Buying an ETF at RBC Direct Investing

You can open an account at RBC Direct Investing in about ten minutes; a TFSA, RRSP, or FHSA fits most goals. Once it's open and funded, pick your fund from the asset allocation guide.

Placing the order

1. In the Trading Dashboard, click the search icon at the top and enter your fund's ticker, like XEQT. Select it and its factsheet opens.
2. Click the trade icon in the top-right corner (the two opposing arrows).
3. Pick the account you're buying in, and check the market dropdown shows the Canadian listing.
4. Set the action to Buy, choose your order type (market buys right away at the current price; limit sets the most you'll pay), and enter the quantity.
5. Click Continue, review the order, then click Verify.
6. A trade confirmation appears; Open Order Status shows when it fills.

For the order type, use a limit order and set your limit a few cents above the current price. It fills right away, the way a market order would, but it caps what you pay if the price jumps while your order goes through. I do this on every buy, whatever the amount.

What it costs

RBC charges $9.95 per online trade. Its commission-free list covers the RBC iShares lineup, including XEQT, XGRO, and XBAL, so those are free to buy online while VEQT and the other columns cost the $9.95. The list changes, so check it before you trade.