“We’re all very excited about the changes we’ve made. Our customers have indicated that TD Waterhouse is a brand they have a lot of confidence in and our employees have been working hard to prepare for this launch,” says Rob MacLellan, chairman of TD Wealth Management and head of the new TD Waterhouse Canada Inc.

TD Waterhouse in Canada now consists of three major divisions. TD Waterhouse Discount Brokerage continues as the group’s discount brokerage unit. TD Waterhouse Investment Advice (formerly TD Evergreen) is the group’s full-service brokerage. TD Waterhouse Financial Planning allows clients to work with a professional financial planner.

The reorganization will make it easier for the bank to match clients to the appropriate level of service. For example, a client of TD Waterhouse Financial Planning might also be a client of TD Waterhouse Discount Brokerage, or a TD Waterhouse Investment Advice client might wish to have a non-advised account (and place trades at discount brokerage commissions) alongside their advised account.

All clients now have 24/7 access to their brokerage accounts over the phone or via the Web. They also have the option of linking their brokerage accounts to their TD Canada Trust accounts online, providing them with a complete picture of their holdings at all times.

TD Waterhouse is now open for business in 274 locations across the country. Some locations include large investor centres that feature all three brokerage services under one roof. Seven centres are now up and running in Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, with plans for more by the end of the year and beyond.

Customers can wander through the investor centres and observe screens that provide real-time market news, stock prices and quotes. TD Waterhouse clients can log-on to computers to scan market research, view their accounts or conduct trades online or over the phones provided. TD Waterhouse reps are available to offer information, assistance with transactions and referrals. Free seminars by investing experts are a regular occurrence, using the latest presentation equipment and high speed Internet links. Private spaces for client conferences are provided.

“The design of the new Investor Centres begins and ends with the client,” says John See, president, TD Waterhouse Discount Brokerage. “We’ve created an atmosphere where people can walk in and feel right at home, and have at their fingertips all the tools needed to manage their investments.”

The TD Waterhouse launch is supported by a national print advertising campaign which will ramp up as the fall investing season approaches.