Opening Your First Investing Account in Canada: What to Know Before You Click “Apply”
Written by Kay Ng at The Motley Fool Canada
Opening your first investing account is an exciting milestone. It marks the beginning of your journey toward financial independence, wealth creation, and potentially achieving long-term financial goals. With the convenience of online brokerages, getting started has never been easier. But before you click “apply” and start buying stocks, there are several important considerations that could make a significant difference to your investing experience.
The biggest mistake beginners can make is focusing exclusively on potential returns while overlooking the risks, costs, and account choices involved. Here’s what you should know first.
Understand the risks before seeking returns
Investing in stocks offers the potential for attractive long-term returns, but there are no guarantees. When you purchase an individual company’s shares, you become a part-owner of that business. If the company fails, your investment could lose most or even all its value.
That’s why stock selection matters. Look for businesses with durable competitive advantages, sustainable revenue and earnings growth, capable management teams, and strong balance sheets. Financial strength can help companies withstand economic downturns and navigate challenging market conditions.
Valuation matters just as much. Even an excellent business can become a poor investment if you pay too much for its shares. Buying at an excessive valuation can limit future returns, even when the company continues growing. Remember, investing is not simply about finding great companies; it’s about buying them at reasonable prices.
Consider Brookfield Asset Management (TSX: BAM), for example. Its global alternative asset management business offers exposure to infrastructure, renewable power, real estate, and private equity. Its established operations and long-term investment opportunities make it a good business to research.
Its growth drivers include fee-bearing capital expansion to US$672 billion at the end of the second quarter (Q2) – up 19% year over year, record-setting fundraising (US$77 billion in Q2), and integration of strategic platforms (e.g., Oaktree for its global credit platform, spanning real asset, asset-backed, and opportunistic credit).
Valuation-wise, at about $67 per share at writing, BAM trades at a discount of 10–13% to the analyst consensus price target and offers a dividend yield of 4.2% – a dividend that grew about 15% per year recently. So, it may be a reasonable buy for income and long-term price-appreciation potential within a diversified stock portfolio.
