Fully updated for 2026, this practical course gives participants a Canadian-focused, real-world understanding of investment platforms, products, and portfolio strategies, including how they may differ in cost, structure, and historical performance. Using 10 of the instructor’s own investment accounts, the course compares a full-service broker, a robo-advisor, five discount brokerages, a deposit broker, a bank branch mutual fund account, and a cryptocurrency account. Participants will see how each platform works, how portfolios are constructed, what fees apply, and how returns have compared over time.

The course covers a broad range of investment approaches, from ultra-conservative to ultra-aggressive, including laddered GICs, balanced portfolios, all-in-one ETFs, a bank ETF, a bond ETF, a bank branch mutual fund, a stock portfolio selected by random dart throws, and a 100% Bitcoin account. Along the way, participants will build a stronger understanding of mutual funds, ETFs, GICs, stocks, bonds, asset allocation, rebalancing, and the impact of fees on long-term results.

A key feature of the course is a side-by-side comparison of the 10 portfolios’ 5-year annualized returns, after fees, to December 31, 2025, for participants to analyze. Participants will also be introduced to practical research tools and receive a free spreadsheet, the Investment Option Cost Analyzer, to help evaluate fees and ending values using their own assumptions.

This course is designed to help participants better understand the trade-offs among convenience, cost, risk, and return so they can make more informed investment decisions.