Buying an ETF at TD Direct Investing

You can open an account on TD's account page; 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. Log in to WebBroker and open the Trading menu. ETFs use the stock order ticket.
2. Pick the account you're buying in and make sure the cash is sitting in it.
3. Enter your fund's ticker, like VEQT, and set the action to Buy.
4. Enter the quantity, the number of units you want.
5. Choose the order type. Market buys right away at the current price; limit lets you set the most you'll pay per unit.
6. Place the trade and check the order review screen, which shows the estimated cost and any commission before anything goes through.
7. Enter your trading password, click Finish, and note the confirmation number.

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

TD charges $9.99 for a normal online trade, but it keeps a commission-free ETF list that includes VEQT and XEQT, so buying those online costs nothing. The list changes, so check it before you trade.