According to CIBC Capital Markets analyst Anita Soni, gold prices are expected to reach US$4,500 per ounce next year and remain at that level through 2027. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) · Dan Kitwood via Getty Images
Wealthsimple has launched a new gold trading feature that lets clients buy and sell real gold and redeem physical gold coins through its trading platform.
The announcement comes as Wealthsimple hit $100 billion in total assets under administration, marking a major milestone for the Toronto-based fintech.
“We’re going to be the only Canadian brokerage to allow clients to buy real gold 24/7 in Canadian dollars, and they can start for as little as one dollar,” Paul Teshima, Wealthsimple’s chief commercial officer, told Yahoo Finance Canada in an interview. Gold’s trading fee will be one per cent, following an initial promotion that waives fees until total gold trades on the platform reach $50 million.
While rival platforms such as Questrade also allow investors to buy and sell gold, Wealthsimple says its service stands apart for offering real-time pricing, fractional ownership, 24/7 digital trading and no storage fees. Clients can also redeem their holdings for commemorative Wealthsimple coins minted with the Royal Canadian Mint.
The launch marks the first time Wealthsimple clients can buy and sell physical gold directly instead of relying on gold-backed funds or other indirect investments. The move expands the fintech’s push to make alternative assets more accessible to small investors amid renewed interest in gold as a hedge against inflation and economic uncertainty.
On Oct. 17, gold headed for its biggest weekly gain in five years, surging more than US$300 to reach a record high near US$4,380 an ounce. According to CIBC Capital Markets analyst Anita Soni, gold prices are expected to hit US$4,500 per ounce next year and remain at that level through 2027.
“Gold has always been considered a safe haven,” said Jason Heath, financial planner at Objective Financial Partners, noting that inflation, geopolitical tensions and the U.S. government shutdown have all likely helped push prices higher.
“Central banks can create new money out of thin air, but there is only so much of certain assets like gold to go around. That makes it a store of value,” he added. “For many cultures, gold is a symbol of security and wealth and can even have sacred status from a religious or marital perspective.”
Heath also says it has become easier for investors to buy gold in various ways. For example, there are gold ETFs or mutual funds that one can buy that own physical gold, gold stocks or other bullion, such as silver.
Teshima says Wealthsimple wants Canadians to be able to participate in gold trading directly, even if they’re not high-net-worth individuals. With the introduction of fractional investing, Wealthsimple’s customers “don’t need to have hundreds of thousands of dollars to do it.”
He adds that the new trading feature supports Wealthsimple’s key investing pillars — diversification and “this idea that it’s really important to invest in multiple asset classes for long-term financials.”
Gold has already been included in Wealthsimple portfolios, Teshima says. Its robo-advisor platform allocates 2.5 per cent of its clients’ accounts to gold ETFs and 10 per cent within its halal portfolios.
Heath says that while some people hold a small allocation to gold as part of a diversification strategy, the majority of investors stick to stocks and bonds. One of the challenges, he adds, is being careful not to buy high and sell low.
“As excitement builds for a stock, a stock market sector, or even a specific asset like gold, there can be a herd mentality that drives the price up,” he said. “In some cases, it can be like musical chairs — except the last one with the chair (or the investment) loses.”
Teshima says the gold feature fits into Wealthsimple’s broader strategy to become a one-stop financial platform.
“This was a gap we didn’t have before — the ability to buy gold,” he said. “It fits right in because what we want to do is continue to provide investing options that make sense for our clients.”