TD Direct Investing – Page 40

Posted on November 1, 2013 by user — Leave a comment

Discount Brokerage Deals & Promotions – November 2013

*Updated Nov. 18th 2013*

It’s hard to believe that November is already here. Most of the Canadian discount brokerages appear to be moving cautiously towards the end of the year with no new deals being offered this month. And so things appear quiet – perhaps too quiet. [updated 11/18/13] Well, it looks like the deal silence was broken after all. TD Direct Investing has announced a 50 commission-free trade deal (see details below) that runs until December 20th. This deal is similar to the one they offered in June 2013.

With several major deals set to expire at the end of this month and the major discount brokerage rankings from the Globe and Mail expected out soon, the current holding pattern discount brokerages find themselves in could reflect a bit of calm before the storm. Last year at this time, for example, Virtual Brokers held their 150 free trade offer alongside the news that they took top spot in the Globe and Mail discount brokerage rankings.

Two of the major discount brokerage deals set to expire at month’s end include the “100 commission free trade” offers from Questrade and Scotia iTrade. Currently, BMO InvestorLine, Questrade and Scotia iTrade are members of the ‘century club’ of discount brokerages offering at least 100 commission free trades.

Another big deal set to expire at the end of November is RBC Direct Investing’s 25 commission free trade offer. Amongst the big bank-owned discount brokerages, their 25 commission-free trades have the longest usage window. Clients taking advantage of this deal have up to a year to use the commission-free trades.

Don’t forget to check in this month as there may be additional activity in the deals section as/when the Globe and Mail discount brokerage rankings are announced. The deal analytics section included last month will actually find itself having a section of its own going forward (link will be posted shortly).

As always, if there is any deal that was missed, just drop us a note.

Expired Deals:

This past October, two of National Bank Direct Brokerage’s deals expired. Gone are the refer-a-friend promotion and their unadvertised fixed commission rate promotion.

According to the terms and conditions attached to this off (on the Questrade website), Questrade’s 1 month of free trades associated with the Advantage offer has expired.

Extended Deals:

As they have done for the past few months, Scotia iTrade has once again extended their refer-a-friend offer for another month. The new expiry date for this promotion is November 30 2013.

New Deals:

~~No new deals announced yet.~~

Updated Nov. 18th TD Direct Investing is offering between 3 and 50 commission free trades for new clients who deposit at least $5000 (for 3 free trades) or $50,000+ (for the 50 free trades). For deposits of at least $25,000 transfer fees (up to $150) are also covered. See details below for more info.

Discount Brokerage Deals

Brief Description	Minimum Deposit Amount	Commission/Cash Offer Type	Time Limit to Use Commission/Cash Offer	Details Link	Deadline
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 trading account with HSBC InvestDirect and receive 50 commission-free trades good for use up to 60 days after account opening.	n/a	50 commission-free trades	60 days	For more details on the free trade offer read the terms and conditions and also the frequently asked questions	December 31, 2013
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
Open a new account (TFSA, Margin or RRSP) by November 30 with 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	November 30, 2013
Open a new account with TD Direct Investing before December 20, 2013 and deposit either A)$5,000 to $24,999 B)$25,000 to $49,999 or C)$50,000 or more to receive commission credits for A) 3 trades, B)10 trades or C) 50 trades. Be sure to read the details about keeping your account balance at qualifying levels, eServices subscription as well as other terms and conditions.	A)$5,000 B)$25,000 C)$50,000+	A) 3 Trades (max value $87) commission credit B) 10 trades (max value $290) commission credit C) 50 trades (max value $500) commission credit	Must use trades by 4pm (E.T.) February 28, 2014	50 Free Trades Offer	December 20, 2013
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	November 30, 2013
Open and fund a new Scotia iTRADE account with at least $25,000 before November 25, 2013 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 100FT. See details link for further terms and conditions.	$25,000	100 commission-free trades ($999 value @ $9.99 commission rate)	60 days	Scotia iTrade 100 free trades + FlightDesk	November 25, 2013
Open and fund a new account with $25,000 or more and you will qualify for 25 free trades. The offer code changed with different visits to the site, so click through the RBC Direct Investing homepage to generate a valid code. There are a number of terms and conditions attached to this offer, be sure to read see the details link.	$25,000	25 commission-free trades (no restriction on commission rate listed)	365 Days	25 Free Trades Offer Terms & Conditions ; To generate an offer code, go to the main site and click the ad for the offer here	November 30, 2013
Disnat isoffering 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	December 31, 2013
Open a new account or upgrade an existing account with A) $50,000 or more OR B)$100,000 or more and receive either A)250 commission-free mobile-placed trades OR B) 250 commission-free mobile-placed trades + $250 cash back. Use Promo Code: MOBILE when signing up to qualify. NOTE: There are lots of details/important conditions attached to this promotion. Be sure to read the terms and conditions carefully.	A) $50,000 B)$100,000	A) 250 commission free mobile-placed trades B) 250 commission free mobile-placed trades + $250 Cash Back	Payout occurs after 6 months	Free Mobile Trading/Cash Back Offer	January 6, 2014
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 and conditions can be located by logging into the InvestorLine panel under “account services” or by contacting BMO InvestorLine directly	December 31, 2013
Open a new account with Scotia iTrade and fund it with at least $100,000 to receive $150 cash back. Use code FALL2013 when signing up. The offer is open to new and existing clients. There are many terms and conditions, be sure to read the details link.	$100,000	$150 Cash Back	Payout occurs after June 30, 2014.	To learn more about the deal terms and conditions click here	November 25, 2013

Transfer Fee Deals

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 TD Direct Investing and they will pay up to $150 in transfer fees	$150	$25,000	50 Free Trades Offer	December 20, 2013
Transfer $25,000 or more to RBC Direct Investing and they will pay up to $135 in transfer fees	$135	$25,000	Transfer Fee Rebate Details	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
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 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	December 31st, 2013

Posted on October 18, 2013 by user — Leave a comment

Discount Brokerage Weekly Roundup October 18 2013

After all of inescapable deal making drama in Washington this past week, it appears that stock markets had already placed their bets that events would unfold with a deal being struck. Rather than a disastrous crash, The S&P 500 hit an all-time high and Canadian traders also shrugged off their Thanksgiving turkey hangovers to push the TSX to close at its highest point since July 2011.

What does all of this mean? It seems a lot of folks will be asking that question, so in this week’s roundup, there was one Canadian discount brokerage who offered up a trader’s perspective on what happens next. In this post-Thanksgiving week, one discount broker got into the giving spirit by offering a chance to win some free trades while another discount brokerage officially rolled out some new features to their trading interface. Finally on the roundup, it looks like a proposed switch over from a major discount brokerage is now rolling out, albeit somewhat slowly for the likes of a few investors.

What’s the Deal with the Deal?

If Jerry Seinfeld chimed in on airplane snack food, one can only wonder what he would be asking what now that there has been a deal to extend the debt ceiling in the US. It just so happens that a video from TD Direct Investing’s investor education section looks into that. In this episode, Ryan Lewenza (North American equity strategist & portfolio manager for TD Waterhouse private investment advice) laid out his thoughts on the market sentiment in response to the debt ceiling deal.

Trading Gravy

Questrade got into the Thanksgiving spirit by offering to give away 10 free trades. The deal was announced on their blog on October 9^th with the contest rules and regulations stating that it would run until October 16^th.

Later on in the week though, a couple of tweets by Questrade seem to suggest that the contest is still on although it is not quite clear based on the rules for the contest when this offer expires.

Taking Quotes to the Next Level

As hinted at last week, the new feature from Qtrade that got released was an addition of free level 2 trading data on Canadian stocks to their equity order screen. It should be pointed out the quotes are ‘snap’ quotes not streaming quotes so users wanting to see updated information on a particular stock or ETF’s trading activity will have to hit refresh. As this feature is limited to Canadian equities at the moment, it might be of interest to those looking for additional depth information on smaller or less liquid names.

Canadian Discount Brokers React to J.D. Power Survey Results

A recent article in Investment Executive this past week covered the recent results from this year’s J.D. Power’s discount brokerage rankings. In particular, the article highlighted the win by National Bank Direct Brokerage as well as how discount brokerages, such as BMO InvestorLine, are trying to figure out how to respond to some of the information and advisory needs of self-directed investors. Interestingly, while BMO InvestorLine may have been first out of the gate to launch an ‘on demand’ advisory type feature, other discount brokers appear to be opting for providing portfolios that investors can ‘follow along with’. To learn more about the J.D. Power discount brokerage rankings for 2013, click here.

Rolling Out the Canadian Carpet

Around the forums, the chatter on discount brokerages was somewhat subdued this past week. There was, however, important news on the roll out of Interactive Brokers Canada account transition announced earlier this year. The following post from forum user Mark77 in the RedFlagDeals forum suggests that Interactive Brokers Canada clients are having their account restrictions updated to reflect the changes that were announced earlier this year.

Despite the short week, there was still lots to digest (including the turkey!). Have a great weekend all and for those who’ve made it this far, here’s a tusk-in-cheek cartoon from cartoonist Mike Luckovich on the recent Washington shenanigans.

Posted on October 11, 2013 by user — Leave a comment

Discount Brokerage Weekly Roundup October 11 2013

After a bumpy week in the markets, it is nice to get to Friday. For Canadian readers, it’s Thanksgiving long weekend so that means Canadian markets will be closed on Monday while everyone digests the news and a whole lot of turkey.

On the heels of the major announcement last week from BMO InvestorLine, this week there was a flurry of activity with several Canadian discount brokerages launching new features for research and trading. The news wasn’t all smiles and sunshine though. While one discount brokerage was improving access to low cost funds, another discount broker decided that margin trading had started to become too risky for some stocks and subsequently raised margin requirements. Finally, a couple of forum posts on a pair of Canadian discount brokerages were worth sharing this week.

CIBC Investor’s Edge Announces New Features

After their recently announced RESP administration fee elimination, it seems like CIBC Investor’s Edge is again moving to improve their service offering to Canadian self-directed investors. This time, it looks as if research tools and education support are being given a lift. Specifically, this past week, CIBC Investor’s Edge announced that they are rolling out an improved ETF research centre with resources from Morningstar (such as screeners, educational materials and more) powering the section. ETF education and support materials are offered by other Canadian discount brokerages, with discount brokerages such as National Bank Direct Brokerage, Qtrade and RBC Direct Investing also offering “ETF Centres” too.

RBC Direct Investing Lowers Investing Threshold on Series D Mutual Funds

In a news release this past week, RBC Direct Investing announced that they are lowering their investment minimum on their Series D mutual funds from $10,000 to $500. This will certainly be of interest to those investors with smaller portfolio sizes and those looking for lower Management Expense Ratio (MER) investment products. For more information on the RBC Direct Investing Series D Funds, click here.

Qtrade Launches New Features

Major bank-owned discount brokerages weren’t the only ones busy launching new features, a major independent discount brokerage is quietly rolling out some of their latest improvements for users. This past week, Qtrade launched several new or improved features for clients including:

A new model portfolio feature that allows clients to ‘follow’ different portfolio types
An improved ETF centre that provides detailed information and research on ETFs (powered by Morningstar)
Improved account transfers between brokerages
Improved new issues centre
Improved trading interface with improved quotes, order tracking and help resources

Look out for a more detailed look at these new features in an upcoming post. In the meantime, users might be interested to know that are also some hints by Qtrade of further exciting changes coming to their trading interface. Stay tuned!

Interactive Brokers Hiked Margin Requirements for certain stocks

Interactive Brokers laid the smack down on margin traders this week by hiking margin requirements for many recently popular momentum stocks. A move like this begs the question – why now? The following two articles (Article 1 & Article 2) from Zero hedge tackles why Interactive Broker with a very interesting series of theories. Be warned though, these articles are fascinating but could definitely leave readers feeling a little nervous about market directions in the near term.

From the Forums

This past week, sifting through the chatter on discount brokerages on Canadian investing forums landed two interesting threads on CIBC Investor’s Edge and TD Direct Investing (TD Waterhouse) from Canadian Money Forum.

The first was a great discussion started by the user “2tire2work” who was interested in getting their personal finances in order – specifically getting going with some investing they had been thinking about. Click here to read more about what others in the forum had to say about which discount brokerage to choose.

In the second discount brokerage related post, dividend payment time was on the mind of the user “Gibor” who was curious to know why their dividend payments were getting posted to an account at CIBC Investor’s Edge at a different time from than at their account with TD Direct Investing. There were lots of interesting answers by forum members on this one – click here to read the thread.

That brings us to the end of the roundup for this week. Have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving long weekend (for the Canadians!) and a great Columbus Day for those in the US. As a quick reminder, Canadian stock markets will be closed on Monday but US Markets will remain open for trading.

Posted on October 1, 2013 by user — Leave a comment

J.D. Power & Associates Canadian Discount Brokerage Rankings 2013 – Part 1

For Canada’s discount brokerages, fall not only means a busier season with investors, but for many of them it is also the time of year they either dread or cheer. The stretch of time between September and January is typically when a number of Canadian discount brokerage rankings get published – something that could be known as “rankings season.”

Just before the end of September, one of the biggest of the ranking companies, J.D. Power & Associates, officially announced their 2013 Canadian Discount Brokerage Rankings. This year’s winner, National Bank Direct Brokerage, finally managed to grab first place by narrowly edging out the reigning winner for the past four years, Disnat who came in second and BMO InvestorLine who placed third.

In the first of a two-part series on the 2013 J.D. Power & Associates discount brokerage rankings, I’ll take an in-depth look at this year’s award winner, how they managed to land in first and what the ripple effect of their win might mean for self-directed investors as well as the Canadian discount brokerage industry as a whole. The second part in the series will drill down into the numbers from this year to see what they reveal about the sentiment of investor satisfaction with discount brokerages and how it has shifted relative to prior years.

For those of you interested in learning more about the awards are produced, check out the special series on the JD Power & Associates Canadian discount brokerage rankings.

How “The Best” Was Won

Getting to number 1 has been a story of persistence for National Bank Direct Brokerage (NBDB). Over the past 5 years, NBDB has consistently scored among the top three Canadian discount brokerages in terms of investor satisfaction yet first place was always elusive. This year, however, NBDB scored 757 (out of 1000) and narrowly managed to edge out the reigning winner Disnat (who scored 750) by 7 points. While the margin is small, a victory is still a victory.

For NBDB the win is a sign that they continue to hit the right notes with their clients in terms of providing an experience clients feel is satisfying – the metric the ‘investor satisfaction’ survey is designed to measure. As is explained in the special series on the discount brokerage rankings, what goes into measuring “investor satisfaction” might help account for why NBDB was able edge out Disnat this year. Fortunately, the President of National Bank Direct Brokerage, Nancy Paquet, helped to provide some background into what might have contributed to her firm’s win this year. As a bonus, she also shared her views on the Canadian discount brokerage industry and provided a glimpse into how this industry continues to meet the challenges of innovation demanded by clients and competitors.

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Posted on September 6, 2013 by user — Leave a comment

Discount Brokerage Weekly Roundup – September 6, 2013

With the end of the first week in September, there was certainly lots of news around the globe and in the markets to keep investors on the edge of their seats. Within the discount broker space, there were some noteworthy deal extensions that showed up late into week one of September. From the investor side of the fence, metrics on trading activity continue to look encouraging for retail participation and investors debate the offerings from some popular discount brokerages. Finally, there are a couple of updates/reminders for discount brokerage related events taking place over the weekend.

Deal Extensions

This past week, BMO InvestorLine decided to extend their Air Miles promotion deadline through to the end of September. While either an extension or a new deal was anticipated, it was interesting to see the deadline for the deal get pushed back for just 3 more weeks. By comparison, Scotia iTrade decided to extend their 100 commission-free trade offer until November 25^th. To find out more about the latest updates and other discount brokerage deals for the month, click here.

Trading Activity Continues to Rise

With a new month comes the data on trading volumes supplied by Interactive Brokers for their previous month. In the latest results, trading volumes and customer accounts were both up on a yearly and monthly basis. Their recent earnings report also cited improved trading activity among clients which continues to confirm investors are coming back to stock markets.

Discussions about Discount Broker Fees

Chatter on the forums this week featured some interesting threads about discount brokerages. When it comes to discount brokerages, one of the popular points with investors is fees. This discussion on the RedFlagDeals forum was an interesting look at comparing TD Direct Investing with Questrade and shows that price and perceived value are not the same thing.

In a second forum, the Financial WebRing, this post contained some interesting perspectives about opening an account with BMO InvestorLine and about getting a better deal when opening an account.

Updates

Questrade announced will be releasing a minor software update to their IQ edge platform this weekend. For more details on the update click here.

Reminder

Options Education Day takes place in Montreal this weekend. Several discount brokerages are sponsors of the event and should be there to answer questions about trading options on their platforms. For more information about the event, click here.

Posted on August 30, 2013 by user — Leave a comment

Discount Broker Weekly Roundup – August 30 2013

If Yoda were watching the discount broker activity this past week, he’d probably say: ‘a slow news week this was not’. Going into the long weekend there’s quite a bit of activity to report from Canadian discount brokers.

In this week’s discount broker roundup we look at the big news coming out of a major player in the Canadian discount brokerage industry, an extension of a commission-free ETF trading offer, whether social media matters to investors and an upcoming educational event of interest to options traders.

Interactive Brokers Canada Gets a Bit More Canadian, Eh?

In what feels like one of those big, end of season plot twists, the discount broker landscape in Canada underwent another seismic shift this past week when Interactive Brokers Canada announced to its customers via email that starting in mid-September, they are going to transition their clearing operations from the US to Canada. Several Canadian investor forums were alight with speculation as to what this move means and whether Interactive Brokers Canada is paving the way to offer registered accounts, something that would definitely rattle more than few nerves with their competitors. This post (thanks to ‘Mark77’ for posting the message) has an interesting glimpse of what the Interactive Brokers Canada move might mean.

For now though, shifting their back office operations to Canada instead of through their US affiliate means, most importantly, that the pattern day trading rule will be removed and that margin requirements can, in theory, be eased. This is definitely great news for active traders (especially those with less than $25,000 in their trading accounts).

For other interesting perspectives on the Interactive Brokers Canada announcement, here are links to forum posts discussing it:

Canadian Money Forum

Interactive Brokers Canada (IB Canada)

Financial Webring

Pattern Daytrader Rule gone from Interactive Brokers Canada

RedFlagDeals:

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Posted on August 9, 2013 by user — Leave a comment

Discount Brokerage Weekly Roundup – August 9, 2013

This week’s discount brokerage roundup will be short and sweet as we continue to cruise through August. In this roundup, a major US discount brokerage comes under fire for how it handled client orders, the mobile trading landscape gets a little clearer for some investors and a little bumpier for others and lastly the marketing machinery looks to be heating up ahead of September with discount brokerages getting creative.

Going with the flow?

One the major discount brokerages in the US, E*trade Financial, caught a bit of flak from investors as it quietly announced that it was under investigation from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) for how E*Trade has been routing customer orders. For some good context and explanation, check out this article form Businessweek.

Mobile Trading Reviews Get Rolling

This past week saw the launch of the profiles on mobile trading platforms offered by Canadian discount brokerages. The two discount brokerages covered this week were Disnat (with the Disnat Classic platform) and National Bank Direct Brokerage. Click the following link to follow the series on mobile trading at discount brokerages.

Coincidentally, RBC’s latest mobile app was launched earlier this week however it looks as though some Blackberry users have had a few hiccups in working with the new app. Reactions across Twitter were mixed but it looks like iPhone users are pleased with the new version.

“Ad”ing some creativity

The discount brokerage marketing machinery looks like its revving itself up. This cheeky advertisement from Interactive Brokers recently launched and is a bit of a departure from their cartoony ads from years past:

In addition to commercials, several Canadian discount brokerages are pitching in as sponsors for Options Education Days presented by the Montreal Exchange. Spotted on the list of event sponsors in Montreal & Toronto are:

CIBC Investor’s Edge
Disnat
Interactive Brokers
National Bank Direct Brokerage
TD Direct Investing
Virtual Brokers

To learn more about their options pricing plans, check out the options pricing comparison section.

That’s it for this week, hope everyone has a wonderful and safe weekend!

Posted on August 2, 2013 by user — Leave a comment

Discount Brokerage Weekly Roundup – August 2, 2013

As we officially launch into August, there is a lot of “behind the scenes” action that discount brokerages are up to in order to get ready for their busy season in the fall.

This week’s roundup features some updates on current discount brokerage deals, a couple of interesting upgrades to discount brokerage websites that were spotted and reports showing that investor participation in US markets continues to increase and a transaction between the owners of two major online brokerages.

Deal me in, again.

Being the beginning of the month, we have updated the discount brokerage deals section for August. A couple of noteworthy deal extensions were spotted including an extension of the “Refer-a-Friend” offer by Scotia iTrade until the end of August as well as the extension of the commission-free ETF trading offer by National Bank Direct Brokerage (which we cover in depth here) until the end of October.

It’s time to put on makeup; it’s time to dress up right

Two of the major bank-owned online brokerages rolled out some cosmetic improvements to their websites recently in the hopes of making their content more accessible to investors.

The first upgrade was spotted at National Bank Direct Brokerage on their homepage and in their educational sections. The new layout includes a video by their President, Nancy Paquet, as well as improved events listings and an improved link into their education centre. There will be an in-depth look at the improved education centre in a follow-up posting, however the new layout of the investor education center section contains much of their existing material but in a much cleaner and user friendly presentation.

Upgrades to the investor education sections at TD Direct Investing were also recently rolled out. The in-depth feature on this improvement (available here) showcases the improved way in which investors can now find out about and connect to investor education seminars via TD Direct Investing’s website.

With both TD Direct Investing and National Bank Direct Brokerage stepping up their investor education sections, other brokerages that currently provide substantial investor education seminars or content will likely be looking to see how they improve on their offering to try and maneuver around these developments.

Investors Trickling Back In

While it’s difficult to know exactly what retail investor is like given the recent market performance in the US, the data on trading volumes from Interactive Brokers continues to signal improved participation, at least state side. The July figures for trading volumes at Interactive Brokers paint a mixture with trading volume increasing 13% year over year but actually declining 12% compared to June. Margin-loan balances and customer equity showed increases on both a yearly and on a monthly basis.

Posted on August 2, 2013 by user — Leave a comment

TD Direct Investing Upgrades Investor Education Calendar

One of Canada’s largest discount brokerages continues to chip away at improving its website for investors. TD Direct Investing has quietly rolled out the long awaited improvements to their investor education seminar section. As far back as August of last year, we mentioned that something was in the works to improve the delivery of investor education resources however it wasn’t until this summer that the roll out officially took place.

This past year has seen a number of significant changes for TD’s discount brokerage division. In December 2012, TD Waterhouse Discount Brokerage changed its name to TD Direct Investing and the website got a substantial overhaul in the process. One of the laggards, however, was the investor education area, specifically the investor education seminars section. In terms of the new upgrades, the focus appears to have been on improving the user interface and the organization of the content, both of which should enhance the accessibility of this section for self-directed investors.

Improved Content Structure

One of the first noticeable improvements is the structure they’ve provided to their seminar types. Previously, seminars and special events lacked descriptions as well as information on what investor experience level the events were appropriate for. Not having this information made it difficult for investors to determine what a particular seminar was about and whether it was worth attending.

In keeping with the categories they rolled out in December, TD Direct Investing has decided to use the following 3 categories when referring to types of self-directed investors:

New to Online Investing
Experienced Investor
Advanced Trader

Sessions have now been grouped around the anticipated needs of each of these categories of investor (see table below). For example, for those new to online investing, TD Direct Investing has bundled their platform orientation seminars along with their “Introduction to Investing” seminar to allow users to familiarize themselves with the platform.

From a user experience perspective, the combination of the grouping seminars by experience level and providing seminar descriptions will definitely cut down on time spent evaluating and deciding which seminars to attend. As a bonus, it is now also possible to register online for an event as well as see the availability of spots for the session.

New to Online Investing	Experienced Investor	Advanced Trader
Introduction to Investing	Introduction to Options Trading	Active Trader Platform
Introduction to WebBroker	Introduction to Technical Analysis	Advanced Options
WebBroker: Markets & Research	Understanding Margin & Short Selling	Options as an Income Strategy

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Posted on August 1, 2013 by user — Leave a comment

Discount Brokerage Deals & Promotions – August 2013

August Discount Brokerage Deals Overview

The discount brokerage deals activity remains largely in a holding pattern as we move into August. While there were a couple of noteworthy deals that expired in July, the bigger news last month was Questrade’s announcement that they would be re-introducing their unlimited trading offer. Currently Questrade is offering the most promotions of any Canadian online brokerage however with four major promotions set to expire at the end of August and one in early September, there are plenty of opportunities for other discount brokerages to step up their promotion activity. We’ll be watching the chatter closely this month as there are already signs certain discount brokerages are making some interesting moves to improve their existing and potential client experiences.

Expired Discount Brokerage Deals

The major deal that expired in mid-July was TD Direct Investing’s 50 Free Trade offer along with their transfer fee promotion. Our search data shows that there is still some interest in the deal, so there is likely some appetite for this offer still out there. TD Direct Investing, however, rarely ran these kinds of deals in the past so it may be some time before something like it returns.

Extended Discount Brokerage Deals

Scotia iTrade’s Refer-a-Friend promotion has been extended to August 31st.

New Discount Brokerage Deals

Questrade announced the return of their Infinite Trading promotion which offers 3 months of commission-free trading for deposits of $50,000 or more. For deposits between $10,000 and $24,999 they offer 1 month of commission free trading and for deposits between $25,000 and $49,999 new signups receive 2 months of commission-free trading. This deal expires August 31^st, 2013.

Discount Brokerage Deals & Promos

Brief Description	Minimum Deposit Amount	Commission/Cash Offer Type	Time Limit to Use Commission/Cash Offer	Details Link	Deadline
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 margin account with National Bank Direct Brokerage before August 31st 2013 and receive a 1% discount of prime for a margin interest rate. Also, commission rates will be fixed at $6.95 for 3 months. Be sure to read the terms and conditions as well as understand the risks associated with trading on margin. Use promo code: “MARGIN2013” when signing up.	n/a – while no minimum deposit is required, you must pass a credit check to qualify	1% of prime rate for margin borrowing $6.95 fixed commission rate for 3 months	Margin rate discount: 3 months Commission rate discount: 3 months	Click here for margin promo details and here for terms and conditions	August 31, 2013
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
Open a new account (TFSA, Margin or RRSP) by August 31st with A) $1000 or B) $10,000 to receive either A)10 commission-free trades or B)100 commission-free trades. The promo code 100Free95 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	August 31, 2013
Open and fund a new registered, margin or TFSA account and fund it within 30 days with either A)$10,000 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 UNLIMITED 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)$10,000 B)$25,000 C)$50,000	Unlimited trading (No commissions charged on any trades placed)	A) 31 days B) 62 days C) 90 days	Unlimited Free Trading Offer	August 31, 2013
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	August 31, 2013
Open and fund a new Scotia iTRADE account with at least $25,000 before September 30, 2013 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 100FT. See details link for further terms and conditions.	$25,000	100 commission-free trades ($999 value @ $9.99 commission rate)	60 days	Scotia iTrade 100 free trades + FlightDesk	September 30, 2013
Open a new account with National Bank Direct Brokerage before Oct. 31st and the commission rate for equity transactions will be fixed at $6.95 for 6 months. Use promo code: EVENT2013. Since this is unadvertised, you’ll have to call their customer service line: 1-800-363-3511 for full details.	$25,000	$6.95 fixed commission rate for 6 months	6 months	Click here for a low-res version of flyer or here for a high-res version.	October 31, 2013
If you refer a friend/family member who is not already a National Bank Direct Brokerage account holder to them, both you and your friend get a bonus of $100 each. The promotion code “FRIEND” must be used on the account application form. Read the details link for full terms and conditions. Note the maximum referral bonus per client is $1000.	$25,000	$100 referral bonus (referrer) $100 referee (your “friend”)	Payout occurs after 6 months	Share $200 with a Friend Promotion	October 31, 2013
Open a new account (TFSA, Margin or RRSP) and receive 30 days of commission-free trading and one month free of the US Advanced market data package. Use promo code ADVANTAGE when signing up. Offer is open to new clients only. There are a number of important conditions to qualify – be sure to read terms and conditions to the deal.	$25,000	30 days unlimited commission-free trading + 1 month free Advanced US market data package.	30 days	Advantage Promotion	August 31, 2013
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	August 30, 2013
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 and conditions can be located by logging into the InvestorLine panel under “account services” or by contacting BMO InvestorLine directly	December 31, 2013
Open a new account or upgrade an existing account with $100,000 and choose to receive either $250 cash back or 2000 Air Miles. Use Promo Code: BONUS250 to receive the cash back offer or BONUSAM (+ Air Miles Collector #) to receive the Air Miles offer. NOTE: There are lots of details/important conditions attached to this promotion. Be sure to read the terms and conditions carefully.	$100,000	$250 Cash Back OR 2000 Air Miles	Payout occurs after 6 months	Air Miles Promotion	September 4, 2013

Transfer Fee Deals

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
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 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	August 30, 2013