the rdsp account i opened isn't quite what i thought. i wanted to open an account that would let me buy individual penny stocks, in addition to mutual funds (or etfs) and would give me maximum flexibility to move money in the account around a bit. the bank i went to only sells mutual funds with rdsps. it turns out that what i want is a "self-directed rdsp", and the options for that are slim. the only institution that has something more like the account i want requires a 20K minimum balance to avoid a $100/year fee, which is coming soon, and still less than the difference in management fees.

i will need to make some calls in the morning. however, i'm probably going to switch banks immediately.