Firm Bulletin: 2026 Fees for Participating Firms
How OBSI fees are determined
As a not-for-profit organization, OBSI recovers all of its budgeted operating expenses from its participating firms each year. OBSI's budget and the allocation of this budget between the different industry sectors that use OBSI's services is approved by OBSI's Board of Directors each September. Our board also considers fairness and the impact of fee changes on member firms when setting fees. A guiding principle is that no sector or registrant category should subsidize another.
The allocation of the budget among the five industry sectors is based on each sector’s proportionate use of our service. This is determined by the total number and complexity of the cases opened for each sector in the previously completed year. Once the budget has been allocated to each sector, fees for each firm in the sector are determined. This determination is calculated as described here.
Overall budget is increasing as efficiencies of scale and scope offset record consumer demand
OBSI’s budget is set at a level required to recover the estimated cost of providing services in the coming year. A key factor that determines our needs is expected consumer demand (essentially the volume of case inquiries and case investigations), and the estimated resources required to meet that demand in the coming year.
In the planning for 2025, we anticipated and prepared for a very significant increase in case volumes related to becoming the single ECB for banking. Actual case volumes in 2025, however, have been substantially higher than expected, exceeding projected levels by approximately 20%, or nearly 1000 additional cases. Case volumes have grown exponentially in recent years, rising from 790 per year in 2020 to slightly over 3200 in 2024 and over 6000 in 2025. Throughout the year we have responded to this challenge by continuing to focus on case closing efficiencies and team growth, and we have avoided the development of a major case backlog.
In 2026, we expect case volumes to remain at 2025 levels, but further expansion of OBSI’s capacity is required to successfully manage these case volumes. Our total proposed 2026 budget of $25.8 million reflects a planned increase in expenses of $3.3 million or 15% over our projected 2025 spending. Most of this increase is associated with personnel costs and reflects the significant team growth in 2025 and some additional growth in 2026 necessary to deal with exceptionally high levels of consumer demand. The most significant share of this increase will be allocated to the banking sector as banking complaints have been the core driver of complaint volumes since the Bank Act consumer protection framework changes in 2022.
While OBSI budgets have increased significantly in recent years, they have increased at a far lower rate than our productivity, demonstrating significant economies of scale and scope in our operations, as well as our commitment to efficiency improvements. As illustrated in the charts below, in 2026, we expect to close over 6 times as many cases as we did in 2022, with approximately 2.5 times the expenses.
2026 participating firm fees
Outlined below are the 2026 fees by sector, which are determined based on each sector’s relative case volume and complexity as described above:
Banks: Fees for the banking sector as a whole will increase by 31% relative to 2025. Please note this does not mean the fees for all banks will increase by this amount. Individual firm fees are calculated based on size and case experience as described here. Banking case volumes in 2025 have increased by more than 110% from 2024 levels. Banks and federally regulated financial institutions with three-year average case volumes of less than one complaint per year will be charged a flat annual fee of $2,500.
Credit Unions: Fees for this sector will remain unchanged for 2026.
Investment Dealers and Mutual Fund Dealers: The fees for CIRO firms will decrease by 7%. Case volumes for this sector were flat relative to last year, however, the sector’s relative share of our total complaint volumes has declined due to significant increases in banking sector complaints.
Exempt Market Dealers & Portfolio Managers: The fees for this sector overall will decrease by 39% from 2025 levels and per representative fees will decrease to $117 from $190 in 2025. Case volumes for this sector were flat year over year, however, the sector’s relative share of our total complaint volumes has declined due to significant increases in banking sector complaints and movement of crypto platform firms into the CIRO registered sector.
Scholarship Plan Dealers: The fees for this sector overall will increase by 10% from 2025 levels. Case volumes have increased 44% in the past year.
Expect to hear from us in November
OBSI’s fiscal year begins on November 1. Your firm can expect to receive instructions in November on how to complete your membership renewal.
Firms who are invoiced annually or quarterly will be contacted with their invoices and provided with options for completing their payments.
Firms who use the OBSI Firm Portal to calculate and process their membership renewals will receive detailed information and instructions for logging into the Portal and paying via the Portal once the form is available on November 1, 2025.
If you have any questions or concerns, please email membership@obsi.ca or call 1 888 451-4519 x 2418.