Which Canadian bank is most secure?
Scotiabank is also an excellent option for anyone searching for one bank they can trust with many of their financial needs. Also called the Bank of Nova Scotia, Scotiabank sets itself by doing more than other banks.
Toronto-Dominion Bank (TSX:TD) is the “safest” Canadian bank going by capitalization. Today, it has a 16.2% common equity tier-one (CET1) ratio. The CET1 ratio is cash plus equity divided by all risk-weighted assets.
Thankfully, experts say Canadian banks are significantly less vulnerable to failure than our neighbours' to the south, for many reasons, and your money in a Canadian bank will continue to be safe.
Category | Bank |
---|---|
Best bank for online banking | TD |
Best bank for students | Scotiabank |
Best bank for seniors | Scotiabank |
Best bank for newcomers | National Bank of Canada |
RBC vs. TD. TD offers a similar range of products and services to RBC and has a similar footprint of branches and ATMs across the country. RBC offers better value in its chequing accounts, offering more features and fewer limits at similar price points.
The World Economic Forum consistently ranks Canadian banks as being among the world's most stable, says Labrèche.
How safe is the money in your Canadian bank accounts? According to Wikipedia, there have been 43 bank failures since 1967, and none since 1996. So the answer is, very safe.
Yes, it's rare, but they have and it could happen. The Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation (CDIC) is a federal Crown corporation that exists to protect eligible deposits to member financial institutions against their failure.
Deposit insurance protects your savings if your financial institution fails. You don't have to apply or pay for deposit insurance. The Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation (CDIC) automatically insures your eligible deposits. This applies to deposits held at CDIC member institutions in Canada.
Bank | Number of U.S. Branches |
---|---|
TD Bank | 1,100+ |
BMO Bank | 600+ |
CIBC Bank USA | 24 |
RBC Bank | 0 |
What bank is number 1 in Canada?
The largest Canadian banks are known as the "Big Five," with the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) being the largest. The top three are rounded out by Toronto-Dominion (TD) and the Bank of Nova Scotia (Scotiabank) in second and third, respectively.
Toronto Dominion bank, better known as TD Canada Trust or simply TD, has presence across Canada and even in the United States too. Many newcomers to Canada choose TD as they have plenty of branches and ATMs, an online banking platform and app, and a range of incentives for newcomers.
What Are the Big Five Banks? The Big Five Banks is a term used in Canada to describe the five largest banks: Royal Bank, The Bank of Montreal, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, The Bank of Nova Scotia, and Toronto-Dominion Bank.
RBC savings accounts might not meet all your savings needs. Some of the drawbacks include: Generally low interest rates that won't necessarily speed up your savings, even if you maintain a high balance. High transaction fees if you have to access your account with a debit card more than once.
Is my money safe with TD? TD is dedicated to stability and security, with a longstanding focus on strong risk management and controls and a diverse portfolio mix including total deposits of $361 billion and a loan-to-deposit ratio of 48% as of 12/31/22.
RBC has taken a stand and is currently the market leader among big banks for chequing accounts. Its added benefits include unlimited public transportation debits with every plan, and unlimited debits starting at $11.95 per month, compared with BMO's $16.95. RBC doesn't match BMO's savings rates, however.
With roughly $1.26 trillion in assets, TD Bank would certainly be considered too big to fail, and many believe the large banks are set to benefit from this recent banking crisis because they're likely to be seen as a safe place to transfer funds into.
That Scotia is the “Big 5” Canadian bank with the least exposure to the U.S. merely adds intrigue to this investment.
- First Republic Bank (FRC) . Above average liquidity risk and high capital risk.
- Huntington Bancshares (HBAN) . Above average capital risk.
- KeyCorp (KEY) . Above average capital risk.
- Comerica (CMA) . ...
- Truist Financial (TFC) . ...
- Cullen/Frost Bankers (CFR) . ...
- Zions Bancorporation (ZION) .
At the beginning of the week two Canadian banks, Bank of Montreal (BMO) and Simplii Financial owned by Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), informed their customers that their personal data may have been compromised.
Where is the safest place to put your money in Canada?
Investment Product | Risk Level | Best Source |
---|---|---|
Money Market Funds | Returns are not guaranteed | Qtrade |
Corporate Bonds | Returns are not guaranteed – but are safer than stocks | Qtrade |
Government Bonds | Guaranteed by government | Qtrade |
Annuities | Guaranteed by law | Insurance professionals |
According to NerdWallet, any trusted federally regulated financial institution, including online-only banks, will be a member of the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation (CDIC), which provides added peace of mind.
Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) and TD Bank remain Canada's only members on the list of global systemically important banks (G-SIBs), which defines banks considered “too big to fail” by regulators. The Financial Stability Board (FSB) published its G-SIB list for 2020 on Nov. 11.
Toronto-Dominion Bank (TSX:TD) is one of Canada's safest banks. Going by the common equity tier-one (CET1) ratio — one of the banking industry's most popular risk measures — TD is more able to survive a crisis than most other Canadian banks are.
Bank | Forbes Advisor Rating | Products |
---|---|---|
Chase Bank | 5.0 | Checking, Savings, CDs |
Bank of America | 4.2 | Checking, Savings, CDs |
Wells Fargo Bank | 4.0 | Savings, checking, money market accounts, CDs |
Citi® | 4.0 | Checking, savings, CDs |