Tag: Questrade

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Discount Brokerage Weekly Roundup – March 14, 2014

This week’s discount brokerage roundup is a little ‘rounder’ than most as it falls on Pi Day. This irrational edition of the weekly roundup features a quick announcement about an ETF webinar reschedule followed by a release by one discount brokerage of a refreshed trading platform.  In addition, we provide some interesting results from US online brokerages that may be telling of what may unfold here in Canada and finally we’ll come full circle with an irrational forum post fit for an algorithmic king.

Credential Direct Webinar Moved

Although we were looking forward to the session with the Canadian Couch Potato this past week, it seems that this webinar got postponed.  The date for the new webinar with Dan Bortolotti is March 19th at 12 pm ET.

myQuestrade Gets a Refresh

Questrade users got a nice surprise recently as the discount brokerage rolled out its latest upgrade to the myQuestrade interface.  There are upgrades to monitoring one’s account including performance stats and charts that make staying on top of one’s account much easier than it used to be.   The reaction from Questrade users online was generally very positive – although it appears that there may be some third party compatibility issues with Mint.    To learn more about the updates, check out the video below the tweets.

Back to the Future

When it comes to online brokerage products, pricing and services, the US market tend to be an interesting place to look for clues as to what may be coming down the wire here in Canada.  And, unlike the title song from Back to the Future, it looks like the discount brokerage train will be looking for money and for credit.

As the Canadian marketplace tries to adjust to the newer reality of lower commission pricing, the US has already been working through this environment for quite some time.  An interesting set of articles released this week helps to paint a picture of what is going stateside that could shape how things unfold for Canadian discount brokerages.

First, data from this article adds to the evidence that more and more retail investors are participating in the markets.  An important takeaway (and perhaps disturbingly) is that many ‘institutional’ investors monitor the participation of retail investors in the market as a contrarian indicator – meaning when the public is piling in, the pros are on their way out.  With more and more retail investors coming in, it is safe to wager more seasoned investors are becoming more cautious.

A second piece, a news release from ratings agency Fitch, suggests that large brokerages are interested in attracting deposits and supplying fee based services to offset low trading commission revenues.  In their analysis Fitch also reaffirms the view that pricing for commissions will continue to be driven lower. The bottom line, bank-owned or larger online brokerages could start to make their managed products and ancillary services more of a focal point.  For smaller or independent brokerages, however, these other services aren’t an option (unless they partner with a bank) so increasing fees (as Questrade is doing with their cheque processing fee for example), getting more active traders, higher margin lending rates and/or aggressively pursuing more assets could all be part of the plan.

From the Forums

IPO Frequencies Going High Frequency

It seems that IPOs continue to generate interest, and while calling a bubble is hard to do, the word comes to mind when looking stories such as this one from the Financial Wisdom Forum that showcase a high frequency trading firm going public.  You can read up on the financial firm Virtu mentioned in the post here. Skepticism is warranted but also – what are they paying on trading commissions?

That does it for this week’s roundup.  Hope you all have an irrationally great weekend!

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Discount Brokerage Deals & Promotions – March 2014

*Updated March 28/2014* The deals and promotions offered by Canadian discount brokerages at the outset of March are largely unchanged from February.  While the the deals may be starting March looking one way,  there’s a good chance that the end of March will look very different.  Of the 18 offers currently available, 12 are set to expire within or by the end of this month. Several bank-owned online brokerage promotions are set to end within the first two weeks of March so there is a good chance that either extensions and/or additional deals will start to show up as we ‘march’ on through the month. At the start of the month, however, there is only one noteworthy offer that was launched by HSBC InvestDirect late into February.

Expired Deals

The following discount brokerage deals expired this past February:

  • CIBC Investor’s Edge offer which essentially expired at the outset of February
  • BMO InvestorLine’s Lunar New Year Offer
  • HSBC InvestDirect’s 5 free trades for an account transfer offer is now expired

Extended Deals

The expiry date on Questrade’s iPad Mini offer has been extended to March 31st 2014. Questrade has also extended their 100 free trade offer to July of 2014.

New Deals & Promos

[Update March 28/2014: Desjardins Online Brokerage (aka Disnat) is launching a new promotion as part of their Stockscores education tour.  The “hat trick” promotion features a series of offers bundled together for individuals who open a Disnat Direct account and deposit at least $10,000.  The offer includes:

  • $300 in commission credits (good for up to 3 months)
  • 3 months of their lowest commission level – $5/trade
  • 3 months access to their DDweb and/or DDXtra trading platforms
  • 1 year’s subscription to the Tradescores daily newsletter

See the table below for additional info]

[Update March 18/2014: TD Direct Investing has just announced a monster offer as part of their 30 year anniversary: 300 commission free trades for deposits of $100,000 or more.  This is by far one of the biggest offers to come from TD Direct Investing and is much larger than any of the other bank-owned peers for this deposit level.  For those deposits less than $99,999, TD is offering 30 commission free trades. The terms and conditions on this offer are also very straightforward so it’s worth a look over for those thinking about TD. More details in the table below]

The most noteworthy deal to show up late into February was HSBC InvestDirect’s unlimited trading offer to celebrate their recent strong performance on the Dalbar direct brokerage service award.  This offer is available to existing and new clients and enables qualifying clients to trade North American as well as international equities commission-free for 30 calendar days.  It is important to note that commissions are charged at the time of the trade and are refunded after 90 days. Of course one of the big draws of this offer is that there is no minimum deposit required to qualify.

Discount Brokerage Deals

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 at HSBC Invest Direct by March 31st, 2014 and receive 30 calendar days of free equity (including ETF) trading of North American and International equities. This offer is open to new and existing HSBC InvestDirect clients. Be sure to read the terms and conditions and the FAQs for more details. $0 Unlimited equity trades (commissions to be rebated within 90d) 30 days HSBC Dalbar Award Offer Terms & Conditions. For FAQ information, click here March 31, 2014
Open and fund a new account at TD Direct Investing with either A)$99,999 or less or B)$100,000 or more and receive commission rebates on either A)30 trades or B)300 trades. New accounts must be opened by April 30, 2014. Be sure to read the terms and conditions for full information on this offer. A)$0-$99,999 B)$100,000+ A) 30 commission free trades (rebated) B) 300 commission free trades (rebated) Trades must be executed by August 1, 2014 4pm ET to qualify for rebate. TD Direct Investing Free Trade Offer April 30, 2014
Open a new account with RBC Direct Investing before March 3, 2014 and they will offer 20 commission free trades that are good for use for up to 90 days. Use promo code: 20W17 when opening the account. Be sure to read the offer page and the terms and conditions page for full information. $0 20 free trades (equity & etf) 90 days For the offer page, click here and for the terms and conditions, click here March 3, 2014
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 an account with Virtual Brokers with a deposit at least $1,000 and Virtual Brokers will offer 25 commission free trades which can be used for up to 1 year. Use promo code “25FTNE” when signing up. This offer is open to new clients only. Be sure to read the terms and conditions for full details on this offer. $1,000 25 commission-free trades 365 days 25 free trades offer March 31, 2014
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
Open a new account (TFSA, Margin or RRSP) by July 1 2014 A) $1000 or B) $10,000 to receive either A)10 commission-free trades or B)100 commission-free trades. The promo code QT100 must be used at time of account opening. There are many conditions attached to this offer so be sure to read the details link for more information. A)$1,000 B)$10,000 A)10 free trades B)100 free trades 60 days 100 commission-free trades July 1, 2014
Open a new TFSA, margin or registered account with Questrade and receive either A) 31 days B) 62 days or C) 90 days of unlimited commission-free stock & options trades. Use promo code UNLIMITEDW14 when signing up. Be sure to read the terms and conditions for more information. A)$1,000 B)$25,000 C)$50,000 Unlimited commission-free trades during associated period. A) 31 days B) 62 days C) 90 days Questrade Unlimited Trade Promo March 3, 2014
Disnat As part of their Stockscores tour, Disnat Direct is offering a “hat trick” promotion. Open a new account with at least $10,000 by June 15, 2014 and receive: $300 in commission credits, 3 months of trading at $5 commission per trade, 3 months of platform access to DDWeb/DDXtra and 1 year’s free subscription to TradeScores daily newsletter. Use the promo code “Hat Trick” when registering via phone. Read the terms and conditions for more details. $10,000 1) $300 commission credits 2) 3 months of $5/trade commission rate 3) 3 months platform access to DDWeb/DDXtra 4)1 year’s free subscription to TradeScores daily newsletter 1) 3 months Disnat Direct Hat Trick Promotion June 15, 2014
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:$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 March 31, 2014
Deposit $5,000 into an RSP and $5,000 into either a cash or TFSA account and Credential Direct will waive the $50 administration fee for the RSP account. Be sure to contact their customer service to clarify the exact terms & conditions. $10,000 ($5000 into RSP + $5000 into TFSA/Cash account) $50 admin fee waived none 5+5 Promotion March 3, 2014
Scotia iTrade Open a new account with Scotia iTrade and fund it with at least $15,000, and you can receive 100 commission-free trades, 60 days of FlightDesk and be entered into a contest for a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals or one of 5 runner-up prizes of iPad Air (64gb). Use Promo code RS13-SCE when opening the account. Existing clients must call customer service to qualify for contest entry. There are lots of terms, conditions, and rules/regulations so be sure to read them for more details. $15,000 100 free trades ($999 max value @ 9.99 commission rate) 60 days Stake Your Claim to the Stanley Cup Promotion March 24, 2014
Open a new account before March 31, 2014 with at least a)$20,000 or b)$100,000 and National Bank Direct Brokerage will offer up to a)$500 or b)$1000 in commission fee credits. Use the promo code “CASHBACK2014” when signing up to qualify for this offer. Be sure to read the terms and conditions for this offer especially the refund dates for commission credits. A)$20,000 B)$100,000 A)$500 commission credit B)$1000 commission credit 90 days Invest and get cash back offer March 31, 2014
Scotia iTrade Open and fund a new Scotia iTRADE account with at least $15,000 before June 30, 2014 and the commissions associated with your first 100 trades placed within 60 days of the date the account is activated and funded are free. Also, the new FlightDesk platform is being offered for free for 60 days. Use promo code HUN-SP. See details link for further terms and conditions. $15,000 100 commission-free trades ($999 value @ $9.99 commission rate) 60 days Scotia iTrade 100 free trades + FlightDesk June 30, 2014
BMO InvestorLine Open and fund a new RSP or TFSA account with BMO InvestorLine with either A)$25,000 or B)$50,000 and they will pay either A)$100 or B)$250 cash back. The promo code for the $100 cash back is “SELECTR100” and for the $250 cash back offer is “SELECTR250”. Be sure to read the terms & conditions for more information. A)$25,000 B)$50,000 A)$100 B)$250 Payout occurs after 6 months Registered Account Cross Sell Campaign March 31, 2014
Disnat Disnat is 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 Disnat300. See details link for more info. $50,000 $300 commission credit 6 months Disnat $300 Commission Credit Promo March 31, 2014
BMO InvestorLine If you refer a new client to BMO InvestorLine and they open an account with a)$50,000 – $249,999 or b)$250,000+ the referrer and the referee will both receive cash. The new account must be opened with the referral code specific to the referrer. A) $50,000 – $249,000 B) $250,000+ A) You(referrer): $200; Your Friend(referee): $50 B) You(referrer): $300; Your Friend: $100 Payout occurs after 60 days (subject to conditions). Refer A Friend Terms & Conditions October 31, 2014
BMO InvestorLine [Main offer]Open a new account or deposit new funds of $100,00 or more and you can be eligible for cash rebates of $250 and 250 commission-free trades (Promo code: RSP250). [Bonus Offer] If you open a new account or fund another account you could also be eligible for an additional $50 and 50 commission-free trades (Promo code ADD50). Be sure to read the full details & terms of this offer. $100,000 (main offer) $5000 (bonus offer) [main offer] $250 cash back + 250 commission-free trades (max value $2500) [Bonus offer] $50 + 50 commission-free trades 90 days $300 + 300 trade offer March 10, 2014
Open a new account or transfer new assets of $100,000 or more and choose between receiving either a)A 16GB iPad Mini or B)$250 cash back. Be sure to choose the appropriate code (IPADMINIW13 for the iPad Mini and CASH250W13 for the cash back offer) for each offer. There are several important conditions so be sure to read the terms and conditions for this offer. $100,000 A) iPad Mini (16 GB) [~$270-320 value] B) $250 Cash Payout/iPad delivery occurs after 30 days. iPad Mini or $250 Cash Back March 31, 2014

Transfer Fee Deals

Company Brief Description Maximum Transfer Fee Coverage Amount Deposit Amount for Transfer Fee Eligibility Details Link Deadline
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
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 at least $25,000 to TD Direct Investing and TD will cover up to $150 in transfer fees $150 $25,000 TD Direct Investing Free Trade Offer April 30, 2014
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 March 31, 2014 $150 $25,000 Transfer Fee Promo March 31, 2014
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
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 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 Disnat300. See details link for more info. $150 $50,000 Disnat $300 Commission Credit Promo March 31, 2014
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Discount Brokerage Weekly Roundup – February 28, 2014

inconvenient power outageLess than a week after skiers and snowboarders were making their way down the slopes, a different set of peaks and valleys are now confronting investors. At the peak, the S&P 500 chased a new all-time high this week. Down in the valley is bitcoin because of the loss of a major exchange to a possible theft.

Canadian discount brokerages were also busy navigating their own ups and downs this past week. In this roundup we look at a major Canadian online brokerage that went temporarily offline, roll outs of a new set of US Dollar registered accounts, the continued ripple effect of standard commission price drops, a couple of interesting educational resources and finally, some insightful threads from the Canadian investor forums.

TD WebBroker Goes Offline

As one of Canada’s largest bank-owned discount brokerages, clients of TD Direct Investing had a rough couple of days this week when WebBroker (and EasyWeb) went offline due to technical difficulties.  The cause of the outage was not disclosed however the outage caught the attention of investors on social media, forums and mainstream media.


The outage is an important example of what can sometimes go wrong when trading online and also where traders can turn when something unknown happens. Active traders that had open positions or trades going against them were likely in for a white-knuckle ride as they were forced to wait and watch the market unfold.  For others who were looking to contribute into their RRSP accounts ahead of the deadline, the downtime was understandably frustrating.

While it is cold comfort to investors or traders who are unable to access their account, the fact is that technical glitches can happen to any online brokerage, exchange or data providing member in the convoluted pathway between buyer and seller. Part of trading online means preparing for and accepting these hazards.

Even though TD did apparently broadcast the service interruption, it was interesting to note that on Twitter there were a number of messages from users indicating the issue first arising, escalating and finally being resolved.  The use of Twitter as a way to stay informed about what’s happening in near real-time comes in handy when other channels aren’t providing much information.

USD Registered Accounts Quietly Rolling Out

US dollar registered accounts are great feature for those who do a great deal of trading in US listed equities and options. While several bank-owned online brokerages do offer this, some of the major brokerages such as TD Direct Investing, have yet to bring this feature to clients.

A comment left by visitor ‘Jin’ earlier this week brought to light that National Bank Direct Brokerage is quietly offering existing and prospective clients USD TFSAs and RRSPs. Upon following up with a client rep from NBDB, they explained that these accounts are being rolled out as part of a multi-phase plan and that currently they are about 2/3 of the way through this process.  What this means for investors is that, for the moment, these registered accounts can accept deposits in USD and clients can trade (and hold) USD equities, however withdrawals from the account will result in a currency conversion back into CAD.   We’ll continue to monitor this as more information becomes available.

Price Drops Continuing to Make a Splash

While Canadian discount brokerages commission pricing still has plenty of room to fall when compared to brokerages in the US (such as Robinhood which doesn’t charge any commissions on a trade) the recent moves by bank-owned online brokerages are continuing to make waves with investors. This article from the Toronto Star is a perfect example of the spotlight now shining on pricing.  For those considering the new lower commission costs, it is also important to consider any other costs that still may be associated with the account, such as inactivity fees or minimum balance fees. The second of our two-part series (released this week) looks at the commission-price drops at bank-owned online brokerages and in particular at some of these fees.

Know Your Options

One of the new ‘battlegrounds’ for the deep discount brokerages is in options trading.  Recently Virtual Brokers released a new promotion that offers free data for their PowerTrader Pro platform for clients who make one or more complex options trades.  Earlier today, Questrade released a free guide to options trading which explains some of the complex trade types that can be placed using the Questrade IQ platform.  To download a free copy of the guide, click here.

Another interesting story readers may be interested in tracking is a special by CBC Marketplace this Friday (tonight). This story is the result of a mystery shop exercise at Canadian financial firms (including Canada’s big 5 banks) to see what kind of financial advice was being dished out by the firms’ “financial advisers”.

From the Forums

This week’s forum threads  capture the outage at TD described above (and the lessons other investors can draw from this situation) as well as an instructive post on how to convert from USD to CAD using Interactive Brokers.

Murphy’s Law

The forums were alight with users of TD Direct Investing not being able to access their accounts.  Check out the following posts on Canadian Money Forum and Red Flag Deals as a sobering reminder that as DIY investors there’s a lot more that can go wrong when trading online.

Crossing the Border

For those curious about using their brokerage to convert between USD and CAD, there have been a number of different approaches.  This post on RedFlagDeals’ forum provides a concise ‘how to’ for users of Interactive Brokers.

That does it for this February-ending edition of the weekly roundup. Have a safe and warm weekend!

 

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Ten is the New Thirty: A Review of Price Drops at Canadian Bank-Owned Online Brokerages – Part 1

New Discount Brokerage Commissions are $10For Canadian discount brokerages, 2014 has already been an eventful year. It has now been just over a month since RBC Direct Investing announced the lowering of their standard trading commissions and in that time, the predicted response from several other bank-owned online brokerages has materialized. Since the RBC announcement, BMO InvestorLine, TD Direct Investing and National Bank Direct Brokerage have all lowered their standard equity commission pricing with more bank-owned brokerages expected to follow suit.

Going forward, there are two important reasons why do-it-yourself investors will have to pay extra attention to the online trading account plans being pitched to them. First, in the short term, expect pricing to continue to change as more brokerages adjust to the new ‘standard’ fee at below $10 per trade.  Second, discount brokerages will be marketing even harder to communicate what makes one brand better than another. For consumers, the upside is that they can likely expect more promotions, however the downside is that they will likely have to untangle a lot of clever marketing and read the fine print much more closely on any offers presented by Canadian discount brokerages.

In this two part series, we take a look at the bank-owned discount brokerages and the recent shift in standard commission pricing to uncover what this means for self-directed investors and for the discount brokerage industry in Canada.

Catch a Falling Star*

The priority self-directed investors place on commission pricing is an open secret amongst discount brokerages big and small.  As a case in point, several of the discount brokerage rankings that use cost as part of their measurement framework typically weight cost among their top categories. Considering the competitive dynamics of the industry, however, it is understandable why price is a popular battleground between competing firms.  While having a major bank-owned brokerage such as RBC Direct Investing lower its pricing,  there may have been other forces at play too. The presence of deep-discount brokerages such as Questrade and Virtual Brokers may have also helped to accelerate the pricing cuts. Whatever the case, it is clear that consumers were growing impatient with prices and other providers were able to gain traction with that dissatisfaction.

Judging by the consumer reactions online to the commission price cut as well as the speed with which other major bank-owned online brokerages have followed RBC’s move, two things are clear:  competition amongst discount brokerages remains high and pricing matters to consumers.

Bank-Owned Online Brokerages Lowering Commission Prices

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Discount Brokerage Weekly Roundup – February 14, 2014

On this Valentine’s Day edition of the discount brokerage weekly roundup, romance is definitely the air for many folks.  Yes, it appears more bank-owned discount brokerages are lining up to show just how much they love their self-directed investor clients by offering lower commissions.   Courting self-directed investors, however, is going to take more than just price cuts.  As one low-cost brokerage showed this past week, getting fancier bells & whistles may be part of what’s needed to woo investors their way. In addition to ‘stuff’, another brokerage took to winning the ‘hearts and minds’ of investors by timing an Olympic themed promo.  Finally, this week’s review rounds out with some interesting education events being offered and a great forum thread on RESPs.

The Three Bank Bobsled Team

This past week, BMO InvestorLine became the third Canadian online brokerage to lower their standard commission fee down to $9.95 (click here to read the press release).  While not quite a race to the bottom, it seems that the banks are willing to match one another on their standard pricing. For self-directed investors this is definitely welcome news as the pressure will certainly be mounting on those remaining online brokerages with high (and complicated) standard fees to drop them. On a related note, there was an interesting article in the Globe and Mail regarding the move by bank-owned online brokerages to lower their fees as a strategic move to bring in revenues from sources other than the banking services.

Getting the Power

Not content to sit idly by as the bank-owned online brokerages drift into their pricing territory, this past week Virtual Brokers took aim at the platform and data category by rolling out their PowerTrader Pro platform in a bundle with free streaming data (with a catch of course).  For those brokerages that’ve been chasing the lucrative active trader segment, platforms and data fees (in addition to commissions) have always been a sore point.   The PowerTrader Pro platform, however, is built on the Sterling Trader Pro platform so it has definite appeal to active traders.  To that end, Virtual Brokers is offering free streaming data with the platform for those making complex options trades.  This package and platform take aim at TD Direct Investing’s US Trading Platform (aka ThinkorSwim), Interactive Brokers’ Trader Workstation and Questrade’s IQ platforms as well as those web based or desktop based platforms that don’t have the fancy scanners, charts and trade planning.

Metals for Medals

An interesting Olympic-themed promotion is being offered by Questrade.  Until February 24th, Questrade is offering 50% off precious metal commissions.  To boot, they are also offering a special promo every time Canada wins either a gold or silver medal.   For the physical precious metals bugs, it is but one more reason to cheer on the stellar performance of this year’s Canadian Olympic effort.

Investor Education Events

With all the talk of athletes and fitness, the couch potatoes out there also have something to cheer about.  Credential Direct announced this past week that they are holding a webinar with Dan Bortolotti aka the Canadian Couch Potato.  This webinar will be about building the “perfect” ETF portfolio and yes, attendees can join this webinar from the comfort of their couches.

Continuing on in the investor education theme, Desjardins Online Brokerage (Disnat) is holding a week-long series of education sessions Montréal & Québec City.  The events are free and topics cover a number of themes for self-directed investors.  Of note is that there are a couple of interesting sessions on taxation for investors/traders.  Check out our investor education calendar for more information.

From the Forums

Given the time of year, there is an increase in the number of questions about registered accounts of all kinds (RRSPs, RESPs and TFSAs).  One thread in the RedFlagDeals forum in particular stood out as being an interesting look at RESPs at discount brokerages – specifically on the point of joint subscribers.  Click on the post below to learn more about what folks had to say about RESPs at Canadian discount brokerages.

RESPs at Discount Brokerages

 

That does it for this week’s roundup.  Hope everyone has a great weekend and just as a reminder, Canadian and US stock markets will be closed on Monday – perfect timing given the release of the new House of Cards!

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Discount Brokerage Deals & Promotions – February 2014

*Updated Feb. 27th 2014*

Now that February is here, the RSP contribution deadline (March 3rd) is in the crosshairs of many investors.  Canadian discount brokerages have already stepped up the deals & promotions activities with last month seeing over 20 deals offered.   The most active of all the discount brokerages was Questrade followed by BMO InvestorLine however RBC Direct Investing’s commission lowering announcement also had brokerages scrambling to provide offers to get investors’ attention.

With 7 of the deals set to expire within the first few days of March, the sprint to the RSP deadline is on.   Given the combination of news from RBC and the scramble for new client assets at this time of year, February should hold its own fair share of surprises.  Be sure to check back regularly for updates or follow @SparxTrading on Twitter for announcements of deal/promo updates.  So, without further ado, here’s the discount broker deal rundown at the beginning of February.

Expired Deals:

Most of the deals that expired in January did so at the beginning of the month. These deals included:

  • Questrade’s Boxing Day Promo
  • RBC Direct Investing’s 25 Free Trade offer
  • BMO InvestorLine’s 250 free trade promo

Interestingly, a deal that was a bit of a ‘flash’ offer from CIBC Investor’s Edge that started and finished in January.  They were offering $400 + 50 free trades for $50,000 deposits and $200 + 25 free trades for $25,000 deposits.  It has been quite some time since CIBC has offered a special however given the changes going on in the marketplace, it may not be long until we hear from them again.

Extended Deals:

There was one deal that had its deadline extended out: Scotia iTrade’s refer-a-friend offer.  This promotion now expires at the end of March.

New Deals:

Updated Feb. 27/14: HSBC InvestDirect has launched a promotion for new and existing clients to celebrate their performance on Dalbar’s direct brokerage service evaluation.  The promotion offers clients 30 days of unlimited commission-free equity trading of North American and international equities (including ETFs).  Commissions generated from this 30 day period will be refunded within 90 days.  The terms and conditions are very manageable to get through and there is a well prepared FAQ document that explains how the deal works.  This promotion is set to run until March 31/2014. See table below for more info.

Technically this is the section for ‘new deals’ however Scotia iTrade’s 100 free trade + Flight Desk offer has been substantially modified to warrant placing it in the ‘new’ section.  It appears that Scotia iTrade has reduced the deposit amount required to qualify for this deal from $25,000 to $15,000 and has extended the deadline from the end of March until the end of June.  For those considering the deal, be sure to note the change in promo code also.

Discount Brokerage Deals

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 at HSBC Invest Direct by March 31st, 2014 and receive 30 calendar days of free equity (including ETF) trading of North American and International equities. This offer is open to new and existing HSBC InvestDirect clients. Be sure to read the terms and conditions and the FAQs for more details. $0 Unlimited equity trades (commissions to be rebated within 90d) 30 days HSBC Dalbar Award Offer Terms & Conditions. For FAQ information, click here March 31, 2014
Open a new account with RBC Direct Investing before March 3, 2014 and they will offer 20 commission free trades that are good for use for up to 90 days. Use promo code: 20W17 when opening the account. Be sure to read the offer page and the terms and conditions page for full information. $0 20 free trades (equity & etf) 90 days For the offer page, click here and for the terms and conditions, click here March 3, 2014
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 an account with Virtual Brokers with a deposit at least $1,000 and Virtual Brokers will offer 25 commission free trades which can be used for up to 1 year. Use promo code “25FTNE” when signing up. This offer is open to new clients only. Be sure to read the terms and conditions for full details on this offer. $1,000 25 commission-free trades 365 days 25 free trades offer March 31, 2014
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
Open a new account (TFSA, Margin or RRSP) by March 1 2014 A) $1000 or B) $10,000 to receive either A)10 commission-free trades or B)100 commission-free trades. The promo code QT100 must be used at time of account opening. There are many conditions attached to this offer so be sure to read the details link for more information. A)$1,000 B)$10,000 A)10 free trades B)100 free trades 60 days 100 commission-free trades March 1, 2014
Open a new TFSA, margin or registered account with Questrade and receive either A) 31 days B) 62 days or C) 90 days of unlimited commission-free stock & options trades. Use promo code UNLIMITEDW14 when signing up. Be sure to read the terms and conditions for more information. A)$1,000 B)$25,000 C)$50,000 Unlimited commission-free trades during associated period. A) 31 days B) 62 days C) 90 days Questrade Unlimited Trade Promo March 3, 2014
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:$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 March 31, 2014
Deposit $5,000 into an RSP and $5,000 into either a cash or TFSA account and Credential Direct will waive the $50 administration fee for the RSP account. Be sure to contact their customer service to clarify the exact terms & conditions. $10,000 ($5000 into RSP + $5000 into TFSA/Cash account) $50 admin fee waived none 5+5 Promotion March 3, 2014
Scotia iTrade Open a new account with Scotia iTrade and fund it with at least $15,000, and you can receive 100 commission-free trades, 60 days of FlightDesk and be entered into a contest for a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals or one of 5 runner-up prizes of iPad Air (64gb). Use Promo code RS13-SCE when opening the account. Existing clients must call customer service to qualify for contest entry. There are lots of terms, conditions, and rules/regulations so be sure to read them for more details. $15,000 100 free trades ($999 max value @ 9.99 commission rate) 60 days Stake Your Claim to the Stanley Cup Promotion March 24, 2014
Transfer $15,000 from another institution into an HSBC InvestDirect account and receive 5 commission-free equity trades. This deal also offers a transfer-fee rebate of up to $150 per account transferred. $15,000 5 commission-free equity trades Trades valid for use until May 31, 2014 HSBC InvestDirect Transfer Fee Promo February 28, 2014
Open a new account before March 31, 2014 with at least a)$20,000 or b)$100,000 and National Bank Direct Brokerage will offer up to a)$500 or b)$1000 in commission fee credits. Use the promo code “CASHBACK2014” when signing up to qualify for this offer. Be sure to read the terms and conditions for this offer especially the refund dates for commission credits. A)$20,000 B)$100,000 A)$500 commission credit B)$1000 commission credit 90 days Invest and get cash back offer March 31, 2014
Scotia iTrade Open and fund a new Scotia iTRADE account with at least $25,000 before March 31, 2014 and the commissions associated with your first 100 trades placed within 60 days of the date the account is activated and funded are free. Also, the new FlightDesk platform is being offered for free for 60 days. Use promo code HUN-SP. See details link for further terms and conditions. $15,000 100 commission-free trades ($999 value @ $9.99 commission rate) 60 days Scotia iTrade 100 free trades + FlightDesk June 30, 2014
Open and fund a new account at CIBC Investor’s Edge with either A)$25,000 or B)$50,000 and receive either A)$200 + 25 free equity trades or B)$400 + 50 free equity trades. This is an in-branch promotion so contact either customer service or a branch for specific terms and conditions. A)$25,000 B)$50,000 A)$200 + 25 commission-free equity trades B)$400 + 50 commission-free equity trades 1 year Must visit branch to qualify February 1, 2014
BMO InvestorLine Open and fund a new RSP or TFSA account with BMO InvestorLine with either A)$25,000 or B)$50,000 and they will pay either A)$100 or B)$250 cash back. The promo code for the $100 cash back is “SELECTR100” and for the $250 cash back offer is “SELECTR250”. Be sure to read the terms & conditions for more information. A)$25,000 B)$50,000 A)$100 B)$250 Payout occurs after 6 months Registered Account Cross Sell Campaign March 31, 2014
BMO InvestorLine Open and fund a new Cash, Margin, or RSP account with BMO InvestorLine with $25,000 or more and receive $88 cash back. The promo code for the $88 cash back offer is LUNAR2014. Be sure to read the terms & conditions for more information. $25,000 $88 Payout occurs after 3 months 2014 Lunar New Year Promotion February 22, 2014
Disnat Disnat is 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 Disnat300. See details link for more info. $50,000 $300 commission credit 6 months Disnat $300 Commission Credit Promo March 31, 2014
BMO InvestorLine If you refer a new client to BMO InvestorLine and they open an account with a)$50,000 – $249,999 or b)$250,000+ the referrer and the referee will both receive cash. The new account must be opened with the referral code specific to the referrer. A) $50,000 – $249,000 B) $250,000+ A) You(referrer): $200; Your Friend(referee): $50 B) You(referrer): $300; Your Friend: $100 Payout occurs after 60 days (subject to conditions). Refer A Friend Terms & Conditions October 31, 2014
BMO InvestorLine [Main offer]Open a new account or deposit new funds of $100,00 or more and you can be eligible for cash rebates of $250 and 250 commission-free trades (Promo code: RSP250). [Bonus Offer] If you open a new account or fund another account you could also be eligible for an additional $50 and 50 commission-free trades (Promo code ADD50). Be sure to read the full details & terms of this offer. $100,000 (main offer) $5000 (bonus offer) [main offer] $250 cash back + 250 commission-free trades (max value $2500) [Bonus offer] $50 + 50 commission-free trades 90 days $300 + 300 trade offer March 10, 2014
Open a new account or transfer new assets of $100,000 or more and choose between receiving either a)A 16GB iPad Mini or B)$250 cash back. Be sure to choose the appropriate code (IPADMINIW13 for the iPad Mini and CASH250W13 for the cash back offer) for each offer. There are several important conditions so be sure to read the terms and conditions for this offer. $100,000 A) iPad Mini (16 GB) [~$270-320 value] B) $250 Cash Payout/iPad delivery occurs after 30 days. iPad Mini or $250 Cash Back March 1, 2014

Transfer Fee Deals

Company Brief Description Maximum Transfer Fee Coverage Amount Deposit Amount for Transfer Fee Eligibility Details Link Deadline
Transfer in $15,000 or more into an HSBC InvestDirect account from another institution, and HSBC will cover up to $150 of transfer fees per funded account. $150 $15,000 HSBC InvestDirect Transfer Fee Promo February 28, 2014
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
Move your brokerage account to Questrade and they’ll cover the transfer-out fee up to $150. $150 $25,000 Transfer Fee Promo 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 March 31, 2014 $150 $25,000 Transfer Fee Promo March 31, 2014
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
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 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 Disnat300. See details link for more info. $150 $50,000 Disnat $300 Commission Credit Promo March 31, 2014
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RBC Direct Investing: Lowering Commissions and Raising the Stakes

For many years, observers of the Canadian discount brokerage marketplace as well as the discount brokers themselves have all understood that the online brokerage business is a highly competitive space. Despite the many trends in products, services and pricing that have occurred over the last decade the standard commission rates at bank-owned brokerages have remained largely high and untouched. After a bold move by RBC Direct Investing, however, all that is set to change.

10 is the New 30

With the announcement by RBC Direct Investing that they were lowering (and simplifying) their standard commission fee from $28.85+ down to $9.95 flat, they have set the wheels in motion for one of the most potentially disruptive moves to happen in this space in a very long time.

With this pricing adjustment, not only does RBC Direct Investing now get out in front of their bank-owned brokerage peers in terms of pricing, they also have taken a shot directly at the traditionally lower cost online-only brokerages such as Questrade and Virtual Brokers. The ‘flat’ in the pricing means that ECN fees which some deep discount brokers pass along on their standard plans makes them more expensive than RBC Direct Investing on certain market orders of over 995 shares.

Standard Commission Rates Assets Required for Discounted Commission Rate Discounted Commission Rate
RBC Direct Investing $9.95 (flat) Not required Not required
Scotia iTrade $24.99+ $50,000 $9.95 (flat)
CIBC Investor’s Edge $28.95+ $50,000 $9.95 (flat)
National Bank Direct Brokerage $28.95+ $50,000 $9.95 (flat)
BMO InvestorLine $29+ $50,000 $9.95 (flat)
TD Direct Investing $29+ $50,000 $9.95 (flat)

Keeping it Simple

While the announcement about pricing is a headline-grabbing way to kick off 2014, observers of RBC Direct Investing will note that over the past 3 years there have been a number of steps RBC has taken to bring their products, platform and services to a more competitive level with their peers. Whether it was the streamlining of their administration fees, the introduction of the “community” investing feature, their practice account or the lowering of minimum investment amounts of the Series D mutual funds, RBC Direct Investing has been steadily deploying investor-friendly features and pricing.

One of the individuals who is, in part, responsible for these tactical maneuvers is Michael MacDonald, Vice-President of Strategy for RBC Direct Investing. We spoke to Mr. MacDonald regarding the recent changes to RBC Direct Investing’s pricing and what his thoughts were on the impact these changes will have on the industry as well as to retail investors.

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Discount Brokerage Weekly Roundup – January 24, 2014

Online brokerage marketing departments are madly working away this JanuaryThe temperatures are down. The loonie is down. The markets are down.  And while it seems like the “polar vortex” was busy cooling things off this past week, the action at the marketing departments of Canadian discount brokers was heating up.

In this week’s roundup, we cover the reaction from several online brokerages to RBC Direct Investing’s big price drop as well as where the new battleground for brokers appears to be emerging. In addition, we’ll also take a look at what was buzzing in the investor forums.

Price vs Value

The major announcement by RBC Direct Investing regarding their change in commission pricing has been making waves across the industry and with self-directed investors.   Now that a major Canadian financial institution has decided to lower (and simplify) their pricing structure, both the independent brokerages and the bank-owned brokerages will have to decide how best to respond.   For some, it will be with lower prices whereas other online brokerages will try to demonstrate the value of their customer service, new features or trading platforms.

Look at Me Now

Take for example, the announcement from Questrade. Even though earlier this month they had already reduced their minimum trading commissions for their active trader plan from $0.95 down to $0.01 (to match Virtual Brokers’ announcement last year), they nonetheless put out a press/marketing release reaffirming their traditional position as a low-cost online trading option.   Similarly, BMO InvestorLine also took to the news/marketing release to inform Canadians that a large portion of investors use technology to improve their lives and that they consume investing information online.  In addition to mentioning the technological strength of BMO InvestorLine, that same release also highlighted the AdviceDirect service they offer.

What does the Client Rep Say?

Another interesting angle to this story is the timing of all of these announcements.  Earlier in January, Dalbar Canada released their discount brokerage service award results (click here for a review of the 2013 Dalbar award).  As it happens, RBC Direct Investing narrowly edged out HSBC InvestDirect to take top spot for this year’s award.   This past week, however, another brokerage ranking from financial research firm Surviscor painted a less flattering picture of email response time from RBC Direct Investing.  According to Surviscor’s customer email responsiveness assessment, Qtrade ended up having the highest ranking for customer email responsiveness among Canadian online brokerages, whereas RBC Direct Investing was ranked 12th.  As with other rankings and assessments, it is interesting to see firms that rank highly in one assessment underperform in another – something that can generate confusion amongst consumers (see the following link for a fuller explanation of ranking of Canadian online brokerages).

Ultimately, what all discount brokerages understand is that it is what clients say to other clients about their experience with a brand that truly matters.  To that end, many brokerages may start paying more attention to what customers are saying in order to improve the services offered.

From the Forums

The Financial Webring forum has undergone a brand refresh and is now known as the “Financial Wisdom Forum”.   According to the homepage announcement, the change in the layout was done to help users on mobile devices have a better experience navigating from the homepage to forums and their financial wiki or “finiki” as they call it. The forum still exists and can be accessed via the menu at the top of the homepage.

Baby, It’s Cold Inside

Of course, before wrapping up this week’s roundup, there was a thread on Canadian Money Forum regarding TFSAs and commission fees for trades.  A new user to the forum, wanted some clarification on where the fees for commissions came from when trading in the TFSA.  The group not only offered an answer but also a look at how things work (and used to work) with RRSP accounts too.

That does it for this week’s roundup.  On another note, today also happens to be the 30th anniversary of the launch of the Apple Macintosh.  Going into to the weekend it’s amazing to think how so much has changed in so little time including the share price as laid out in the (now dated) infographic below.   To see Apple’s birthday tribute, click here.

Apple Stock History

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Review: Dalbar Canada’s Direct Brokerage Service Award 2013

For individual investors, shopping for an online trading account often requires doing a fair amount of research and comparison between brokerages.  While commissions & fees are the most important factor investors consider when choosing an account, what it’s like to be a client of a particular brokerage is also something many investors are often curious about.

Dalbar Award For Discount Brokerage Customer ServiceFortunately for self-directed investors, one Canadian research firm (Dalbar Canada) measures client experience for most of the Canadian discount brokerages as part of their direct brokerage service evaluation (DBSE) program.  As part of the DBSE, Dalbar Canada also recognizes the high achievers in their evaluation with their Direct Brokerage Service Award.

Earlier this year, Dalbar Canada announced  the two highest performing brokerages on the DBSE:  RBC Direct Investing and HSBC InvestDirect.

Quick Overview

In our previous two-part series explaining the Dalbar Direct Brokerage Service Evaluation, we looked in detail at how the evaluation takes place including the components that go into defining ‘client experience’ at discount brokerages.   Here is a brief overview of why client experience still remains an important feature to track when comparing discount brokerages.

More than Just Price

With competition amongst online brokerages increasing, many of them (especially bank-owned brokerages) have adopted very similar pricing models.  Thus, comparing discount brokerages by price alone may not provide enough information for potential clients to make a decision. Going forward, shoppers will have to turn to the other features of a brokerage (such as client experiences) in order to evaluate how ‘good’ they believe the fit will be.

For those shopping for an online trading account, the only somewhat reliable ways to find out about client experiences have been through third party research/reviews and/or from other investors via investor forums or friends, family and colleagues.  The Dalbar Direct Brokerage Service Award is therefore unique in its focus on client experience and tries to provide a picture of what clients can expect from a brokerage when connecting via phone or email.

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Discount Brokerage Weekly Roundup – January 17, 2014

Wilson vs KaepernickStaying on top of all of the discount brokerage action going on this January feels a bit like chasing either Russell Wilson or Colin Kaepernick around the field.  The competition between these two elite quarterbacks pales in comparison, however, to that of Canadian brokerages.

This past week saw a game-changing commission drop announcement by a major bank-owned online brokerage that has probably got the other brokerages scrambling.  Against the backdrop of that news, there were still yet more deals being announced and the investor forums were ablaze with cheers and jeers on what it all means.    Let’s kickoff this week’s roundup with the biggest news from RBC.

RBC Direct Investing Drops Commission Pricing

It was tough to measure what dropped further this week: the prices for commissions at RBC Direct Investing or the jaws of their competitors.  RBC lowered the boom this week with their announcement that their standard commission rate is now $9.95 flat for all clients.   The reactions were swift across social media and on forums as to the gravity of this announcement and what it means for investors as well as the discount broker competitors.  While most of the reactions were positive, there were reactions from some individuals that felt that customer service wait times would be bogged down by the flood of new clients.


How things play out is only something we can wait and watch however to put it into perspective, the price drop from ~$29 down to $9.95 puts RBC Direct Investing’s commission pricing in line with that of the lowest cost discount brokerages – Questrade and Virtual Brokers.  The fact that they’re offering $9.95 flat means that in some instances, RBC may be cheaper because they won’t be passing through ECN fees.  Of course, in addition to lowering the price, they’ve also simplified it.  Gone are the days of elaborate calculations as to what the commission charge will be for a stock under a certain price and of a certain order size.

In a nutshell, while investors stand to benefit from the move and for RBC Direct Investing’s competitors, especially the lower cost brokerages, are going to have to get very creative and/or very efficient. Introducing steep inactivity fees or raising fees is no longer a viable strategy going forward.  For RBC’s larger bank-owned peers, if mortgage-rates were any indicator, the lowering/simplifying of standard commission fees is now just a matter of time.

January is Deal-icious for Discount Brokerage Accounts

Staying on the RBC Direct Investing theme, the cherry on the sundae was the announcement that RBC Direct Investing is also offering up 20 commission-free trades with a new sign up. These trades can be used for up to 90 days after account funding.   Co-incidentally, HSBC InvestDirect also quietly put a deal back on their homepage.  In HSBC’s case, for accounts that switch over to them, InvestDirect is willing to cover up to $150 of transfer fees and offer 5 commission-free equity trades.  Click the following link to learn more about the latest discount brokerage deals & promos. Both RBC and HSBC were recipients of top honors in the Dalbar direct brokerage client service evaluation, the results of which were announced last week.

From the Forums

Canadian investor forums were ablaze with the move by RBC to lower their commissions.   As the time draws closer to the RSP deadline for this year, the interest level and topics of discussion will start to pick up as they did this week.

The Wave

There were more than a few threads that were started in response to the RBC Direct Investing commission announcement.  Here are two of the more popular ones from Canadian Money Forum and from RedFlagDeals.

Going Solo

In this post from Canadian Money Forum, forum user ‘intricated’ contemplates how to make the jump from having a financial advisor to going it alone.  Find out some of the hazards and experiences other users flagged as being important when deciding to become a DIY investor.

Thanks for going the distance on this one.  Have a great weekend and of course, go Seahawks.

Go Wilson