Updated:
Glossary term
CIRO — Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization
Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization — SRO regulating investment dealers (former IIROC) and mutual fund dealers (former MFDA). CIRO advisors sell public market securities.
Related terms
NRD
National Registration Database — CSA's central registry of all licensed financial professionals in Canada. Ev…
MIC
Mortgage Investment Corporation — special Canadian corporate form (ITA §130.1) for pooled mortgage lending. 1…
REIT
Real Estate Investment Trust — trust owning income-producing real estate. Public REITs trade on TSX. Private…
NoA
Notice of Assessment — CRA document issued after tax return processing. Contains your next-year RRSP room, TF…
OBSI
Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments — independent Canadian complaints channel for banks + investme…
IFSE
IFSE Institute — division of IFIC issuing the Exempt Market Proficiency Course (EMP) required for the Dealing…
Frequently asked questions
What is CIRO?
The Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization — Canada's national self-regulatory body (since 2023, after IIROC and the MFDA merged) overseeing public-securities dealers and trading marketplaces.
CIRO or EMD — what's the difference for an investor?
CIRO dealers offer public products available to everyone. An EMD handles the private market, only for Eligible/Accredited investors. Verify either one's registration in the CSA's NRD database.
Want this explained for your situation?
30-minute discovery call, no fee — we'll show how this term applies to your specific case.
Free discovery call