Guides
Canadian banking guides
19 guides on how banking in Canada actually works — regulation, deposit protection, accounts and fees — each dated and sourced to the regulator or law behind it.
Institutions
Big Six banks vs online banks vs credit unions
How Canada’s Big Six, online banks, credit unions and fintech apps differ on regulation, deposit protection, branches and fees. Sourced comparison of the types.
Schedule I, II and III banks explained
What Schedule I, II and III mean under the Bank Act, how many banks are in each (OSFI list, October 2026), and how each schedule affects deposits and CDIC coverage.
Federal credit unions: what changes when a credit union goes federal
Coast Capital, Innovation, UNI and Tru Cooperative Bank are federal credit unions. What that means for regulation and CDIC coverage, with 2026 dates.
Fintech apps vs banks: where your money actually sits
Neo, KOHO and Wealthsimple are not banks. How their accounts are held at CDIC member partners, what coverage they disclose, and the questions to ask before moving money.
Canadian bank mergers and changes, 2024–2026
HSBC to RBC, CWB to National Bank, Laurentian’s pending sale, PC Financial to EQB, motusbank and credit unions going federal — dated, with what it means for deposits.
Regulation
How banks are regulated in Canada
Who supervises Canadian banks: OSFI for safety, FCAC for consumer protection, OBSI for complaints, CDIC for deposits, and provinces for credit unions. Dated and sourced.
Open banking in Canada: where it stands in October 2026
Consumer-driven banking status as of October 30, 2026: the law, the Bank of Canada’s role, draft regulations, Real-Time Rail and the dates that are still only targets.
How to make a bank complaint in Canada
Step-by-step: complain to your bank, the 56-day clock, taking it to OBSI for free, deadlines, and where credit union members go instead. Checked October 30, 2026.
Deposit protection
CDIC deposit insurance explained
How CDIC protects deposits in Canada: $100,000 per category per member, the nine categories, what is and isn’t covered, trusts, brands and payouts. Checked October 2026.
What happens if a bank fails in Canada?
How a Canadian bank failure would work: OSFI’s role, CDIC resolution, what depositors get and when, registered plans, and what isn’t protected. Sourced and dated.
Registered accounts and deposit insurance
How CDIC and provincial insurers protect deposits in TFSAs, RRSPs, RRIFs, FHSAs, RESPs and RDSPs — separate limits, what counts as a deposit, and transfers.
Accounts & fees
Joint bank accounts in Canada
How joint accounts work: who can withdraw, what happens if one owner dies, CDIC joint-deposit coverage per set of co-owners, and what to check before opening one.
Low-cost and no-cost bank accounts in Canada
Since December 1, 2025, 14 banks offer a low-cost account of at most $4 a month with 18 debit transactions, plus a no-cost version. Who qualifies and what’s included.
How to switch banks in Canada
A step-by-step guide to switching banks: find every deposit and payment, move pre-authorized debits, transfer registered plans, overlap a month and close in writing.
Chequing vs savings accounts
What chequing and savings accounts are for, how fees and transactions differ, how deposit insurance treats both, and how to set up the pair that fits you.
Savings accounts and GICs
How savings accounts and GICs work in Canada, what to check, renewal reminders, and how CDIC and provincial insurers protect them. No rate tables, just the rules.
Bank fees in Canada
Monthly plan fees, transaction overages, NSF fees capped at $10 since March 2026, ATM and other charges — and the federal rules on disclosure and refunds.
Opening a bank account in Canada
Your right to a personal bank account, the ID banks accept, when they can refuse, and the 14-day cancellation right for accounts opened by phone. From FCAC rules.