Investing: A Step-by-Step Guide for Newcomers

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What is Investing?

Investing is when you buy and hold investment products with the expectation of growing your money. At TD, we want to help you build your personal investment strategy, which is why we have advice, tools and services to help you reach your specific financial goals.

Why investing is important for newcomers

Investing is a great way to help you achieve your financial goals in Canada for you and your family. With the right investing strategy, TD can help you grow your money for long-term goals like buying a home, retirement, or any other long or short-term financial goals you may have.

Looking to get started?

Investing products
Registered plans
Ways to invest

Investing products for newcomers

We have investment products to help you reach your short- or long-term financial goals. Our TD Personal Bankers can provide you with the support and guidance to help you understand your options, find investments suitable for you, and help you map out a path towards reaching your financial goals with confidence.

GIC

A Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) is a secure way to grow your money since it offers 100% principal protection with the potential for a return on your investment. You can choose how long you want to invest your money and at the end of the term, you get your principal GIC investment back plus any potential interest earned.
Mutual Funds

A mutual fund is an investment that pools the money of many individual investors and uses it to buy securities such as bonds, stocks, or other investable assets. Mutual funds can be a great option for those who are looking for a one-stop professionally managed solution, and greater portfolio diversification.
ETFs

Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) are pooled investments that work similarly to mutual funds. The difference is that ETFs are bought and sold as stocks on an exchange, making it easier for you to buy and sell on your own.
Stocks

Stocks are a type of investment that allow you to purchase a small portion of a corporation. Purchasing common shares makes you a shareholder and gives you a proportional ownership of the corporation shareholders can benefit from selling appreciated shares (capital gains) and form collecting periodic dividend payments.
Bonds

Bonds are a type of investment that's issued by federal, provincial, and municipal governments, or corporations. When purchasing bonds, the issuer must pay you a specified amount of interest for a certain amount of time, plus your full initial investment upon the term maturity date.

Not sure what investment is best for you?

Find the investment that is right for you

Registered plans available to newcomers

Invest in a registered savings plan that matches your financial goals. Choose from multiple registered plans to help you save, grow and achieve your short- and long-term financial goals faster.

TFSA

A Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) is a registered savings account that lets you save and invest your money up to your individual contribution limit and allows you to earn money in qualified investments and withdraw your money, tax-free. This registered savings account is a great option to help you save for your short- or long-term financial goals such as buying a car, saving for a home renovation, and much more.
RRSP

A Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) is a registered savings plan designed to help you save for retirement, while deferring taxes until you withdraw your money. You can even invest in qualified investments and any income earned will help in saving for your retirement and will also be tax deferred until they are withdrawn.
RESP

A Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) is a long-term registered savings plan that allows you to set money aside to save for a child's post-secondary education. Money invested in a RESP does grow tax-deferred, plus you could benefit from government grants of up to $7,200.
FHSA

A First Home Savings Account (FHSA) is a type of registered savings account designed to help Canadian residents to save for their first home by utilizing the tax benefits that the FHSA provides.

Different ways to invest for newcomers

Investing doesn't have to be complicated. If you're a do-it-yourself investor, we have financial tools and services to help you make the right decisions. Our TD Personal Bankers can provide guidance, to help you understand your options and provide advice to help you map out a path  towards achieving your financial goals.

Alternatively, depending on the complexity of your planning needs and investible assets, you can also seek advice from our Wealth advisors to help develop a strategy, create a financial plan and to help you reach and achieve your financial goals.

Personal Investing

Whether you're saving for a home, retirement or a child's education, our TD Personal Bankers can help you select the most suitable investments to help you reach your financial goals.
Invest and trade online

Ideal for do-it-yourself investors who want to make their own investment decisions. Take advantage of TD Direct Investing and TD Easy Trade which offer intuitive trading platforms, market data and research tools, free online investor education with live instructors and live telephone support.
Personalized Wealth Advice

Our specialized team of advisors can help you manage, grow and protect your wealth by developing a personalized wealth strategy to help meet your financial milestones.

Investing advice for newcomers

Investing 101: Investing Basics

New to the world of investing? Learn the basics including what to consider before investing, what your investment options are and even common terms to better help you understand what's right for you.
FHSA, a TFSA and an RRSP : What's the difference?

Not sure whether you should open a First Home Savings Account, Tax-Free Savings Account or a Registered Retirement Savings Plan? Find out the differences between the two to help you decide which is best for your goals.
Saving vs. Investing; What's the difference?

Should you be saving, investing or doing both? Get a better understanding of how they both work and how they can benefit your financial goals in the short and long-term.

Frequently asked questions

It's important to consider the full state of your financial situation before investing. That means breaking down your budget to understand how much money you can afford to put towards investments. You'll also want to get a full understanding of your financial goals, investment objectives, how long you'd like to invest for and what your risk tolerance is.

TD has Personal Bankers that can help you select the personal investments to reach your financial goals or Wealth Advisors to develop a personalized wealth strategy and solutions to help meet your financial milestones.

A good investment for beginners completely depends on factors like your risk tolerance and time horizon. If you're unsure which investment product and plan you'd like to get started with, book an appointment with a TD Personal Banker online or in-branch. Start with a TD Goal Builder conversation for one-on-one personalized advice with a TD Personal Banker to help you work toward your financial goals.

Minimum investment amounts can vary based on the type of investment product you want to get. For example, if you're looking to invest in mutual funds some funds have a minimum initial purchase amount of $100. To find out more information, speak to a TD Personal Banker who will provide advice and help select investments which may suit your financial goals.

The risk involved in investing is the possibility of losing some or all of the money you've invested. Although there is no way to avoid risk, there are some ways you can minimize the risk you take.

A TD Personal Banker can help you determine suitable investments that work best for you based on your goals and personal needs. You should invest in products that you feel confident holding to reach your financial goals.

Common next steps for newcomers to Canada

Get in touch

Book an appointment

Speak with a TD Personal Banker in person at the branch closest to you or over the phone.

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Locate a branch

Find TD branches wherever you go in Canada.

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Speak with a TD Investment Specialists

1-800-386-3757 1-800-386-3757

Investment product	May be right for you if:
GIC	You want the security of knowing that 100% of your original investment is protected. You seek competitive rates that are guaranteed for the full term of your investment. You’re looking for more growth potential than a savings account or a deposit account that provides minimal interest.
Mutual Funds	You want to benefit from the expertise of a professional fund manager. You’re looking to diversify your investments (a strategy to help reduce risk by holding investments across a variety of regions, sectors, industries and issuers). You’re looking for more growth potential than a savings deposit or GIC. You want ease and convenience through low investment minimums and automatic investing through a Pre-authorized Purchase Plan (PPP). You are comfortable with potential market fluctuation. Be sure to speak to a Mutual Fund Representative to determine if this is a suitable investment for you.
ETFs	You’re looking for diversification of mutual funds with the trading flexibility of securities. You prefer their lower fees compared to other types of investments. You need the flexibility to easily buy and sell. You are comfortable with a certain amount of risk and potential for some capital loss, depending on the ETF type selected.
Stocks	You’re comfortable with market volatility and seeing your money potentially increase and decrease over short periods of time. You want the potential for greater long-term returns compared to cash and fixed-income investments like GICs. You’re looking to earn dividends and capital gains. You want to own a part of a company and can benefit from its potential profits in either increased stock value or in dividends paid by the company or a combination of both.
Bonds	You are looking for security (Note: The level of security can vary i.e. government debt and large corporations have more stability than new, small, slow to innovate start up companies). You are looking for a stable stream of income in fixed interest payments, returning your principal at the security's maturity. You are looking for flexibility. There are a variety of maturity and income options to choose from.

Investing in Canada for newcomers

We speak many languages

What is Investing?

Why investing is important for newcomers

Looking to get started?

Investing products for newcomers

GIC

Mutual Funds

ETFs

Stocks

Bonds

Not sure what investment is best for you?

Registered plans available to newcomers

TFSA

RRSP

RESP

FHSA

Different ways to invest for newcomers

Personal Investing

Invest and trade online

Personalized Wealth Advice

Investing advice for newcomers

Investing 101: Investing Basics

FHSA, a TFSA and an RRSP : What's the difference?

Saving vs. Investing; What's the difference?

Frequently asked questions

Common next steps for newcomers to Canada

Opening a Chequing or Savings account

Get a TD Credit Card

Buying a home in Canada

Starting a business

Get in touch

Book an appointment

Locate a branch

Call us

See you in a bit

Find the investment that is right for you

Investing in Canada for newcomers

We speak many languages

What is Investing?

Why investing is important for newcomers

Looking to get started?

Investing products for newcomers

GIC

Mutual Funds

ETFs

Stocks

Bonds

Not sure what investment is best for you?

TFSA

RRSP

RESP

FHSA

Investing advice for newcomers

Frequently asked questions

What are things I need to consider before investing?

What is a good investment for a first-time investor?

How much money do I need to start investing?

What are the risks involved in investing and how can they be minimized?

Common next steps for newcomers to Canada

Get in touch

Book an appointment

Locate a branch

Call us