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.
Two estimated fee components
Estimated conversion fees are $480 more than the annual USD account fee.
CAD value per conversion
Buy and sell cycles per year
Estimated conversion fees
$600
Annual USD account fee
$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.