Main features and perks
Earn up to $1,000 when you bundle an Ultimate Package, savings account, and credit card2.
Open an account today!
Is this Chequing Account right for you?
Right for you if you:
- Can benefit from unlimited transactions per month included in this account
- Use for everyday banking such as purchases, ABM transactions and payroll deposits
May not be right for you if you:
- Are interested in only opening a savings account that earns interest
Monthly Fees: Monthly Fees: $0 or $30.95/mth*
* No monthly account fee by maintaining a minimum daily closing balance of $6,000 for the entire month in your Ultimate Package account, or a minimum daily closing Total Relationship Balance of $100,000 for the entire month in your Eligible Accounts (excluding iTrade accounts; see terms & conditions for full list of exclusions & conditions).1
Account Benefits
- Unlimited debit transactions³ and Interac e‑Transfer† transactions
- Ongoing annual fee rebate on select credit cards (up to $150)⁵
- Scene+™ points⁸
- No Overdraft Protection fee⁴
More Perks
- 10 free equity trades at Scotia iTRADE® in your first year (approximately $100 value) and 5 free equity trades every year after7
- No monthly account fee on a Basic Plus Bank Account¹² (save up to $143 annually)
- No monthly account fee on a Scotia® U.S. Dollar Daily Interest Account15
- Unlimited free global non‑Scotiabank ABM withdrawals6
- Unlimited no fee Scotia International Money Transfers†
- Free personalized cheques16 and drafts9
- Ultimate Package Rates on select foreign exchange transactions23
- Free small safety deposit box ($80 annual fee waived)13
- Seniors aged 60+ will receive an automatic monthly account fee discount of $7.00
- Preferred rates on eligible mortgages on a Scotia Total Equity® Plan24
Fuel up and save at Shell
When you visit Shell Canada locations, you can get up to 5¢/L in value at the pump when you use your linked Scotiabank® Debit Card°. Learn more.
You may also like this option
Preferred Package
- Unlimited debit transactions11 & Interac e-Transfer† transactions
- Ongoing $40 annual fee rebate (on eligible credit cards)10
- Earn points on everyday purchases with the Scene+TM program8
- Trade 1 Get 1 Free at Scotia iTRADE®20
- Pay no monthly account fees if you are under the age of 25 or enrolled full-time in a post-secondary education
Basic Plus Bank Account
- 25 free debit transactions3 per month
- Free Interac e-Transfer† transactions
Basic Bank Account
- 18 free debit transactions3 & Interac e-Transfer† transactions per month
- Monthly Fee Waiver21 for the following groups:
- Indigenous Peoples
- RDSP Beneficiaries
- Recipients of the Disability Tax Credit
- Canadians receiving social assistance payments
- Seniors
Registered trademarks of The Bank of Nova Scotia, used under license.
Interac e-Transfer is a registered trade-mark of Interac Corp. Used under license.
CreditView is a service provided by TransUnion. The Bank of Nova Scotia and its affiliates are not responsible for the service.
Foreign currency exchange rates apply. For Ultimate Package customers and customers onboarded as a part of the Scotiabank StartRight® Program, we do not charge a service fee for the transfer, however, foreign currency exchange rates apply. A transfer needs to be made from an eligible Scotiabank Chequing or Savings account. Subject to daily limits and additional terms and conditions as set out in the Scotiabank International Money Transfer Agreement found at www.scotiabank.com/ca/en/personal/ways-to-bank/scotiabank-international-money-transfer-agreement.html.
Terms and Conditions found in Scotiabank International Money Transfer Agreement apply
The Ultimate Package monthly account fee is waived if a minimum daily closing balance of $6,000 is maintained for the entire month in the Ultimate Package account. If the minimum daily closing balance of $6,000 is not maintained for the entire month in the Ultimate Package account but you have a Total Relationship Balance of $100,000 or more for the entire month, the monthly account fee of the Ultimate Package account will be either waived, or charged then rebated within the first 10 business days of the following month. This Ultimate Package monthly account fee waiver is limited to one waiver or rebate per client per month. For joint Ultimate Package accounts, the Total Relationship Balances are calculated separately for each accountholder and the monthly account fee will be waived or rebated if any one of the joint accountholder’s Total Relationship Balance is $100,000 or more. The Ultimate Package account must have sufficient funds to cover any fees, including the monthly account fee.
Total Relationship Balance: for any day, the sum of daily closing balances for that day in your eligible Scotiabank chequing accounts, savings accounts, GICs, and Mutual Funds including Scotia Registered Accounts and Scotia Investment Accounts (as defined in the Investment Companion Booklet) (“Eligible Accounts”) linked to your retail client profile for which you hold your Ultimate Package. A complete list of the Eligible Accounts is found at scotiabank.com/totalrelationshipbalance and Eligible Accounts include sole and joint accounts. For Mutual Funds, your daily closing balance is based on market value. For GICs where interest is paid before maturity, your daily closing balance is equal to the principal amount less the amount of all partial redemptions plus any accrued and unpaid interest up to that date. For GICs where interest is compounded, your daily closing balance is equal to the principal amount less the amount of all partial redemptions plus compound interest earned, plus interest accrued and unpaid up to that date. For eligible non-Canadian dollar accounts, the balance will be determined based on the daily exchange rate determined by us and shown in Canadian Dollars.
Exclusions: All non-personal accounts and accounts held at Scotia McLeod, iTrade and/or any account type that is not in this list found at scotiabank.com/totalrelationshipbalance are excluded from the Total Relationship Balance.
If a transaction is recorded retroactively in the Eligible Account (“Backdated Transaction”), the Backdated Transaction will not retroactively change your Total Relationship Balance that was used to determine the eligibility for the monthly account fee waiver or rebate. In other words, we will consider the eligibility of the monthly account fee waiver or rebate only once at the end of any given month and will not reconsider even though a Backdated Transaction was retroactively recorded.
By opening your Ultimate Package account, you consent for The Bank of Nova Scotia to review your Eligible Accounts held at the Bank of Nova Scotia (“Eligible BNS Accounts”) as well as Eligible Accounts held at Scotia Securities Inc. (“Eligible SSI Accounts”), including the balances held at both Eligible BNS Accounts and Eligible SSI Accounts (including your sole account balances and any joint account balances you hold with other account holders) for the purpose of evaluating, calculating, and investigating the Total Relationship Balance tier applicable to your Ultimate Package.
Privacy Statement: If you have a joint Ultimate Package account and it receives a monthly account fee waiver based on the Total Relationship Balance, the other Ultimate Package joint accountholder may be able to infer that you hold a qualifying balance and/or have other products with us. This is because the Total Relationship Balance includes the balances held individually or jointly in other Eligible Accounts. If you prefer not to have the individual balances in your Eligible Accounts considered for the monthly account fee waiver eligibility on a joint account, please speak with your advisor or visit a branch to explore alternative banking options that may better suit your privacy preferences .
The Scotiabank Cash Bonus Bundle Offer Terms and Conditions
1. The Scotiabank Cash Bonus Bundle Offer (the “Offer”) is available between July 3, 2026 and October 29, 2026 (the “Offer Period”) to individuals who open new eligible accounts. Subject to the Offer conditions, eligible clients can earn $700 when they open a new Preferred Package or Ultimate Package chequing account and complete certain qualifying transactions. Plus, clients who meet the conditions for the $700 bonus are also eligible to earn up to $300 in additional cash bonuses when they bundle their new Preferred or Ultimate Package chequing account with a new Money Master Savings Account and/or a new eligible Credit Card Account and complete certain qualifying transactions/conditions.
$700 Cash Bonus for Preferred or Ultimate Package Conditions
2. To qualify for the $700 cash bonus (the “$700 Package Bonus”), you must:
a. Open a new Ultimate Package or new Preferred Package chequing account (the “Eligible Chequing Account”) during the Offer Period;
b. Within 60 days of Eligible Chequing Account opening, set up and receive at least one eligible automated and recurring direct deposit, such as payroll or pension, which will recur monthly for a minimum of six (6) consecutive months in total; and
c. Within 60 days of Eligible Chequing Account opening, complete any one (1) of the following activities:
i. Set up and make a minimum of one (1) eligible recurring pre-authorized transaction with a value of at least $50 which will recur monthly for a minimum of six (6) consecutive months, or
ii. Make at least one (1) eligible online bill payment of at least $50 through the Scotiabank Mobile App or through Scotia OnLine, or
iii. Complete at least one (1) eligible Visa* Debit purchase using your ScotiaCard® anywhere Visa* Debit is accepted. Only the following Visa Debit transaction types are eligible: online debit purchases, and in-store purchases made outside of Canada.
3. Click here for a list of eligible direct deposits, pre-authorized transactions and online bill payments. Notwithstanding a transaction may be included in these lists, certain exclusions may still apply and Scotiabank reserves the right to modify these lists and to determine whether a specific direct deposit, pre-authorized transaction or bill payment is eligible for the $700 Package Bonus. Fund transfers initiated to other Scotiabank accounts (one time or recurring, e.g. credit card or savings account), to chequing or savings accounts held at other financial institutions, or to payment processing firms, are not eligible for the $700 Package Bonus.
$200 Money Master Savings Account Bundle Conditions
4. To qualify for a $200 cash bonus (the “$200 Savings Bundle Bonus”), you must meet all of the conditions for the $700 Package Bonus, and:
a. During the Offer Period and within 60 days of opening your Eligible Chequing Account:
i. Open a new Money Master Savings Account (the “Eligible Savings Account”).
ii. Enroll your new Eligible Savings Account in either the Pay Yourself First or the Savings Finder tool (each a “Smart Savings Tool”).
b. Remain enrolled in your selected Smart Savings Tool for 90 consecutive days.
5. Enrolment in a Smart Savings Tool is subject to certain eligibility requirements and can only be done through the Scotiabank mobile banking app. For example, enrollment in the Pay Yourself First tool will not be available if you have not had at least 4 recurring deposits to your Scotia Chequing Account at the time you attempt to enroll. Also, both the Eligible Chequing and Savings Accounts must be “Any to Sign” to be eligible for the Smart Savings tools. Only one Smart Savings Tool can be enrolled in at a time but you can switch tools at any time, however, you must remain enrolled in a Smart Savings Tool for 90 consecutive days from the date of first enrolment in Section 4.a.ii. above. See the Smart Savings Tool Agreement for full terms and conditions.
$100 Credit Card Bundle Bonus Conditions
6. To be eligible to receive a $100 cash bonus (the “$100 Credit Card Bundle Bonus”), you must meet all of the conditions for the $700 Package Bonus, and:
a. Within 60 days of opening your Eligible Chequing Account, you must apply for and be approved for an Eligible Credit Card Account in which you are the primary cardholder; and
b. Within 60 days of opening your Eligible Credit Card Account, you must complete at least one Qualifying Purchase on your Eligible Credit Card Account.
A “Qualifying Purchase” is a Purchase (as defined in your credit agreement for your Eligible Credit Card Account) that is posted to your Eligible Credit Card Account, less any refunds, returns or other similar credits on your Eligible Credit Card Account. Qualifying Purchases exclude cash advances (including balance transfers and cash-like transactions), interest charges, fees and payments posted to your Eligible Credit Card Account.
“Eligible Credit Card Accounts” currently include the following:
- Scotiabank® Scene+TM Visa* Card
- Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite +*
- Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card
- Scotiabank American Express® Card
- Scotiabank Gold American Express®
- Scotiabank Platinum American Express® Card
- Scotia Momentum® No-Fee Visa* Card
- Scotia Momentum® Visa* Card
- Scotia Momentum® Visa Infinite +*
- Scotiabank Value® Visa* Card
Eligible Credit Card Accounts are subject to change.
Offer Eligibility and Exclusions:
7. $700 Package Bonus: Individuals who are currently holders of, or who were previously holders within the last two (2) years, of a Scotiabank Chequing Account are not eligible for this Bonus. “Scotiabank Chequing Account” means any of the following accounts: Ultimate Package, Preferred Package, Scotia One Account, Basic Plus Bank Account, Basic Banking Plan, Basic Bank Account, Momentum Chequing, Power Chequing, Scotia One Service, Scotia Value, Student Banking Advantage Plan.
8. $200 Savings Bundle Bonus: Individuals who currently hold or have held a Money Master Account with Scotiabank in the six (6) months preceding the Offer Period are not eligible for this Bonus.
9. $100 Credit Card Bundle Bonus: Individuals who are currently or were previously primary cardholders of a Scotiabank personal credit card in the past 2 years, including those that switch from an existing Scotiabank personal credit card are not eligible for this Bonus.
10. Employees of Scotiabank and all of its subsidiaries are also not eligible for the Offer.
Offer Fulfillment
11. Provided all of the applicable Offer conditions have been met:
a. the $700 Package Bonus will be deposited to the Eligible Chequing Account within approximately nine (9) months from account open date.
b. the $200 Savings Bundle Bonus will be deposited to your Eligible Savings Account within approximately ten (10) months from the Eligible Savings Account open date.
c. the $100 Credit Card Bundle Bonus will be deposited to your Eligible Scotiabank Chequing Account within approximately ten (10) months from the credit card open date.
12. You have 24 months from the date you believe you have fulfilled the applicable Offer conditions to notify us if you have not received the applicable cash bonus so that we may confirm your eligibility. For clients investing in non-Canadian dollar currencies, the investment will be calculated based on Canadian dollar equivalent at the Scotiabank rate on the transaction date to determine eligibility for the offer. All bonuses will be paid in Canadian dollars.
13. For any cash bonus to be fulfilled, the Eligible Chequing Account, the Eligible Savings Account and the Eligible Credit Card Account, as applicable, must be open and in good standing until the time of payout of the cash bonus. The Eligible Chequing Account is not in "good standing" if: (i) it has a negative balance exceeding the authorized overdraft limit, (ii) it has been in continuous overdraft for a period of three consecutive months, or (iii) the Account holder is in breach of the Account agreement with Scotiabank. The Eligible Savings Account is not in “good standing” if it has a negative balance. An Eligible Credit Card Account is not in “good standing” if it is past due or over limit and the Cardholder(s) is in breach of the Revolving Credit Agreement that applies to the Account.
14. If more than one (1) Eligible Chequing Account is opened, only the first Eligible Chequing Account opened will be eligible for the $700 Package Bonus. If more than one (1) Eligible Savings Account is opened, only one Eligible Savings Account that fulfilled the $200 Savings Bundle Bonus conditions will be eligible for the $200 Savings Bundle Bonus. If more than one (1) Eligible Credit Card Account is opened, only the first Eligible Credit Card Account opened will be eligible for the $100 Credit Card Bundle Bonus.
15. For joint accounts, only the primary Eligible Chequing Account holder is eligible to receive the $200 Savings Bundle Bonus and the $100 Credit Card Bundle Bonus into their Eligible Savings Account and Eligible Chequing Account, as applicable. The primary account holder must be the same client on both the Eligible Chequing Account, Eligible Savings Account, and Eligible Credit Card Account.
General Terms
16. This Offer is non-transferable and may not be duplicated. Limit of one (1) $700 Package Bonus, (1) $200 Savings Bundle Bonus, and one (1) $100 Credit Card Bundle Bonus per client (for a total bonus of up to $1,000), regardless of the number of Eligible Chequing Accounts or Eligible Savings Accounts or Eligible Credit Card Accounts opened.
17. All rates, fees, features and benefits are subject to change. All other terms and conditions of the Accounts and Smart Savings Tools Agreement continue to apply.
18. The Offer is non-transferable and may not be duplicated. Offer may be changed, cancelled or extended at any time without notice and cannot be combined with any other offers on the Account, unless otherwise permitted by Scotiabank.
Ultimate Package Account holders who add Overdraft Protection to their account will have the Overdraft Protection fee(s) automatically waived. Interest will remain to be payable on overdrawn balances calculated daily at 21% (per annum) and charged monthly. The account must have a positive balance at least once every 30 days. A $5.00 handling fee will be charged for each item that is paid while the account is overdrawn more than the authorized limit. Subject to approval.
If you open an Ultimate Package account (the “Account”), on or after the date you open the Account (“Account Open Date”) you will receive an annual fee rebate of up to $150 on one Eligible Card that you hold as the primary cardholder (“Annual Fee Rebate”), for each year as long as you have one eligible Scotiabank Credit Card account (an “Eligible Card”) and the Account which are open and in good standing. You will receive the Annual Fee Rebate, even if you opened an Eligible Card prior to the Account Open Date. Eligible Cards are the Scotiabank Gold American Express®, Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite +*, Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite Privilege*, Scotia Momentum® Visa Infinite +* and Scotiabank Value® Visa* credit cards. Eligible Cards are subject to change. Each Account will only receive one Annual Fee Rebate regardless of the number of accountholders on the Account or Eligible Cards held or opened. The Annual Fee Rebate will be applied to the first annual fee charged on the Eligible Card after the Account Open Date. If you are the primary cardholder of multiple Eligible Cards, the Annual Fee Rebate will be applied to the first annual fee that is charged on an Eligible Card after the Account Open Date. If your Eligible Card has an annual fee that is greater than $150, you remain responsible for any difference after the Annual Fee Rebate is applied. All other fees and charges applicable to the Eligible Card continue to apply. Annual Fee Rebate cannot be combined with any other annual fee rebate or waiver offer. Current annual fees, rates and other features for Eligible Cards are subject to change.
The Ultimate Package account includes non-Scotiabank Interac⁺ ABM cash withdrawals in Canada and cash withdrawals at non-Scotiabank Visa* or PLUS* ABMs within and outside of Canada. Account holders may still be charged a convenience fee by the other bank and ABM operator, not by Scotiabank.
Account holders who have a Scotia iTRADE account (except for corporate and non-personal Scotia iTRADE accounts) qualify to be credited with the commissions associated with their first 10 online commissionable trades of equities, options, debentures ($24.99 per debenture trade) or ETFs (“Eligible Securities”) placed across all account holder(s)’ Scotia iTRADE accounts within the calendar year when they open the Ultimate Package account. In the second calendar year and thereafter, account holders qualify to be credited with the commissions associated with their first 5 online commissionable trades of Eligible Securities placed across all their Scotia iTRADE accounts during each year. Both the Ultimate Package account and Scotia iTRADE accounts must be in good standing on the last day of every month. Credits will be applied to the account holder’s non-registered Scotia iTRADE account, and, in its absence, to the account holder’s registered Scotia iTRADE account in CAD currency (converted from USD to CAD for trades executed in USD, using the applicable foreign exchange rate) within the first 10 business days of the month following the trades. To be eligible, the primary or joint account holder of the Ultimate Package account can be either the primary or joint account holder of the Scotia iTRADE account. Credits will appear as $4.99 or $9.99 per trade depending on the account trading activity: standard commissions are $9.99, if more than 150 trades are placed per quarter commissions are valued at $4.99 per trade, debenture commissions are valued at $24.99 per trade. Trades executed by a Trading Authority in the Scotia iTRADE account are also eligible. To qualify you must not be in a disallowed debit position in your Scotia iTRADE accounts and not have any outstanding margin calls due in your Scotia iTRADE accounts. No cash redemption value. Free trades are limited to one per client. Only one account holder per each joint Ultimate Package account will be entitled to receive the credits for 10 or 5 free trades, as applicable, into their Scotia iTRADE account.
Scotia iTRADE® (Order-Execution Only) is a division of Scotia Capital Inc. (“SCI”). SCI is regulated by the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization and is a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund. Scotia iTRADE does not provide investment advice or recommendations and investors are responsible for their own investment decisions.
Effective starting on and after June 22, 2026 (the “Effective Date”), clients who have a Preferred Package account (“Account”) will receive an annual fee rebate of $40 (“Annual Fee Rebate”) on one Eligible Card Account where they are the primary cardholder (“Eligible Card”), beginning on the first Anniversary Date after June 22, 2026 (and on each annual Anniversary Date thereafter), provided all of the following conditions are met: (i) there must be at least $15,000 in Qualifying Purchases posted to the Eligible Card Account in the 12 monthly statement periods prior to the month in which the Eligible Card Account’s annual fee is charged to the Eligible Card Account (the “Annual Anniversary Spend Amount"), and (ii) both the Eligible Card Account and the Account must be open and in good standing at the time the Annual Fee Rebate is applied. The Rebate should appear on your Eligible Card statement approximately on, or within the first two statements after the annual fee is charged to the Eligible Card Account.
The first-year annual fee(s) charged on your Eligible Card Account after the Effective Date is not eligible for an Annual Fee Rebate. The Annual Fee Rebate applies, even if you opened an Eligible Card Account prior to the Account Open Date.
Each Account will only receive one Annual Fee Rebate regardless of the number of accountholders on the Account or Eligible Cards held or opened on the Eligible Card Account. If you are the primary cardholder of multiple Eligible Cards, the Annual Fee Rebate will be applied to the annual fee that is charged first on an Eligible Card after the Account Open Date if you meet the Annual Anniversary Spend Amount.
If your Eligible Card Account has an annual fee(s) that is greater than the amount of the Annual Fee Rebate, you are responsible for any difference in annual fee(s) after the Annual Fee Rebate is applied. All other fees and charges applicable to the Eligible Card Account continue to apply.
The Annual Fee Rebate is subject to change and cannot be combined with any other offer including an annual fee rebate or waiver offer. Annual fees, rates and other features for Eligible Cards are subject to change. We may limit or revoke the Annual Fee Rebate(s) without notice if we believe there is suspicious or fraudulent activity, if the offer is being abused, or if you receive an Annual Fee Rebate in error.
“Account Open Date” means the date that the Account is opened.
“Anniversary Date” means the date that is one year after the annual fee is first charged to your Eligible Card Account and every 12 months thereafter.
“Eligible Card Accounts” are currently the Scotiabank Gold American Express®, Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite +* and Scotia Momentum® Visa Infinite +* credit cards. Eligible Card Accounts are subject to change.
A “Qualifying Purchase” is a Purchase (as defined in your credit agreement for your Eligible Card Account) that is posted to your Eligible Card Account, less any refunds, returns or other similar credits on your Eligible Card Account. Qualifying Purchases exclude cash advances (including balance transfers and cash-like transactions), interest charges, fees and payments posted to your Eligible Card Account.
As of January 1, 2023, new and existing Preferred Package bank account holders who open a new Scotia iTRADE account for the first time qualify for the following benefit:
· Trade one get one free using the Scotia iTRADE Mobile App: Receive a rebate for the commissions incurred for every second eligible commissionable trade placed through the Scotia iTRADE Mobile App (up to a maximum of 20 in the first calendar year, and 10 in the second calendar year and thereafter while the Scotia iTRADE customer is a Preferred Package bank account holder). The rebate relating to options will be applied to base commissions only.
As of January 1, 2023, new and existing Preferred Package bank account holders who have an existing Scotia iTRADE account qualify for the following benefit:
· Trade one get one free using the Scotia iTRADE Mobile App: Receive a rebate for the commissions incurred for every second eligible commissionable trade placed through the Scotia iTRADE Mobile App (up to a maximum of 10 in the first calendar year and thereafter while the Scotia iTRADE customer is a Preferred Package bank account holder). The rebate relating to options will be applied to base commissions only.
Trade one get one free rebates: The rebate will be applied to the account holder’s non-registered Scotia iTRADE account, or in its absence, their registered Scotia iTRADE account, in CAD currency (converted from USD to CAD for trades executed in USD, using the applicable foreign exchange rate) within the first 10 business days of the month following the month that the trades were executed.
Eligibility & Exclusions:
· Eligible commissionable trades include stocks, ETFs, options placed across all Preferred Package account holder(s)’ Scotia iTRADE accounts within the calendar year since the later of January 1, 2023 and the time when a client opens a Scotia iTRADE account.
· Corporate and non-personal Scotia iTRADE accounts are not eligible.
· Joint Preferred Package account holders are collectively entitled to the rebates for the total of the first 10 or 20 (as applicable) eligible trades fulfilled within their Scotia iTRADE accounts as between joint Preferred Package account holders regardless of whether or not such Scotia ITRADE accounts are sole or joint with other people.
· Both the Preferred Package bank account and Scotia iTRADE accounts must be in good standing on the last day of every month.
· The Scotia iTRADE account must not be in a disallowed debit position and must not have any outstanding margin calls due.
· No cash redemption value.
· This offer can be combined with other Scotia iTRADE programs (excluding Student Banking Advantage Plan offer) and campaigns unless otherwise specified. Should free trade rebates be awarded for the other programs and campaigns, those free trades will be applied first until fully consumed before applying Preferred Package free trades rebate.
Scotia iTRADE® (Order-Execution Only) is a division of Scotia Capital Inc. (“SCI”). SCI is regulated by the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization and is a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund. Scotia iTRADE does not provide investment advice or recommendations and investors are responsible for their own investment decisions.