Core practice
Fee-Based Self-Directed Accounts
You've been managing your own investments for years — perhaps successfully. But you want professional input, rigorous tax planning, and access to the same tools used by major institutions — without giving up control. Our fee-based self-directed accounts are built for you.
What we cover
Quantified decisions, not generalities.
- You retain full control over decisions
- Fees are tax-deductible in non-registered accounts
- Full access to all ETFs, individual stocks, bonds
- Quarterly review with a Pl. Fin. planner
- Transparent pricing — no hidden commissions
Most firms offer two extremes: online brokerage with zero advice, or fully discretionary management at 1.5% per year. The middle — where you keep control but get a planner alongside — is rarely available.
Our offering fills that gap. You open your self-directed account at Investia or Groupe Financier Horizon. You make the investment decisions. But you get full coaching: annual tax planning, RRSP/TFSA/non-registered optimization, target allocation reviewed quarterly, and direct access to a planner for any major decision.
Fees — typically 0.75% to 1.0% per year depending on assets — are tax-deductible in non-registered accounts (excluding RRSP/TFSA), bringing the effective net cost to 0.4%-0.6%. For an experienced investor with $500K+ in assets, this is often the most efficient option in Quebec.
Questions
What our clients ask us
Are the fees really tax-deductible?
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Yes, in non-registered accounts (but not RRSP, TFSA, RESP, RRIF). It's explicitly permitted under section 20(1)(bb) of the Income Tax Act. For an investor in the top 53% marginal bracket, 1% fees actually cost about 0.47% net. We provide the annual summary for your tax return.
What's the minimum asset level?
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The offering is most efficient from $250,000 — $500,000 upwards. Below that, fixed administrative costs make the math less favorable than online-brokerage ETFs. We'll have a frank conversation about fit at your first meeting.
Related services
Portfolio Management
Building a portfolio is easy. Building one that walks alongside you for 25 years through every cycle, rebalances automatically, optimizes for tax, and doesn't make you panic in March 2020 — that's our craft.
Learn moreIntegrated Tax Planning
Tax isn't an annual inevitability — it's a variable you can steer. Income splitting, strategic deferral, registered-account optimization, decumulation planning: each lever can mean tens of thousands of dollars over a decade.
Learn moreReady to talk through your situation?
A first meeting, with no obligation and no fee. In person in greater Montréal and Québec City, by video call, or by phone.
Book a consultation