Every Wealthsimple Feature XEQT Investors Should Be Using in 2026

I have been using Wealthsimple since 2020, and I am still discovering features I did not know existed.

Last month I stumbled on a setting that had been quietly earning me extra income on my XEQT holdings – and I had never deliberately turned it on. That discovery inspired this guide. I went through every menu and toggle inside Wealthsimple, and I realized the platform has grown far beyond the basic trading app I signed up for six years ago.

Most XEQT investors open an account, buy some shares, and call it a day. But you are probably leaving money on the table by not using half of what Wealthsimple offers. Here is the complete rundown of every feature that matters in 2026.

1. Auto-Invest and Recurring Buys

If you take away only one thing from this entire guide, let it be this: set up auto-invest today.

Auto-invest lets you schedule automatic XEQT purchases on a recurring basis – weekly, biweekly, or monthly. You pick your amount, choose your schedule, and Wealthsimple handles the rest. Money moves from your bank account into your investment account, and XEQT shares are purchased automatically without you opening the app.

How to set it up:

1. Open the Wealthsimple app and navigate to your investment account (TFSA, RRSP, or non-registered)
2. Tap “Move funds” or “Add funds” and select “Set up recurring deposit”
3. Choose your bank account, amount, and frequency
4. Enable auto-invest and allocate 100% to XEQT
5. Confirm and forget about it

Best frequency: I recommend matching your auto-invest schedule to your pay schedule. If you are paid biweekly, invest biweekly. This ensures the money leaves your account before you have a chance to spend it.

Why it matters for XEQT: Automatic investing is dollar-cost averaging on autopilot. You buy more shares when XEQT is cheap and fewer when it is expensive, all without making a single decision. Over the long run, this disciplined approach tends to outperform investors who try to time the market.

For a detailed walkthrough, see our full Wealthsimple auto-invest setup guide.

2. Fractional Shares

With fractional shares, you can buy XEQT with any dollar amount – even $1. Before this feature, if XEQT was trading at $30 and you had $50 to invest, you could buy one share and the remaining $20 would sit as uninvested cash. Now, your entire $50 goes to work immediately.

Why it matters: Fractional shares make auto-invest dramatically more effective. Every single dollar gets invested, with no leftover cash. This is especially valuable for beginners starting with small amounts.

3. Round-Ups

Most people either do not know this exists or dismissed it as a gimmick. Let me change your mind.

Round-ups connect to your Wealthsimple Cash card. Every purchase is rounded up to the nearest dollar (or a multiplier you choose), and the spare change is automatically invested into XEQT.

The math: Say you make 5 purchases per day with an average round-up of $0.50. That is $75 per month, or $900 per year – invested automatically without you thinking about it once. Over 20 years at 8% annual returns, that spare change could grow to over $44,000.

You can customize the multiplier to 2x, 3x, 5x, or even 10x. A $0.50 round-up at 5x becomes $2.50 per transaction. For the full breakdown, see our Wealthsimple round-ups guide.

4. Instant Deposits

Bank transfers normally take 1 to 3 business days. Instant deposits make your money available immediately (up to a limit) so you can buy XEQT right away.

For regular auto-invest, the delay does not matter. But when you are making a lump-sum contribution – a tax refund, bonus, or gift money – you want that cash invested now. Plus and Premium members get significantly higher instant deposit limits.

5. Commission-Free Trading

Easy to take for granted, but worth calling out. Wealthsimple charges $0 commissions to buy or sell XEQT or any Canadian-listed ETF.

How this compares:

If you buy XEQT 26 times per year (biweekly), Wealthsimple saves you $259.74 versus TD. For a deeper comparison, read our best broker for XEQT guide.

6. Dividend Reinvestment

When XEQT pays quarterly distributions, Wealthsimple can automatically reinvest them into more XEQT shares. With fractional shares, every penny gets reinvested rather than sitting as idle cash.

How to enable it: In your account settings, look for “Dividend reinvestment” and toggle it on.

This is compounding in action. XEQT pays dividends, those dividends buy more XEQT, and that XEQT pays more dividends. Over decades, this loop does serious heavy lifting.

The Tax and Reporting Features

Wealthsimple’s tax tools are genuinely one of the best reasons to consolidate your investing on the platform. Here is what you get:

7. Wealthsimple Tax Integration

Wealthsimple Tax is a free tax-filing service for all Canadians – you do not even need to be an investor to use it. If you are, your T3 slips, T5 slips, and trading summaries are automatically imported. No downloading PDFs, no manual data entry. You open Wealthsimple Tax and file in minutes.

8. Adjusted Cost Base Tracking

If you hold XEQT in a non-registered account, you need to track your adjusted cost base (ACB) for capital gains tax. Wealthsimple does this automatically – every purchase, reinvested dividend, and return of capital distribution is factored in. When you sell, you know your exact gain or loss without a spreadsheet.

9. Tax-Loss Harvesting (Plus/Premium)

For Plus and Premium members, tax-loss harvesting tools help you offset capital gains by selling investments at a loss. If a holding is sitting at a loss, you sell it to “harvest” that loss and offset gains elsewhere. Wealthsimple flags eligible opportunities for you. This is more relevant for diversified portfolios, but worth knowing about. Read our tax-loss harvesting guide.

10. Year-End Tax Documents

Every year, Wealthsimple generates your tax documents and delivers them directly in the app:

• T3 slips – for trust income from your ETF distributions (this is what XEQT generates)
• T5 slips – for interest and dividend income from non-ETF holdings or Cash accounts
• Trading summaries – for capital gains and losses in non-registered accounts
• RRSP contribution receipts – for claiming your RRSP deduction

You can find these under Documents in your account settings. They are typically available by the end of March each year, and they are automatically imported into Wealthsimple Tax if you use it.

The Account Features

One of Wealthsimple’s biggest advantages is that you can hold every type of Canadian investment account in one place. No juggling logins across multiple platforms.

11. Multiple Account Types Under One Roof

Wealthsimple supports:

• TFSA – The tax-free savings account. The starting point for most Canadians.
• RRSP – Registered retirement savings plan. Great for higher earners who want to reduce taxable income now.
• FHSA – First Home Savings Account. If you are saving for your first home, this is the best account in Canadian history. Tax-deductible going in, tax-free coming out.
• Non-registered (Personal) – For investing beyond your registered account limits.
• Corporate accounts – For business owners who want to invest retained earnings.
• LIRA – Locked-in retirement accounts for former pension money.

Having everything in one place means one login, one dashboard, one view of your total XEQT holdings. It simplifies your financial life enormously. Read more about how to structure your accounts for XEQT.

12. Spousal RRSP Support

Wealthsimple makes it easy to open and contribute to a spousal RRSP. This is a powerful income-splitting strategy for couples where one partner earns significantly more than the other.

The higher-earning spouse contributes to the spousal RRSP (and claims the tax deduction), while the lower-earning spouse eventually withdraws the funds at their lower tax rate. Both spouses can hold XEQT inside their respective RRSPs on the same Wealthsimple household.

13. RESP for Education Savings

Wealthsimple offers RESPs (Registered Education Savings Plans) for parents and guardians saving for a child’s post-secondary education. The federal government matches 20% of your contributions through the Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG), up to $500 per year.

You can hold XEQT inside a Wealthsimple RESP, which makes it simple to build an education fund with the same strategy you use for everything else. For children who will not need the money for 10+ years, a 100% equity allocation like XEQT makes a lot of sense. See our RESP investing guide for details.

14. Account Transfers (With Fees Covered)

Already have XEQT at Questrade, TD, or another broker? Wealthsimple will transfer your investments and cover the transfer fees (verify current reimbursement thresholds in the app).

The transfer process takes 1 to 3 weeks, and your investments move in-kind – your XEQT shares transfer directly without being sold and repurchased. No tax event. No market timing risk.

The Advanced Features

These are the features that separate casual users from investors who are extracting every drop of value from the platform.

15. Stock Lending Income

Wealthsimple lends your shares to other market participants (typically short sellers or institutions) and you earn a portion of the lending fee. Your shares remain yours – you can sell at any time – and the risk is minimal because Wealthsimple holds collateral equal to or greater than the value of the lent shares.

The income is modest (fractions of a percent annually), but it is free money on holdings you were keeping anyway. Enable it in your account settings under the securities lending section.

Important note: Stock lending income is taxable. In a TFSA, this does not matter. In a non-registered account, it appears on your T5 slip. Verify current program terms in the app.

16. Wealthsimple Plus and Premium

The free tier covers almost everything XEQT investors need. But Wealthsimple Plus offers features that can be worth the cost (verify current pricing in the app):

My take: If you only buy XEQT and never touch US securities, the free tier is enough. The main reasons to upgrade are higher instant deposit limits, boosted Cash interest, and priority support. For a detailed analysis, read Is Wealthsimple Plus Worth It?

17. Price Alerts

You can set custom price alerts on XEQT to get notified when the price hits a specific target. Tap on XEQT in the app, look for the notification bell icon, and set your target price.

How I use this: I set alerts for large drops (XEQT falling more than 5% from recent highs) as a signal to consider an extra lump-sum purchase on top of my auto-invest. Not a requirement – but a nice way to take advantage of dips.

18. Performance Reports

Wealthsimple provides detailed performance tracking: total return (percentage and dollar amount), time-weighted rate of return, total deposits over time, returns by account type, and dividend income history.

I review my performance report once a year to confirm my strategy is working and to see the gap between what I have contributed and what the market has grown it to. Watching that gap widen is genuinely motivating.

The Ecosystem Features

Wealthsimple has grown into a full financial ecosystem. Here are the products that complement your XEQT investing.

19. Wealthsimple Cash

A high-interest savings product that lives alongside your investment accounts. Your emergency fund, short-term savings, and money waiting to be invested can all sit here earning interest – keeping your entire financial picture on one platform.

Plus and Premium members get a boosted interest rate. Verify the current rate in the app.

20. Wealthsimple Crypto

Wealthsimple lets you buy and sell cryptocurrency within the app. For your core, long-term portfolio, I do not recommend replacing XEQT with crypto. If you want a small satellite allocation (5% or less) for speculation, having it on the same platform is convenient. Just keep it separate from your serious money.

21. Wealthsimple Managed (Robo-Advisor)

Wealthsimple’s robo-advisor service automatically builds and rebalances a portfolio based on your risk tolerance. It charges a management fee (typically 0.4% to 0.5%) on top of underlying ETF fees. Buying XEQT yourself costs only the 0.20% MER.

That 0.2% to 0.3% difference sounds small, but over 25 years on a $500,000 portfolio, it adds up to tens of thousands of dollars. If you can set up auto-invest (see feature number 1), you are better off with DIY XEQT.

My Personal Wealthsimple Setup for XEQT

I believe in showing my work, so here is my exact Wealthsimple configuration:

Accounts:

• TFSA – maxed out annually, 100% XEQT. This is my primary investment account.
• RRSP – contributing to reduce taxable income, 100% XEQT.
• FHSA – maxing this out as well (I am still eligible). 100% XEQT.
• Non-registered (Personal) – overflow investing after registered accounts are maxed. 100% XEQT.
• Wealthsimple Cash – emergency fund and short-term savings.

Auto-invest settings:

• TFSA: $500 biweekly, aligned with my payday
• RRSP: $250 biweekly
• FHSA: $333 monthly (to max the $8,000 annual limit)
• Non-registered: $200 biweekly (variable – I increase this when I have extra cash flow)

Features I have enabled:

• Auto-invest on all accounts (obviously)
• Fractional shares (enabled by default on newer accounts)
• Dividend reinvestment on all accounts
• Round-ups at 3x multiplier on my Wealthsimple Cash card
• Stock lending (in TFSA and non-registered accounts)
• Price alerts set at 5% and 10% below XEQT’s 52-week high

Features I do not use:

• Wealthsimple Managed – I prefer buying XEQT directly
• Crypto – not part of my core strategy
• Tax-loss harvesting – my non-registered account is relatively small and I rarely sell

Subscription tier: I am on Wealthsimple Plus. The boosted Cash interest rate and higher instant deposit limits are worth the cost for me. If I were just starting out with a smaller portfolio, I would stick with the free tier and revisit Plus once my portfolio crossed the $50,000 mark. See our breakdown of whether Wealthsimple Plus is worth it.

Quick-Start Checklist: Enable These 7 Features Today

If you already have a Wealthsimple account but have not optimized your setup, run through this checklist. It takes less than 10 minutes.

1. Set up auto-invest – Match it to your pay schedule. Even $50 per pay period is a start. Step-by-step guide here.
2. Enable dividend reinvestment – Go to your account settings and toggle it on for every account that holds XEQT.
3. Confirm fractional shares are active – They should be on by default, but check under your trading settings.
4. Turn on round-ups – Connect your Wealthsimple Cash card and set a multiplier that fits your budget. Round-ups guide.
5. Enable stock lending – Free passive income on holdings you are keeping anyway. Find it in your account settings.
6. Review your account structure – Are you using the right accounts? TFSA first for most people, then RRSP, then FHSA if eligible, then non-registered.
7. Set up Wealthsimple Tax – Even if tax season is months away, linking your accounts now means everything is ready when you need it.

That is it. Seven toggles and settings that collectively save you time, earn you extra income, and keep your investing completely on autopilot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Are all of these features free on Wealthsimple?

Most of them, yes. Auto-invest, fractional shares, round-ups, dividend reinvestment, commission-free trading, stock lending, tax documents, and Wealthsimple Tax are all available on the free tier. A few features – like higher instant deposit limits, tax-loss harvesting tools, and USD accounts – require a Plus or Premium subscription. See our Wealthsimple fees breakdown for the full picture.

Q: Do I need Wealthsimple Plus to buy XEQT?

No. You can buy XEQT commission-free on the free tier. Plus is only necessary if you want reduced currency conversion fees (for US-listed securities), higher instant deposit limits, or premium features like real-time quotes and priority support. Since XEQT is Canadian-listed and trades in CAD, the free tier covers the essentials.

Q: Can I use auto-invest in my TFSA and RRSP at the same time?

Yes. You can set up separate auto-invest schedules for every account type. I run different amounts and frequencies for my TFSA, RRSP, FHSA, and non-registered accounts, all automated independently.

Q: Is stock lending safe? Will I lose my XEQT shares?

Stock lending on Wealthsimple is backed by collateral. When your shares are lent out, the borrower posts collateral equal to or greater than the value of the shares. You retain full ownership and can sell at any time. The primary risk is if both the borrower and Wealthsimple defaulted simultaneously, which is an extremely unlikely scenario. That said, verify the current program terms and protections directly in the app before enabling it.

Q: What if Wealthsimple goes bankrupt? Are my XEQT shares safe?

Wealthsimple is a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund (CIPF), which protects your accounts up to $1 million per account category if the firm becomes insolvent. Your XEQT shares are held in trust and are separate from Wealthsimple’s corporate assets. Read our full guide on whether Wealthsimple is safe for more details.

The Bottom Line

Wealthsimple has quietly evolved from a simple trading app into one of the most complete investing platforms in Canada. For XEQT investors, the combination of commission-free trading, auto-invest, fractional shares, dividend reinvestment, and robust tax tools means you can build a world-class portfolio on complete autopilot.

These are not theoretical nice-to-haves. They are practical tools that work for me while I do absolutely nothing. That is the whole point.

If you are already on Wealthsimple, go through the checklist above and make sure you are using everything available. If you are not on Wealthsimple yet, the platform is free, the tools are powerful, and it is the best platform in Canada to buy XEQT.

Set it up. Turn it on. Go live your life.

Related Reading

• Why Wealthsimple Is the Best Platform for Buying XEQT – Full platform review
• Wealthsimple Auto-Invest Setup Guide – Step-by-step walkthrough
• Wealthsimple Round-Ups Guide – How spare change investing works
• Wealthsimple Fees Explained – Every fee broken down
• Is Wealthsimple Plus Worth It? – Cost vs. value analysis
• Best Broker for XEQT in Canada – Wealthsimple vs. competitors
• XEQT for Beginners – Starting from scratch
• Dollar-Cost Averaging into XEQT – The strategy behind auto-invest