CG Direct Review

Canadian Online Brokerage Review

In 2018, full-service brokerage firm Canaccord Genuity acquired independent discount brokerage Jitneytrade and renamed it CG Direct. CG Direct is now the online brokerage arm of Canaccord Genuity, and it caters specifically to active traders.

Quick Facts

Standard Equity Commission$9.99
Best Commission Price$9.99
Minimum To Open Account$5000
Maintenance Inactivity Fee$25/year TFSA, $125/year RRSP or RESP (capped at $125 across registered accounts), plus a possible $20/month inactivity fee
Commission Free ETFNo
Young Investor OfferNo

Commissions and Fees

Minimum Opening Balance5000
Minimum Commission Per Equity Trade$9.99 (exchanges fees are extra)
Maximum Commission Per Equity Trade$9.99

Account Types

AccountOfferedUSD accountMin. depositAnnual chargeTransfer out
TFSAYesYes$5000$25Full: $125 Partial: $75
Online openingFullFee waiversNoWithdrawals$5Inactivity fee ($20.00 / month) may apply.
RRSPYesYes$5000$125Full: $125 Partial: $75
Online openingFullFee waiversNoWithdrawalsFull: $125 Partial: $75Total annual fees $125 for all registered accounts. Inactivity fee ($20.00 / month) may apply.
RESPYesYes$5000$125Full: $125 Partial: $75
Online openingFullFee waiversNoWithdrawals$5Total annual fees $125 for all registered accounts. Inactivity fee ($20.00 / month) may apply.
MarginYesYes$15000$0Full: $125 Partial: $75
Online openingFullWithdrawals$5Inactivity fee ($20.00 / month) may apply.
CashYesYes$5000$0Full: $125 Partial: $75
Online openingFullWithdrawals$5Inactivity fee ($20.00 / month) may apply.

Options Trading

Has AccountYes
Rate Per Contract$1 (minimum $10)
Standard Rate Minimum Charge Per Transaction$10
Active Rate Per Contract$1
Active Rate Minimum Charge Per Transaction$10
Options Assignments Exercises$10

Commission-Free ETFs

Commission Free ETFNo

Customer Service

Call Centre AvailableYes
Call Centre HoursMonday to Friday : 8:00AM - 4:30PM ET

Our Review

Pricing Fees

With regards to price, CG Direct’s standard commission pricing of $9.99 per trade puts them in line with many other brokerages. There are several additional fees to be aware of, however. Annual fees of $25 for a TFSA, $125 for an RRSP, and $125 for an RESP apply, though the total amount is capped at $125 for all registered accounts. Each of these accounts may also be subject to an inactivity fee of $20 per month. Similarly, margin accounts and cash accounts may be subject to the monthly $20 inactivity fee.

Account Types

Like many other online brokerages, CG Direct offers a number of account types. The registered accounts offered include TFSAs, RRSPs, and RESPs, with USD versions of all three. CG Direct also has margin accounts and cash accounts.

The Experience

CG Direct Investing Brokerage Experience

CG Direct Investing is an established brokerage that advertises trading capability for everyone. CG Direct is split into a sophisticated trading platform and a simplified trading platform for retail investors looking to start out with trading.

Can I use CG Direct Investing to buy Bitcoins or other cryptocurrencies?

CG Direct Investing currently does not offer the ability to buy Bitcoin.

CG Direct Investing currently does not offer the ability to buy Ethereum or Cryptocurrency either.

How does CG Direct Investing Brokerage compare to other Brokerages?

CG Direct Investing is well established and the tools are polished. CG Direct Investings platform has stood the test of time and provides everything you would need to trade. Unfortunately CG Direct Investing falls off compared to other brokerages as it lacks a formal app for iOS and Android. CG Direct Investing also lacks the ability to trade cryptocurrency and has commission fees which may be unattractive to a retail investor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is CG Direct Investing Best For?

Whether you are a self-directed or sophisticated investor “we’ve got you covered”.

New Online Traders benefits:
Get support from a team of experts
Benefit from advanced research
Access to leverage at low interest rates
Identify and take advantage of market opportunities quickly and easily
Achieve your financial goals

 

Active Traders benefits:
Multi-platform connectivity
Creative pricing customized to your needs and strategies
Benefit from advanced research
Our agency only execution model provides conflict free execution

 

Why Choose CG Direct Discount Brokerage?
With CG Direct self-directed investing you can trade easily and confidently. Canaccord Genuity Direct is a household name in the Canadian market and we are proud to be among the top Canadian discount brokers. Self-directing investing can be very fulfilling, and our team of experts can help you achieve your financial goals.

 

What You Get:
No account opening fees
Some of the Lowest Fees in the market
Multi-asset trading platform
High-quality research
More control and flexibility over your investments
Ability to avoid brokerage bias
Option to monitor investments in real-time
Faster execution

Source

Does CG Direct Investing Have an app? Full review!

CG Direct Investing currently does not have an app for iPhone,

CG Direct Investing  also does not have an app for iPad, when we checked; since there is no app for iPhone, or iPad that means CG Direct Investing does not have an app for Apple, or the iOS platform, or Mac standalone app.

CG Direct Investing currently does not have an app for Android, Google, or Samsung.

Therefore, CG Direct Investing does not have any apps available at the moment.

What is CG Direct Investing Brokerage Fees?

Does CG Direct Investing have Equity & ETFs trading?
The trading fee for CG Direct Investing Equities & ETFs to Sell is $9.99 per trade with exchange fees passed through. The trading fee for CG Direct Investing Equities & ETFs to Buy is also $9.99 per trade with exchange fees passed through as well.

 

Does CG Direct Investing have options?
CG Direct Investing also provides option trading which has a trading fee of $1.00 per contract and requires a minimum of $10.00 to trade.

What account types does CG Direct Investing Brokerage offer?

Does CG Direct Investing have TFSA accounts?
CG Direct Investing offers TFSA accounts in both Canadian and US Dollar. Is there a fee to use the TFSA accounts? No, there is no fee to use the TFSA accounts.

 

Does CG Direct Investing have RRSP accounts?
CG Direct Investing offers RRSP accounts in both Canadian and US Dollar. Is there a fee to use the RRSP accounts? No, there is no fee to use the RRSP accounts.

 

Does CG Direct Investing have RESP accounts?
CG Direct Investing offers RESP accounts in both Canadian and US Dollar. Is there a fee to use the RESP accounts? No, there is no fee to use the RESP accounts.

 

Does CG Direct Investing have Cash accounts?
CG Direct Investing offers Cash accounts in both Canadian and US Dollar. Is there a fee to use the Cash accounts? No, there is no fee to use the Cash accounts.

 

Does CG Direct Investing have Margin accounts?
CG Direct Investing offers Margin accounts in both Canadian and US Dollar. Is there a fee to use the Margin accounts? No, there is no fee to use the Margin accounts.

How to switch to CG Direct Investing?

How do I transfer an existing investment account over to CI Direct Investing?

You can transfer the accounts you have opened at other institutions to CI Direct Investing, directly from your dashboard at any time.

To submit a transfer request, please complete the following steps:

First, from your Dashboard, click the “Transfer Funds” option in the top righthand corner.

Second, Click the “Transfer” button on the “Account Transfer” tab.

You will be able to select the account you wish to bring your investment into. Note, that you can only transfer from and to an account of the same type. For example, you can transfer a RRSP at your financial institution to your RRSP at CI Direct Investing. If you do not have the same account type at CI Direct Investing, you will be able to click on ‘open one first’ during the transfer process.

On the next screen, you will be asked to let us know how you want to transfer the account:

  • Entire Account : All investments will be sold and transferred as cash.
  • Partial amount (cash only): No investments will be sold. The amount must already be in cash. You will be required to enter an amount.

Once you have made your selection, you will be asked to upload a statement. From your Desktop, either drag the account statement into the grey box, or click the box, and select the statement from your computer. Please ensure that the document is legible as the document may be required with your transfer by your relinquishing institution.

An associate from our transfer team will follow up with you on your transfer request to complete the transfer form needed by your institution. In some cases, more documents may be required from you to initiate the transfer.

Account transfers will typically take 2-5 weeks to complete.

 

Source

How to switch from CG direct investing?

To switch from CG direct Investing, please refer to the guide for the brokerage you are looking to transfer to. SparxTrading takes pride in providing up to date information, please see the brokerage review you are looking to transfer to for assistance on how to transfer to that brokerage.

Contact

Websitehttp://www.cgdirect.ca/
Phone1-866-608-0099
Mailing address360, Saint-Jacques Street West, Suite G-102
Montreal (Québec) Canada
H2Y 1P5