TORONTO, ON - April 13, 2015 /CNW/ - Scotia iTRADE^® today opened the doors to its new Investor Centre on the concourse level of Scotia Plaza in downtown Toronto. As part of the grand opening, a special Scotia iTRADE account opening offer is available for all clients.

"We're always looking for ways to improve the client experience and by enhancing the educational and in-person support services we offer for our trading technology and mobile apps we know Scotia iTRADE clients will benefit greatly," said Susi McCord, Managing Director at Scotia iTRADE. "The new Scotia iTRADE Investor Centre was designed to provide a more convenient and accessible branch experience for our clients."

The Scotia iTRADE Investor Centre will feature self-serve stations, which will allow clients to open new accounts and access existing accounts to trade, transfer assets or follow the markets. Clients will also be able to enroll in a Practice Account with a fictional portfolio, so they can hone their investing skills risk-free. Client Relationship Managers will be on site to demonstrate trading technology, along with mobile and iPad app demos. The Investor Centre will also host free educational seminars with guest speakers throughout the year. More information on free Scotia iTRADE education and resources can be found on the 'Learn & Do More' section of scotiaitrade.com.

Complementing the new Scotia iTRADE Investor Centre, the Scotia Plaza Concourse space will feature upgraded architectural details including a stock ticker and an interactive media wall, which will include a social media feed.

"We're very excited to unveil an enhanced look and feel to our flagship Scotiabank branch," says Lisa Hartley, Scotiabank's Vice President of Personal Banking Marketing. "The Scotia Plaza Concourse redesign provides our clients with full access to the breadth of Scotiabank's products and services as well as our retail, brokerage and insurance services. We know our clients will enjoy a more efficient and progressive banking experience because of it."

Special Account Opening offer Details
A special account opening offer is available at both Scotia iTRADE Investor Centres (Plaza Concourse, 44 King Street West and 48 Yonge Street) and Scotiabank's branch at 44 King Street West. When clients open a new account at one of these locations by May 31, 2015, and fund or transfer-in assets by June 30, 2015, they could receive up to $500 cash and 500 free trades*. As well, anyone who attends a free education seminar at the new Scotia iTRADE Investor Centre will get a movie gift certificate, until quantities last. 

*Conditions apply. Visit http://www.scotiabank.com/itrade/en/0,,9002,00.html for more details.

About Scotia iTRADE
Scotia iTRADE is Scotiabank's online brokerage service. At Scotia iTRADE, direct investors can choose from a range of trading platforms and benefit from low commissions, a variety of online tools and resources, as well as investor education customized by skill level. For more information please visit www.scotiaitrade.com.

Scotia iTRADE^® (Order-Execution Only Accounts) is a division of Scotia Capital Inc. ("SCI"). SCI is a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund and the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada. Scotia iTRADE does not provide investment advice or recommendations and investors are responsible for their own investment decisions. ^®Registered trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia. Used under license.

About Scotiabank
Scotiabank is Canada's international bank and a leading financial services provider in North America, Latin America, the Caribbean and Central America, and parts of Asia. We are dedicated to helping our 21 million customers become better off through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking. With a team of more than 86,000 employees and assets of $852 billion (as at January 31, 2015), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto (TSX: BNS) and New York Exchanges (NYSE: BNS). Scotiabank distributes the Bank's media releases using CNW. For more information, please visit www.scotiabank.com and follow us on Twitter @ScotiabankNews.