Financial Services
Why Halifax?
Located on North America's east coast, Halifax is the financial services and insurance capital of Atlantic Canada.
Global and national centre for shared services, technology, and middle office locations.
1,100+ finance, insurance and real estate companies, one of the largest concentrations in Canada.
Regional headquarters of Canada's Big 5 chartered banks.
Fintech Industry enhanced by Blockchain, Cyber Security, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Robotics Process Automation (RPA) and Data Analytics clusters.
"We identified Halifax as the location to house a business technology centre because of the rich local talent landscape and the universities that have world-class programs that produce trained technologists."
-Keith Schlosser, Global Chief Information Officer, AXIS
The Halifax Advantage
#2 in cost competitiveness
for Insurance Operations among North America's 50 most popular cities (fDi Benchmarks).
Established tech and innovation ecosystem
with 2,100+ companies ranging from startups to multinationals.
Easily travel and do business
across Europe, North America, and the Caribbean in the same day.
8 post-secondary institutions
enrolling 35,000 students annually and graduating top talent.
Download the Sector Snapshot
Learn more about Halifax's financial services industry and the key advantages of doing business here. Explore key players in the sector and get in-depth industry information. Discover why Halifax is the right location for your business.
Incentives
Whether starting, relocating or expanding a business, you will benefit from a number of incentives at both the federal and provincial level to help you invest in Halifax. We’ll be glad to assist you in identifying the ones that best suit your needs.
Nova Scotia Payroll Rebate
The Nova Scotia Payroll Rebate is a return on a company’s eligible gross payroll. It is issued over a set number of years – usually between three and five – and to a set amount. This means that for every dollar a company spends in salaries and benefits, NSBI rebates back a negotiated percentage.
Canada Small Business Financing Program
The Canada Small Business Financing Program makes it easier for small businesses to get loans from financial institutions by sharing the risk with lenders.
Notable Players
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RBC
RBC is one of Canada's largest banks as measured by assets and market capitalization, and among the largest banks in the world, based on market capitalization.
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Scotiabank
The first chartered bank in Nova Scotia, Scotiabank was founded in Halifax. Scotiabank is a leading financial services provider in over 55 countries and Canada's most international bank.
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TD
With more than 85,000 employees in offices around the world, TD offers a full range of financial products and services to 26 million customers worldwide.
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BMO
BMO is a Canadian multinational investment bank and financial services company and the 8th largest bank, by assets, in North America.
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Manulife Financial
Manulife is a leading international financial services group that provides financial advice, insurance, as well as wealth and asset management solutions. Manulife is expanding its presence in Halifax, leveraging the highly educated workforce and strong staff retention rates.
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Medavie Blue Cross
Medavie Blue Cross is a not-for-profit organization that provides health, dental, travel, life and income replacement products to small and large companies in Atlantic Canada, Ontario and Quebec and to individual customers in Atlantic Canada.
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Admiral Insurance
The Admiral Group sells private car and home insurance and related products to consumers throughout the UK, Spain, Italy, France and the United States. Admiral has been recognized as one of Canada’s Great Places to Work every year since 2010 and named one Nova Scotia’s and Atlantic Canada’s Top Employers annually since 2015.
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CIBC
CIBC is a leading North American financial institution. From Personal, Business and Commercial Banking to Wealth Management and Capital Markets businesses, CIBC provides a full range of financial products and services to 10 million clients globally.
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OKR Financial
OKR Financial operates a suite of private funds with a history of rewarding investors and providing bridge financing solutions to small and medium-sized companies that want to grow.
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Axis Capital
AXIS delivers specialty insurance and global reinsurance solutions with determination, passion and strength. We’re inspired by the opportunity to give people and organizations the confidence to take necessary risks in the pursuit of their goals.
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EY Canada
Ernst & Young (EY) is a multinational professional services firm headquartered in London, England, United Kingdom. EY is one of the largest professional services firms in the world.
Industry Associations and Organizations
After moving your business to Halifax get connected with groups of like-minded individuals through local industry associations and organizations. Expand your networks, gain access to the benefits and find solutions to industry problems together.
- Insurance Brokers Association of Nova Scotia (IBANS)
- Chartered Professional Accountants of Nova Scotia (CPA Nova Scotia)