Investment Savings Accounts: Maximize Interest in Your Brokerage Account

Have you ever wondered why the idle cash in your brokerage account yields next to no interest ? The answer is simple: brokers make money by using your hard earned savings for (nearly) free ! This is, of course, a smart business practice and also allows brokers to offer rock bottom trading commissions. But, with a little bit of effort, you can earn higher interest on your idle cash. Mr. Thrifty is here to give you the tools to make guaranteed interest on your brokerage account cash by explaining the little known world of investment savings accounts.

But, first, the basics……..

What are Investment Savings Accounts ?

• Canadian Dollar and U.S. Dollar savings accounts available only through brokers and advisors.
• The accounts listed below are CDIC insured
• Purchased and sold like mutual funds.
• “Trades” settle on a T+1 basis (i.e., the business day following the trade), as opposed to trades for securities, which settle on a T+2 basis.
• Generally, only available to Canadian residents.
• Available in “Series A” (typically limited to individuals) and “Series F” (generally higher yielding, typically limited to financial advisors)
• Interest rates competitive with the savings rates available directly from the same banks. Incredibly, the interest rates for U.S. Dollar deposits are all substantially higher than the savings rates available directly from the same banks !

A few words of caution:

• Stay within CDIC limits, where applicable
• Pay attention to trading fees and minimum amounts. As you know, Mr. Thrifty hates fees — they will quickly eat into the higher interest rates obtained by opening these accounts. The good news is that brokers will generally not charge a fee for investment savings accounts opened with their affiliated banks.
• Information changes regularly so check back often for updates.
• Better yet, sign up for our newsletter and stay informed.

And, now, for the details:

Canadian Dollar Investment Savings Accounts*

Account (Fund Code)	Indicative Rate**
B2B Bank (BTB100 – A Series; BTB101 – F Series)	1.90% (A Series) 2.15% (F Series)	Click here for more information
BMO (BMT104, BMT109, BMT114)	Information not available – contact BMO to inquire	Click here for more information
CIBC (ATL5000 – A series; ATL5001 – F series)	1.80% (A Series) 2.05% (F Series)	Click here for more information
Desjardins (DJQ1000 – A series; DJQ1100 – F series) – available only to residents of Quebec	1.95% (A Series) 2.20% (F Series)	Click here for more information
Equitable Bank (EQB1000 – A Series; EQB1001 – F Series)	1.90% (A Series) 2.05% (F Series)	Click here for more information
Home Bank (HOB100 – A Series; HOB101 – F Series)	1.90% (A Series) 2.05% (F Series)	Click here for more information
Home Trust Company (HOM100 – A Series; HOM101 – F Series)	1.90% (A Series) 2.05% (F Series)	Click here for more information
ICICI Bank (IBN100)	Information not available – contact ICICI to inquire
Manulife Bank (MIP510 – A Series; MIP610 – F Series)	1.75% (A Series) 1.90% (F Series)	Click here for more information
Manulife Trust (MIP710 – A Series; MIP810 – F Series)	1.75% (A Series) 1.90% (F Series)	Click here for more information
National Bank (NBC100, NBC6100, NBC8100 – A Series; NBC200, NBC6200, NBC8200 – F Series)	1.80% (A Series) 2.05% (F Series)	Click here for more information
RBC (RBF2010, RBF2020, RBF2030, RBF2040 – A Series; RBF2011, RBF2021, RBF2031, RBF2041 – F Series)	1.80% (A Series) 2.05% (F Series)	Click here for more information
Scotiabank (DYN6000, DYN5000, DYN3064, DYN3074, DYN3054 – A Series; DYN6004, DYN5004, DYN3065, DYN3075, DYN3055 – F Series)	tiered: (A Series) $0-$99,000 = 1.95% $100,000 – unlimited = 2.10% F Series: 2.20%	Click here for more information
TD Bank (TDB8150, TDB8155, TDB8157, TDB8159 – A Series; TDB8151, TDB8156, TDB8158, TDB8160 – F Series)	1.80% (A Series) 2.05% (F Series)	Click here for more information

U.S. Dollar Investment Savings Accounts*

Account (Fund Code)	Indicative Rate**
BMO (BMT124)	Information not available – contact BMO to inquire	Open an account here
CIBC (ATL5500 – A Series; ATL5501 – F Series)	3.40% (A series) 3.65% (F series)	Click here for more information
Equitable Bank (EQB1100 – A Series; EQB1101 – F Series)	3.40% (A series) 3.55% (F series)	Click here for more information
ICICI Bank (IBN200)	Information not available – contact ICICI to inquire
Manulife Bank (MIP511 – A Series; MIP611 – F Series)	2.65% (A Series) 2.90% (F Series)	Click here for more information
National Bank (NBC101 – A Series; NBC201 – F Series)	3.40% (A Series) 3.65% (F Series)	Click here for more information
RBC (RBF2014 – A Series; RBF2015 – F Series; )	3.40% (A Series) 3.65% (F Series)	Click here for more information
Scotiabank (DYN6001, DYN5001 – A Series; DYN6005, DYN5005 – F Series)	tiered: (A Series) $0-$99,000 = 3.40% $100,000 – unlimited = 3.55% F Series: 3.65%	Click here for more information
TD Bank (TDB8152 – A Series; TDB8153 – F Series)	3.40% (A Series) 3.65% (F Series)	Click here for more information

* Based on reader feedback we are listing information (where available) for both Series A and Series F. Most brokers limit individual investors to Series A, but we received feedback of individual investors able to purchase higher yielding Series F.

** As indicated on the listed financial institution’s website – last checked by Mr. Thrifty on 8/11/2025. In certain cases it appears that the relevant website has not been recently updated. As always, contact the financial institution for its current rate(s) before making a deposit.

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