Smarter order types for more sophisticated trading
Stop market and 24-hour orders give you more precision, flexibility, and control — no matter how or when you trade.
Trading, without the limits
Active traders know that timing and execution aren’t just details — they’re everything. The difference between a strategy that works and one that misses often comes down to when your order fills and whether it can stay active across different trading sessions.
Until now, Wealthsimple’s trading toolkit had a couple of gaps in it. The only stop orders that could be placed were stop limit orders, which could fail to execute in fast-moving markets. And any limit order placed in extended or overnight hours would expire at the end of the session, meaning traders had to log back in and re-enter them for the next trading session.
We’ve heard the feedback: These limitations created unnecessary friction for active traders. That’s why we’re rolling out stop market orders and 24-hour orders — two features designed to make execution more reliable, flexible, and aligned with the way professional traders operate.
Why we built them
Markets move quickly, and our clients have been asking for order types that move just as fast.
- Stop market orders solve the reliability issue that plagues stop limits, by ensuring orders actually execute once triggered.
- 24-hour orders eliminate the hassle of re-entering trades every morning, carrying orders on select U.S. securities seamlessly across overnight, extended, and regular sessions.
Together, they give active traders two things they’ve been asking for: greater risk management precision and more flexibility across trading sessions.
Stop market orders
The problem with stop limit orders
Stop limits can be useful, but they have one big flaw: they don’t always fill. In volatile markets, it’s common for a stock to trigger your stop price but never touch your limit price — leaving you exposed, frustrated, and scrambling to re-enter the trade.
The solution: Stop market orders
Stop market orders remove that uncertainty. Once your stop price is hit, your order is entered immediately as a market order. That means no missed fills, no second-guessing, and more confidence that you’re managing risk properly.
Why it matters
Whether you’re protecting gains, setting a safety net against downside, or hedging a momentum trade, stop market orders give you the reliability you need when markets get fast and unpredictable.
24-hour orders
The problem with session-bound orders
If you’ve ever tried to trade in extended or overnight sessions, you know the drill: your order expires as soon as the session ends, and if you want to keep the trade active you have to log back in and re-enter it manually the next day. It’s tedious — and if you forget to do it, you can miss opportunities.
The solution: 24-hour orders
With 24-hour orders, your limit orders on select U.S. securities don’t just expire when the session does. Place an order during overnight trading, and it will automatically carry forward into pre-market, regular hours, and beyond. Your order stays active until it fills or you cancel it — just like regular market-hour limit orders.
Why it matters
For active traders following global news and after-hours moves, 24-hour orders mean fewer interruptions and less maintenance. You can set your strategy once and let it run, confident that your order won’t vanish when the clock ticks over.
What this means for active traders
Stop market orders and 24-hour orders aren’t just individual upgrades — together, they represent a leap forward in sophistication for self-directed investing at Wealthsimple.
- Precision: Stop market orders give you better control of your exits and entries during volatile conditions.
- Flexibility: 24-hour orders make trading seamless across all sessions, so you can follow the market whenever it moves.
- Control: Both features put key decisions back in your hands, reducing friction and giving active traders the tools they need.
Ready to try it?
Both stop market orders and 24-hour orders are now available in your self-directed investing account. Explore them today and see how they can sharpen your strategy.
👉 Learn how to place a stop market or 24-hour order
