What is the best stock trading platform in Canada?

You'll need to consider your trading needs and prior investing experience to work out which stock trading platform is the best choice for you. Look for a broker with low or no commissions, a user-friendly trading platform, and access to the markets and assets you want to trade. You can also check out the best brokerage signup bonuses to help you choose between competing brokers.

Who bought E-Trade Canada?

E-Trade Canada was acquired by Scotiabank in 2008. The platform was relaunched in 2009 as Scotia iTrade.

Where can I get the E-Trade app?

The E-Trade mobile app is free to download from the App Store for iOS devices and Google Play for Android devices.

E-Trade is a subsidiary of Morgan Stanley, which completed its acquisition of the brokerage firm in 2020. Morgan Stanley is a global financial services firm headquartered in New York.

Is E-Trade good for beginners?

Yes. With $0 commission trading and a user-friendly platform, E-Trade is generally considered to be a good platform for new investors. Unfortunately, it's not available in Canada, so Canadian investors will need to consider the E-Trade alternatives featured in this guide.

Steven Dashiell

Senior writer

Steven Dashiell is an editor for Bankrate and CreditCards.com and formally a personal finance writer at Finder, specializing in credit cards, banking and growing and protecting your income. His insights and expertise has been featured on Nasdaq, U.S. News & World Report, Time, CBS, ABC, Fox Business, Lifehacker and Martha Stewart Living, among other top media. Steve holds a BA in English from University of Maryland, Baltimore County, minoring in composition and rhetoric. In his spare time Steve nerds out on birds, paints and plays a whole lot of Street Fighter.

Expertise

Credit cards
Budgeting and saving
Rewards programs

Experience

Interviewed by Fox News to speak about managing debt during COVID
Contributed several articles to Nasdaq on financially navigating inflation
Interviewed by Martha Stewart Living to discuss the advantages of balance transfer credit cards
Hosted several credit card videos for the Finder website and Youtube channel

Education

Bachelor of Fine Arts, English | University of Maryland, Baltimore County | 2008–2012

Featured publications

Nasdaq
[ValueWalk] (https://www.valuewalk.com/can-you-raise-your-kids-credit-score-with-a-kids-credit-card/)
The Guardian
CBS
Consolidated Credit
CreditCards.com
Debt.com
Fox Business
Lifehacker
Martha Stewart.com
Time
TheStreet
U.S. News & World Report

Industry insights from Steven Dashiell

We sat down with Steve to talk credit cards, banking and industry trends.

How can consumers turn rising interest rates to their advantage?

While rising interest rates can make borrowing money painful, they also make saving stronger. Most kinds of savings accounts offer higher APYs as interest rates increase, and that means consumers can press the advantage to start earning on their savings. Consumers that already have a savings account should review existing accounts to see if they’re getting a competitive rate. And consider moving their funds if a better rate is available.

Can credit cards offer help during times of inflation?

Generally, you should never rely on credit cards as a crutch for your financial needs. That’s because the interest that can accrue on credit card balances runs the risk of you falling even further behind financially. You can turn to credit cards to help float your finances during tough times, but first create a plan that allows you to pay off your credit expenses while incurring as little debt as possible.

Should I make the switch to digital banking?

It depends! If you’re chasing the highest interest rates on the market alongside some excellent mobile banking features, then digital banking is for you. Digital banks also tend to feature handy new saving tools, such as automatic roundups, which round up your purchases to the next dollar and deposit the extra into a savings account. However, you can only manage your digital bank account online, so if you prefer banking in person, you may want to stick with brick-and-mortar banks.