National Bank Direct Brokerage Review 2024
National Bank Direct Brokerage Review
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Trading Fees
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Annual Fees
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Account Options
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Customer Service
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Platform and App
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Account Opening
National Bank Direct Brokerage Review Summary:
National Bank Direct Brokerage (NBDB) was the first of Canada’s big banks to offer free trading. As part of the National Bank of Canada, NBDB offers security as well as a wide range of investment options. On their platform, users can trade stocks, ETFs, bonds and more.
While no commission trading is always a huge plus, NBDB doesn’t have a working mobile app, any available promo, and charges high account fees. Competitors such as Qtrade or Questrade simply offer a better overall package.
In our National Bank Direct Brokerage review, we’ll break down the fees, account types, investment options, platform and more. Read on to find out if NBDB is right for you, or if you might be better off going with one of Canada’s best online brokers instead.
Pros
- No fee trades
- Good brick-and-mortar presence if you live in Quebec
- Safety and security
Cons
- New App (bugs still being worked out) + Poor overall platform rating
- Subpar portfolio analysis tools
- $100 account fee
- No promotions
- Long customer service wait times
NBDB has made changes over the last two years to make their fee structure competitive among other discount brokers, and have now dropped their commission fees altogether for those trading on their online platform. It seems as though they have taken customer feedback to heart and made improvements to make those customers want to stay as well as attract new ones.
In 2019 they were ranked dead last, 8 out of 8, by J.D. Power, but merely one year later in 2020, they moved up considerably to 4th out of 8. The Globe and Mail also took note of NBDB’s improvements since 2018 when they were graded a C+, but in 2020, The Globe and Mail increased their rating to a B.
We’ll take a deep dive into the details in our National Bank Direct Brokerage review and try to uncover the reasons behind their rankings and see if they just might be worth a second look.
NBDB vs. Qtrade Quick Comparison
Long time readers know we strongly recommend Qtrade, and for good reason. Let’s take a look at how they compare to NBDB.
National Bank Direct Brokerage | Qtrade | |
 |  | |
Trading Fees | $0 for Canadian or US stock trades, $0 for ETF trades for purchases made online | $8.75 for Canadian or US stock trades, $0 for ETFs, $0 for mutual fund purchases |
Account Fees | $100 per year if account holds less than $20,000 or makes fewer than 5 trades per month. Can be waived if you are a young investor or have an InvestCube account.
| $100 ($25 per quarter), waived for accounts holding less than $25,000 or that set automatic transfer of $100 into the account each month. |
Young Investor Benefits | Yes, annual fee can be waived | Yes, annual fee can be waived |
Mobile App | Brand new app for 2023 - Bugs still being worked out | Best Canadian brokerage mobile app |
User Experience | Improved platform and addition of resources and tools have improved user experience. | Simple interface that is easy to use and execute multiple transactions. |
Customer Service | Improved customer service experience over the years. Help is available by phone and live chat. | Top rated telephone and email response |
Sign up Promo | None | Instant Sign Up Bonus: $100-$2,100 |
Sign Up |
While at first glance, Qtrade’s higher trading fees put you off, don’t worry. Qtrade customers pay a bit more for excellent customer service, a commitment to excellence and innovation, high quality investor education tools, and excellent customer service.
However, NBDB is giving Qtrade and other discount brokerages in Canada by offering zero cost trading, a rarity among the big banks.
That being said, for long-term investors serious about growing their wealth, Qtrade trumps NBDB. Read our Qtrade review to see exactly why we consider it the best broker in Canada.
National Bank Direct Brokerage Fees and Pricing
In 2021, National Bank Direct Brokerage cut their per-trade fees down to $0, becoming the first big bank brokerage to do so. Here is a quick look at some of the fees we haven’t already covered.
| Item | Cost |
| Options Trades | $0 commission + $1.25 per contract (min. fee of $6.25), or for a value less than $2,000, $0 commission + $1.25 per contract (max. fee of $19.95) |
| RRSP3, RRIF or LIF withdrawal | $50 |
| Withdrawal from TFSA, RESP, RDSP | $0 |
| Internal transfer between registered accounts | $100 |
| NSF cheque | $45 |
| Excess contribution reimbursement | $100 |
| Wire transfer | $75 |
| Total or partial transfer to another institution (+ commissions if applicable) | $150/account |
| Portfolio statements by mail | $6 per quarter |
| Trade confirmations by mail | $2 per trade (billed monthly) |
| Administration of restricted shares (plus commissions if applicable) | $250/transaction |
| Custodial services for a client | $30/security/month |
| Donation or substitution of securities | Max $150 |
| Registration/delivery of certificate | $50/operation |
| Registration/delivery of certificate (rush) | $200/operation |
| Deposit of a stock certificate | $100/operation |
| Estate settlement | $200/estate |
These fees can all add up over time, taking precious funds away from your bottom line.
Other brokers like Qtrade offer free services such as LIF, RIF and LRIF scheduled payments and electronic funds transfer. Another one of our top choices, Questrade, offers things like free CAD electronic fund transfer (EFT) up to $50,000.00.
In 2024, with so many online discount brokerages getting rid of their account fees, it just doesn’t make sense to pay for a DIY service. So, in terms of costs and fees there is some work for NBDB to do to catch up to the rest.
Interest rates for margin accounts
| Debit balance | CAD | USD |
| $0–$9,999 | 3.85% | 4.50% |
| $10,000–$99,999 | 3.75% | 4.50% |
| $100,000 or more | 2.75% | 4.25% |
There is no denying that with their new $0 price tag for ETF and stock trading National Bank Direct Brokerage has set themselves apart from the pack when it comes to pricing. The real question then becomes, is saving a few bucks per year in stock trading commissions worth the use of a sub-par platform? For some it might be, but for others, the sacrifice just won’t make sense.
Is National Bank Direct Brokerage the Cheapest?
There are plenty of discount brokers in Canada offering free ETF purchases, topped by no annual fees. View our entire selection below:
NBDB Review: Platform & Tools
The online platform is one area NBDB has had to consistently work on improving to stay competitive as a top online brokerage in Canada.
Recently it has invested in developing a new online platform that is more user-friendly, as well as offers more bells and whistles than their former platform.
Now NBDB’s platform offers customization, comparison tools, help users easily track their top performing investments, allows for the creation of up to 10 watchlists, and access a wealth of tools from their Trading Central section.
Trading Central offers customers 3 tools for no annual fee. You will have access to NBDB’s Value Analyzer, with which you can look at valuation and company data, which can give you insight into potentially undervalued companies.
The technical insight section allows you to screen stocks and create alerts so you won’t miss out on a potential opportunity. Finally, the Strategy Builder tool helps you decide what stocks will best fit your criteria, plus you will have access to model investment strategies created by experts.
Other tools, such as Market-Q for day traders, ETF Centre, and Decision-Plus allow for even more ways for you to learn, strategize, trade and earn.
Last year NDBD partnered with OptionsPlay, which could be an attractive add for options traders.
While these improvements are a move in the right direction, at the end of the day, without a working mobile app, NBDB will find it hard to attract a certain customer base that expect a proper mobile experience from their brokerage.
National Bank Direct Brokerage: Customer Service
NBDB was having a difficult time keeping up to customer service requests before they went to their $0 trading model (as evidenced by their consistently low scores on the Globe and Mail rankings by Rob Carrick year after year, as well as the general emails and comments that we’ve anecdotally received here at MDJ complaining about wait times).
There is no reason to believe that more resources will be dedicated to supporting new customers now that revenues have been sliced down.
Perhaps their Big Bank resources have made it possible to make improvements in this area. Only time will tell if they can stay on top of this over time. In fact, National Bank Direct Brokerage was recognized as #1 in Investor Satisfaction with Self-Directed Brokerage Firms in 2021 by J.D. Power. We have to admit, that is a pretty impressive accomplishment given where they stood only a few years ago.
National Bank Direct Brokerage TFSA, RRSP, and Other Accounts
As with the other big names in discount brokerages in Canada, National Bank Direct Brokerage offers a variety of different accounts including the following:
- TFSA
- RRSP/RRIF
- Spousal RRSP/RRIF
- RESP
- Non-registered accounts (cash, margin, and short selling)
- Individual Pension Plan
- LIRA
- LRSP
- LIF
- Estate accounts
- In trust account
- Investment club account
National Bank Direct Brokerage also offers accounts for corporate entities.
National Bank Brokerage Mobile App Review
The National Bank Mobile App has long been touted as a project the company was pursuing, but we finally got to see the early final product at the end of 2022.
As we enter 2024 the NBDB mobile trading app is still working the bugs out of its recently released Apple Store product, and hasn’t yet launched the Android version.
Initial reviews are that it is a fairly solid first effort. Some of the bugs and limitations mentioned by the first users include:
- No ability to transfer money from your bank account to brokerage account.
- No easy-to-see portfolio option such as those found on other leading Canadian broker apps.
- No mobile app alerts option.
- No current ability to track your portfolio using only the mobile app.
- Limitations in purchasing stocks priced below a dollar.
We’ll continue to update our National Bank Direct Brokerage Mobile App Review as more details become available.
National Bank Direct Brokerage FAQ
Who is National Bank Direct Brokerage Best For?
We have to hand it to NBDB for diving into the no fee trading game, and for making improvements to their platform and customer service. If you are already a National Bank of Canada customer, using their brokerage service might make sense for you.
Finding the best broker in Canada means looking at the fine print and digging into the details. When you do look into the nitty gritty of what NBDB offers, you can find that there are better deals elsewhere.
If you are looking for the absolute best all around brokerage in Canada, take a look at our top pick, Qtrade. In our Qtrade review, we’ll explain why we choose them over NBDB and other online brokers.
worst customer service… extremely rude to clients.. not sure how they manage to survive all these years..
bad feeling on opening an account with NBDB. most sfaffs of nbdb are working inefficiently, and lacking of knowledge about what they are doing in nbdb. rude to clients, neglecting the emailing and processing the client’s need. i have struggled to open an account in two months and still failed to build fund-trans link. it took really long time to get my phone calls through. overall, i made up my mind to close all accounts with nbdb. it is waste my time and their loss at business reputation. byebye.
Android app now available.
Have anyone tried to transfer USD in their trading account either RRSP or Cash/Margin? Do they allow to transfer USD from your USD currency from other bank or you have to convert CAD to USD in order to trade US stocks?
On Options: i was looking for multi-leg options order entry but didn’t see anything mentioned on that. Have anyone checked if National Bank have multi-leg options strategy execution on Market – Q or regular web interface?
I have BMO and Questrade but BMO is expensive to trade and there is no multi-leg options. Questrade has multi-leg options but that’s only on cash or margin account. They both do allow to transfer USD from US currency account, so that part is good about both of them.
I am just looking for cheaper trading fee, if that’s still available in Canada.
Thanks in advance,
I opened an account last July and a few complaints 1)their sign up process was confusing for me but it seems even more confusing for the employees working there who had no idea on how to sign me up. I had to go to a branch because their online signup process wouldn’t work after numerous attempts 2)their app is a disaster and you cant trust it to do anything without crashing 3)And whatever you do. DO NOT use market orders with them. I’ve got several other brokerage accounts and all market orders dicey but here its a recipe for disaster. Its like they are just stealing from you. They never get orders in the spread. Always outside. 4)I was signed up for market Q as well as im a day trader and its isn’t anywhere near as sophisticated missing many basic options for day traders as others. Compared to other banks id have to say its the best platform but the bar is set so low because they all really really suck. Trade zero which has no commission fees now and Interactive brokers which has a far better platform are far better options if your a day trader. If your just investing and holding for longerterm periods this might work for you
National Bank Direct Brokerage now has an iPhone app. Still appears to have some kinks to work out though.
I also had a similar experience signing up, bit of a clunky experience. Others stated they signed all sheets and sent digitally, but I was asked to go in branch in the end.
I see they had a posting on their website as of August 2022 stating they are working on the app and it will be done by end of 2022. That is a nice bonus. I currently use the website in my phone’s browser.
I just opened a “joint” account with NBC Direct Brokerage account and the sign up process is clunky. You need to fill out forms and send them by snail mail. I signed up with a National Bank line of credit, but when I tried to use this account, my transfers got rejected with no information as to why. I had to call customer service to get an answer that only a checking account can be used to transfer funds. In order to add a new account, you need to once again fill out a form and send it by email including a void cheque. After 2 days, I still have no information as to how long it will take for this account to be linked so I can start using the NBC Direct Brokerage platform to do trades. The customer service call agents are a very pleasant and helpful. I have both a Wealthsimple and Questrade account and linking a new account is a piece of cake and they both accept my National Bank line of credit to transfer money to/from. I would have expected the process to be much simpler, especially considering that I am already and National Bank customer. Also in order to create a user/pw to access your account online you need to call customer service for joint accounts.