Financial Services
Halifax's financial services companies make us the hub of Nova Scotia and home to 1,000+ finance, insurance & real estate firms with 14,000+ employees.
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
for Insurance Operations among North America's 50 most popular cities (fDi Benchmarks).
with 2,100+ companies ranging from startups to multinationals.
across Europe, North America, and the Caribbean in the same day.
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.
Learn More about Nova Scotia Payroll Rebate>
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.
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)