Tag: National Bank Direct Brokerage

National Bank Direct Brokerage

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Discount Brokerage Deals & Promotions – January 2013

ArchivedDealsHappy New Year to all of our deal hunting readers and welcome to another edition of Discount Brokerage Deals & Promotions. One of the most popular New Year’s resolutions for folks is to slim down. As it turns out, the number of deals being offered by discount brokerages has also slimmed down.  Right out of the gate, we noticed that a couple of discount brokerages did not update their deals section (Scotia iTrade and Virtual Brokers) and still had posted deals that expired on December 31st, 2012.  We’ve since let them know and will update our deals section when we hear back from them. Update: as of January 7th, it appears that Scotia iTrade has updated their promotions page and extended out their 100 days of free trading offer to March 31st, 2013. Virtual Brokers has yet to update their promotional offer.

Those discount brokerages that did start off 2013 on the right foot were CIBC Investor’s Edge and Disnat, both of whom have extended out their respective promotional offers well into 2013 (and had their sites updated by Jan 1, 2013).   Interestingly, BMO Investorline‘s 150 trade offer expires on January 3rd so we’ll also be on the look out for the update on whether this deal is extended out or replaced. Update: As of January 4th, BMO Investorline has launched a new deal offering 250 free trades or 250 free trades + $250 depending on whether you deposit $100,000 or $250,000 respectively. Their advertisement might be a bit confusing as it advertises 90 days of free trades, however the fine print reveals that is actually 90 days to use up to 250 trades. It is NOT an unlimited trading offer. Be sure to read the fine print carefully as there are a number of conditions attached to this offer.

One of the big deals we’re tracking is Questrade‘s unlimited trading offer which is due to expire in mid-January.  As we mentioned in our outlook for 2013, we think that there will be more discount brokerage deals coming down the road especially now that TFSA contribution limits have been raised and because we’re headed into RRSP season.

Check back here throughout January as we get some more visibility on upcoming discount brokerage deals, promos and special offers for 2013.

Discount Brokerage Deals & Promos

Company Brief Description Minimum Deposit Amount Commission/Cash Offer Type Time Limit to Use Commission/Cash Offer Details Link Deadline
Jitney Trade A Sparx Trading exclusive offer! Use the promo code “Sparx Trading” when signing up for a new account with Jitney and receive access to their preferred pricing package and a massive 45% discount on the Real Tick trading platform. n/a Discounted Commission Rates none For more details click here none
Open a new account (TFSA, Margin or RRSP) and receive $50 commission credit . Use promo code: kdkfnbbc $1,000 $50 commission credit none none none
Open and fund a new registered, margin or TFSA account and fund it within 30 days with either A)$1,000 B )$25,000 or C)$50,000 and you will be eligible to receive either unlimited free trading for A) 1 month, B) 2 months or C) 3 months depending on your deposit amounts. You must the code INFINITE to qualify. This is open to new and existing clients. There’s lots of fine print so be sure to read the details link. A) $1,000 B) $25,000 C) $30,000 Unlimited trading (No commissions charged on any trades placed) A) 31 days B) 62 days C) 90 days Unlimited Free Trades Promotion January 15th, 2013
Refer a friend to Questrade and when they open an account you receive $100 and they receive $50. To receive this deal you must be an existing client with an equity account and refer a person that does not reside with you and who has not previously opened a Questrade account. $1,000 $50 commission credit (friend) $100 commission credit (referrer bonus) 60 days Refer a friend none
Get up to 100 free trades when you fund an account with a minimum of $10,000. You must open this account by November 15th, 2012 and fund it with $10 000 within 30 days of account activation to qualify. You must enter promo code “100FREEQ”. There are quite a few other details, including a minimum balance requirement, so be sure to check the details link. $10,000 100 free trades ($495 value @ cheapest commission rate) 60 days 100 Free Trades January 15, 2013
Scotia iTrade 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:$199.80) B) You(referrer): $100 cash or 50 free trades; Your “Friend”: $100 cash or 50 free trades (max total value: $999) 60 days Refer A Friend to Scotia iTrade February 28, 2013
Scotia iTrade Open and fund a new Scotia iTRADE account with at least $25,000 before December 31, 2012 and the commissions associated with your first 100 trades placed within 60 days of the date the account is activated and funded. Also, the new FlightDesk platform is being offered for free for 60 days. Use promo code WAC13-EN. See details link for further terms and conditions. $25,000 100 free trades ($999 value @ $9.99 commission rate) 60 days Scotia iTrade 100 free trades + FlightDesk March 31, 2013
TD Waterhouse Open an account with $25,000 or more and receive 10 free trades. This offer is only valid at the downtown Vancouver TD Waterhouse Investor Centre. 10 trades must be completed within 6 months of account opening; reimbursement based on $9.99 commission rate. $25,000 10 free trades ($99.99 value at stated commission rate) 6 months scanned photo of flyer none
Open and fund a new account with National Bank Direct Brokerage with $25 000 or more, and your commission rate for 6 months will be $6.95 Flat. $25,000 $6.95 Flat commission rate 6 months Take Control of the Markets Promo February 28, 2013
Open an account with either: A) $25,000 or more and receive a $100 cash credit and 25 free equity trades. or B) $50,000 or more to receive $200 cash back and 50 free equity trades. A) $25,000 B) $50,000+ A) $100 cash credit + 25 free equity trades ($823.75 (min)total value @ standard equity rate $28.95) B) $200 Cash credit +50 free equity trades ($697.50 total value @ active trader rate $9.95) 60 days Cash back offer March 1, 2013
Disnat Disnat is celebrating its 30th anniversary by offering new & existing clients $300 in commission credits which can be used for up to 6 months. To be eligible, new/existing clients need to deposit $50,000 into a Disnat account. You’ll have to call 1 800 268-8471 and mention promo code Disnat30. See details link for more info. $50,000 $300 commission credit 6 months Disnat 30th Anniversary Promo February 1, 2013
BMO InvestorLine Open a new account with $100,000 or more (or for existing clients make a deposit of $100,000 or more) and get $150 cash back and 150 free trades. Use the promo code BONUS when opening a new account (or when making a new deposit of $100,000 or more). See the details link for qualifying account types and conditions. $100,000 $150 cash 150 free trades ($1492.50 value) 60 days Path to Online Investing Promotion January 3, 2013 [EXPIRED]
BMO InvestorLine Open a new account or upgrade an existing account with either A) $100,000 or B)$250,000 to receive 250 trades (for those who deposit $100K) or 250 trades + $250 (for those who deposit $250K). Use Promo Code: RSP2013. NOTE: There are lots of details/important conditions attached to this promotion. Be sure to read the terms and conditions carefully. A) $100,000 B) $250,000 A) 250 Free Trades ($2497.50 value @ $9.99/trade) B) 250 Free Trades + $250 ( $2747.50 value @$9.99/trade) 90 days Path to Online Investing Promotion March 4, 2013

Transfer Fee Deals

Below are the discount brokerages deals that cover transfer out fees from other discount brokerages.

Company Brief Description Maximum Transfer Fee Coverage Amount Deposit Amount for Transfer Fee Eligibility Details Link Deadline
Qtrade Investor Qtrade Investor will reimburse your transfer fee up to $125 when transferring a balance of $25,000 or more. For reimbursement, please mail or fax a copy of your statement from the transferring institution that shows the transfer charge to Qtrade Investor at 604.484.2627 and indicate your Qtrade Investor account number. $125 $10,000 Transfer Fee Promo March 31, 2013
Move your brokerage account to Questrade and they’ll cover the transfer-out fee up to $150. $150 $25,000 Transfer Fee Promo none
TD Waterhouse Open a TD Direct Investing account with a minimum of $25,000 by March 1, 2013, and get up to $150 to cover your account transfer fees. $150 $25,000 Switch for free March 31, 2013
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
Disnat Disnat is celebrating its 30th anniversary by 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 1 800 268-8471 and mention promo code Disnat30. See details link for more info. $150 $50,000 Disnat 30th Anniversary Promo February 1, 2013
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Discount Brokerage Weekly Roundup – Dec 16th 2012

As 2012 draws to a close, it looks like the discount brokerage industry is going into autopilot.  This past week saw the expiry of a couple of promotions. First, Scotia iTrade’s 100 days of unlimited trading offer expired this week.  This leaves Questrade as the only discount brokerage currently offering unlimited trades.   Speaking of Questrade, their “Ring the bell with Questrade” promotion also ended this week. The winner of this contest will be announced this upcoming week on December 20th.

Jitneytrade announced this past week that they’re “going green” by offering paperless statements and  trade confirmations.  If you choose to continue to use paper statements and confirmations, however, be prepared to shell out some major green – paper statements will cost $20 and trade confirmations $1 each starting February 28th 2013.  For more information – click here.

Best Discount Brokerage Tweet of the Week

Thinking about investing in “penny stocks?”  A lot of investors are lured into the low prices and potentially huge gains – but often overlook the bigger risks.  This week’s tweet by National Bank Direct Brokerage’s parent @nationalbank was a good overview of some reasons to think twice before turning to penny stocks.  Read the tweet here.

Event Horizon

This week (December 18th), Morningstar’s Director of Economic Analysis, Bob Johnson, will be presenting a forecast for the economy and investing in 2013.  For more details, click here.

The People Have Spoken

A really interesting discussion was sparked by a Red Flag Deals forum member asking about why retiring baby boomers or ‘young guns’ appear to not be investing?  Check out what dozens of folks had to say about this here.

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Special Series: J.D. Power & Associates – Discount Brokerage Rankings Explained Part 2

JD-Power-Data-Ranking - Discount Brokerage Rankings

If you missed the first part of our J.D. Power & Associates Discount Brokerage Rankings series, read it here.

The two main objectives of this section are to provide readers with:

  1. A look at the overall discount brokerage marketplace to see what, if any trends in investor satisfaction there are that matter to consumers
  2. A detailed look at the company results in the survey to see how each company has performed over time so that consumers get an idea of the responsiveness of a particular discount brokerage to the needs of investors

When choosing a discount brokerage, you can either “go it alone” and find out for yourself what a discount brokerage is like or you can turn to the opinions of other self-directed investors to help you decide. Even though both approaches exist, surveys of Canadian investors have shown that many of them like to do research, turning to friends or family for recommendations, as well as third party reviews and research, before making a choice to go with a particular discount broker. While external opinions are valuable sources of information to help avoid potentially costly or unpleasant experiences they can also help to find a service provider that can hopefully keep you a satisfied customer.

Looking at what thousands of other self-directed investors have said about their experiences can certainly shed light on what you’re likely to encounter with a particular discount brokerage and at the very least help to provide some context around informal discussions with friends or family. There are some questions, however, you may want to consider when looking to these sources. Questions such as:

  • How well does the source I’m looking at consider and describe my needs?
  • If they are a friend, family member or opinion in a forum, how long has this person been a client with the company and
  • What, if any, issues have they encountered with the service/experience along the way?

Also, because numbers and statistics often get presented to support marketing and sales, we thought it prudent to state several “qualifiers” readers need to consider about such numbers up front instead of at the end. First, it’s worth stating that the range of data this section references covers four years of results of the investor satisfaction survey. This four year time period is a small time frame, especially since the interval that the survey is conducted on is annual. Second, the number of companies in the ‘pool’ is fairly small so we must be cautious about inferring too much about the performance numbers and possible trends of the industry as a whole. Instead, looking at a particular company’s change in performance over time is probably more reliable an approach than comparing companies to one another. Lastly, not every year had the same number of discount brokerages covered. In 2009 and 2010 for example, the number of discount brokerages covered by this survey was 6 and 8 respectively. Smaller or newer discount brokerages, therefore, are less likely to appear on the survey and so the inferences made about “the industry” actually apply to the discount brokerages covered in this list.

Investor satisfaction with the overall discount brokerage industry in Canada

Over the four years the investor satisfaction survey has been conducted, more than eleven and a half thousand individuals have been consulted about discount brokerage services in Canada.

Canadian Discount Brokerage Industry - Investor Satisfaction Scores 2009-2012
Figure 1: Canadian Discount Brokerage Investor Satisfaction Scores from 2009-2012

When looking at the four year picture, the average industry satisfaction scores have fluctuated year over year, bouncing between a low of 679 in 2011 and a high of 707 in 2010. The four year average score for the industry is 696 (out of 1000) with an average standard deviation of 27.5 points. When graphed, it is clear that as a group no clear industry-wide trends in the satisfaction of Canadian discount brokerage investors are visible.

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Discount Brokerage Deals & Promotions – December 2012

For self-directed investors, it seems like the gift of discount brokerage deals has already been given in November. As it stands, the deals offered by discount brokerages into the end of the year are largely carried over from last month.

The most noteworthy deal announced mid-November was the unlimited trading offer by Questrade. Similar to the Scotia iTrade offer, these deals offer unlimited trading but for a limited time. If you’re looking for promos that have a much longer time frame to use up those free commissions, the deal by Disnat (celebrating their 30th year) gives investors up to 6 months. National Bank Direct Brokerage is offering its best rate on commissions for 6 months.

A number of deals (six by our count) will be expiring in December. These deals include the Scotia iTrade unlimited trading offer for 100 days which expires December 14th and deals from CIBC Investor’s Edge, Disnat, BMO Investorline, Virtual Brokers, Scotia iTrade and Credential Direct coming to an end by the end of December.

For those looking for a deal, it is an interesting time of year because on the one hand there are some compelling offers, but on the other, the busy season for attracting new customers (i.e. RRSP season) is right around the corner and so there is likely something in the works with most discount brokerages.

With the introduction of unlimited trading, the bar for discount brokerage deals has definitely been raised by Questrade and Scotia iTrade. Whether or not that is enough of an incentive to get consumers to choose a discount brokerage based on this kind of promo, however, is something we’ll find out if these offers persist. One thing is certain going into the holidays, those discount brokerages not willing to give deals or promos are also those less likely to receive the business of self-directed investors looking for a little holiday cheer.

Discount Brokerage Deals & Promos

Company Brief Description Minimum Deposit Amount Commission/Cash Offer Type Time Limit to Use Commission/Cash Offer Details Link Deadline
Jitney Trade A Sparx Trading exclusive offer! Use the promo code “Sparx Trading” when signing up for a new account with Jitney and receive access to their preferred pricing package and a massive 45% discount on the Real Tick trading platform. n/a Discounted Commission Rates none For more details click here none
Open a new account (TFSA, Margin or RRSP) and receive $50 commission credit . Use promo code: kdkfnbbc $1,000 $50 commission credit none none none
Open and fund a new registered, margin or TFSA account and fund it within 30 days with either A)$1,000 B )$25,000 or C)$50,000 and you will be eligible to receive either unlimited free trading for A) 1 month, B) 2 months or C) 3 months depending on your deposit amounts. You must the code INFINITE to qualify. This is open to new and existing clients. There’s lots of fine print so be sure to read the details link. A) $1,000 B) $25,000 C) $30,000 Unlimited trading (No commissions charged on any trades placed) A) 31 days B) 62 days C) 90 days Unlimited Free Trades Promotion January 15th, 2013
Refer a friend to Questrade and when they open an account you receive $100 and they receive $50. To receive this deal you must be an existing client with an equity account and refer a person that does not reside with you and who has not previously opened a Questrade account. $1,000 $50 commission credit (friend) $100 commission credit (referrer bonus) 60 days Refer a friend none
Credential Direct If you are a client of North Shore Credit Union, you can qualify for 5 free trades as well as a $125 transfer fee credit to cover transfer fees from another discount brokerage ($10,000 minimum transfer in value). To qualify, you must enter NSCU-05Trades on your application. $10,000 5 free trades must use trades by Feb. 28/2013 North Shore Credit Union Promo December 31, 2012
Get up to 100 free trades when you fund an account with a minimum of $10,000. You must open this account by November 15th, 2012 and fund it with $10 000 within 30 days of account activation to qualify. You must enter promo code “100FREEQ”. There are quite a few other details, including a minimum balance requirement, so be sure to check the details link. $10,000 100 free trades ($495 value @ cheapest commission rate) 60 days 100 Free Trades January 15, 2013
Scotia iTrade 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:$199.80) B) You(referrer): $100 cash or 50 free trades; Your “Friend”: $100 cash or 50 free trades (max total value: $999) 60 days Refer A Friend to Scotia iTrade February 28, 2013
TD Waterhouse Open an account with $25,000 or more and receive 10 free trades. This offer is only valid at the downtown Vancouver TD Waterhouse Investor Centre. 10 trades must be completed within 6 months of account opening; reimbursement based on $9.99 commission rate. $25,000 10 free trades 6 months scanned photo of flyer none
Scotia iTrade Open and fund a new Scotia iTRADE account with at least $25,000 before December 31, 2012 and the commissions associated with your first 100 trades placed within 60 days of the date the account is activated and funded. Also, the new FlightDesk platform is being offered for free for 60 days. See details link for further terms and conditions. $25,000 100 free trades ($999 value @ $9.99 commission rate) 60 days Scotia iTrade 100 free trades + FlightDesk December 31, 2012
Open a new account with $25,000 before December 31st, 2012 and receive 150 trades free. (Applies to the first 150 trades placed within 60 days of account opening at a maximum of $6.49 per trade with a total maximum value of $973) $25,000 150 free trades ($973 value @ $6.49 commission rate) 60 days New Account Promo December 31, 2012
Open and fund a new account with National Bank Direct Brokerage with $25 000 or more, and your commission rate for 6 months will be $6.95 Flat. $25,000 $6.95 Flat commission rate 6 months Take Control of the Markets Promo February 28, 2013
Open an account with either: A) $25,000 or more and receive a $100 cash credit and 25 free equity trades. or B) $50,000 or more to receive $200 cash back and 50 free equity trades. A) $25,000 B) $50,000+ A) $100 cash credit + 25 free equity trades ($823.75 (min)total value @ standard equity rate $28.95) B) $200 Cash credit +50 free equity trades ($697.50 total value @ active trader rate $9.95) 60 days Cash back offer December 31, 2012
BMO InvestorLine Existing BMO Investorline clients who refer a ‘friend’ who then opens an account, (and the “friend” too) can qualify for a cash bonus, depending on the deposit amount. For deposits of between $50,000 and $249,999, the referral bonus is $200 and the “friend” receives $50; for deposits of over $250,000 the referral bonus is $300 the “friend” receives $100. To qualify for the deal, the referral reference code needs to be included in the application – see the details link for terms and conditions. $50,000 $50 cash (friend) $200 cash (referrer bonus) 60 days (see details) Refer a Friend Promo December 31, 2012
Scotia iTrade Open one or more new Scotia iTrade account(s) by November 16, 2012 with at least $50,000 in cash or net equity and receive 100 days of commission free trades. Also, you get to try FlightDesk free for100 days. To qualify you must enter promo code ” F’12 OFFER” when submitting new account application. See details link for more information. $50,000 unlimited free trades 100 days 100 Days Commission-Free December 14, 2012
Disnat Disnat is celebrating its 30th anniversary by offering new & existing clients $300 in commission credits which can be used for up to 6 months. To be eligible, new/existing clients need to deposit $50,000 into a Disnat account. You’ll have to call 1 800 268-8471 and mention promo code Disnat30. See details link for more info. $50,000 $300 commission credit 6 months Disnat 30th Anniversary Promo December 31, 2012
BMO InvestorLine Open a new account with $100,000 or more (or for existing clients make a deposit of $100,000 or more) and get $150 cash back and 150 free trades. Use the promo code BONUS when opening a new account (or when making a new deposit of $100,000 or more). See the details link for qualifying account types and conditions. $100,000 $150 cash 150 free trades ($1492.50 value 60 days Path to Online Investing Promotion January 3, 2013

Transfer Fee Deals

Below are the discount brokerages that are offering deals that cover transfer out fees from other discount brokerages.

Company Brief Description Maximum Transfer Fee Coverage Amount Deposit Amount for Transfer Fee Eligibility Details Link Deadline
Move your brokerage account to Questrade and they’ll cover the transfer-out fee up to $150. $150 $25,000 Transfer Fee Promo none
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
Virtual Brokers will cover transfer fees from your transferring institution to a maximum of $150 per account. This offer is only applicable to accounts opened with at least $25,000 in equity before December 31, 2012. $150 $25,000 Transfer Fee Promo December 31, 2012
Qtrade Investor Qtrade Investor will reimburse your transfer fee up to $125 when transferring a balance of $25,000 or more. For reimbursement, please mail or fax a copy of your statement from the transferring institution that shows the transfer charge to Qtrade Investor at 604.484.2627 and indicate your Qtrade Investor account number. $125 $25,000 Transfer Fee Promo none
Disnat Disnat is celebrating its 30th anniversary by 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 1 800 268-8471 and mention promo code Disnat30. See details link for more info. $150 $50,000 Disnat 30th Anniversary Promo December 31, 2012
Credential Direct If you are a client of North Shore Credit Union, you can qualify for a $125 transfer fee credit to cover transfer fees from another discount brokerage ($10,000 minimum transfer in value). To qualify, you must enter NSCU-05Trades on your application. $125 $10,000 North Shore Credit Union Promo December 31, 2012

 

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Globe and Mail 2012 Canadian Discount Brokerage Rankings Review

Virtual Brokers Takes Top Spot

The 2012 Globe and Mail Canadian discount brokerage rankings are out as of today with Virtual Brokers claiming the top spot and displacing the 6 year “reigning champ” of this survey, Qtrade (which came in second), by a razor thin margin.

Becoming Globe and Mail’s top ranked brokerage, albeit barely, was a pretty lofty achievement for Virtual Brokers for a number of reasons, not the least of which is because they were sitting at the bottom of the ranking back in 2010. This year (2012) marks only the third year in which Virtual Brokers has been included in the ranking, so for such a recent entrant into the ranking pool to move up so quickly is certainly noteworthy.

So what took Virtual Brokers from the bottom of the pack in 2010 to being crowned the best Canadian discount broker for 2012?  Certainly credit is deserved where credit is due.  Virtual Brokers has aggressively priced their services far lower than many of their peers and started to match the types of services found at their competitors.  Of course, it also helps to understand how the types of categories that went into this ranking could impact the outcome. In order to understand what being the “best discount brokerage” really means, we took a closer look at the rating system used by the Globe and Mail’s Rob Carrick.

Looking at the Ranking Structure

The following five sections (and the percent they play in the scoring) are used in the Globe and Mail discount brokerage ranking to assess each Canadian discount brokerage:

  1. Costs – 25%
  2. Account Information – 25%
  3. Trading – 20%
  4. Tools – 20%
  5. Innovation -10%

For this ranking, the two factors that heavily influence the overall ranking are costs and account information (combined they form 50% of the score).  The last three categories of trading, tools and innovation combine to form the other 50% of the ranking.  Interestingly, when looking at the definition of innovation: “Which firms are leaders in terms of cutting prices and introducing new services, and which are followers?” price comes in again.

Thus, the prices that a brokerage charges for its services end up having a bigger influence in the overall score relative to any other single component.  Virtual Brokers had the strongest showing on fees and innovation and tied for first in the “trading” category which likely gave it the edge it needed to squeak out ahead of Qtrade.  Qtrade shone brightest in the “account info” category.  Sometimes the overall ranking can mask some particularly noteworthy performances.  On the good side, buried in the results is an impressive perfect 20 out of 20 that TD Waterhouse managed to achieve in the Tools category (even though they were ranked 6th overall).  Conversely, the lowest ranking was given to HSBC InvestDirect which ‘earned’ a particularly biting comment: “They win in one respect – most annoying log-in process.”

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Discount Brokerage Weekly Roundup – Nov. 9th 2012

The big news from the Canadian discount brokerage industry this week was the huge announcement that OptionsXpress will no longer be available in Canada.  Virtual Brokers will be acquiring all of the OptionsXpress Canada accounts as of December 1st pending regulatory approval. This now narrows the number of Canadian discount brokerages that provide a powerful and easy to use options trading platform along with great stock market education resources down by one.  According to an apparent notice sent to clients (which we found posted here but cannot confirm its authenticity) from OptionsXpress Canada, individuals who wish to transfer to another discount brokerage must let OptionsXpress Canada know in writing before November 23rd otherwise the account will be passed along to Virtual Brokers. Be sure to contact OptionsXpress Canada directly for any questions.

Questrade announced this week that they are serving as market maker on behalf of Foran Mining Corporation (FOM on the TSX Venture Exchange).  The one year agreement will take effect November 12th and Questrade will receive $5,500/month for these services.  Questrade has been somewhat active in adding companies to its market making segment adding American Vanadium, Red Tiger Mining and Destiny Media earlier this year.  To see the TSX market makers list, click here.

When National Bank Direct Brokerage announced via twitter that they have a LinkedIn page we got a little excited as they’re currently not really around on the social media scene except via their parent National Bank’s twitter feed (to see who which discount brokerages are active on social media, click here). Unfortunately, when we stopped by to have a look around there wasn’t a lot of content on there yet.

Don’t forget, November is Financial Literacy Month.  We’ll be posting all sorts of interesting gems for self-directed investors to help them enhance their knowledge of investing and finance. For more information on Financial Literacy Month activities, check out this page here.

Best Canadian Discount Brokerage Tweet of the Week

Even though the LinkedIn tweet left us scratching our heads a little, National Bank managed to score another tweet of the week for their Clearfacts newsletter on the difference between investing and trading.  You can read the article via their tweet here.

Event Horizon

This upcoming week has a couple of presentations for self-directed investors that are likely to be interesting.  Tyler Bollhorn’s new book, The Mindless Investor, is launching so he’s running a couple of free sessions to explain some of the principles from his book and how do-it-yourself investors can use these to help them with their trading.  Sessions will be held in Calgary (Nov. 12th) and Vancouver (Nov. 13th).

The People Have Spoken

Sometimes matching stock orders between buyers and sellers takes time.   It’s usually why discount brokerages give themselves a few days to get things settled behind the scenes.  Usually it’s a three day (known as T+3 as in Time + 3 days) window between the transaction date and the settlement date (for a great explanation, see this link).  This week, redflagdeals.com forum poster raxdax10 wanted to know why the money didn’t appear on their TD Waterhouse discount brokerage account after selling a stock.  Read what some helpful folks had to say here.

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Discount Brokerage Deals & Promotions – November 2012

November’s lineup of discount brokerage deals and promotions features many of the same players from last month, except with some minor changes to dates and amounts.

Starting first with the newest deals. National Bank Direct Brokerage is running the “Take Control of the Markets!” promo where they’re offering new clients who open an account with $25,000 or more $6.95 flat fee pricing on equity trades for six months. This deal replaces two of their previous promotions, the “Commission Holiday” and “refer-a-friend”.

BMO Investorline is running the “Path to Online Investing Promotion” starting this month.  The bonus offer for this promotion is 150 free trades (which you have 60 days to use) and $150 cash back and is basically a repackaging of the 150/150 promotion (which expired at the end of October) with the main difference being that the “Path to Online Investing Promotion” requires a deposit of $100,000.

Questrade has interestingly extended one of its existing 100 free trade deals into mid-November. The expiry of Questrade’s deal seems to fall at the same time as the expiry of Scotia iTrade’s huge unlimited trades promo.

Those Canadian discount brokerages that are in a bit of a holding pattern from last month include Virtual Brokers, Scotia iTrade, Credential Direct and CIBC Investors Edge.  The transfer fee deals being offered are the same as last month and include Questrade, National Bank Direct Brokerage, Virtual Brokers, Qtrade, Disnat Direct and Credential Direct who are willing to kick in between $125-$150 to help with transfer out fees.

As they have been for some time, Jitneytrade’s exclusive offer for SparxTrading.com’s visitors is still in full effect and worth looking into for the active traders looking for a break on pricing and platforms.

Discount Brokerage Deals & Promos

Company Brief Description Minimum Deposit Amount Commission/Cash Offer Type Time Limit to Use Commission/Cash Offer Details Link Deadline
Jitney Trade A Sparx Trading exclusive offer! Use the promo code “Sparx Trading” when signing up for a new account with Jitney and receive access to their preferred pricing package and a massive 45% discount on the Real Tick trading platform. n/a Discounted Commission Rates none For more details click here none
Open a new account (TFSA, Margin or RRSP) and receive $50 commission credit . Use promo code: kdkfnbbc $1,000 $50 commission credit none none none
Open and fund a new registered, margin or TFSA account and fund it within 30 days with either A)$1,000 B )$25,000 or C)$50,000 and you will be eligible to receive either unlimited free trading for A) 1 month, B) 2 months or C) 3 months depending on your deposit amounts. You must the code INFINITE to qualify. This is open to new and existing clients. There’s lots of fine print so be sure to read the details link. A) $1,000 B) $25,000 C) $30,000 Unlimited trading (No commissions charged on any trades placed) A) 31 days B) 62 days C) 90 days Unlimited Free Trades Promotion January 15th, 2013
Refer a friend to Questrade and when they open an account you receive $100 and they receive $50. To receive this deal you must be an existing client with an equity account and refer a person that does not reside with you and who has not previously opened a Questrade account. $1,000 $50 commission credit (friend) $100 commission credit (referrer bonus) 60 days Refer a friend none
Credential Direct If you are a client of North Shore Credit Union, you can qualify for 5 free trades as well as a $125 transfer fee credit to cover transfer fees from another discount brokerage ($10,000 minimum transfer in value). To qualify, you must enter NSCU-05Trades on your application. $10,000 5 free trades must use trades by Feb. 28/2013 North Shore Credit Union Promo December 31, 2012
Get up to 100 free trades when you fund an account with a minimum of $10,000. You must open this account by November 15th, 2012 and fund it with $10 000 within 30 days of account activation to qualify. You must enter promo code “100FREEQ”. There are quite a few other details, including a minimum balance requirement, so be sure to check the details link. $10,000 100 free trades ($495 value @ cheapest commission rate) 60 days 100 Free Trades January 15, 2013
Scotia iTrade 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:$199.80) B) You(referrer): $100 cash or 50 free trades; Your “Friend”: $100 cash or 50 free trades (max total value: $999) 60 days Refer A Friend to Scotia iTrade February 28, 2013
TD Waterhouse Open an account with $25,000 or more and receive 10 free trades. This offer is only valid at the downtown Vancouver TD Waterhouse Investor Centre. 10 trades must be completed within 6 months of account opening; reimbursement based on $9.99 commission rate. $25,000 10 free trades 6 months scanned photo of flyer none
Scotia iTrade Open and fund a new Scotia iTRADE account with at least $25,000 before December 31, 2012 and the commissions associated with your first 100 trades placed within 60 days of the date the account is activated and funded. Also, the new FlightDesk platform is being offered for free for 60 days. See details link for further terms and conditions. $25,000 100 free trades ($999 value @ $9.99 commission rate) 60 days Scotia iTrade 100 free trades + FlightDesk December 31, 2012
Open a new account with $25,000 before November 30th, 2012 and receive 150 trades free. (Applies to the first 150 trades placed within 60 days of account opening at a maximum of $6.49 per trade with a total maximum value of $973) $25,000 150 free trades ($973 value @ $6.49 commission rate) 60 days New Account Promo November 30, 2012
Open and fund a new account with National Bank Direct Brokerage with $25 000 or more, and your commission rate for 6 months will be $6.95 Flat. $25,000 $6.95 Flat commission rate 6 months Take Control of the Markets Promo February 28, 2013
Open an account with either: A) $25,000 or more and receive a $100 cash credit and 25 free equity trades. or B) $50,000 or more to receive $200 cash back and 50 free equity trades. A) $25,000 B) $50,000+ A) $100 cash credit + 25 free equity trades ($823.75 (min)total value @ standard equity rate $28.95) B) $200 Cash credit +50 free equity trades ($697.50 total value @ active trader rate $9.95) 60 days Cash back offer December 31, 2012
BMO InvestorLine Existing BMO Investorline clients who refer a ‘friend’ who then opens an account, (and the “friend” too) can qualify for a cash bonus, depending on the deposit amount. For deposits of between $50,000 and $249,999, the referral bonus is $200 and the “friend” receives $50; for deposits of over $250,000 the referral bonus is $300 the “friend” receives $100. To qualify for the deal, the referral reference code needs to be included in the application – see the details link for terms and conditions. $50,000 $50 cash (friend) $200 cash (referrer bonus) 60 days (see details) Refer a Friend Promo December 31, 2012
Scotia iTrade Open one or more new Scotia iTrade account(s) by November 16, 2012 with at least $50,000 in cash or net equity and receive 100 days of commission free trades. Also, you get to try FlightDesk free for100 days. To qualify you must enter promo code ” F’12 OFFER” when submitting new account application. See details link for more information. $50,000 unlimited free trades 100 days 100 Days Commission-Free December 14, 2012
Disnat Disnat is celebrating its 30th anniversary by offering new & existing clients $300 in commission credits which can be used for up to 6 months. To be eligible, new/existing clients need to deposit $50,000 into a Disnat account. You’ll have to call 1 800 268-8471 and mention promo code Disnat30. See details link for more info. $50,000 $300 commission credit 6 months Disnat 30th Anniversary Promo December 31, 2012
BMO InvestorLine Open a new account with $100,000 or more (or for existing clients make a deposit of $100,000 or more) and get $150 cash back and 150 free trades. Use the promo code BONUS when opening a new account (or when making a new deposit of $100,000 or more). See the details link for qualifying account types and conditions. $100,000 $150 cash 150 free trades ($1492.50 value 60 days Path to Online Investing Promotion January 3, 2013

 

Transfer Fee Deals

Below are the discount brokerages that are offering deals that cover transfer out fees from other discount brokerages.

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Discount Brokerage Deals & Promotions – October 2012

For the month of October, most of the discount brokerages who are offering deals and promotions are fighting hard to win the business of Canadian retail investors. We’ve made a few changes to the deals section so that information is a little bit easier to find.  We’ve put the discount brokerage promotions that include commission credits, free trades and any other promos in one table.  In a separate table (below) we’ve also listed the Canadian discount brokerages that are offering deals or promos on transfer fees.

First, the big news – Scotia iTrade is offering 100 days of commission free trading (no caps) with a deposit of $50,000 for new account holders and 100 days of FlightDesk™ for free. As far as throwing down the deal gauntlet, Scotia iTrade has certainly sent a message to other Canadian discount brokerages that is going to be hard to beat. Of course if you don’t have $50,000 burning a hole in your pocket or if 100 days of commission-free unlimited trades isn’t your thing, Scotia iTrade is still offering their 100 free trades + 60 days of free FlightDesk™.

*Update (Oct.10/12)* Disnat has also launched a deal this month celebrating their 30th anniversary.  For a deposit of  $50,000, Disnat is offering $300 in commission credits which are good for up to 6 months.  This offer is open to new clients and existing clients.

For more modest deposit sizes, Virtual Brokers has extended (again) its 150 free trades offer with a deposit of $25,000, and Questrade has two 100 free trade offers to choose from with a qualifying balance of $10,000.  National Bank Direct Brokerage is still running its “commission holiday” and refer-a-friend promos.  A much, much more modest promotion is being offered by Credential Direct for clients of North Shore Credit Union – 5 free trades and a credit ($125)for transfer-out fees. If you have $150,000 or more to open an account with, BMO Investorline is still running its 150/150 promotion where you get cash and trade credits, as well as their Refer-a-Friend promotion.

For the active traders, we are still running the exclusive Sparx Trading deal with Jitneytrade which gives you discounted commission pricing and discounts on the Realtick trading platform. For more info on the Jitneytrade promotion you can click here

Discount Brokerage Deals & Promos

Company Brief Description Minimum Deposit Amount Commission/Cash Offer Type Time Limit to Use Commission/Cash Offer Details Link Deadline
Jitney Trade A Sparx Trading exclusive offer! Use the promo code “Sparx Trading” when signing up for a new account with Jitney and receive access to their preferred pricing package and a massive 45% discount on the Real Tick trading platform. n/a Discounted Commission Rates none For more details click here none
Open a new account (TFSA, Margin or RRSP) and receive $50 commission credit . Use promo code: kdkfnbbc $1,000 $50 commission credit none none none
Refer a friend to Questrade and when they open an account you receive $100 and they receive $50. To receive this deal you must be an existing client with an equity account and refer a person that does not reside with you and who has not previously opened a Questrade account. $1,000 $50 commission credit (friend) $100 commission credit (referrer bonus) 60 days Refer a friend none
Credential Direct If you are a client of North Shore Credit Union, you can qualify for 5 free trades as well as a $125 transfer fee credit to cover transfer fees from another discount brokerage ($10,000 minimum transfer in value). To qualify, you must enter NSCU-05Trades on your application. $10,000 5 free trades must use trades by Feb. 28/2013 North Shore Credit Union Promo December 31, 2012
Get up to 100 free trades when you fund an account with a minimum of $10,000. You must open this account by October 30, 2012 and fund it with $10 000 within 30 days of account activation to qualify. You must enter promo code “100FREEQ”. There are quite a few other details, including a minimum balance requirement, so be sure to check the details link. $10,000 100 free trades ($495 value @ cheapest commission rate) 60 days 100 Free Trades October 30, 2012
As part of the Questrade Advantage program, deposit $10,000 into a new account by October 30th, 2012 and you can get 100 free trades. Enter the promo code “100ADVL” in the application online. Note that the advantage program requires you to sign up for a data package (currently $89.95/month) the fees for which vary according to trading activity. See details link for terms and conditions on pricing. $10,000 100 free trades ($495 value @ cheapest commission rate) 60 days Questrade Advantage Promo October 30, 2012
TD Waterhouse Open an account with $25,000 or more and receive 10 free trades. This offer is only valid at the downtown Vancouver TD Waterhouse Investor Centre. 10 trades must be completed within 6 months of account opening; reimbursement based on $9.99 commission rate. $25,000 10 free trades 6 months scanned photo of flyer none
Scotia iTrade Open and fund a new Scotia iTRADE account with at least $25,000 before December 31, 2012 and the commissions associated with your first 100 trades placed within 60 days of the date the account is activated and funded. Also, the new FlightDesk platform is being offered for free for 60 days. See details link for further terms and conditions. $25,000 100 free trades ($999 value @ $9.99 commission rate) 60 days Scotia iTrade 100 free trades + FlightDesk December 31, 2012
Open a new account with $25,000 before December 31, 2012 and receive 150 trades free. (Applies to the first 150 trades placed within 60 days of account opening at a maximum of $6.49 per trade with a total maximum value of $973) $25,000 150 free trades ($973 value @ $6.49 commission rate) 60 days New Account Promo December 31, 2012
Open and fund a new account with National Bank Direct Brokerage with $25 000 or more, and you can receive up to $750 in commission reimbursements. To qualify you must use the promo code “REGISTERED2012” in the general information section of the application form. Reimbursements will be paid in either January or April 2013 depending on date account is opened. See the terms & conditions link for more information. $25,000 $750 commission credit 90 days Commission Holiday Promo October 31, 2012
If you are an existing National Bank Direct Brokerage client and you refer someone to join, you each get $100. To qualify, the referred account must transfer at least $25,000 from another financial institution. If at least $25,000 is transferred, up to $135 of the transfer fee is covered. Use the promo code “FRIEND” when opening the account $25,000 $100 (friend) $100 (referrer bonus) n/a Refer a Friend October 31, 2012
Open an account with either: A) $25,000 or more and receive a $100 cash credit and 25 free equity trades. or B) $50,000 or more to receive $200 cash back and 50 free equity trades. A) $25,000 B) $50,000+ A) $100 cash credit + 25 free equity trades ($823.75 (min)total value @ standard equity rate $28.95) B) $200 Cash credit +50 free equity trades ($697.50 total value @ active trader rate $9.95) 60 days Cash back offer December 31, 2012
BMO InvestorLine Existing BMO Investorline clients who refer a ‘friend’ who then opens an account, (and the “friend” too) can qualify for a cash bonus, depending on the deposit amount. For deposits of between $50,000 and $249,999, the referral bonus is $200 and the “friend” receives $50; for deposits of over $250,000 the referral bonus is $300 the “friend” receives $100. To qualify for the deal, the referral reference code needs to be included in the application – see the details link for terms and conditions. $50,000 $50 cash (friend) $200 cash (referrer bonus) 60 days (see details) Refer a Friend Promo December 31, 2012
Scotia iTrade Open one or more new Scotia iTrade account(s) by November 16, 2012 with at least $50,000 in cash or net equity and receive 100 days of commission free trades. Also, you get to try FlightDesk free for100 days. To qualify you must enter promo code ” F’12 OFFER” when submitting new account application. See details link for more information. $50,000 unlimited free trades 100 days 100 Days Commission-Free November 16, 2012
Disnat Disnat is celebrating its 30th anniversary by offering new & existing clients $300 in commission credits which can be used for up to 6 months. To be eligible, new/existing clients need to deposit $50,000 into a Disnat account. You’ll have to call 1 800 268-8471 and mention promo code Disnat30. See details link for more info. $50,000 $300 commission credit 6 months Disnat 30th Anniversary Promo December 31, 2012
BMO InvestorLine Open a new account with $150,000 or more (or for existing clients make a deposit of $150,000 or more) and get $150 cash back and 150 free trades. Use the promo code BONUS when opening a new account (or when making a new deposit of $150,000 or more). See the details link for qualifying account types and conditions. $150,000 $150 cash 150 free trades ($1492.50 value 60 days 150/150 Promotion October 31, 2012

Transfer Fee Deals

Below are the discount brokerages that are offering deals that cover transfer out fees from other discount brokerages.

Company Brief Description Maximum Transfer Fee Coverage Amount Deposit Amount for Transfer Fee Eligibility Details Link Deadline
Move your brokerage account to Questrade and they’ll cover the transfer-out fee up to $150. $150 $25,000 Transfer Fee Promo none
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
Virtual Brokers will cover transfer fees from your transferring institution to a maximum of $150 per account. This offer is only applicable to accounts opened with at least $25,000 in equity before December 31, 2012. $150 $25,000 Transfer Fee Promo December 31, 2012
Qtrade Investor Qtrade Investor will reimburse your transfer fee up to $125 when transferring a balance of $25,000 or more. For reimbursement, please mail or fax a copy of your statement from the transferring institution that shows the transfer charge to Qtrade Investor at 604.484.2627 and indicate your Qtrade Investor account number. $125 $25,000 Transfer Fee Promo none
Disnat Disnat is celebrating its 30th anniversary by 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 1 800 268-8471 and mention promo code Disnat30. See details link for more info. $150 $50,000 Disnat 30th Anniversary Promo December 31, 2012
Credential Direct If you are a client of North Shore Credit Union, you can qualify for a $125 transfer fee credit to cover transfer fees from another discount brokerage ($10,000 minimum transfer in value). To qualify, you must enter NSCU-05Trades on your application. $125 $10,000 North Shore Credit Union Promo December 31, 2012
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Discount Brokerage Weekly Round Up – Sept. 21/2012

Discount Brokerage Weekly roundup:

The big news this week in the world of Canadian online discount brokerages was the release of the 2012 JD Power & Associates Canadian Discount Brokerage Investor Satisfaction Survey results.  With Disnat coming out on top, followed by BMO Investorline and National Bank Direct Brokerage, the survey showed that while Canadian discount brokerages are improving, they still have some catching up to do with their American discount brokerage counterparts.  To read more about the ratings, click here.

Canadian Discount Brokerage Tweet of the week:

@virtual_brokers for their article on protective puts http://bit.ly/NHH70O

Event Horizon:

TD Waterhouse Discount Brokerage is planning a “trader’s expo” this weekend at the TD Waterhouse Investor Centre in Coquitlam. Details can be found here

The people have spoken:

An article about the launch earlier this month of the BMO Investorline AdviceDirect platform to assist retail investors has certainly stirred some investors up.

At the time of writing:

The top rated comment (25 points)from “TheBluesMan” : “1% is ridiculous for this arms length advice. Another cash cow for the brokerage.”

And the lowest rated comment (-4 points) from “EJJ”: “Ya, like I would listen to advice from a bankster. That’s hilarious!”

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Brokerages Gone Social

Social Discount BrokeragesEven though discount brokerages haven’t traditionally portrayed the most “fun and friendly” image, more and more of them are starting to become visible on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. While you (hopefully) won’t find those embarrassing pictures of a drunken night gone wild or an angry rant about a horrible boss, plugging into the news feeds of a discount brokerage can be an interesting way to get insight into the organization, follow any promotions that may be underway as well as get a glimpse at the conversations they’re having with their customers.

While some Canadian discount brokers, such as Interactive Brokers, Jitneytrade, Questrade, Scotia iTrade and Virtual Brokers, have their own dedicated twitter and Facebook pages, others such as Disnat Direct, TD Waterhouse and BMO InvestorLine bundle messages about their other financial products and services along with discount brokerage news.

Social media sites, such as Twitter and Facebook, are tricky territory for companies (especially financial services companies) because these channels are public and interactions between the company and customers are visible for everyone to see.  On the other hand these social media sites offer the opportunity for you to share what you love, or love to hate about your brokerage, giving straight feedback and having your voice heard as a client.

One handy feature of being plugged into something like a discount brokerage’s Twitter feed is that it offers a fast way of seeing what other investors or traders are experiencing. If a website is down or there is an outage of service, one of the best places to check (outside of the trading platform itself) and see what’s going on is via the ‘twittersphere’.  Active traders especially are among the first to let others know if something is amiss.

Our table below has those Canadian discount brokerages that are currently on either Facebook and/or Twitter as well as links to their respective feeds.

Brokerage Name Twitter Facebook
BMO Investorline part of @BMO part of “BMO Community Facebook Page
CIBC Investors Edge
Credential Direct
Disnat Direct @DesjardinsGroup Disnat Direct Facebook Page
HSBC InvestDirect
Interactive Brokers @IBGroupLLC Interactive Brokers Facebook Page
Jitneytrade @Jitneytrade
National Bank Direct Brokerage part of @nationalbank
Options Express
Qtrade
Questrade @Questrade Questrade Facebook Page
RBC Direct Investing
Scotia iTrade @Scotia_iTRADE
TD Waterhouse Discount Brokerage part of @TD_Canada Part of the TD Waterhouse Discount Brokerage Facebook Page
Virtual Brokers @Virtual_Brokers Virtual Brokers Facebook Page