Using Bill Payments to fund online brokerage accounts | Investing | Discussion forum

I kind of doubt it BUT I do not know for sure.

The bigger issue here could be 'attribution' and/or 'gifting' per tax law (the ITA). Spouses cannot gift funds to each other without attribution of income coming back to the originator, albeit if those funds are spent on consumables without ever being invested for potential profit, then that is different... but in this case, you wouldn't be sending money to your spouse's brokerage account for her to spend on consumables in the first place.

I wouldn't try it.

The reason for the restrictions against funding brokerage accounts with fund transfers and bill payments from third parties is anti-money laundering surveillance.

Attempts to circumvent the restrictions will trigger red flags. If the online brokerage doesn't feel like bearing the cost of heightened AML surveillance for a flagged client, then the high-risk client will be asked to take their account elsewhere.

Just transfer the funds to a joint bank account or, even better, a bank account in the wife's name and bill pay her brokerage account from that account.