This week’s post in our series on the categories of registration looks at investment dealers. An investment dealer is an individual or a firm that can sell a wide range of investment products. This includes shares, bonds, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and other investment funds, and exempt products.
While the products an investment dealer can offer covers a wide spectrum, the services they offer their clients can vary from dealer to dealer. For example, one dealer may offer advice and a full range of services such as market analysis, investment research and portfolio management. Other investment dealers may simply act as a broker and buy or sell investment products as instructed by their clients.
Investment dealers must be a member of the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO). CIRO is the self-regulatory organization that oversees all investment dealers in Canada and sets rules and regulations including those that determine what products and customers an investment dealer can deal with.