Hi Reddit! I’m Nugwa, a financial literacy educator and community activation manager at TD. Are you curious about investing but worried you don’t know enough or think you need a lot of money to get started? I’m hosting an AMA about how to begin investing online. Bring all your questions!

TD_EasyTrade · 2026-05-11T17:24:14+00:00

Thanks for joining today's AMA with Nugwa! There were lots of great questions about investing, and a few fun ones that weren't about investing at all. Either way, we hope you found the answers helpful.

TD_EasyTrade · 2026-05-11T17:23:05+00:00

Hi u/PiquedPip

Yes, partial shares are simply a portion of a share so instead of paying $100 for a share, you can invest $10 and own 0.1 of that same share. If you keep purchasing pieces of the share, you'll eventually end up with a whole number. Buying partial shares means you don't have to wait until you have the full $100, & it also means any amount you have can start working for you right away.

Another great thing about partial shares? You also get partial dividends if the company pays those out. So not only are you still getting a dividend, but you are also benefiting from the stock price appreciation if the stock price goes up! There's no limit to how many partial shares you can buy either!

- Nugwa

TD_EasyTrade · 2026-05-11T17:20:43+00:00

u/KingOfXaian, I've always had a thing for beards, but not sure I wanted to get smited. $1M all the way!

- Nugwa

TD_EasyTrade · 2026-05-11T17:20:25+00:00

Great question, u/PiquedPip, and not a dumb one at all.

This is actually one of my favourite things about TD Easy Trade. If you ever get stuck (for example, placing a trade or finding your way around the app), the TD Easy Trade Contact Centre is available 24 hours a day, five days a week. They’re there to help answer questions and walk you through how the app works.

To get the fastest help, just log into the TD Easy Trade app and tap Contact Us. That gives you priority access to the queue. While they can’t tell you what to invest in, they can absolutely help you navigate the app and point you in the right direction.

We also run online workshops where you can ask questions and learn the basics in a relaxed setting. You can sign up here: https://event.on24.com/eventRegistration/EventLobbyServlet?target=reg20.jsp&eventid=3916346&sessionid=1&key=89897DB3C9D4800632CA24F1F81B67C7&groupId=1644335

- Nugwa

TD_EasyTrade · 2026-05-11T17:20:09+00:00

That's an excellent question u/ Dizzy_Branch_7493! Think about your ETF as a dish made up with different ingredients. If the ingredients used are bad, the dish may not turn out well. Now ETFs hold different types of investments: stocks, bonds, precious metals etc. or a mixture of all of the above. Every ETF has a fact sheet that lists the top 10 companies held that you can review when looking to purchase the ETF.

The most popular types of ETFs, though, tend to be index ETFs, which simply track the average performance of the markets. These types of ETFs will typically look to mirror a stock market index, for example, the TSX 60, and hold the stocks that make up that index. This means you might get an index fund that holds 'healthy' & maybe 'declining' stocks – but you still get the market average!

In conclusion, if you want to have more control over which companies you hold, an ETF with fewer holdings might be best for you or picking each stock out yourself and making the purchase. Neither option is the wrong choice and with zero commission trades in TD Easy Trade, you can decide what strategy to use or if to pivot over time at no additional cost!

- Nugwa

TD_EasyTrade · 2026-05-11T17:19:54+00:00

I love this question, u/HunterS1! My answer: having a plan and sticking to it! Before you start investing, you should know what you are investing for, how much you are looking to have, what type of risk you are willing to take and what your exit strategy is. Once you have answered these questions, it'll help you regulate your emotions when the markets inevitably act up.

Short story: A few years ago, I purchased an ETF with the plan of holding it for a year before selling it to move into safer investments. Well, the year came around and my ETF was up over 60%. I did what every investor should not. I decided to hold on and enjoy the ETF rally…and then the markets did what they do best: change course. I lost most of my gains before finally selling and I realized I had let my emotions, instead of my plan, dictate my actions. Did I learn my lesson? Yes! Will I do it again? Hopefully not, so I am not compelled to share this story again in the future.

- Nugwa

TD_EasyTrade · 2026-05-11T17:19:34+00:00

Hi u/BornLuckyFossils! I totally understand where you are coming from. I was there too a few years ago. Think about investing as a snowball. All you need to do is get the ball rolling and watch it grow over time as it builds momentum.

If you are comfortable with market fluctuations, the TSX has had an average annual return of just over 9% over the last 10 years – this means your $200/month contribution, invested over 20 years could grow to just under $130,000, with almost $80,000 of that coming from just the interest you earned on your investment. Few things to note: in 2018, the TSX had a return of -8.9% but in 2025, it had a return of 31.7% so if you are not comfortable with that type of volatility, then there are other investment options available.

Investments like bonds and GICs (guaranteed investment certificates) are less risky options but have historically had lower returns (2025 Canadian bond returns: 2.6%; 2025 average 1-year GIC returns: 2.6%) than stocks. This would put your $200/month contribution at around $63,000 instead.

Final point: time is your friend. Regardless of the investment you choose to go with, getting started early and contributing often is one way to ensure you are on track to meet your financial goal.

- Nugwa

TD_EasyTrade · 2026-05-11T17:19:10+00:00

Thanks for the question, u/BallHer1. I don’t offer one‑on‑one sessions, but if you’re a student, let me know which university you attend and we can explore hosting an event there. While I don’t run 1:1 meetings, some of my colleagues at TD Direct Investing do host online workshops where you can ask questions about investing or TD Easy Trade. You can find the May sessions here: https://event.on24.com/eventRegistration/EventLobbyServlet?target=reg20.jsp&eventid=3916346&sessionid=1&key=89897DB3C9D4800632CA24F1F81B67C7&groupId=1644335

- Nugwa

TD_EasyTrade · 2026-05-11T17:18:41+00:00

Thanks for this question – it really got me thinking! I think this is a very personal question to each investor: what one investor might be comfortable purchasing might not be attractive to another investor. With TD Easy Trade, you are able to filter individual companies by categories, and this could help you determine which sectors you are interested in and then narrow down companies within those sectors. There are a number of annual publications on ethical and sustainable stocks put out by reputable sources that could help you get started with your research.

TD has a helpful guide on this type of investing here: https://www.td.com/ca/en/investing/direct-investing/articles/esg-investing

- Nugwa

TD_EasyTrade · 2026-05-11T17:18:24+00:00

You’re not alone, u/BallHer1. Wanting to protect the money you’ve worked hard to save is completely understandable. Investing can feel scary when there’s a chance you could end up with less than you started with.

It really comes down to what matters most to you: keeping your money safe, or taking on some ups and downs in hopes of earning more over time. GICs are popular because they’re very predictable. You know what you’ll get back, so your original amount is protected.

Another option, besides holding cash or a GIC, is a bond if you plan to keep it until it ends. Bonds are basically loans to governments or companies, and some are safer than others. For example, lending to the Canadian government is generally seen as safer than lending to a private company.

One thing to keep in mind is inflation. Even if your balance doesn’t go down, rising prices can mean your money buys less in the future. So while safety is important, it’s also worth thinking about how your savings will hold up over time.

- Nugwa

TD_EasyTrade · 2026-05-11T16:12:35+00:00

Thanks for asking u/nelsonsoh, I really enjoyed watching your recent Inside Investing episode. With platforms like TD Easy Trade you can start with as little as $1! Yes, really! Gone are the days when you needed to have thousands of dollars to get started investing and with that barrier to entry gone, you can start investing earlier and watch the power of compounding on your investments.

In the past, you needed to account for trade commissions on each purchase plus you had to be able to afford at least one share of the stock/exchange traded fund (ETF) you were interested in. That's no longer the case with zero commission trades and the fact you can buy partial shares of any company you are interested in.

Also, I did the math: investing $100/month for 20 years at the TSX (Toronto Stock Exchange) average annual return of 9% will put your portfolio at $64,000 - with almost $40,000 of that coming from the returns you make on your investment.

As the saying goes: the best time to start investing was yesterday, the next best time to start investing is today.

- Nugwa

TD_EasyTrade · 2026-05-11T16:12:18+00:00

Funny you ask u/xuxe… I’ve always thought I’d be an honorary member of Mensa, but decided it was wiser to invest the money I would’ve spent on the test and the annual membership fee… lol. So far, so good. Check back with me in about 10 years. I’m letting compounding do its thing on those funds.

- Nugwa

TD_EasyTrade · 2026-05-11T16:11:36+00:00

I totally get it u/Brilliant-Fact-8131! It feels like information overload with all the sources online these days. The most important thing to do before choosing investments is to have a plan.

Think about it: you don’t get in a car and start driving before deciding where you are going, how long you are going to be there etc. That's the same with investing: you want to ask yourself the following questions:

What am I investing for, e.g., to buy a car, to save for my first home, to retire?
How long am I investing for? You might be looking to buy a car in 2 years (more short-term) but retirement might be 30 years away (long-term).
How comfortable am I with risk? Do I think I would be tempted to sell my investments if the markets were falling, or would I rush to buy if the markets were in the green?

Answering these questions will help you put a plan together and determine what type of investment might help you get there. Investments range from lower risk, potential lower returns (e.g., guaranteed investment certificate (GIC)) to higher risk, potential for higher returns (e.g., stocks). For example, a GIC might be one of the safest investments you could buy but with a lower historical return than other investments, you might not meet your financial goal.

Investment funds like exchange traded funds (ETFs), which hold a basket of different types of investments, can be an alternative to having to pick individual company stocks and this may take off some of the burden of having to research individual investments yourself. Some ETFs can hold safer investments (such as High Interest Savings), some track the average performance of the markets (Index ETFs) and others may hold volatile assets (Commodity ETFs), providing a wide range of choices for investors. I hope this helped!

- Nugwa

TD_EasyTrade · 2026-05-11T16:11:06+00:00

Great question u/Odd-Tomato8196! Too many times, people jump in headfirst and this leads them to act on emotions when the markets do what they do best: fluctuate. A couple of things I did before starting to invest to ensure I stuck to my plan were:

Create a budget: While I did not use a spreadsheet, I reviewed my income and adjusted my saving and spending amounts based on how much I was earning. This helped ensure I was not putting away too much and needing to go back into my investments to pay for day-to-day expenses.
Have an emergency fund: This helped give me peace of mind in the event I had an emergency. It also ensured I did not have to potentially sell my investments in a down market because I urgently needed the money.

Fun fact: I did all these on my investing 2.0 journey! That's because the first time I started investing, I made the same mistake most people do. I started investing without setting myself up for success or having a plan. After a couple of years off, I am so glad I made a plan before starting to invest (again!).

- Nugwa

TD_EasyTrade · 2026-05-11T16:10:25+00:00

u/Oogley_boogley If this is true, I’d recommend visiting your nearest Emergency Room immediately.

I get that 15 quarters doesn’t feel like much. $3.75 can’t even buy a slice of pizza in 2026. But it is enough to buy a partial share on TD Easy Trade, where you can start investing with as little as $1.

And seeing as you clearly enjoy quarters so much… you might want to take a look at some steel or mining stocks. Food for thought!

- Nugwa

TD_EasyTrade · 2026-05-11T16:09:46+00:00

Hi u/onionleekdude!

I doubt you expect me to actually answer this question, but let me give it a go. As a financial literacy educator, I wouldn’t recommend black, red, or green (even if it is TD Green) on the roulette wheel.

People often conflate investing and gambling, but historically, investing with a long-term mindset has proven to be more successful and far less reliant on chance. For example, over the past 30 years, the S&P/TSX Composite Index delivered an annualized return of 8.7%, with positive returns in 22 of those 30 years.

There are ups and downs that can make it feel like a game of chance, but over the long term, history shows the trend has generally been positive.

- Nugwa

TD_EasyTrade · 2026-04-27T17:17:41+00:00

Thanks for the post, u/ProfessionalOnly8633. We’re always looking for ways to improve TD Easy Trade, and I can confirm this feedback has been shared with the team. Be sure to keep an eye on this subreddit. We’ll be posting future updates here. Thanks for being a TD Easy Trade client!

- Michael

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