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How to Open an Individually Held Personal Account

Learn how to submit and complete applications for individually held personal accounts such as RRSP, TFSA, FHSA, and more.

Submitting an Application

Opening a new account begins by submitting a service request from the client’s CRM Contact Record. The process varies slightly depending on whether this is the client’s first account or if you’re adding to an existing account group (also known as a root).

New Root

Use this option when opening the first account for the client or when a client wants to open an additional account under an existing account group.

  1. Navigate to the client's CRM Contact Record.
  2. Go to the Servicing tab.
  3. Select Account Management → New Account Application.
  4. Choose Individual Application.


  5. Select New Root 
  6. Under the New Root tab, select the desired CAD and/or USD account types.
  7. Click Submit.

This creates a new ticket and generates KYC records for each selected account type.

Existing Root

Use this option to open additional accounts under an existing account group.

Note: You can only open account types that have not already been opened under the selected root. Any existing account types will be greyed out, and can not be selected.

  1. Navigate to the client's CRM Contact Record.
  2. Go to the Servicing tab.
  3. Select Account Management → New Account Application.


  4. Choose Individual Application.
  5. Select Existing Root
  6. Under the Existing Root tab, select the applicable root.
  7. Choose additional account types (already-opened types will be greyed out).


  8. Click Submit.

A new ticket will be created and KYC records will be generated for each new account type selected.

Completing an Application 

Once the ticket has been submitted, you’ll need to complete a series of panels within the application in order to progress it to the next stage.

Most panels are required and must be completed in full. A small number of panels are optional, such as Power of Attorney or Transfers, and should only be filled out if they apply to the situation (e.g., the client is appointing a POA or wants to initiate transfers as part of onboarding).

All required panels are initially marked as Incomplete with a yellow status tag. To complete a panel, you must open it, fill in all required fields, and click Save. Once saved, the panel status will update to Complete with a green status tag.

Panels are grouped into two main categories:

  • Account Holder Information – Personal, financial, and regulatory information for each individual who owns the account.
  • Application Information – Details specific to the account(s) being opened, such as banking, ID, and account-type-specific information.

Account Holder Information Panels

These panels capture data tied to the client and are stored on their CRM Contact Record. When opening additional accounts in the future, previously completed information will auto-populate and can be reviewed and updated as needed.

  • Client: Personal contact details including name, phone, email, date of birth, and marital status.
  • Address: Primary residential address and mailing address (if different).
  • Spouse: Spouse’s personal and employment details, pulled from their CRM contact record if linked.
  • Employment: Current or former employment information such as employer name, occupation, and retirement timeline.
  • Financial: Breakdown of income sources and net worth, including Optimize and external assets.
  • Tax: Citizenship, residency, and tax identification details for regulatory reporting.
  • Trusted Contact Person (TCP): Optional appointment of a trusted contact person for the client.

Application Information Panels

  • Banking: Authorized banking details and void cheque(s) for each account holder, required to enable deposits and withdrawals.  
  • Transfers (Optional): Transfer instructions for assets being brought in from another institution as part of onboarding. May be submitted later if not included with the account application.
  • Power of Attorney (POA): Appointment of a POA, entered at the account level if the client wishes to assign one.
  • ID Verification: Information and scanned ID used to verify identity as part of the firm’s AML and onboarding requirements.
  • Beneficiaries (If applicable): Required for registered accounts (e.g., RRSP, TFSA, RESP, RDSP) to designate primary and contingent beneficiaries.
  • Registered Income Fund (RIF/LIF/LRIF/PRIF/RLIF) Application (If applicable): Displays when opening retirement income accounts, including RIFs, LIFs, PRIFs, and related account types.
  • RESP Application (If applicable): Used to designate beneficiaries and contribution allocations specific to RESP accounts.
  • LIRA / LRSP Application (If applicable): Required when opening a Locked-In account such as a LIRA or LRSP, to designate plan jurisdiction.
  • Spousal RSP / RIF Application (If applicable): Required when opening a Spousal RRSP or Spousal RIF, including designation of contribution type (regular or spousal).

Tracking New Account Application Tickets

Once submitted, all New Account Application tickets can be tracked from the New Accounts pipeline in the CRM.

Each ticket progresses through the pipeline stages as panels are completed and internal teams review the information. You can also track the ticket directly from the Tickets section of the client’s CRM Contact Record.