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About Us

RBC InvestEase is a low cost, digital investment service that leaves investing to the pros.

Based on your answers to some simple online questions, we will provide an ETF portfolio that is tailored to meet your investor profile. We factor in items such as your risk tolerance, investment time horizon, and desire for responsible investing solutions.

Once you open and fund your account, our (human) Portfolio Advisors will build and manage your portfolio for you!

To make investing easy, InvestEase provides discretionary investment management, which simply means that we will make investment decisions on your behalf and ensure these decisions are made in alignment with the goals and information you provide us.

Our Portfolio Advisors are available to answer questions and provide you with personalized advice. They will monitor and rebalance your portfolio to keep you on track towards your goals - all for a low fee!

Applying for an InvestEase account takes minutes, and it is typically opened within 1 to 3 business days. Once opened, you can manage your account online and over the phone.

Our online services are available 24/7 for you to apply to open new accounts and manage your existing accounts from the InvestEase dashboard, online banking and mobile banking app.

You will have access to your accounts 24/7 via your personal online RBC InvestEase dashboard available online or on your mobile device. Here you will be able to access documents, view transactions, holdings and performance of your portfolio. You will also be able to open additional accounts and deposit new funds or change your existing contribution plan.

If you have questions or need advice, you can speak with an advisor by email anytime at questions@rbcinvestease.com or by calling 1–800–769–2531. Our investment advisors are available to take calls Monday to Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET / 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. PT.

No. While RBC InvestEase is an online investment management service, it is different from traditional self-directed investing platforms (such as RBC Direct Investing).

With self-directed investing, you are responsible for researching, selecting and buying/selling any investments you wish to hold. At RBC InvestEase, we do all this work for you. Plus, we monitor and rebalance your portfolio and are available if you have questions or need advice. All you have to do is open your account, add funds and let us know if your circumstances change at any point, so that we can keep your portfolio in line with your needs and goals.

General

RBC InvestEase may be ideal if you want a simple and convenient, digital investing experience. Unlike do-it-yourself (DIY) investing, our professionals select, purchase and manage your investments for you, saving you time and effort – all for a low fee!

And the low-cost ETFs portfolios that we manage on your behalf means more time savings for you.

That said, if you think you’ll need most of your savings in less than 2 years, RBC InvestEase may not be right for you, and we recommend you consider other options such as GICs and term deposits which guarantee that your principal is protected against the inevitable short-term market movements.

You are eligible to open an RBC InvestEase account if:

  • You’re a permanent resident in Canada (your Social Insurance Number must start with a number from 1 to 7)
  • You’ve reached the age of majority in your province/territory
  • You’re opening this account for yourself (and not acting as a Power of Attorney, Public Trust or on behalf of a third party)
  • You’re the only person with financial interest in and exerting control over the assets in this account

Also, keep in mind that the specific account(s) you choose—Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA), First Home Savings Account (FHSA), Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) or non-registered account—may have additional eligibility requirements.

As InvestEase portfolios are subject to market fluctuations, InvestEase is intended for clients who have a minimum investing timeline of at least two years. We don’t recommend opening an account through RBC InvestEase if you think you’ll need the majority of your savings within the next 2 years. RBC offers several short-term investment options, such as Term Deposits and GICs, which offer protection against market risk. Visit rbc.com/investing to learn more.

Yes! You can have multiple accounts at RBC InvestEase to save for each of your goals. For example, you could save for your retirement in a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP), your first home in a First Home Savings Account (FHSA), and anything you want in a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) and/or non-registered account.

There is no minimum amount required to open an RBC InvestEase account. We’ll start investing in ETFs once your balance reaches $100 and will invest in a fully diversified portfolio when your balance reaches $1,500.

Accounts with a balance of $100 to $1499 will be invested in a “Small Balance portfolio,” which obtains similar exposure to the full Standard and Responsible Investing portfolios through the purchase of fewer ETFs. Our Small Balance portfolio is necessary because we do not purchase fractions of ETFs (these are also known as “fractional shares”), which makes the construction of a diversified portfolio more difficult for values below $1500.

When your account balance reaches $1500 we will transition your investments to a full Standard or Responsible Investing portfolio (which contain four to six ETFs) at no additional cost and no action required by you.

With InvestEase, you don’t need to make any decisions about which product to invest in. We will invest for you in a diversified portfolio of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) aligned to your goals.

We determine which of our ETF portfolios is best suited to you based on your answers to a few simple questions. You then have the option of selecting a standard or responsible investing version of your ETF portfolio.

Our Portfolio Advisors periodically review the ETFs used in InvestEase portfolios to ensure they meet a strict standard of suitability including, but not limited to, sufficient diversification.

Explore the ETF portfolios

You don’t need any investing experience or know-how to invest with RBC InvestEase. We’ll select, purchase and manage your investments for you based on your responses to some simple questions. Plus, our Portfolio Advisors are available if you have questions or need investment advice.

Our Portfolio Advisors make decisions and manage the investment portfolio you hold in your TFSA, RRSP, FHSA or non-registered account(s). We keep an eye on your investments and rebalance your portfolio as needed to help you stay on track toward your goals.

You are responsible for things like making deposits to your account(s) (which we invest for you), updating pre-authorized contributions if you have them and keeping track of your available contribution room (if you hold a registered account). You must also let us know when things change in your life (e.g. change in employment or income) that might impact the portfolio we manage for you, so we can make sure your investments remain suitable for you and in your best interest.

We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. If you are receiving an error message when you try to perform a transaction or use the RBC InvestEase dashboard, please try one or more of the following actions to see if it resolves the issue:

  • Clear cookies, sign back in to the dashboard and try the same task again
  • Use a different web browser (Edge, Firefox, Safari or Chrome) to try the task
  • Use a different device (mobile phone, laptop, tablet) to try the task

Steps to clear cookies:

  • In the upper right corner of your browser window, click the 3 horizontal dots.
  • Click the Settings (gear icon) towards the bottom of the menu.
  • Under the Settings menu, in left-hand panel, select Privacy, search, and services.
  • Select Choose what to clear under Clear browsing data > Clear browsing data now.
  • Under Time range, choose a time range from the list. Select All Time.
  • Tick box only for Cookies and other site data, and then select Clear now.

  • Click the menu button (3 horizontal lines) and select Settings.
  • Select the Privacy & Security panel and go to the Cookies and Site Data section.
  • Click the Clear Data… button. The Clear Data dialog will appear.
  • Tick the box for Cookies and Site Data.
  • Click Clear.

  • Go to Settings > Safari > Advanced > Website Data.
  • Tap Remove All Website Data.

  • Open Safari.
  • Go to Safari > Preferences > Privacy.
  • Click Manage Website Data....
  • Remove All.
  • Click Remove Now to confirm.

If you have performed the above steps and are still receiving an error message, please call 1-800-769-2531 (9:30am-4:00pm ET/6:30am-1:00pm PT) or email questions@rbcinvestease.com so that we can investigate this issue for you.

When you contact us, it will be helpful if you can provide the following information:

  • Action or task you were trying to complete
  • Web browser you were using (Edge, Firefox, Safari, Chrome)
  • Device you were using (mobile phone, laptop, tablet)
  • Steps you took to try and resolve the issue

If you email us, you can also attach screenshots of the issue you are having; however, please DO NOT share screenshots that contain sensitive information over unsecure email.

Opening an Account

You can open an account with us at any time online provided that you meet the eligibility criteria. Here’s how:

  • Click on Open an Account.
  • Answer some questions about yourself so we can understand your needs and recommend an investment plan.
  • Select the account you want to open (TFSA, RRSP, FHSA, non-registered) and sign the account documents electronically to submit your application.
  • A Portfolio Advisor will review your application and may call you to confirm that your investment plan and portfolio suit your needs. Once your account is open, log in to your dashboard (from the homepage, or from online or mobile banking) to manage your account, make deposits, withdrawals, update your information and access statements and tax documents. If you’re funding your account by making a transfer from another investment account, this is also where you will be able to provide us with those instructions.

You can call us at 1–800–769–2531 if you have more questions about opening an account.

You can open Tax-Free Savings Accounts (TFSA), a Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSP), First Home Savings Accounts (FHSA) and non-registered investment accounts.

Yes, no problem! You can open an account with RBC InvestEase even if you don’t currently bank with RBC. Anyone can easily move money to an InvestEase account by depositing or transferring funds from another financial institution.

Yes we do! We’ll reimburse up to $200 in transfer fees when you transfer $15,000 or more to your RBC InvestEase account from another financial institution.

To be eligible for reimbursement, clients must provide proof of the transfer fee payment by e-mailing RBC InvestEase at questions@rbcinvestease.com within three months of the transfer. You can connect with our Portfolio Advisors at 1-800-769-2531 if you have any questions.

Managing Your Account

Automatic transfers (or pre-authorized, ongoing contributions) are an easy way to make sure your investment plan stays on track. Contributions are automatically debited from your selected account so you can invest regularly without having to think about it. We take care of the purchases and rebalance your portfolio each time.

Here’s how to set them up:

  • Sign in to your RBC InvestEase account.
  • In the top menu, choose “Move Money”.
  • Fill in the contribution details, including the Amount, Frequency and source of the transfers. If the source of transfer is another financial institution, you will need to set up a bill payment at the other institution using instructions found on this page.
  • Submit and you’re done!

Note that it may take up to 3-5 business days for the instructions to take effect.

Deposits made from an RBC bank account to your InvestEase account during business hours (Monday to Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET / 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. PT.) will be processed on the same day. Deposits made outside of these hours will be processed on the next business day.

If you’ve set up your deposits from another bank using Bill Pay, refer to your bank on when your transaction will be processed.

We typically invest your deposits within 1 business day of receipt.

Withdrawal instructions received during business hours (Monday to Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET / 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. PT.) will be processed on the same day. Instructions received outside of these hours will be processed on the next business day.

It may take up to 5 business days from the time of request for the funds to be deposited in your RBC bank account. This timeline incorporates the selling of investments and an additional 1 to 3 business days for the proceeds to be deposited into your RBC bank account.

For clients who do not bank with RBC, a cheque for the amount requested will be physically mailed to the address on file. The delivery of physical cheques may require additional processing and delivery time.

Monthly account statements are available online. To find your account statements:

  • Sign in to RBC InvestEase.
  • In the top menu, choose Documents.

For closed accounts, a paper copy of the final statement will be mailed to the last address on record for the account.

Access your account documentation (statements, tax receipts and tax packages for non-registered accounts) online if you have selected electronic delivery for statements and tax documents. To access these documents online, please complete the following steps:

  • Log into your RBC InvestEase account
  • Select “Documents” under the header or Menu option (if accessing via mobile)
  • Select “Tax Documents”
  • Note: if you have multiple accounts with us (i.e. RRSP, TFSA, FHSA, Non-registered accounts) click on the drop down arrow to select the account you’re looking for.
  • Make sure you select the “Tax Year” (Example: for Non-Registered account tax packages, you will want to select “2022”)

Please note that it may take a few business days after a deposit for the contribution receipt to be generated for contributions to an RRSP or FHSA.

If you have opted to receive your tax documents in the mail, tax documents are mailed weekly for contributions made in the first 60 days of the year. For contributions made after the first 60 days, tax documents are mailed following the end of the calendar year.

If you have not opted for electronic tax documents and wish to change your preferences, you can update your document settings by selecting ‘Account Settings’ under your profile and clicking on ‘Document Settings’.

Since we take care of the investing work for you, there is no need to set anyone else as your trading authority. As outlined in “Am I eligible to open an account at RBC InvestEase?" there is no ability to name anyone other than the account holder to exercise authority over your RBC InvestEase account.

You do have the ability to name a “Trusted Contact Person” (TCP). The TCP is simply another individual that RBC InvestEase can contact if we are unable to contact you. In this case we would ask the TCP to contact you to ask you to contact RBC InvestEase. The TCP has NO authority over the account and RBC InvestEase cannot provide the TCP with any account related information.

To request a withdrawal from your account, sign in to RBC InvestEase, click on “Move Money” from the top menu and then select Withdraw.

Next, select the account you wish to withdraw from (if you have multiple accounts) and how you would like to receive your funds. If you are requesting a special withdrawal from an RRSP (Home Buyers Plan or Life Long Learning), or FHSA (Qualifying purchase of first home) please call 1-800-769-2531.

After you submit your withdrawal instructions, it usually takes between 3 to 5 business days for your funds to become available. This time is necessary for us to sell the ETFs and rebalance your portfolio (if required). During this time the value of your investments may vary based on market fluctuations.

You can choose to close your account when you submit a request for a full withdrawal.

To request a full withdrawal, sign in to RBC InvestEase, click on “Move Money” from the top menu and then select Withdraw. You will have the option to close your account as part of this process.

To close an unfunded account, please call 1-800-769-2531.

Note that we will debit any accrued unpaid fees that are outstanding as of the date of your account closure. These fees are subject to applicable taxes and will be deducted from your account balance as of the date of closure.

RBC InvestEase is offered in both English and French. When you apply for your account online, we’ll ask you to choose whether you want us to communicate with you in English or French. Your selection determines your online preferences as well as which language we will use to send you emails and produce your monthly statements. If you want to change your language preferences, please call us at 1–800–769–2531.

You can always access your InvestEase dashboard in English and French, regardless of your language preference on file.

You can change your language preference online, or by calling us at 1–800–769–2531.

To change your navigation language online, first log out of your InvestEase dashboard (if you’re logged in).

Locate the button that is marked with a Canadian flag at the top of the screen on the InvestEase homepage. Expand the button to choose between English and French, then proceed to log in. Your dashboard will now appear in the language you have selected.

Important: the online navigation language selection will not affect your language preference for any communications we send to you, including statements. If you wish to change the language preference we have on file for you, please call us at 1–800–769–2531 (M-F 9:30 am – 4:00pm).

Pricing

RBC InvestEase charges an annual management fee which is billed monthly (0.50% annual rate + applicable sales taxes based on your account’s average balance that month). The ETFs held in your portfolio also carry a management expenses (expressed as a ratio called MER) which is charged to the fund and will not appear as a charge on your InvestEase account statement. This MER is currently between 0.11%–0.23% (ADD as of date/source/to be maintained and updated as required over time).

Other fees may apply on transfers out. Please refer to the relevant section below for more details.

The investment management fee is billed monthly and covers the costs of buying your investments, rebalancing your portfolio, maintaining your account and all other advice and services provided by our Portfolio Advisors. There are no surprise transaction or administrative fees.

Like mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have expenses related to managing the fund. These expenses are expressed as the management expense ratio (MER). In general, ETFs are more cost-efficient compared to mutual funds of equivalent strategies. The MER is made up of the following costs:

  • Management fee: The annual fee payable to the fund manager for acting as a trustee and manager. It’s the largest portion of the MER and includes costs of the custodian and valuation agents, registrar and transfer agents, and any other service providers retained by the manager.
  • Operating expenses: Include fees like complying with national regulations and fees payable to members of the board of governors of the ETFs.
  • Taxes: Each fund must pay applicable sales taxes on management fees and administration fees charged to the fund. Management expense ratio (MER) is the total of the costs noted above expressed as a percentage. In other words, it’s a portion of a fund’s average net assets paid each year to cover the day-to-day and fixed costs of managing the fund. MER includes all management fees and applicable sales taxes paid by the fund for the period, including fees paid indirectly as a result of holding other ETFs.

Note: The ETF MERs described above are different from the annual investment management fee of 0.50% that RBC InvestEase charges for its services. MERs are deducted from the fund’s net asset value, therefore are not charged directly to you.

Our investment management fee of 0.50% per annum (plus applicable sales taxes) will be billed monthly, based on your average account balance for the month. For Example: If you open your account and make an initial deposit of $10,000 (assuming no addition deposits or withdrawal, and assuming no change in market value) you will pay $4.17 (plus applicable taxes) per month. The calculation is as follows:

Average Value of Account @ Month End x 0.50% / 12 months

You won’t need to pay any fees to withdraw funds from your account. You’ll only pay a fee of $150 + applicable sales taxes if you make a transfer from your RBC InvestEase account to an investment account (registered or non-registered) at another non-RBC financial institution. This fee doesn’t apply to transfers between investment accounts held with RBC (or its subsidiaries).

Please note that you may be subject to tax consequences when withdrawing from a registered account. Visit Canada.ca to learn more.

When transferring $15,000 or more from a financial institution that is not affiliated with RBC to your RBC InvestEase account, we will reimburse up to a maximum of $200 in transfer fees, to be paid into your RBC InvestEase account.

If you’d like to withdraw funds from your account, sign in to RBC InvestEase and click on “Move Money” from the top menu and then select “Withdraw”.

You will be charged any outstanding management fees on a prorated basis when you close your account. If you close your account by transferring your funds to another financial institution, we will also charge the standard fee of $150 + applicable sales taxes.

Managing Your Portfolio

An investment portfolio is a grouping of investments, combined in such a way to match a person’s investment time horizon and tolerance for investment risk.

For example, depending on your reasons for investing and how long you plan to invest, your portfolio could be focused on aggressive growth, moderate growth, protecting and preserving your money, or a balance of growth and preservation.

Your investment portfolio uses an asset allocation mix – a combination of equity ETFs, fixed income ETFs and cash determined by your risk profile and investment time horizon – to help you reach your investment goals. As time passes, your portfolio may drift from the original mix (or target allocation) due to the relative performance of each asset class or because of deposits and/or withdrawals.

As a result, your portfolio may become unbalanced with too much of one asset class or too little of another. When this happens, we review your portfolio and will buy or sell the required (ETF) units to bring you back to your original target allocation. Rebalancing ensures that your portfolio stays in line with your objectives.

An exchange-traded fund (ETF) is similar to a mutual fund, except an ETF trades like a stock on an exchange. Like a mutual fund, you can buy “units” in an ETF to own a proportional interest in a pool of assets (such as stocks or bonds).

To learn more about how ETFs work please see:

https://www.rbcinvestease.com/topics-trends/abcs-of-etfs.html

Indexed ETFs commonly track a specific:

  • Market index (a composite of securities, such as the S&P/TSX Composite Index)
  • Market sector (a group of stocks representing companies in similar lines of business)
  • Commodity (such as precious metals or energy futures)

The investment returns shown on your dashboard are calculated using a time-weighted rate of return. This method accounts for your portfolio’s performance and timing of cash flows in and out of your account. These calculations exclude the current month’s activities.

Yes. If your investment plan no longer makes sense for your needs or if you’ve had an important life change, give us a call at 1–800–769–2531. A Portfolio Advisor will ask a few questions to understand your situation and help you update your plan. We will also follow up at least once a year to make sure our information on file is correct.

For accounts with balances above $1,500

Browse our product profiles below to learn more about the ETFs used in our Standard Portfolios:

Browse our product profiles below to learn more about the ETFs used in our Responsible Investing Portfolios:

For account with balances between $100-1,499

Standard Small Balance Portfolios use the following ETFs:

Responsible Investing Small Balance Portfolios use the following ETFs:

Accounts with balances below $100 remain in cash until they reach the minimum portfolio threshold.

RBC Direct Investing Inc. provides custodial services for the funds that you invest with RBC InvestEase. RBC Direct Investing Inc. is responsible for keeping your financial assets safe, maintaining your accounts, record keeping, trade settlement and reporting. RBC Direct Investing Inc. is regulated by the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) and a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund (CIPF).

Through RBC Direct Investing Inc., your account is protected up to certain limits by the CIPF in the event of the insolvency of RBC Direct Investing Inc. The CIPF does not protect your assets from losses due to market movements or the activities of RBC InvestEase. If you’d like to learn more about these limits, please visit the CIPF website (www.cipf.ca) for more information.

Under the Online Security Guarantee, if an unauthorized transaction is made in your account through the RBC InvestEase online dashboard, you will be reimbursed 100% for any direct losses in your account. Terms and conditions will apply.

We invest your savings in a diversified portfolio of ETFs aligned to your goals based on an online questionnaire that takes into consideration factors such as your risk tolerance and investment time horizon.

We monitor your account daily. As markets move and as you add or withdraw money from your account, we will make the necessary adjustments to keep your portfolio on track towards your goals.

To see the full list of ETFs in our Standard, Responsible Investing and Small Balance portfolios, visit “Where can I find more details about the ETFs RBC InvestEase uses to create my portfolio?

Note that your savings will stay in cash until your account reaches a balance of $100 or more.

A TFSA can be used to invest for anything you want; from a dream vacation in a few years to longer-term goals like retirement. Contributions to a TFSA are not tax deductible. However, contributions and gains are generally tax-free, even when funds are withdrawn. You can learn more about TFSAs at https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/registered-plans-administrators/tax-free-savings-account-tfsa/about-tax-free-savings-account-tfsa.html

A Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) is used to invest for your retirement. Deductible RRSP contributions can be used to reduce your tax bill. You can learn more about RRSPs at https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/individuals/topics/rrsps-related-plans/registered-retirement-savings-plan-rrsp.html

A First Home Savings Account can be used to invest for your first home tax free. You can learn more about FHSAs at https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/individuals/topics/first-home-savings-account.html

You can invest for anything you want in a non-registered account at RBC InvestEase. Whenever you need to use your savings, you can withdraw them for any reason. Contributions are not tax-deductible and will not reduce your taxable income. Note that investment growth in a non-registered account may be taxable. Please consult a tax advisor if you have questions about your personal tax situation.

No, we do not notify you if you’re approaching the contribution limit for any registered account (i.e. TFSA, FHSA, RRSP). If you have multiple registered accounts of the same type (e.g. you hold multiple RRSPs), you should be aware that your available contribution room is shared across all of your accounts of the same type. You are responsible for monitoring the contribution room available in your registered accounts, and for any excess contribution penalty that may be applied if you exceed this amount.

You can find your previous year-end available contribution room by logging in to your Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) account. For more information, please visit https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/individuals/topics/tax-free-savings-account/contributions.html

TFSA

You can save for anything you want in a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) at RBC InvestEase. When you need to use your savings, you can withdraw them, tax-free, for any reason.

A Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) at RBC InvestEase may be ideal if you want a quick and easy investing experience. Unlike do-it-yourself (DIY) investing, we pick, buy and manage the investments in your TFSA for you.

You can use a TFSA to save for anything from a vacation next year to longer-term goals like retirement.

No, we do not notify you if you’re approaching your Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) contribution limit. One reason why is because you can hold more than one TFSA at different financial institutions. (Note that your contribution room is the same whether you have one, two or more TFSAs.)

You can find your available TFSA contribution room by logging in to your Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) account. You are responsible for ensuring you don’t overcontribute to your TFSA.

There are no fees to withdraw funds from your Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) at RBC InvestEase.

If you’d like to withdraw funds from your account, sign in to RBC InvestEase and click on “Move Money” from the top menu and then select “Withdraw”.

If you want to transfer money from your TFSA at InvestEase to a TFSA at another financial institution, the standard transfer fee of $150 plus applicable sales tax will apply.

Withdrawing money from your TFSA may have implications for your TFSA contribution room in the year in which the funds are withdrawn. To learn more about withdrawing funds from your TFSA please see below:

https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/individuals/topics/tax-free-savings-account/making-replacing-withdrawals-a-tfsa.html

FHSA

With RBC InvestEase, you could invest $75,000 or more to use tax-free towards the down payment on your first home:

- Borrow up to $35,000 from your Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) with the Home Buyers’ Plan (HBP).

- Plus, contribute up to $40,000 to your First Home Savings Account (FHSA) and invest it tax-free until you need it. When you are ready to purchase your first home, you can withdraw the $40,000 plus any investment gains.

If you’re buying a home with another person who does the same, you could have even more to contribute to your down payment.

Note that you’ll have to pay back any funds borrowed from the RRSP HBP, but you are not required to repay funds withdrawn from the FHSA. Those assets are yours to use or roll over into your RRSP if you ultimately decide not to buy a home.

Possibly, yes! Under the FHSA registered plan, you will be considered a first-time homebuyer if you have not owned or lived in a home that you owned or that was owned by your spouse or common-law partner, in the past four yearslegal bug *. That means you may be eligible to open a First Home Savings Account (FHSA) to save for your next home, even if you’ve owned one in the past.

Visit https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/individuals/topics/first-home-savings-account.html to learn more.

The First Home Savings Account (FHSA) gives you a lot of time and flexibility to save up for your first home. Once you open your account, you can put money away for up to 15 years. At that time you will have the option to withdraw the funds to purchase your first home or roll the funds into your RRSP.

That said, if you’re planning to use the savings in your FHSA in less than 2 years, RBC InvestEase may not be right for you, and you should consider opening your account with RBC Direct Investing to invest in other options such as GICs and term deposits which guarantee that your principal is protected against the inevitable short-term market movements.

A First Home Savings Account (FHSA) at RBC InvestEase may be ideal if you want a quick and easy way to save for your first homeLegal Disclaimer*. Unlike do-it-yourself (DIY) investing, we pick, buy and manage the investments in your FHSA for you.

No, we do not notify you if you’re approaching your First Home Savings Account (FHSA) contribution limit. One reason why is because you can hold more than one FHSA at different financial institutions. (Note that your contribution room is the same whether you have one, two or more FHSAs.)

You can find your available FHSA contribution room by logging in to your Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) account. You are responsible for ensuring you don’t overcontribute to your FHSA.

The funds in your First Home Savings Account (FHSA) have to be used by December 31 of the 15th year after opening your first FHSA account or the year you turn 71, whichever comes first. If you have not used the funds in your FHSA by that time, one option is to transfer them tax-free to your Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) at RBC InvestEase without impacting your RRSP contribution room.

You can also transfer unused funds to a Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF) tax-free; otherwise, your withdrawal will be taxed.

You could save up to $75,000 (or more) tax-free to use towards your first home’s down payment:

- You can borrow up to $35,000 through the Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) Home Buyers’ Plan (HBP).

- Plus, you can contribute up to $40,000 to your First Home Savings Account (FHSA) and let your money grow tax-free.

- This is a combined total of $75,000 or more ($35,000 from RRSP HBP + $40,000 from FHSA contributions and earnings) you could have for your home.

- If your spouse or common-law partner does the same, you could have a combined total of $150,000 or more.

Note that you’ll have to pay back any funds from the RRSP HBP, but not the FHSA.

There are no fees to withdraw funds from your First Home Savings Account (FHSA) at RBC InvestEase. If you’d like to withdraw funds from your account, sign in to RBC InvestEase and click on Move Money from the top menu and then select Withdraw.

No, contributions to a non-registered account are not tax-deductible and will not reduce your taxable income. The First Home Savings Account (FHSA) and Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) allow you to deduct contributions from your taxable income.

You can save for anything you want in a non-registered account at RBC InvestEase. When you need to use your savings, you can withdraw them for any reason.

Non-Registered Account

No, contributions to a non-registered account are not tax-deductible and will not reduce your taxable income. The First Home Savings Account (FHSA) and Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) allow you to deduct contributions from your taxable income.

You can save for anything you want in a non-registered account at RBC InvestEase. When you need to use your savings, you can withdraw them for any reason.

There are no fees to withdraw funds from your non-registered account at RBC InvestEase.

If you’d like to withdraw funds from your account, sign in to RBC InvestEase and click on Move Money from the top menu and then select Withdraw.

Fees do apply if you decide to transfer funds from your RBC InvestEase accounts to an investment account held at another (non-RBC) financial institution.

A non-registered account at RBC InvestEase may be ideal if you want a simple and easy investing experience. Unlike do-it-yourself (DIY) investing, we pick, buy and manage the investments in your non-registered account for you, to give you professional advice and peace of mind. And the low-cost ETFs portfolios that we manage on your behalf means more time and savings for you.

That said, if you think you’ll need most of your investments in less than 2 years, RBC InvestEase may not be right for you, and you should consider other options such as GICs and term deposits which guarantee that your principal is protected against short-term market movements.

And while a non-registered account lets you save as much as you want for any reason, other accounts like the TFSA, FHSA, and RRSP offer tax advantages that a non-registered account does not. For this reason, you may wish to consider a non-registered account once you have maxed out your contribution room in all other registered plans you may be eligible for. Please consult a tax advisor if you have questions about your personal tax situation.

Responsible Investing

Responsible Investing (RI) includes a broad range of approaches that incorporate Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors in the investment decision-making process. This means the issuer (i.e. a company) of a security (a stock or bond) is evaluated on how well it manages its Environmental (i.e. carbon emissions, waste disposal, water management), Social (i.e. workplace health and safety, labour management, privacy/data security), and Governance (i.e. tax transparency, board independence and composition, ownership) matters relevant to their industries, on top of traditional financial metrics. Companies involved in the business of tobacco, contentious weapons,civilian firearms, and other severe controversies are excluded from Responsible Investing portfolios.

Our Responsible Investing Portfolios are constructed using iShares ESG Aware exchange-traded funds (ETFs) managed by BlackRock Canada. For portfolios that have exposure to global government bonds, the iShares Global Government Bond Index ETF (ticker XGGB) is used. For more information see Where can I find more details about the ETFs RBC InvestEase uses to create my portfolio?

Our Responsible Investing Portfolios are designed to maintain similar risk and return characteristics to our Standard Portfolios, which means you can invest with your values without necessarily sacrificing long-term financial performance.

Responsible Investing begins by drawing on some elements of socially responsible investing by excluding companies involved in tobacco, contentious weapons, civilian firearms, as well as those companies involved in severe controversies. The remaining companies are then assessed on how well they manage their Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) risks. Examples of how superior risk management can translate into favourable financial results include limiting fines and penalties from waste-management policies (environmental), acquiring clients at a faster rate than peers due to superior talent management (social), and benefiting from a higher valuation in the marketplace due to a commitment to an independent board and an effective management structure (governance).

At RBC InvestEase we select ETFs that have been designed to provide investors with exposure to the performance of an ESG-oriented index. Our Responsible Investing Portfolios are constructed using iShares ESG Aware exchange-traded funds (ETFs) managed by BlackRock Canada. For portfolios that have exposure to global government bonds, the iShares Global Government Bond Index ETF (ticker XGGB) is used. For more information see Where can I find more details about the ETFs RBC InvestEase uses to create my portfolio?

We believe our Responsible Investing portfolios should not result in lower returns after fees versus a standard portfolio over the long term.

In contrast, SRI is predicated solely on the exclusion of entire industries on a moral basis. Long-term portfolio returns could be lower, and portfolio risk higher, due to the exclusion of industries that could represent a large portion of the index without any consideration of future financial performance.

RBC InvestEase charges the same low fee of 0.50% to manage both our Standard and Responsible Investing portfolios.

The ETFs used in the construction of our Responsible Investing portfolios have a slightly higher management expense ratio (MER) versus our Standard portfolio. While the range of fees for the Responsible Investing portfolios is 0.18%-0.23%, it is 0.11%-0.13% in a Standard portfolio (ADD as of date).

It’s a personal choice. We believe either our Responsible Investing or Standard portfolio will help clients reach their financial goals. Responsible Investing will appeal to those looking for choice and wanting to invest with companies that effectively manage environmental, social, and governance risks. In addition, we exclude companies involved in tobacco, contentious weapons, civilian firearms, as well as companies involved in very severe controversies. For those clients who are more focused on fees, or who are not drawn to Responsible Investing, our Standard portfolio remains an excellent solution.

Refer a Friend

Yes! As an RBC InvestEase client, you and each friend or family member you refer are eligible to receive $25 when they open their first RBC InvestEase account. Terms and conditions apply. Please visit your dashboard for more information.

In order for you and the person you refer to receive the $25 bonus, the new account must be opened using the special link provided, and the minimum amount must be invested in the account within 30 days of account opening. Please visit your dashboard for the full terms and conditions.

We will deposit $25 into both of your eligible accounts within 30 days of the program conditions being met.

The referral bonus is only available for existing RBC InvestEase clients to refer friends/family. Once you are a client, we will provide you with your own unique link to share.

You may refer as many friends/family members as you wish! Each eligible account can receive $25 when the program conditions are met. However, you may only receive up to $300 per year total (or for up to 12 eligible referrals).


Legal Disclaimer
RBC InvestEase is a restricted portfolio manager providing access to model portfolios consisting of RBC iShares ETFs with each model portfolio holding up to 100% of RBC iShares ETFs. RBC iShares ETFs are comprised of RBC ETFs managed by RBC Global Asset Management Inc. (RBC GAM) and iShares ETFs managed by BlackRock Canada Limited (BlackRock Canada). RBC GAM and BlackRock Canada have entered into a strategic alliance to bring together their respective ETF products under the RBC iShares brand, and to offer a unified distribution support and service model for RBC iShares ETFs.

Other products and services may be offered by one or more separate corporate entities that are affiliated to RBC InvestEase Inc., including without limitation: Royal Bank of Canada, RBC Direct Investing Inc., RBC Dominion Securities Inc., RBC Global Asset Management Inc., Royal Trust Corporation of Canada and The Royal Trust Company. RBC InvestEase Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada and uses the business name RBC InvestEase.

The services provided by RBC InvestEase are only available in Canada.

The information provided here is for information purposes only and subject to change at any time. Please consult your own tax advisor for any questions relating to your own tax situation.
You may be eligible to open an FHSA if you and/or your spouse have never owned a home in which you lived at any time during the part of the calendar year before the account is opened or at any time in the preceding four calendar years.

A qualifying home is defined as a housing unit in Canada that you partially or fully own.