In an era of robots and algos, and in a business that stresses keeping things unemotional, there are often times for every trader when emotions and humanity creep back into the picture. This was one of those weeks. From the news of Muhammad Ali’s passing last week to the outpouring of beautiful tributes that came […]

In case you didn’t get the memo, it’s National Donut Day – oh and apparently there’s a bull market in commodities to mark the occasion. As we head into a new month, the headline of a ‘bull market’ in commodities is great news for Canadian traders, regardless of whether or not the rally sustains itself. […]

Summer is close at hand and now that May is behind us, those who have sold in May and gone away might still find a reason to come back to the markets – at least that’s what some brokerages are banking on. As we launch into a new month the discount brokerage deals and promotions […]

Even though the week was technically a shortened one for Canadian DIY investors, there were many who felt it was simply a bit too long (TGIF amirite?). Despite the shortened timing, oil managed to make a brief appearance above $50, Trump managed to make an appearance of wanting to debate a democrat but then changed […]

Even the best investors can be caught off guard by sudden moves in the market. It’s a humbling lesson and usually the tuition for poor risk management isn’t cheap. For Canadian discount brokerages, there are definitely signs in the US brokerage market that the risks for certain brokerages are rising. In this week’s roundup, we […]

Even in a world of robo-advisors and trading algorithms, human traders and investors are still prone to believing in the power of luck. Of course, it being Friday the 13th, the more superstitious folks probably are focused on avoiding the bad luck. For Canadian discount brokerages, however, it seems like they’re betting on the power […]

Crisis and opportunity. For traders it’s often two sides of the same coin. The human toll of the tragic events in Fort McMurray are impossible to quantify however for those seasoned veterans of markets who can only watch in disbelief at this surreal disaster, the scale and impact of these wildfires are what need to […]

Update May 9 Sell in May and go away. It’s a phrase many traders are familiar with and now that May has arrived it looks like there will be sales – just not a whole lot more from certain discount brokerages. As we head into a new month, it looks like there’s a definite pull […]

It’s hard to believe but here we are at the end of April. For some, it’s a sprint to the tax filing deadline. For sports fans, it’s been a lottery filled week with ‘mathletes’ trying to calculate who pick up prospects in the NFL and NHL. Of course, Canadian discount brokerages know all too well […]

With storm clouds thicker than this week’s 420 protests-turned-celebrations and tension greater than the imminent showdown coming in the next installment of Game of Thrones, it seems the fog of war has set in with online brokerages. On the home front, things are nervously quiet, however from the revelations this past week in the US, […]

While one basketball legend is retiring another one is seeing his star rise. Whether it’s professional basketball or the world of DIY investing, performance is what counts. For the race that is the Canadian discount brokerages landscape, however, coasting along is not an option. In this week’s roundup, we take a look at continued signs […]

While April showers might bring May flowers, April is also about the time to start nervously watching the calendar for the ‘sell in May and go away’ moment. For many Canadian online brokerages, however, the hope is that wherever investors decide to go this spring, that they take their brokerage account along for the ride […]

Welcome to April. While there may be pranks and gags to kick off the start of a new month and a new quarter, it seems like some Canadian discount brokerages are taking the chance to start anew a little too seriously. In this week’s roundup we take a look at the latest deals action that […]

People often look at springtime as a chance to clean house. And, for many of Canada’s discount brokerages, that is exactly what they did with the deals and promotions heading into April. At the outset of this month, there are almost half as few deals being offered as there were throughout March which is a […]

For those who can’t wait to see Old Man Winter actually leave, this weekend couldn’t come fast enough. But, rest assured, signs of spring abound and as #BirdieSanders showed, that offers something to smile about. Canadian discount brokerages also seem to be taking their cues from Mother Nature by doing a little spring cleaning of […]

If you were like most folks this week, getting adjusted to the one hour less made things feel a little bit foggy. Of course, if you’re following what’s happening with the US elections, candidates are taking all kinds of swings at one another as the contest for presidency heats up. Here in Canada, discount brokerages, […]

As week two of March comes to an end, there was one clear story that seemed to dominate the news cycle for Canadians – the visit of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with US President Barack Obama. Of the many angles on the coverage of this visit, one of the most interesting was the theme of […]

One of the interesting paradoxes of DIY investing is that for many investors, the journey to doing it yourself actually starts by consulting a lot of other people. Knowing this, several online brokerages have created incentive programs aimed at giving existing clients a ‘win/win’ approach to refer their friends and family. Unfortunately for many investors, […]

While much of Canada (save for the Wet Coast) has been digging out from under piles of snow, it seems like Canadian stock markets have also managed to dig themselves out from underneath the recent avalanche of bad news. For Canadian discount brokerages, the turn in the markets has been a welcome relief, and they’re […]

Update Mar. 18 While there were lots of offers available to DIY investors from Canadian online brokerages into the RRSP contribution deadline, there were definitely fewer than last year. Volatile markets and Canadians signaling their reluctance to contribute to an RRSP this year might have contributed to the pullback in participation by brokerages however there […]