ModernAdvisor

What ModernAdvisor does

ModernAdvisor is a Vancouver-based, federally and provincially registered Canadian digital investment management firm founded in 2013, operating as an indirect subsidiary of Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc. (part of the Desjardins Group) and backed by Guardian Capital Group Limited. The firm serves Canadian retail investors and licensed financial advisors with a cloud-based wealth management platform hosted on AWS, offering automated portfolio construction, systematic rebalancing, and tax-loss harvesting across five core portfolio families: Core ETF Portfolios, Socially Responsible ETF Portfolios, Harmony (active+passive blend) Portfolios, BCV Actively Managed Portfolios, and a High Interest Savings Portfolio. Client assets are custodied at IIROC-regulated, CIPF-member institutions (Aviso Financial via Credential Qtrade Securities, and CI Investment Services), with ModernAdvisor acting as a registered Portfolio Manager.

The platform supports the full range of Canadian registered and non-registered account types (TFSA, RRSP, RESP, RDSP, RRIF, LIF, LIRA, FHSA, corporate) and is accessible via web, iOS, and Android. ModernAdvisor monetizes through tiered AUM-based management fees ranging from 0.05% to 0.90% depending on portfolio type and balance tier, plus a flat 0.50% fee for the Personal Portfolio Manager Service targeted at households above $400,000. Distribution runs through two channels: direct-to-consumer digital onboarding (paperless account opening, online suitability questionnaire) and the ModernAdvisor Pro advisor portal, which provides licensed financial planners with onboarding, KYC, compliance, rebalancing, and reporting tooling while the advisor retains the client relationship.

Underlying investment execution relies on a curated set of fund and ETF providers including Vanguard, iShares (BlackRock), Purpose Investments, Guardian Capital, and BCV Asset Management (which manages over $3.6 billion in client assets as the sub-advisor for the BCV actively managed sleeve). Pricing is publicly disclosed and account opening typically completes within two to four business days. The firm is privately held, employs 11-50 people, and operates exclusively within the Canadian market.

Name

ModernAdvisor

Legal name

Modern Advisor Canada Inc.

Website

https://modernadvisor.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ModernAdvisor is a Vancouver-based Canadian digital wealth management firm (founded 2013) that offers automated and actively managed ETF and fund portfolios to retail investors and licensed financial advisors across all Canadian provinces, operating under Desjardins Global Asset Management ownership and CIPF-member custodians.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Wealth Management

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Brokerage & Self-Directed Investing Platforms (FSAGAEAC)

Keywords

• Digital wealth management
• Robo-advisor portfolios
• Automated investing
• Portfolio management services
• ETF investment portfolios

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Asset Management Fees: ModernAdvisor charges tiered management fees based on total assets under management per client across all accounts. Fees range from 0.20% to 0.90% per year depending on portfolio type and balance tier. For the Personal Portfolio Manager Service (households with $400,000+), a flat 0.50% annual fee applies. Fees are calculated and deducted monthly based on average monthly balance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ModernAdvisor is a Canadian online investment management firm that provides professionally managed, globally diversified investment portfolios to individual investors and financial advisors. The platform offers passive ETF, actively managed, and blended portfolios across multiple risk levels, with automated rebalancing, tax-loss harvesting, and support for registered accounts (RRSP, TFSA, RESP, RDSP, FHSA, LIRA, LIF). Through ModernAdvisor Pro, licensed financial advisors access onboarding, compliance, KYC, and portfolio management tools for their clients.

Product overview

ModernAdvisor is a digital wealth management platform offering automated and actively managed investment portfolios. The platform provides five core portfolio types: Core ETF Portfolios (passive, low-cost indexing), Socially Responsible ETF Portfolios (ESG-focused exclusions), Harmony Portfolios (blending active and passive management), BCV Actively Managed Portfolios (concentrated equity and fixed income strategies), and High Interest Savings Portfolios (short-term cash management). For financial advisors, ModernAdvisor Pro offers a practice management platform. The company operates as a registered portfolio manager across all Canadian provinces, managing investments through third-party custodians (Aviso Financial and CI Investment Services).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Core ETF Portfolios Passive investment portfolios using low-cost ETFs that provide broad exposure to equities and fixed income across 10 risk categories, designed for retirement, education, general, and disability savings goals.
• Socially Responsible ETF Portfolios ESG-focused portfolios that exclude companies involved in tobacco, controversial weapons, fossil fuels, and other sensitive industries while maintaining global diversification using the same asset allocation framework as Core portfolios.
• Harmony Portfolios Multi-asset strategies that combine actively managed funds from BCV and Guardian Capital with passive index ETFs, offering global equity and fixed income exposure using both absolute and relative valuation approaches.
• BCV Actively Managed Portfolios Concentrated, actively managed portfolios of Canadian, U.S., and international companies managed by BCV Asset Management, including the Antares Value Pool, Antares Total Equity Pool, BCV North American Equity Fund, and BCV Fixed Income Fund.
• High Interest Savings Portfolio Short-term savings portfolio invested in interest-bearing cash or the Purpose High Interest Savings ETF (PSA), offering yields of 1.98–2.15% per year with T+1 trade settlement, available across all account types.
• ModernAdvisor Pro Advisor-facing platform providing tools for client onboarding, compliance management, KYC processing, paperwork automation, account opening, investment selection, rebalancing, tax-loss harvesting, and portfolio optimization for licensed financial advisors and planners.
• ModernAdvisor Mobile App Native iOS and Android mobile applications enabling clients to access their investment accounts, view portfolios, and manage investments on demand.

Quantifiable outcome

• Portfolio management fees as low as 0.20% for large accounts (Automated Investing, Core ETF)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• BCV Asset Management Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationBCV Asset Management Inc. (founded 2007, Winnipeg-based) is a registered portfolio management firm providing actively managed investment funds used in ModernAdvisor's BCV Actively Managed Portfolios. BCV manages over $3.6 billion in client assets through a 12-member portfolio management team with over 150 years of combined expertise. ModernAdvisor holds exclusive pricing arrangements with BCV through its commercial relationships. BCV funds used include the Antares Value Pool, Antares Total Equity Pool, BCV North American Equity Fund, and BCV Fixed Income Fund.
• CI Investment Services Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationCI Investment Services Inc. is a licensed custodian that holds client assets. It is a fully licensed member of IIROC and a member of CIPF, providing investor protection up to $1 million. Client accounts at CI Investment Services have account numbers starting with '1' and are 10 numeric characters.
• Aviso Financial (Credential Qtrade Securities Inc.)coreTechnology or IntegrationAviso Financial (through Credential Qtrade Securities Inc.) is a licensed custodian holding client assets. It is a fully licensed member of IIROC and a member of CIPF, providing investor protection up to $1 million. Client accounts at Aviso have account numbers starting with '5' and are 8 characters long (7 numbers and 1 letter).

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wealthsimple: Canada's largest independent robo-advisor offering automated and self-directed investing, with multiple portfolio tiers including halal and socially responsible options. Directly competes with ModernAdvisor across all Canadian registered account types, with significantly greater AUM scale and brand recognition.
• Questwealth (Questrade): The robo-advisor arm of Questrade, one of Canada's largest online brokerages, offering low-fee managed portfolios. Closely comparable to ModernAdvisor on product structure, fee tiering and target Canadian retail investor, while benefiting from Questrade's brokerage customer funnel.
• BMO SmartFolio: Bank-owned automated investing service from Bank of Montreal offering globally diversified ETF portfolios. Direct competitor to ModernAdvisor's Core ETF product line for Canadian retail investors, leveraging BMO's retail banking distribution.
• RBC InvestEase: Bank-owned robo-advisor from Royal Bank of Canada offering diversified ETF portfolios managed by RBC experts. Comparable to ModernAdvisor in product, but with the distribution and balance-sheet advantages of a major Canadian bank.
• Nest Wealth: Canadian digital wealth platform offering managed portfolios to both retail clients and financial advisors, including an advisor-facing dashboard comparable to ModernAdvisor Pro. Particularly comparable on the B2B2C advisor platform dimension.
• Tangerine Investment Funds: Bank-owned (Scotiabank subsidiary) low-fee mutual fund portfolios targeting Canadian retail investors. Competes with ModernAdvisor's Core ETF Portfolios for cost-conscious Canadian savers, with the Tangerine parent bank providing deposit-account cross-sell.
• WealthBar (CI Financial): Canadian robo-advisor acquired by CI Financial, offering automated and advisor-served portfolios. Closely comparable to ModernAdvisor across D2C and advisor-channel models, with CI Financial providing institutional scale and product breadth.

Broad incumbents

• Schwab Intelligent Portfolios: Charles Schwab's automated investing platform offering diversified ETF portfolios. Comparable to ModernAdvisor's Core ETF and Harmony Portfolios in product design, with materially greater AUM and being embedded in a major U.S. brokerage ecosystem.
• Vanguard Personal Advisor Services: Vanguard's hybrid robo-and-human advisory service combining passive ETFs with human advisor access. Comparable to ModernAdvisor's Harmony and Personal Portfolio Manager offerings, with significantly greater scale and a more recognized passive-investing brand.

Emerging players

• Betterment: U.S.-headquartered digital wealth manager offering automated and goal-based investing portfolios with tax-loss harvesting. Closely comparable product and operating model to ModernAdvisor, but does not directly compete in the Canadian retail market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ModernAdvsr
• Facebookfacebook.com/modernadvisor
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/modern-advisor

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ModernAdvisor