Currency conversion cost calculator
See what repeated CAD and USD conversions can cost.
Compare an estimated foreign-exchange fee on every buy and sell with the annual cost of holding a USD account.
Annual comparison
A USD account costs about $480 less per year.
Repeated conversions
$600
USD account for one year
$120
Rate and account-fee assumptions
The conversion estimate uses 8 conversions a year. It does not model bid-ask spreads, taxes, account restrictions, market movement, or provider-specific pricing tiers.
Use the provider's actual fee schedule.
Brokerages differ in how they convert currency, hold USD, settle trades, and price account tiers. Replace the defaults with the current numbers for the account you are considering.
The background and practical alternatives are in the FX fee problem for Canadian investors.