We stopped by the Stockscores Canadian Active Trader Expo (SCATE) this past week and had a chance to sit through a presentation by veteran trader and founder of stockscores.com Tyler Bollhorn. This event was also sponsored by Disnat which has launched one of their best deals/promotions alongside the SCATE tour.  You can find out more […]

We met with Joseph Burgoyne of the Options Industry Council (OIC) at the Montreal Exchange Options Education Day to discuss how investors can use options as part of their investment portfolio. He highlights information about the OIC,  how investors can approach learning options and tips on how to options responsibly  

In this episode of Mark to Market, Mark Tradewell learns about the limit buy.  

One of the great ‘disadvantages’ to beginner investors is how to put what they hear and see in the news or what they are told by financial sales staff into context.  One solution to get that context is through education.  While most people would probably agree that taking the time to learn about investing is […]

One of the largest publicly traded discount brokers, Interactive Brokers Group Inc. (better known as Interactive Brokers or ‘IB’) published their monthly trading data for March 2012.  Many industry commentators and trader’s alike have observed a decrease in the trading volumes over the past several months.  An interesting data point that confirms that observation comes […]

This stop on the World Money Show circuit brought with it quite a few interesting speakers and exhibitors.  The list of speakers included such notable Canadian personalities as Larry Berman and Danielle Park, both of whom had very good turnouts (Danielle’s was standing room only!).  Some international guests included Marc Faber, aka “Dr. Doom” who […]

Scotia iTrade is raising how much they charge for their ‘standard’ commission per trade rate from $19.99 to $24.99 for equity trades effective April 2012. Specifically, it’s $24.99 per trade (up to 1000 shares) and $0.03/share for orders greater than 1000 shares. Option commissions are also going up from $19.99 +$1.75 per contract to $24.99 […]

Here are the latest discount broker deals and promotions offered by Canada’s online discount brokerages. This month there is a monster deal being launched  by Disnat Direct called the “Active 5” deal.  Look out for other deals being announced from National Bank Direct Brokerage early this month.  If there’s a deal or promotion that we’ve […]

Every so often something comes along that turns into a phenomenon which then takes on a life of its own.  This weekend is the big launch of the first movie in the widely anticipated  Hunger Games series.  The mania for the film is already at an all-time high going into the opening weekend – everyone […]

By now you’ve probably learned more about the wonderful world of commission pricing than you’d ever really wanted to know.  As you’ve perhaps figured out, choosing a discount brokerage can be a bit of a chore, but it can be made much easier by understanding what your trading needs are before you go shopping.  Understanding […]

Why is commission pricing so complicated? Why is it so hard to get good information? Those are some of the questions that inspired us to create the most user-friendly brokerage comparison and review section in Canada.  To be able to compare apples to apples, we had to reverse engineer the marketing and sales pitches, to […]

What would you do if you had a printing press that spat out as much money as you wanted at any time you asked for it? It’s a question most people can only dream of being able to answer, but for a handful of individuals in governments around the world, these machines already exist and […]

One of the first places that retail investors look to when thinking about choosing a discount brokerage firm is commission pricing. Pricing, however, isn’t as straight forward as the lowest price commission per trade.  When thinking about pricing, value is really what you as a potential or existing client are seeking.  After all, if you […]

Many discount brokerages offer different account types, but among the most recognizable are registered retirement savings plans accounts (RRSPs), registered educations savings plans (RESPs) and recently, the tax-free savings accounts (TFSAs).  Discount brokerages also offer what are often known as “non-registered” accounts (as opposed to the registered accounts listed above) which usually consist of either […]

Where’s the Beef? One of the easiest ways to think about shopping for an “account” is by thinking of going to the grocery store.  If you were to walk into the grocery store and ask a clerk for “groceries” they would say something like: “well you’re in the right store, but can you be more […]

Here are the latest discount broker deals and promotions offered by Canada’s online discount brokerages.  While we strive for accuracy in our reporting we cannot guarantee that the information presented below will not have changed or be altered without notice. Please ensure to check the brokerage’s website directly for full details. Company Brief Description Details […]

If or when you decide that you would like to manage a portion of your investments directly, knowing where to begin or even what your options are can feel like a daunting task.  Like belly button fuzz, choosing an online discount broker is not something many people generally think about unless they have to deal […]

Hey Sparx Members! Now there is an added benefit to being part of the SparxTrading Network. We will be launching our newsletter this week featuring our favorite videos, articles and events and it will be going out to our members only! Stay connected to the best of SparxTrading but don’t keep it all to yourself. […]

It happens to every trader or investor at some point. You spot what you think is an opportunity, you press buy, your heart and thoughts race a little at the prospect of this purchase bringing you the next big trade; very briefly your brain thinks about all of the things you’re going to do with […]

When we asked Josef Schachter of Schachter Asset Management at the 2012 MoneyTalks World Outlook Conference what the biggest mistake investors make was, he told us that not taking a sense of ownership for their investing decisions was high on that list  The idea of handing one’s money over to an advisor should be one […]