ModernAdvisor
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersVancouver, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
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.
ModernAdvisor firmographics
Firmographics- 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
ModernAdvisor industry classification
Industry- 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
Where ModernAdvisor is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Vancouver
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
ModernAdvisor business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- 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
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Core & Socially Responsible ETF Portfolios — tiered AUM fee, 0.50% down to 0.20% |
| Subscription | Monthly | Harmony Portfolios — tiered AUM fee, 0.70% down to 0.40% |
| Subscription | Monthly | BCV Actively Managed Portfolios — tiered AUM fee with 0.50% surcharge, 0.90% down to 0.60% |
| Subscription | Monthly | High Interest Savings Portfolios — lowest tiered AUM fee, 0.20% down to 0.05% |
| Subscription | Monthly | Personal Portfolio Manager Service — flat 0.50% for households with $400,000+ |
| Subscription | Monthly | Minimum Account Fee — flat monthly fee regardless of balance |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
ModernAdvisor product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use ModernAdvisor
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
ModernAdvisor technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
ModernAdvisor partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- BCV Asset Management Inc.coreBCV 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.coreCI 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.)coreAviso 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
ModernAdvisor competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect 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
ModernAdvisor social profiles
Digital presenceModernAdvisor financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ModernAdvisor leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
ModernAdvisor funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ModernAdvisor M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ModernAdvisor
What does ModernAdvisor do?
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.
Is ModernAdvisor a public or private company?
ModernAdvisor is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was ModernAdvisor founded?
ModernAdvisor was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is ModernAdvisor based?
ModernAdvisor is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, in the North America region.
How does ModernAdvisor make money?
One revenue line is on record: asset Management Fees.
Who are ModernAdvisor's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Wealthsimple, Questwealth (Questrade), BMO SmartFolio, RBC InvestEase, Nest Wealth, Tangerine Investment Funds and WealthBar (CI Financial). Broad incumbents are Schwab Intelligent Portfolios and Vanguard Personal Advisor Services. Betterment is listed as an emerging player.
Does ModernAdvisor have an API?
No public API is recorded for ModernAdvisor.
What industry is ModernAdvisor in?
ModernAdvisor's product category is Digital Wealth Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAGAEAC, Digital Brokerage & Self-Directed Investing Platforms. Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.