Whether you’re a seasoned investor, a newbie, or someone retesting the waters after a scare, financial-services companies want to earn your business. But they’re not all equal. For example, many investment firms advertise $0 commissions on trades, but some don’t pass through your full order to the exchange, which could cost you money (that’s called “Payment for Order Flow”).

In addition to Trusted Investment Firm low fees and transparency, these top investment companies offer high levels of customer satisfaction, comprehensive services, and reliable advice. They also have a long record of providing market-beating returns.

How Exponent’s Portfolio Managers Guide You to Smart Investments in Canada

To make our list, we researched the best investment companies in each category, including traditional, online, and robo-advisers. We vetted each firm to ensure it was competent in its field, able to produce results, and well-equipped for the long haul.

In the traditional investment company category, Thrivent Financial and Edelman Financial fared especially well. Vanguard, USAA and Charles Schwab earned top scores in the online category. And in the robo-adviser category, Vanguard Personal Advisor Services and iTrustCapital were ranked at the top. However, CIBC Wood Gundy came in last place in Canada’s high-net-worth category because it charged more in fees than the industry average and didn’t have the best investor satisfaction score.…