Interest is paid at maturity
- There can be penalties for early withdrawal
- Air Mile GICs available
- Special rates of 12 months at 2.75%
- Up to 45% on BMO's Canadian market-linked GICs
The BMO Plus Chequing Account is one of BMO’s more straightforward banking plans, offering 25 free transactions per month for a monthly fee of $11.95, or $6.95 if you’re 60 or older and eligible for the $4 senior discount. Students also get the account for free, making it accessible to those who want a reliable option without extra frills. Unlimited Interac e-Transfers are included, and if you open the account before July 2, 2025, you can snag a $100 welcome bonus by completing a couple of basic banking tasks like setting up direct deposit or making a bill payment.
- $100 welcome bonus
- 25 free transactions per month
- $4.00 senior’s discount
- High monthly fee for what you get
- High minimum balance required to waive that fee
- No other special features or freebies
- $4 senior's discount
- Free, unlimited Interac e-Transfers
If you’re in the market for a low fee chequing account that just covers the basics without any extra bells and whistles, the BMO Practical Plan chequing account might be right for you.
- Free Premium Rate savings account included
- Free for people over 60
You’ve probably heard of Allstate, or at least their slogan – “you’re in good hands.” They’re one of the largest property insurance companies in the USA, but are they a good choice for your Canadian home insurance needs?
- They offer some innovative money saving options
- You can get extra discounts if you qualify
- Allstate agents are company employees
- Customer reviews have not been favourable
- There have been reports of large premium increases
- Allstate home insurance doesn’t provide green coverage
- Canadian citizen
- Age of majority
- Mobile app is convenient and highly rated
If you have a furry companion, you already know how important they are to you. It can be hard to think about what could happen if disaster struck – could you afford to pay the medical bills? Would you have to make a hard choice, because you can’t afford to spend thousands on your pet?
- Hits all the basic coverages
- A handful of extra coverages available
- Offered decently low quotes
- Easy and quick quote process
- No coverage for prescription food
- Sonnet has a history of increasing insurance rates
- Everything is done online
- Not the cheapest company we looked at
- Canadian citizen
- Age of majority










