January 2024 – March 31, 2026
Prior to February 2024, CIRO’s Complaints and Inquiries Department (C&I) handled matters relating to investment dealers, trading on Canadian marketplaces and general matters. Beginning in February 2024, C&I began fielding all complaints and inquiries from public investors relating to mutual fund dealers as well. As a result, the statistics prior to February 2024 do not include complaints or inquiries relating to mutual fund dealers.
Total complaints and inquiries received
Most of the complaints 1 and inquiries 2 (contacts) CIRO receives relate to either the dealers we regulate, the markets we regulate, or other matters falling within CIRO’s jurisdiction 3 (other). In recent years, we have received an ever-increasing number of contacts that fall outside of CIRO’s jurisdiction. Many of these contacts are related to scams or frauds perpetrated against investors by non-registrants. In these cases, people are redirected to the appropriate regulator, firm or resource.
- 1Complaints: a (typically) written expression of dissatisfaction
- 2Inquiries: questions, comments or verbal expressions of dissatisfaction
- 3
CIRO only has jurisdiction over those individuals and firms that are registered with CIRO, and Canadian debt and equity markets. See Looking up an Investment Advisor or Firm and Equity Markets We Regulate. General contacts we receive (not related to dealers or markets we regulate) about CIRO are included under “CIRO-related”. Any complaints or inquiries not falling within these categories are included under “other”.
Grand Total of all Contacts
| Year | Event Type | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Complaint | 1186 |
| 2024 | Inquiry | 2933 |
| 2025 | Complaint | 1345 |
| 2025 | Inquiry | 3889 |
| 2026 | Complaint | 401 |
| 2026 | Inquiry | 888 |
| Total | 10642 | |
Complaints and Inquiries 2024
| Case Type | Total |
|---|---|
| Member | 1671 |
| Other | 1279 |
| Market | 599 |
| CIRO Related | 570 |
Complaints and Inquiries 2025
| Case Type | Total |
|---|---|
| Member | 1273 |
| Other | 1243 |
| CIRO Related | 1041 |
| Market | 383 |
Complaints and Inquiries 2026
| Case Type | Total |
|---|---|
| Member | 3820 |
| Other | 3127 |
| CIRO Related | 2474 |
| Market | 1221 |
Complaints and inquiries regarding CIRO-regulated firms
Member Complaints and Inquiries
| Date | Event Type | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Jan | Complaint | 49 |
| 2024 Jan | Inquiry | 80 |
| 2024 Feb | Complaint | 58 |
| 2024 Feb | Inquiry | 75 |
| 2024 Mar | Complaint | 67 |
| 2024 Mar | Inquiry | 95 |
| 2024 Apr | Complaint | 37 |
| 2024 Apr | Inquiry | 107 |
| 2024 May | Complaint | 42 |
| 2024 May | Inquiry | 93 |
| 2024 Jun | Complaint | 47 |
| 2024 Jun | Inquiry | 87 |
| 2024 Jul | Complaint | 50 |
| 2024 Jul | Inquiry | 71 |
| 2024 Aug | Complaint | 61 |
| 2024 Aug | Inquiry | 92 |
| 2024 Sep | Complaint | 42 |
| 2024 Sep | Inquiry | 73 |
| 2024 Oct | Complaint | 44 |
| 2024 Oct | Inquiry | 96 |
| 2024 Nov | Complaint | 51 |
| 2024 Nov | Inquiry | 112 |
| 2024 Dec | Complaint | 65 |
| 2024 Dec | Inquiry | 77 |
| 2025 Jan | Complaint | 87 |
| 2025 Jan | Inquiry | 111 |
| 2025 Feb | Complaint | 61 |
| 2025 Feb | Inquiry | 110 |
| 2025 Mar | Complaint | 79 |
| 2025 Mar | Inquiry | 80 |
| 2025 Apr | Complaint | 68 |
| 2025 Apr | Inquiry | 72 |
| 2025 May | Complaint | 78 |
| 2025 May | Inquiry | 76 |
| 2025 Jun | Complaint | 55 |
| 2025 Jun | Inquiry | 60 |
| 2025 Jul | Complaint | 70 |
| 2025 Jul | Inquiry | 54 |
| 2025 Aug | Complaint | 50 |
| 2025 Aug | Inquiry | 39 |
| 2025 Sep | Complaint | 69 |
| 2025 Sep | Inquiry | 54 |
| 2025 Oct | Complaint | 84 |
| 2025 Oct | Inquiry | 57 |
| 2025 Nov | Complaint | 59 |
| 2025 Nov | Inquiry | 65 |
| 2025 Dec | Complaint | 61 |
| 2025 Dec | Inquiry | 55 |
| 2026 Jan | Complaint | 79 |
| 2026 Jan | Inquiry | 101 |
| 2026 Feb | Complaint | 75 |
| 2026 Feb | Inquiry | 67 |
| 2026 Mar | Complaint | 102 |
| 2026 Mar | Inquiry | 71 |
| Total | 3820 |
Regulatory vs. non-regulatory complaints and inquiries
Investors contact CIRO for both regulatory and non-regulatory matters. Regulatory matters are those subject to CIRO rules or securities law. For example, allegations of unsuitable investments or unauthorized trading. Non-regulatory matters are issues such as poor customer service and general inquiries about dealer policies and procedures. Since non-regulatory matters do not fall under CIRO's mandate, the investor is directed to address these complaints directly with the firm involved.
Regulatory vs. Non-Regulatory Inquiries (Member)
| Year | Total | Regulatory or Non |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1982 | Non-Regulatory |
| 2024 | 601 | Regulatory |
| 2025 | 2933 | Non-Regulatory |
| 2025 | 642 | Regulatory |
| 2026 | 584 | Non-Regulatory |
| 2026 | 240 | Regulatory |
| Total | 6982 |
Regulatory vs. Non-Regulatory Complaints (Member)
| Year | Total | Regulatory or Non |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 709 | Non-Regulatory |
| 2024 | 228 | Regulatory |
| 2025 | 752 | Non-Regulatory |
| 2025 | 405 | Regulatory |
| 2026 | 248 | Non-Regulatory |
| 2026 | 97 | Regulatory |
| Total | 2439 |
Most frequent inquiries about CIRO-regulated firms
Visit our Office of the Investor webpage for more information on a variety of helpful topics.
*Note: each inquiry may involve more than one topic, thus appearing under multiple categories.
Top 5 Member Inquiries
| Allegation | Total | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Dealer Policies and Procedures | 187 | 2024 |
| Dealer Policies and Procedures | 127 | 2025 |
| Dealer Policies and Procedures | 36 | 2026 |
| General inquiry about RR/firm | 102 | 2024 |
| General inquiry about RR/firm | 50 | 2025 |
| General inquiry about RR/firm | 10 | 2026 |
| Info. on filing a complaint | 220 | 2024 |
| Info. on filing a complaint | 209 | 2025 |
| Info. on filing a complaint | 50 | 2026 |
| Service Issues | 177 | 2024 |
| Service Issues | 162 | 2025 |
| Service Issues | 39 | 2026 |
| Transfer of Accounts | 65 | 2024 |
| Transfer of Accounts | 76 | 2025 |
| Transfer of Accounts | 75 | 2026 |
| Total | 1418 |
Most frequent complaints about CIRO-regulated firms
Of these complaints, only unsuitable investments and account transfers are generally considered to be regulatory matters, with the remainder generally falling outside of CIRO jurisdiction. Matters that aren’t subject to CIRO rules must be addressed directly by the client to the firm in question.
CIRO-regulated firms must notify CIRO of all non-service-related complaints they receive and handle all complaints they receive according to prescribed standards contained within CIRO rules.
Learn more about how CIRO-regulated firms handle client complaints.
*Note: each complaint may involve more than one allegation, thus appearing under multiple categories
Top 5 Member Complaints
| Allegation | Total | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Dealer Policies and Procedures | 121 | 2024 |
| Dealer Policies and Procedures | 141 | 2025 |
| Dealer Policies and Procedures | 36 | 2026 |
| Service Issues | 201 | 2024 |
| Service Issues | 204 | 2025 |
| Service Issues | 109 | 2026 |
| Trading disputes, errors and delays | 35 | 2024 |
| Trading disputes, errors and delays | 70 | 2025 |
| Trading disputes, errors and delays | 16 | 2026 |
| Transfer of Accounts | 68 | 2024 |
| Transfer of Accounts | 124 | 2025 |
| Transfer of Accounts | 39 | 2026 |
| Unsuitable Investments | 52 | 2024 |
| Unsuitable Investments | 72 | 2025 |
| Unsuitable Investments | 9 | 2026 |
| Total | 1159 |
Market-related complaints and inquiries
Market-Related Complaints and Inquiries
| Date | EventType | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Jan | Complaint | 16 |
| 2024 Jan | Inquiry | 37 |
| 2024 Feb | Complaint | 28 |
| 2024 Feb | Inquiry | 25 |
| 2024 Mar | Complaint | 29 |
| 2024 Mar | Inquiry | 30 |
| 2024 Apr | Complaint | 21 |
| 2024 Apr | Inquiry | 35 |
| 2024 May | Complaint | 27 |
| 2024 May | Inquiry | 30 |
| 2024 Jun | Complaint | 16 |
| 2024 Jun | Inquiry | 27 |
| 2024 Jul | Complaint | 21 |
| 2024 Jul | Inquiry | 30 |
| 2024 Aug | Complaint | 16 |
| 2024 Aug | Inquiry | 30 |
| 2024 Sep | Complaint | 25 |
| 2024 Sep | Inquiry | 28 |
| 2024 Oct | Complaint | 17 |
| 2024 Oct | Inquiry | 36 |
| 2024 Nov | Complaint | 18 |
| 2024 Nov | Inquiry | 21 |
| 2024 Dec | Complaint | 15 |
| 2024 Dec | Inquiry | 21 |
| 2025 Jan | Complaint | 11 |
| 2025 Jan | Inquiry | 53 |
| 2025 Feb | Complaint | 19 |
| 2025 Feb | Inquiry | 26 |
| 2025 Mar | Complaint | 15 |
| 2025 Mar | Inquiry | 25 |
| 2025 Apr | Complaint | 11 |
| 2025 Apr | Inquiry | 25 |
| 2025 May | Complaint | 16 |
| 2025 May | Inquiry | 26 |
| 2025 Jun | Complaint | 14 |
| 2025 Jun | Inquiry | 27 |
| 2025 Jul | Complaint | 20 |
| 2025 Jul | Inquiry | 31 |
| 2025 Aug | Complaint | 8 |
| 2025 Aug | Inquiry | 18 |
| 2025 Sep | Complaint | 13 |
| 2025 Sep | Inquiry | 25 |
| 2025 Oct | Complaint | 27 |
| 2025 Oct | Inquiry | 16 |
| 2025 Nov | Complaint | 15 |
| 2025 Nov | Inquiry | 25 |
| 2025 Dec | Complaint | 19 |
| 2025 Dec | Inquiry | 17 |
| 2026 Jan | Complaint | 21 |
| 2026 Jan | Inquiry | 31 |
| 2026 Feb | Complaint | 17 |
| 2026 Feb | Inquiry | 20 |
| 2026 Mar | Complaint | 18 |
| 2026 Mar | Inquiry | 13 |
| Total | 1221 |
UMIR vs. non-UMIR complaints and inquiries
Investors contact CIRO regarding both matters that are subject to the Universal Market Integrity Rules (UMIR) and those that are not. Under Recognition Orders issued by the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) and by agreement with the marketplaces, CIRO monitors all equity and debt market activity on all Canadian marketplaces, including stock exchanges and alternative trading systems, to detect manipulative trading practices and other breaches of the marketplace trading rules.
Our goal is to ensure trading complies with UMIR and other CIRO rules. Matters that are not subject to UMIR (or other CIRO rules), such as cease-trade orders, listed company activity and disclosures, fall outside of CIRO’s jurisdiction. Since non-UMIR matters do not fall under CIRO's mandate, the investor should address these matters directly with the principal regulator for the issuer (see SEDAR+) or the exchange.
UMIR vs. non-UMIR Inquiries
| Year | Total | UMIR |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 302 | Non UMIR |
| 2024 | 22 | UMIR |
| 2025 | 274 | Non UMIR |
| 2025 | 29 | UMIR |
| 2026 | 54 | Non UMIR |
| 2026 | 6 | UMIR |
| Total | 687 |
UMIR vs. non-UMIR Complaints
| Year | Total | UMIR |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 113 | Non UMIR |
| 2024 | 135 | UMIR |
| 2025 | 88 | Non UMIR |
| 2025 | 99 | UMIR |
| 2026 | 28 | Non UMIR |
| 2026 | 28 | UMIR |
| Total | 491 |
Most frequent market-related inquiries
By far, our most frequent market-related inquiries are about trading halts, even though we are not able to provide information about specific halts beyond that contained in the halt notice that is published on our website and through various news services. We also hear often from the public about listed company issues and cease-trade orders (CTOs), which do not fall under CIRO’s jurisdiction.
CIRO’s market-related jurisdiction encompasses monitoring trading on Canadian marketplaces for compliance with the Universal Market Integrity Rules (UMIR). CIRO does not have jurisdiction over public companies or their directors, officers or employees.
See more about UMIR here.
*Note: each inquiry may involve more than one topic, thus appearing under multiple categories. CTO = Cease Trade Order
Top 5 Market-Related Inquiries
| Allegation | Total | Year |
|---|---|---|
| CTO | 34 | 2024 |
| CTO | 21 | 2025 |
| CTO | 4 | 2026 |
| General | 33 | 2024 |
| Halt inquiry | 101 | 2024 |
| Halt inquiry | 142 | 2025 |
| Halt inquiry | 31 | 2026 |
| Listed company issues | 59 | 2024 |
| Listed company issues | 46 | 2025 |
| Listed company issues | 7 | 2026 |
| Other | 9 | 2024 |
| Other | 32 | 2025 |
| Other | 10 | 2026 |
| Total | 502 |
Most frequent market-related complaints
The largest number of the complaints about market activity are allegations of market manipulation.
CIRO rules prohibit orders or trades that create a false or misleading appearance of trading activity (or interest in trading) or create an artificial bid, ask or sale price. This activity is considered manipulative and CIRO’s surveillance staff use specialized systems to continuously monitor trading in real-time across multiple marketplaces to detect and pursue instances of suspicious or prohibited trading activity. While some complaints are well-founded, most often, a more fulsome review by CIRO staff who have access to more information about the trades in question and the parties involved, alleviates our concerns. When concerns remain, we forward the complaint information to our Trading Review & Analysis (TR&A) department.
*Note: each complaint may involve more than one topic, thus appearing under multiple categories.
Top 5 Market-Related Complaints
| Allegation | Total | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Insider trading | 25 | 2024 |
| Insider trading | 7 | 2025 |
| Insider trading | 4 | 2026 |
| Listed company issues | 52 | 2024 |
| Listed company issues | 33 | 2025 |
| Listed company issues | 13 | 2026 |
| Manipulation | 100 | 2024 |
| Manipulation | 63 | 2025 |
| Manipulation | 17 | 2026 |
| Manipulation Artificial Closing Price | 18 | 2024 |
| Manipulation Artificial Closing Price | 17 | 2025 |
| Manipulation Artificial Closing Price | 7 | 2026 |
| Short Selling | 36 | 2024 |
| Short Selling | 21 | 2025 |
| Short Selling | 4 | 2026 |
| Total | 357 |
Geographic location
Most inquiries and complaints come from Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec, and Alberta.
Location of Investors Who Contact CIRO
| Location | Total |
|---|---|
| Ontario | 958 |
| British Columbia | 334 |
| Québec | 315 |
| Alberta | 290 |
| Saskatchewan | 77 |
| Manitoba | 65 |
| Nova Scotia | 38 |
| New Brunswick | 22 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 3 |
| Prince Edward Island | 3 |
| Yukon | 2 |
Age and gender
Since the pandemic, in cases where age and gender were disclosed, we have seen an increase in contacts from investors under 60 years old, which may correspond to the increase we have seen in DIY (do-it-yourself) investing.
We generally hear from males more often than females.
Who Contacts CIRO
| Gender | Total | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Female | 388 | 34% |
| Male | 787 | 68% |
| Total | 1153 | 100% |
Note: Some cases have more than one party so percentages don't equal 100%
Age of Investors that Contact CIRO
| Age | Percentage |
|---|---|
| 20-29 | 5% |
| 30-39 | 16% |
| 40-49 | 17% |
| 50-59 | 21% |
| 60-69 | 22% |
| 70-79 | 13% |
| 80-89 | 5% |
| 90-99 | 1% |
| Total | 100% |