Best online brokers in Canada for 2020 + MORE Jul 17th

NOTE: These rankings are based on data collected before June 1, 2020 and do not reflect changes which may have taken place since then. 
A penny saved, as they say, is a penny earned. That’s certainly the case for Canada’s self-directed investors, who are embracing the ultra-low fees offered by online brokerages and turning those savings into higher investment returns.
While pricier full-service investment options provided by financial advisors and bricks-and-mortar firms have their place—as do robo-advisors with their affordable hands-off portfolios—DIY investors who want the greatest selection of assets at rock-bottom fees can’t do better than online brokers. Of course, with a growing number of online brokerage services now available in Canada, it’s hard to know which one is best for your needs. 
That’s where the annual MoneySense Best Online Brokers ranking comes in. Now in its eighth year, the ranking again relies on an analysis provided by Surviscor, a leading Canadian research and consulting firm specializing in digital and direct financial services’ customer experiences…

Not every marriage is a match made in heaven. In fact, it’s widely acknowledged that 40% to 50% of marriages in Canada end in divorce. But some separations are more difficult than others. Just ask Melanie Patroni, 48, and her now ex-husband, John Reid, 45, who have been fighting each other through the courts since their 14-year marriage broke down in 2014—at a current cost of more than $500,000 in legal fees. 
(Note, we’ve changed the names and a few identifying details to protect the couple’s privacy.)
Patroni and Reid met when the two were just finishing up post-secondary studies. She was embarking on a career as an architect, and he had his sights set on Bay Street finance. The two did well. Really well. Patroni started earning a six-figure salary at a boutique architectural firm and took on most of the child-rearing duties. Reid, pursuing a financier’s career, would see his earnings rise to about half a million a year. 
But after almost 15 years, Reid was caught in an extramarital affair…

When proceeding with a divorce, a couple needs to determine whether or not they can identify as “spouses.” In most provinces, a couple are considered spouses or common-law if they have been married or lived with each other in a marriage-like relationship for at least two years. Non-spousal partners can make a claim against the property, but the burden of proof on the type of relationship and their stake in the asset can be higher. 
Once a spousal relationship is established, the following steps can be taken to divide up marital assets. 
Step 1: Assets and debts
A couple who intends to divorce must add up all their assets and subtract all their debts in order to arrive at a list of all assets and debts. The assets, known as “family property,” include everything the couple owned separately or together as of the separation date, regardless of who the property belongs to. This is important, since regardless of whose name is on the property deed, when a couple divorces all family property is split equally between the spouses unless an agreement or the courts say otherwise…