KOHO

KOHO Financial Inc. is a Toronto fintech. It is not a CDIC member. Eligible protection, on KOHO’s own footnote, applies when you opt into Earn Interest and funds sit in trust at CDIC members. Other balances are not. Tangerine is Scotiabank CDIC. This is a prepaid-shaped money app with a bank-licence ambition. Keep salary at a member institution.

Founded 2014. Mastercard spend, credit-builder, subscriptions. A June 2026 write-up still says KOHO is not a deposit-taker. Until OSFI issues a Schedule 1 and CDIC membership is live, this desk will not upgrade the class.

KOHO lists Fintech. Not a bank. Not currently a CDIC member. Partner-bank trust structure under OSFI / CDIC (partners) in Canada. On safeguarding we currently write: KOHO is not CDIC-insured. When you opt into Earn Interest, funds sit in trust at CDIC member institutions — up to $100,000 per beneficiary per member, if pass-through conditions hold. Accounts not earning interest are not CDIC-eligible on KOHO’s own copy.. Holder / issuer line: Partner CDIC members (trust) — KOHO Financial Inc. is not the bank. An AML programme is claimed. There is no IBAN-class local rail on the flags we store. We list 1 live markets on the product. As we score the sticker: monthly Essential free; paid Extra/Everything plans; FX Plan-gated; ATM Plan-gated then network; interest Earn Interest opt-in — rates move. This desk would open it for: Canada residents who want a money app and already keep salary at a CDIC bank (Tangerine, EQ).

What it does well: Honest that KOHO itself is not CDIC; Earn Interest opt-in is named as the CDIC path; Strong app ratings. What to watch: Not a bank; Non-interest balances are not CDIC on their copy; Paid plans for the useful bits. Desk score 6.2 / 10 (safety 5.4, fees 6.8, features 7.4, app 8.2). Last verified 2026-08-30. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada; founded 2014. None of this is advice — it is a file so you can read the entity before the card colour.