
What is a Margin account?
Go beyond your cash with a Margin account. This type of non-registered account allows you to leverage your investments, boosting purchasing power and maximizing your portfolio’s potential. Plus, with Questrade’s Margin Power, you can tap into the equity in your TFSA to fuel your most ambitious trading strategies.
Benefits of a Margin account
No matter where you are in your investing journey, adding a Margin account can help you accelerate your strategy.
Amplified purchasing power
Borrow against your current investments to unlock greater buying potential and supercharge potential returns 1.
Harness Margin Power
Tap into TFSA equity with Margin Power. Unleash greater leverage for ambitious strategies, while your TFSA grows tax-efficiently.
Profit in any market
Master the market with short selling. Capitalize on falling stock prices and turn volatility into opportunity.
Your money, your way
Use borrowed funds for temporary liquidity needs without having to sell off long-term holdings.
How a Margin
account worksWhen trading in a Margin account, your broker sets the loan value, defining the maximum amount you can leverage for your strategy. To fuel your next move, you’ll need to maintain your margin requirement—the essential amount of equity you need in your account to trade. The power to borrow opens up more opportunity, with interest applied to the leveraged funds.

Margin account interest rates
Access additional funds to leverage your trades, then repay your loan plus a variable interest rate—often at interest rates that are more favourable than high-interest credit cards or personal loans, with rates varying on the amount borrowed. See margin rate pricing.

The difference between a Margin account and a Cash account
Margin | Cash |
---|---|
Eligibility | |
18+, or the age of majority | 18+, or the age of majority |
What you can trade | |
Stocks, ETFs, options, mutual funds, bonds, GICs, short selling | Stocks, ETFs, options, mutual funds, bonds, GICs |
Borrowing | |
Yes (against eligible assets) | — |
Withdrawals | |
Unlimited (of settled funds, but margin debt must be considered) | Unlimited (of settled funds) |
Contributions | |
Unlimited | Unlimited |
Taxes | |
Earnings taxable | Earnings taxable |
Best for | |
Experienced investors looking to increase buying power, short sell, and potentially amplify returns | Investors who prefer lower risk, don't want to borrow, or are new to trading |
Your retirement is in good hands
With Questrade, you can rest assured that your money, your account and your personal information are protected.
We’re regulated by CIRO and a CIPF member.
Choose from two great ways to invest
Hand-pick the assets you're most interested in with self-directed investing, or let experts handle the portfolio management for you with Questwealth Portfolios.
QUESTWEALTH PORTFOLIOS
Get an expert-built portfolio
Account management fees starting at only 0.25%
Get matched with a portfolio suited to you in 15 minutes or less
You can invest in companies focused on social, environmental and governance qualities
How do I open a Margin account?
In three easy steps, you can invest your way.
Submit your documents
Provide basic personal and financial information
Fund your account
Contribute any amount to get started (or at least $250 for Questwealth Portfolios)
Grow your savings
Invest without restrictions with Questrade
Common Frequently Asked Questions
Buying on margin means you're borrowing money from your brokerage to buy more investments. This boosts your purchasing power, allowing you to control a larger position than you could with just your own cash. While this could amplify potential gains, it could also increase potential losses.
Unlocking the power of a Margin account in Canada is more accessible than you might think. While specific margin account requirements may vary based on your chosen investments and trading strategies, all you need to do is open a Margin investing account and make a deposit of any amount to get started.
While margin investing offers exciting potential, there are some risks involved. The main risks of margin trading revolve around amplified losses: if your investments decline in value, your losses can exceed your initial deposit, leading to a margin call. This requires you to deposit additional funds or liquidate positions. Engaging in margin trading means understanding that leverage magnifies both returns and potential downside. It's a powerful tool—great for investors who are able to actively manage their risk.
When you leverage your portfolio within a margin investment account, there’s an interest charge on borrowed funds. This margin account interest rate is typically calculated daily on your outstanding borrowed balance. It's a transparent cost for the expanded purchasing power and strategic flexibility you gain. Understanding how margin account interest rates apply is key to optimizing your trading strategy. Learn more.
An individual Margin account is designed for personal trading, allowing you to leverage their own investments for personal gain. On the other hand, a corporate margin account is for registered business entities. It enables the corporation to use margin for its investment activities, with all trading and associated benefits or risks belonging to the company. The core difference is the legal ownership and the tax implications tied to either a personal or corporate structure.
Absolutely! A Margin account is where day trading comes alive, offering the leverage and flexibility to seize those fleeting market opportunities. You can trade quickly and frequently without being held back by cash settlement times, amplifying your potential to capitalize on price swings. The best part? For positions opened and closed within the same day, you typically won't incur interest charges on the borrowed funds— a significant bonus for active day traders! Just remember that while leverage can boost your gains, it also magnifies potential losses, so be sure you understand the risks involved. Learn more about Margin accounts.
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Margin accounts 101
Learn how Margin accounts work, and how you can use them.
READ ARTICLE
Margin power
Explore Margin Power to leverage the assets in your TFSA to enter new positions.
READ ARTICLE
Tax-loss harvesting
Optimize year-end tax planning with smart strategies, and turn losses into big savings.
READ ARTICLE1 Using borrowed money to finance the purchase of securities involves greater risk than using cash resources only. If you borrow money to purchase securities, your responsibility to repay the loan and pay interest as required by its terms remains the same even if the value of the securities purchased declines.
2 Zero commission trades', '$0 commissions', '$0 trading', 'trade commission-free' and similar messages, refer to commission-free trading for trades placed online through Questrade, Inc.'s website or mobile apps for stocks and ETFs that are listed on a stock exchange in the United States or Canada. Other fees may still apply.
3 For options trades placed online through Questrade, Inc.'s website or mobile apps the base commission has been reduced to 0.99¢ per contract. The per contract rate for online options trading is 0.99¢ per contract.