Over the past several months, CARP has been raising a serious concern about how investment advice is delivered inside Canada’s major bank branches. Many Canadians, particularly those seniors with average savings or limited financial experience, walk into their bank believing they are receiving expert financial guidance and advice. In reality, the person across the desk is often restricted to recommending only the bank’s own proprietary investment products. That structure, sometimes called a “closed product shelf,” means that even if a better-performing or lower-cost option exists elsewhere in the market, it may never be presented to the client. CARP believes this raises fundamental questions about competition, transparency, and whether the system is truly working in the best interest of investors.