// Iv · ROBO-ADVISOR

CI Direct Investing review

Best for: Investors who want a managed portfolio with a $100 minimum, a fee that steps down as total assets grow and advice from a Certified Financial Planner professional.

By the CreditLab research team · Checked October 14, 2026

ROBO-ADVISOR

CI Direct Investing

#5 in our robo-advisors ranking. See how we rank

Visit site On the official site

The bottom line

CI Direct Investing charges a blended management fee of 0.60% on the first $150,000, 0.40% on the next $350,000 and 0.35% above $500,000, plus fund fees of about 0.17% to 0.23% on its ETF portfolios. The minimum is $100, and advice from a Certified Financial Planner professional is included. We found no FHSA or U.S. dollar accounts, and some of CI’s pages disagree on figures, so confirm details before you sign up.

Pros & cons

Pros

$100 minimum to open an investment account
Fee steps down to 0.35% on assets above $500,000
Advice from a Certified Financial Planner professional included
No fees for withdrawals or portfolio switches
Pension and business accounts, including IPP, PPP and corporate

Cons

Highest 0.60% rate applies to the first $150,000
No FHSA or U.S. dollar accounts found
Impact and Private Investment portfolios carry higher MERs
Fee and MER figures differ across CI’s own pages

LAB REPORT

A reasonable fit for investors who want a managed portfolio with a small minimum and access to a planner, and for business owners who need an IPP or corporate account. Confirm current figures, since CI’s pages disagree.

Suits you if

You want to start with as little as $100.
You want a planner’s advice with your portfolio.
You own a business and want an IPP.

Look elsewhere if

You want to open an FHSA.
You want to hold U.S. dollars.

Credit Lab Expert

Our detailed review

Who CI Direct Investing suits

CI Direct Investing is a robo-advisor owned by CI Financial. CI describes it as a registered trade name of CI Investment Services Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of CI Financial Corp. It builds and manages portfolios for you, and its fee includes financial advice from a Certified Financial Planner professional.

It suits investors starting small, those who want planning advice alongside a managed portfolio, and business owners who need a corporate account or an individual or personal pension plan (IPP or PPP). It is a weaker match if you want an FHSA or U.S. dollar accounts, neither of which we found on CI’s pages.

Management fees

The management fee is blended across all of your CI Direct Investing accounts, accrued daily and debited monthly plus applicable taxes. It includes custodial fees, rebalancing trades, annual account administration, and registration and deregistration fees, and CI says it doesn’t charge for withdrawals or portfolio switches. The tiers:

First $150,000: 0.60% a year
Next $350,000: 0.40% a year
Above $500,000: 0.35% a year

Portfolios and fund fees

Fund fees (MER) come on top of the management fee. CI’s MER table is dated April 30, 2024, so current figures may differ. Its pricing page also cites 0.17% for the Balanced ETF portfolio, while the table lists 0.17% for Safety and 0.23% for Balanced. The table shows:

ETF portfolios: 0.17% (Safety), 0.19% (Conservative) and 0.23% (Balanced, Growth and Aggressive)
Impact portfolios: 0.49% to 0.56%
Private Investment portfolios: 1.53% (Safety), 2.08% (Aggressive) and 2.92% (Balanced)

Accounts, minimums and transfers

The minimum to open an investment account is $100. CI refunds transfer-in fees up to $150 on transfers of $25,000 or more, and we found no current sign-up promotion. A 2023 CI blog post said FHSAs were expected later that year, but no current page confirms one, and we found no U.S. dollar accounts.

Transfer-out fees are less clear. CI’s Help Centre says it charges none, its fee schedule says the management fee doesn’t cover account closure and transfer-out fees, and its pricing page says it will waive transfer-out fees if you’re not completely satisfied. Ask before you open an account. Accounts offered:

Registered: TFSA, RRSP, spousal RRSP and RESP
Retirement and locked-in: RRIF, spousal RRIF, LIRA, locked-in RRSP and LIF
Taxable: non-registered and joint accounts
Business and estate: corporate, formal and informal trust, IPP and PPP

Protection and regulation

CI Investment Services Inc. is a registered investment dealer in all provinces and territories and a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund (CIPF) and the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO). CI Direct Investing is a registered portfolio manager. CI says its custodians are CIPF members, which protects accounts up to $1 million per account type if a custodian becomes insolvent; CIPF doesn’t cover market losses.

CI’s pages name different custodians, and its Help Centre says the entity operating the service is expected to amalgamate into CI Investment Services Inc., subject to regulatory approval.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How does CI Direct Investing blend its management fee across accounts?

CI applies a blended rate to your total assets across all of your CI Direct Investing accounts. You pay 0.60% on the first $150,000, 0.40% on the next $350,000 and 0.35% above $500,000. The fee accrues daily and is debited monthly, plus applicable taxes.

Can I open an FHSA with CI Direct Investing?

We couldn’t confirm one. The FHSA isn’t listed on CI Direct Investing’s account types page or its Help Centre account list, although a 2023 CI blog post said FHSAs were expected later that year. Ask CI directly before you plan around it.

Does CI Direct Investing offer U.S. dollar accounts?

We found no mention of U.S. dollar accounts for CI Direct Investing on its official pages or Help Centre. Articles about U.S. dollars and currency spreads that we found relate to CI Direct Trading or the savings account instead.

What is the MER on CI Direct Investing’s Balanced ETF portfolio?

CI’s MER table, dated April 30, 2024, lists 0.23% for the Balanced ETF portfolio. Its pricing page cites 0.17% for Balanced, which matches the Safety portfolio in the table, so confirm the current figure with CI.

Does CI Direct Investing charge to transfer my account out?

CI’s pages disagree. Its Help Centre says there are no transfer-out fees, its fee schedule says the management fee doesn’t include account closure and transfer-out fees, and its pricing page says it will waive transfer-out fees if you’re not completely satisfied. Ask CI in writing before you move an account.

Can a business owner open an IPP with CI Direct Investing?

Yes. CI Direct Investing lists individual pension plans (IPP) and personal pension plans (PPP), along with corporate accounts and formal and informal trusts.

Will CI Direct Investing refund my old institution’s transfer fee?

CI refunds transfer-in fees up to $150 on transfers of $25,000 or more. We found no other sign-up promotion on its official pages.

Sources

Fees and features come from CI Direct Investing’s own site and fee schedule, checked October 14, 2026. They can change at any time, so confirm them before you open an account. Investing involves risk, including the loss of money you invest. See our methodology.