Questrade Review

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Questrade serves Canadian investors with a generous range of financial products and services. You can access the markets via versatile and user-friendly platforms with account types to suit everyone. They have low stock and ETF fees, and provide you with a nice selection of advanced research tools including news, fundamental data and chart pattern tools. They are suitable for beginners and all types of investors. Its trading platform isn’t complicated, making it easy to buy and sell stocks. I think they provide a good alternative to trading and investing with the big banks.  This is all backed by solid customer support who are on hand to assist you as and when needed.

Summary

Founded in 1999, Questrade is a Canadian broker, offering simple and affordable self-directed and managed investments. They have a great range of investment choices for all different types of investors, goals and risk levels. Their financial product range includes stocks, ETFs, IPOs, Mutual Funds, bonds, GICs, Equities, Metals, Options and Cryptocurrency. Operating as an online broker with no physical branches ensures that they can keep operational costs low and pass the savings onto investors with competitive fees. They utilise innovative technologies to deliver stable trading platforms and tools that can help assist with trading decisions whilst they firmly believe in completely transparent pricing for all.

Self-directed Investing

If you are looking to take matters into your own hands, then Questrade are an option for self-directed investing. You can build your own investment portfolio with a self-directed account and save on fees. This can be a way to make your money work harder for you.

Questwealth Portfolios

You can get a pre-built portfolio which is the easy way to invest. They have intelligent and low fee portfolios that are designed by experts to help you achieve your financial goals faster.

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Regulation

When it comes to choosing a broker, one of the most important things that I look for is regulation. Therefore, I am pleassed to see that Questrade is regulated where they operate. Questrade Wealth Management Inc. (QWM) and Questrade, Inc. are members of the Questrade Group of Companies. Questrade Wealth Management Inc. is a registered Portfolio Manager, Investment Fund Manager, and Exempt Market Dealer.

Questrade, Inc. is a registered investment dealer and a member of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organisation of Canada (IIROC) and Canadian Investor Protection Fund (CIPF), the benefits of which are limited to the activities undertaken by Questrade, Inc. QWM is not a member of IIROC or the CIPF.

Funds

This regulation means that Questrade, Inc operations are monitored by regulatory authorities to ensure that they abide by the strict regulations in place to protect clients and meet the required industry standards. Questrade work hard to protect their customers. This includes an additional $10 million in private insurance for all self-directed and managed accounts in the scenario that the company was to go out of business.

Security

They use the latest technologies to keep accounts encrypted and securely stored. This includes Digicert, Last Login, Touch/Face ID and PIN. Furthermore, there is an online security guarantee where they offer 100% reimbursement for any unauthorised transactions in your Questrade account that result in direct losses to you (subject to terms & conditions).

Countries

Questrade currently only offer their financial services to Canadian residents. If you are located outside Canada, please feel free to browse our broker reviews for an alternative option.

Platforms

Questrade have a decent choice of user-friendly platforms for efficient and confident investing and trading for all skill levels. This includes modern, fast and easy-to-use mobile and web apps. I like how the platforms are built to make it easy for you to trade, no matter if you’re just starting out or are already an active trader. The all-in-one trading platforms have everything you need to trade, invest, and check your accounts in one convenient place. If you’re looking for more advanced trading tools and features, Questrade Edge desktop and web platforms have got you covered. Trade options, use stock screeners, and more.

Questrade Trading

This is the intuitive all-in-one web-based platform for secure trading and investing from anywhere. You can login to the platform to view and manage your account, conduct market research and analysis, place and manage positions, check performance and more. The platform contains a good range of built in tools to assist traders including symbol look up, alert notifications, advanced charting, market research, market data, watchlists and more. You can buy and sell stocks and ETFs, research, check balances, move money, all from one intuitive platform. Find reports, performance data, and news articles about any stock or ETF you’re interested in, and then buy or sell with a few simple clicks. The Questrade web platform is available on desktop (Windows / Mac), web and mobile (iPhone / iPad / Android / Tablet).

• Learn more about investing as you go with the built-in Learning Mode
• See all your account balances and track all your portfolios at a glance in one simple graph
• Research, trade, and monitor your investments with a few clicks

Questrade Trading

QuestMobile

The Questrade mobile app allows clients to trade and manage their account whilst on the go. Users can easily place trades in real time with access to your investment details and withdraw or transfer between Questrade accounts. The mobile app implements the same features as the web-based platform with a range of built in tools to assist traders including symbol look up, alert notifications, advanced charting, market research, market data, watchlists, etc. Make trades, research stocks and ETFs, get helpful tips and definitions, all from one easy-to-use investing app. The Questrade mobile app is also freely available for download on both Android and iOS devices.

• Built-in Learning Mode makes it easy to learn about investing as you go
• Clean design allows you to monitor, research, and place market and limit orders fast
• Get real-time snap quote prices of stocks and ETFs on North American exchanges

QuestMobile

Questrade Edge

Questrade Edge is a powerful yet free downloadable desktop platform for active and pro traders. It offers an intuitive and sleek, fully customisable interface with a range of features for advanced analysis and trading. Amongst the built-in features and tools are advanced charting capabilities, multiple order types, screeners, alerts, symbol look up, market research, market data and watchlists. You can customize your workspace in any Questrade Edge platform so that you can always keep track of the market data that matters most to you, and execute orders quickly. Trade using bracket orders, conditional orders and multi-leg option strategies so you have pinpoint control of your trades.

• Advanced order types (including bracket, conditional, and multi-leg options)
• A customizable trading environment with options trading
• Loaded with helpful research tools from industry leaders like TipRanks, Trading Central, and Morning Star

Questrade Edge

Questrade App

Easily place stock and option trades in real time, access investment details, withdraw or transfer between Questrade accounts, and manage your account all in one award-winning brokerage app. You can monitor your investment performance and reports, manage your account, then quickly get back to trading. You can go beyond the average and trade multi-leg option strategy orders.

• View important company announcements and upcoming events in the Event Calendar
• Place stock, option, and option strategy trades in real time
• Access your investment details
• View your account’s history
• Withdraw money from your Questrade account
• Transfer money or securities between Questrade accounts

Questrade App

Questrade Global

Get fast and easy access to global markets on 15+ international exchanges and high leverage with an award-winning web-based FX and CFD platform. You can trade currencies, commodities and more with this excellent platform. It’s packed with features and tools to boost your chances of finding profitable forex and commodities trades. Apply technical analysis and annotations in just a few clicks, personalize your watchlists, and get economic releases and alerts.

Questrade Global

Market Data Packages

There is a choice of market data packages to choose from with more market depth to assist with making informed trading decisions. The available packages are:

Basic Real Time Market Data

• Novice traders
• See the real-time data of a security with one click in Questrade’s trading platforms
• Includes level 1 snap quotes for all major North American exchanges
• One-click real-time data
• Comes with every platform

Enhanced Live Streaming Data

• Novice to intermediate traders
• Includes level 1 American exchanges and Canadian exchanges
• Live streaming for Intraday Trader
• Individual data add-ons available
• $19.95 month fee (100% rebatable)
• Spend more than $48.95 in trading commissions and get an automatic $19.95 rebate

Advanced US Live Streaming Data

• For active traders who want U.S. data
• Unlocks active trader pricing
• Individual data add-ons available
• Includes level 1 and 2 American exchanges and level 1 Canadian exchanges
• $89.95 month fee (100% rebatable)
• Partial and full rebates available

Advanced Canadian Live Streaming Data

• For active traders who want Canadian data
• Unlocks active trader pricing
• Individual data add-ons available
• Includes level 1 and 2 Canadian exchanges and level 1 American exchanges
• $89.95 month fee (100% rebatable)
• Partial and full rebates available

Tools

The specialized advanced trading platforms are made so you can take advantage of the opportunities you see in the market. These powerful and fully customizable platforms are built for active and experienced traders. They come packed with an abundance of hig-quality trading tools so that you can analyse the markets in great details to find signals and make informed decisions. The right tools make investing easier. Questrade have a great selection of sophisticated tools to help you evaluate investment ideas, monitor the market and track your investments.

News, Insights & Research

Kickstart your strategy. Find investment ideas and opportunities for more confident decision-making.

• Discover which stocks analysts have their eyes on
• Stay up to date on all the latest news surrounding investments you care about
• View valuable information about U.S. and Canadian stocks to see which one could be right for you

Market Intelligence

Traders have access to the latest reports, earnings, filters and screeners that are required to stay on top of the latest market happenings.

Intraday Trader

The intraday trade can help to identify potential investment opportunities throughout the day and match them up with your watchlist.

IPO Centre

The IPO centre can provide you with the latest initial public offering opportunities sent directly to your inbox.

Market Data

Get free, real-time snap quotes in one click, market data rebates, and your choice of plans and add-ons.

Order entry types

For stocks, make classic or advanced order types, including bracket orders. For options, trade standard options or multi-leg options.

Customization

Create your custom layout and workspace with linking windows and hot keys so you’re always ready to jump on an opportunity.

Investment Reports

Get insight into statistics, portfolio and operations information in a categorized format that’s updated regularly.

Watchlists

Create personalized lists of investments you want to keep track of. Create multiple lists and customize them by industry, geography, size and more.

Alerts

Never miss an opportunity. Set up alerts to get automatic notifications for changes in the investments you’re interested in.

Education

It is good to see that Questrade have a superb range of educational resources to help keep you in tune with the different financial markets. You will find plenty of tutorial videos and guides. These can be used to spot market growth, see the latest investment trends, understand new trading principles and get an overall feel for current market situation. You can learn everything from the very basics of investing and trading online to how you can build complex strategies in the provided platforms.

Markets

Questrade have a wide product range for you to diversify your portfolio including Stocks, ETFs, IPOs, Mutual Funds, Bonds, GICs, Equities, Metals, Options and Cryptocurrencies.

Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs)

ETF’s can be a mix of stocks, bonds and other investments. Although similar to a mutual fund, the primary difference is that ETFs can be bought and traded like a stock. North American-listed ETF’s can be bought commission-free through Questrade, with no maximum amount or minimum requirement.

Mutual Funds

The mutual funds let investors pool money together to invest as a group into a portfolio of investments. These are often used as a way to diversify an investment portfolio and spread risk across different securities. Funds have different criteria and thus an investor can choose the fund that is more suitable for their risk preferences and investment profile.

Stocks

Clients can buy and sell stocks from a range of popular companies with fees from as low as low as 1¢ / share, with a min. $4.95 to max. $9.95.

Options

Options are contracts to buy or sell stock holdings at a set price at a later date from $9.95 + $1/contract. Clients can speculate with leverage although this can increase risk and you should clearly understand the implications and dangers of using leveraged products.

IPOs

Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) let investors provide capital that could potentially grow a business before it hits the wider market and goes public for the first time. Questrade offer Equities, fixed income, and structured products. These are free to buy, with a minimum requirement of $5,000.

Accounts

There are a variety of accounts to choose from at Questrade for various long term and short term investment goals. Clients can choose to invest with TFSAs, RRSPs, RESPs, margin accounts, and more. Practice accounts are available to test the different trading platforms and conditions before opening a real account.

No minimum is required to open an account and there is no limit on the amount of accounts you can have. However, to begin investing, you need a minimum of at least $1,000 in your account.

They charge no account opening or closing fees and no annual RRSP/TFSA account fees. There are other fees including inactivity, administrative and account fees. Inactivity fees are charged in any quarter to clients who have not placed a trade in the previous quarter or have less than $5,000 in investment/cash in all of their account(s), including joint accounts.

Questrade offer dual currency accounts where you can hold Canadian and U.S. currency and thus avoid currency conversion fees that some other brokers may charge. They also offer margin accounts which enables clients to increase their buying power through leveraged positions. Leverage can increase risk exposure.

Clients can get mutual fund rebates where eligible trailer fees are automatically reimbursed back into your account every quarter.

Questrade has two pricing structures. Standard pricing is $0.01/share with a minimum of $4.95 and a maximum of $9.95 per stock or ETF transaction. Active trader pricing is activated when a client purchases an Advanced Data Package (Level II quotes on Canadian or U.S. exchanges).

Self-directed Investing

The self-directed investing account lets you control your own investment portfolio. Self-directed account options include margin accounts, tax free savings account (TFSA), registered retirement savings plan (RRSP), forex & CFD account.

Self-directed investing fees are as follows:

• Stocks: as low as 1¢ / share, with a min. $4.95 to max. $9.95
• ETF: free to buy, sell 1¢/share; with min. $4.95 to max. $9.95
• Options: trade from $9.95 + $1 / contract
• Mutual funds: $9.95 / trade
• Bonds: Min. $5,000 purchase
• GICs: Min. $5,000 purchase
• International equities: Min. $195.00 plus applicable exchange or stamp fees, charged in the currency of the account in which the trade is placed. 1% of the trade value
• IPOs and new issues: Min. $5,000 purchase
• Precious metals: $19.95 USD / trade

Questwealth Portfolios

The Questwealth Portfolio account offers a pre-built portfolio according to your risk preferences. Your customised portfolio is built by Questrade experts according to your investment needs and goals.

• Customised managed portfolio
• Management fees starting at 0.25% (0.20% after $100,000)

Support

Customer support is provided via online chat, telephone and email. They will be happy to answer any questions you may have and offer a personalised approach which is great to see.

Funding

Questrade offer 10 different ways to fund your account, each with different processing times. Depending on the currency of the deposit and how quickly you want the money in your account, choose the method that works the best for you. It may take an additional 1–2 business days to activate new accounts. Bank transfer is one of the more popular methods offered although they are lacking in online payment processor options. I think they could improve by adding some support for digital wallets. I find this to be one of the most convenient ways for me to move funds around between my broker accounts.

Conclusion

Overall, Questrade provides everything that one could ask for such as low account minimums, a user-friendly platform, low commissions, in-depth research, secure accounts, and many other excellent features. You can get access to some extremely powerful tools for analysing the markets and making informed decisions. They also look after beginners with a generous range of educational content. I think Questrade is a good choice of broker for anyone based in Canada, with TD Direct Investing being an alternative option to consider.

$1,000

Questrade serves Canadian investors with a good range of financial products alongside flexible platforms and account types. You can choose between self-directed investing or get a pre-built portfolio to help you achieve your financial goals.

Trading involves financial risk and may not be appropriate for all investors.

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