*Update: Dec. 23* December is here and the end of 2016 is just a few short weeks away. What a year it has been. As we head into the final month of the year, we expect there to be a gradual decrease in deals & promotion activity at Canadian discount brokerages leading up to Christmas. Nevertheless, we don’t rule out a potential surprise or two before the holidays officially kick in.
There weren’t any new deals that crossed our radar into the turn of the new month. In fact, there was a slight pull back in the number of offers (there are currently 23 at the time of publication) as the promotions scheduled to expire at the end of November by Scotia iTRADE were not renewed – or at least not yet.
December will be another interesting month across the deals & promotions landscape for two reasons. First, there are a number of deals set to expire, notably from HSBC InvestDirect, Disnat and Qtrade Investor. BMO InvestorLine’s deal, while still technically live through December is set to expire at the beginning (January 3rd) of 2017. The second reason that this will be an interesting month to watch for deals & promotions is that once this month is over, there will be a massive push to attract new clients and assets for RRSP season. As such, it might not be surprising to see a couple of savvy brokerages launch through December to get a jump on January. We’ll keep monitoring to see where things go from here.
Expired Deals
The three deals that were scheduled to expire at the end of November were all from Scotia iTRADE. Now retired are the commission-free trades (up to 250 commission free trades) and trades + SCENE points promotional offer (as well as the accompanying transfer fee deal).
Extended
Questrade has extended the deadline to their 5 commission-free trades offer from the end of December 2016 through to the end of December 2017. That’s great news for individual investors just starting out and who need a referral to qualify for a promotional offer with Questrade.
New Offers
*Update: Dec. 23 – National Bank Direct Brokerage has also jumped into the deals & promotions race ahead of the Christmas break with a headline grabbing promotion of their own. They’re offering up to $1000 in commission reimbursements for individuals who either open up a new account or for existing clients who open a new account type. See table below for more information.*
*Update: Dec. 9 – It took some time to get here, but at last there’s a deal from TD Direct Investing. The big green is offering up a tiered commission-free trading offer that is likely to get the attention of DIY investors and, of course, TD Direct Investing’s competition. While this latest deal does help TD Direct Investing get an edge on its bank-owned brokerage peers, what is even more interesting is the timing of the offer. With only a few weeks to go, not only will other bank-owned brokerages have to scramble to respond (if they choose to do so) but they’ll be doing it heading into the holidays. For DIY investors, this a great little gift ahead of the holiday season and the year end. See the table below for more details.*
No new offers to report at this time.
Discount Brokerage Deals
- Cash Back/Free Trade/Product Offer Promotions
- Referral Promotions
- Transfer Fee Promotions
- Contests & Other Offers
Cash Back/Free Trade/Product Offer Promotions
| Company | Brief Description | Minimum Deposit Amount | Commission/Cash Offer/Promotion Type | Time Limit to Use Commission/Cash Offer | Details Link | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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A Sparx Trading exclusive offer! Use the promo code “Sparx Trading” when signing up for a new account with Jitneytrade and receive access to their preferred pricing package. | n/a | Discounted Commission Rates | none | For more details click here | none |
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Open and fund a new account (TFSA, Margin or RRSP) with at least $1,000 and you may be eligible to receive 5 commission-free trades. Use promo code 5FREETRADES when signing up. Be sure to read terms and conditions carefully. | $1,000 | 5 commission-free trades | 60 days | 5 commission-free trade offer | December 31, 2017 |
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Open and fund a new account at Virtual Brokers with at least $5,000 and you may be eligible to receive 3 months of commission-free equity trading and a $150 USD/mo credit towards Edge Trader Pro for 3 months. Use promo code sent at sign up to qualify. Be sure to read full terms and conditions for details. | $5,000 | 3 months commission-free equity trading + $150 USD/mo platform fee rebate. | 3 months | 3 months free trading / Sign up form for promo code available here | none |
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Desjardins Online Brokerage is offering new clients 1% of assets transferred into the new account in the form of commission credits (to a maximum value of $1,000). Minimum qualifying deposit is $10,000. To qualify, individuals will have to call 1-866-873-7103 and mention promo code DisnatFlex or email: [email protected]. See details link for more info. | $10,000 | 1% of assets transferred in the form of commission-credits (max credits: $1,000) | 6 months | Disnat 1% Commission Credit Promo | December 31, 2016 |
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Open and fund a new account by March 31st with at least A) $20,000 or B) $100,00+ and you may qualify to receive up to either A) $500 or B) $1000 in commission reimbursements. Be sure to read terms and conditions for full offer details. | A) $20,000 – $99,999 B) $100,000+ | A) up to $500 commission reimbursements B) up to $1000 commission reimbursements | 90 days | National Bank Direct Brokerage Cash Back Promotion | March 31, 2017 |
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Open and fund a new account with HSBC InvestDirect with at least A) $25,000; B) $50,000; C) $100,000; D) $250,000; E) $500,000 or F) $1,000,000+ and you may be eligible to receive a cash bonus offer of A) $88; B) $188; C) $288; D) $388; E) $688 or F) $988. Be sure to read terms and conditions for full offer details. | A) $25,000 – $49,999 B) $50,000 – $99,999 C) $100,000 – $249,999 D) $250,000- $499,999 E) $500,000 – $999,999 F) 1,000,000+ | Cash back bonus A) $88 B) $188 C) $288 D) $388 E) $688 F) $988 | Bonus will be credited to the qualified accounts by July 31, 2017 | HSBC InvestDirect Cash Bonus Promo | December 30, 2016 |
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Open and fund a new account at TD Direct Investing with at least A) $25,000; B) $50,000 or C) $100,000+ and you may be eligible to receive A) 50; B) 100 or C) 200 commission-free trades. Be sure to read terms and conditions for full offer details | A) $25,000 – $49,999 B) $50,000 – $99,999 C) $100,000+ | A) 50 commission-free trades (max value: $500) B) 100 commission-free trades (max value: $1000) C) 200 commission-free trades (max value: $2000) | April 28th, 2017 Commission charges will be credited the month following when the charge was incurred. | TD Direct Investing 200 Commission-free Trade Offer | March 31, 2017 |
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Open a new qualifying account with BMO InvestorLine, and fund it with at least $100,000 and you may be eligible to receive $200 cash back as well as 20 commission-free equity trades. Use promo code PROMO200 when signing up to be eligible. Be sure to read the terms and conditions for more details on the offer. | $100,000 | $200 cash back + 20 commission-free equity trades | Cash back will be deposited the week of August 7, 2017. | Fall 2016 Promotion Phase 2 | January 3, 2017 |
Expired Offers |
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| Last Updated: Dec. 23, 2016 22:30 PT |
Referral Promotions
| Company | Brief Description | Minimum Deposit Amount | Incentive Structure | Time Limit to Use Commission/Cash Offer Deposit | Details Link | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Refer a friend to Questrade and when they open an account you receive $25 cash back and they receive either A) $25; B) $50; C) $75; D) $100; or E) $250 depending on the amount deposited amount. Enter code: 476104302388759 during account sign up to qualify. Be sure to read the terms and conditions for eligibility and additional bonus payment structure and minimum balance requirements. | A) $1,000 – $9,999 B) $10,000 – $24,999 C) $25,000 – $49,999 D) $50,000 -$99,999 E) $100,000+ | $25 cash back (for referrer per referral; $50 bonus cash back for every 3rd referral) For referred individuals: A) $25 cash back B) $50 cash back C) $75 cash back D) $100 cash back E) $250 cash back | Cash deposited into Questrade billing account within 7 days after funding period ends (90 days) | Refer a friend terms and conditions Code Number: 476104302388759 | none |
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If you refer a friend/family member who is not already a Scotia iTrade account holder to them, both you and your friend get a bonus of either cash or free trades. You have to use the referral form to pass along your info as well as your friend/family members’ contact info in order to qualify. There are lots of details/conditions to this deal so be sure to read the details link. | A) $10,000 B) $50,000+ | A) You(referrer): $50 or 10 free trades; Your “Friend”: $50 or 10 free trades (max total value:$99.90) B) You(referrer): $100 cash or 50 free trades; Your “Friend”: $100 cash or 50 free trades (max total value: $499.50) | 60 days | Refer A Friend to Scotia iTrade | tbd |
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If you (an existing Virtual Brokers client) refer a friend or family member to open a new account with at least $1,000 you may be eligible to receive $25 cash per referral. For 3 or more referrals Virtual Brokers will add a $50 bonus. Referred individuals depositing either A) $1,000 – $24,999; B) $25,000 – $49,999 or C) $50,000+ may be eligible to receive A) $25; B) $50 or C) $75 cash back. Be sure to read the full terms and conditions carefully for full details. | A) $1,000 – $24,999 B) $25,000 – $49,999 C) $50,000+ | Referrer: $25 per referral; $50 bonus for each 3 or more referrals. Referee: A) $25 B) $50 C) $75 | Cash to be deposited to VB account by March 31, 2017. | Cash Referral Program | January 31, 2017 |
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If you (an existing BMO InvestorLine client) refer a new client to BMO InvestorLine and they open an account with at least $50,000 the referrer and the referee may both be eligible to receive $50 cash. To qualify the referee must use the email of the referrer that is linked to their BMO InvestorLine account. See terms and conditions for full details. | $50,000 | You(referrer): $50; Your Friend(referee): $50 | Payout occurs 45 days after minimum 90 day holding period(subject to conditions). | BMO InvestorLine Refer-a-Friend | June 30, 2017 |
Expired Offers |
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Open a new account (TFSA, Margin or RRSP) and receive $50 commission credit . Use promo code: kdkfnbbc | $1,000 | $50 commission credit | 30 days | none | none |
| Last Updated: Dec. 1, 2016 22:30 PT |
Transfer Fee Promotions
| Company | Brief Description | Maximum Transfer Fee Coverage Amount | Minimum Deposit Amount for Transfer Fee Eligibility | Details Link | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Transfer $10,000 or more to Qtrade Investor from another brokerage and Qtrade Investor may cover up to $150 in transfer fees. See terms and conditions for more details. | $150 | $10,000 | Transfer Fee Rebate | December 31, 2016 |
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Transfer $15,000 or more to RBC Direct Investing and they will pay up to $135 in transfer fees | $135 | $15,000 | Transfer Fee Rebate Details | none |
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Transfer $25,000 or more from another brokerage and Credential Direct will cover up to $150 in transfer fees. Use promo code SWITCHME when signing up to qualify for the transfer promotion. | $150 | $25,000 | Credential Direct Transfer Fee Rebate | none |
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Move your brokerage account to Questrade and they’ll cover the transfer-out fee up to $150. | $150 | $25,000 | Transfer Fee Promo | none |
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Transfer at least $25,000 or more in new assets to TD Direct Investing when opening a new account and you may qualify to have transfer fees reimbursed up to $150. Be sure to contact TD Direct Investing for further details. | $150 | $25,000 | Contact client service for more information (1-800-465-5463). | none |
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Transfer $25,000 or more to Virtual Brokers and they may cover up to $150 in transfer fees. | $150 | $25,000 | Transfer Fee promo | September 30, 2016 |
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Transfer $25,000 or more into a CIBC Investor’s Edge account and they will reimburse up to $135 in brokerage transfer fees. Clients must call customer service to request rebate after transfer made. | $135 | $25,000 | Confirmed with reps. Contact client service for more information (1-800-567-3343). | none |
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Transfer $25,000 or more to a National Bank Direct Brokerage account and they will pay up to $135 plus taxes in transfer fees | $135 | $25,000 | Transfer Fee Rebate | none |
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Disnat is offering up to $150 to cover the cost of transfer fees from another institution. To be eligible, new/existing clients need to deposit $50,000 into a Disnat account. You’ll have to call 1-866-873-7103 and mention promo code Disnat500. See details link for more info. | $150 | $50,000 | Disnat $500 Commission Credit Promo | September 30, 2016 |
Expired Offers |
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| Last Updated: Dec. 1, 2016 22:30 PT |
Other Promotions
| Company | Brief Description | Minimum Deposit Amount Required | Details Link | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Credential Direct has partnered with Trend Micro to offer 50% off Trend Micro Titanium Internet Security. Use code “TrendCF” at checkout. | n/a | Trend Micro Special Offer Code | none |
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Desjardins Online Brokerage, in conjunction with MoneyTalks, is offering 3 months of the “Inside Edge” investor information service to Desjardins Online Brokerage clients. Use promo code DESJ2016 during checkout to qualify. Be sure to read full terms and conditions for more information. | n/a | MoneyTalks Inside Edge Discount | none |
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Desjardins Online Brokerage is offering $50 in commission credits for new Disnat Classic clients depositing at least $1,000. See terms and conditions for full details. | $1,000 | Broker@ge 18-30 Promotion | none |
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Scotiabank StartRight customers can receive 10 commission-free trades when investing $1,000 or more in a new Scotia iTrade account. Trades are good for use for up to 1 year from the date the account is funded. Use promo code SRPE15 when applying (in English) or SRPF15 when applying in French. Be sure to read full terms and conditions for full details. | $1,000 | StartRight Free Trade offer | none |
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Open a new account with Virtual Brokers with a deposit of at least $1,000 (for the Classic Commission Account) or $5,000 (for the Commission Free Trading Account) and you may be eligible to receive a one-year subscription to access 5i Research. Use promo code 5iVB2016 when signing up. Be sure to read terms and conditions for full details. | $1,000 (Classic Commission Account); $5,000 (Commission Free Trading Account) | 5i Research Offer | March 31, 2017 |
Expired Offers |
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| Last Updated: Dec. 1, 22:30 PT |