Total Cost Reporting: What investors need to know

The Canadian investment industry is evolving. Case in point: starting in early 2027, investors will be provided with enhanced reporting that will help support their unique investment journey. The new Total Cost Reporting (TCR) initiative gives you greater detail and insight into the specific costs you pay for the management of your investment portfolio. 

TCR is an expanded view of how your portfolio is performing—its assets, results and associated costs. This doesn’t just satisfy curiosity, though; TCR can also help you and your financial advisor make better portfolio-management decisions together, distinguishing which assets drive your investment performance and determining whether any associated costs are justified given the results of your portfolio’s specific assets.

What’s changing with Total Cost Reporting?

When your new annual fee and charges report arrives in 2027, it will cover your investment activities in 2026. You’ll notice plainer, less-technical language, designed to make your new report more comprehensible and accessible. It will be a dashboard, of sorts, to help you navigate your investment decisions, including:

One number for your fund’s total costs

Every investment fund has built-in costs. These costs cover items such as professional management and the ongoing buying and selling of investments within the fund. In your new report, such costs are combined into a single, easy-to-read figure, the Fund Expense Ratio (FER). It has two components: 

• Management Expense Ratio (MER): the cost of professional investment management to help keep your portfolio on track.
• Trading Expense Ratio (TER): the cost of trading activity inside the fund. This is related to the buying and selling that your fund manager does to navigate changing market conditions.

Together, they form your FER, which represents your all-in cost.

Costs in dollars, not just percentages

This report will show costs in dollar terms, not just percentages, making it easier to understand the actual cost of investing.

Everything is in one place

You will see how much your advisor and the firm are compensated, alongside any embedded fees paid on investment funds. It’s the consolidated picture of what you’re paying.

Are these new costs?

When you first see the new total cost, it might seem higher than what you’re used to. That’s completely normal. Rest assured, your total cost hasn’t changed. You’re simply seeing the full, itemized receipt—not a new bill, just a more detailed one. This is helpful because:

It provides more information and insight for you and your advisor

You can have more meaningful conversations about whether each investment is working for you—whether it’s delivering the right value for you.

It shows that working with a professional can pay off

Research shows that Canadians who work with an advisor build significantly more wealth over time. An April 2026 study by the C.D. Howe Institute found that Canadian investors who receive professional financial guidance accumulate up to 3.9 times more wealth over time, compared to non-advised investors. Having comprehensive reporting around your investments can help you make more-informed decisions with your advisor, which can help keep your portfolio on the right track to meet your goals.

It’s important to remember that you’re not seeing new costs and that the total cost reporting enhancements don’t impact your portfolio, your net returns or your overall plan. Instead, when your enhanced report arrives, you’ll be getting a clearer experience as an investor.