If you thought 2021 was an eventful year (and it was!) at Canada’s online brokerages, wait until you see what’s in store for 2022. In this milestone issue of the Look Back / Look Ahead series, we hear from leaders at Canadian online brokerages about what they saw as the biggest highlights, as well as what they’re working on to impress self-directed investors in the next year. Also, we’ve got the scoop on four new online brokerages moving into the commission-free trading game.

Yet another commission-free online brokerage is slated to come to Canada – this time it’s TradeZero looking to gain a foothold with active traders. Also, read up on the latest feature to launch from Interactive Brokers which they hope will reduce the friction of getting started with trading online. As always check out some entertaining posts from the investor forums.

From new branding, to new pricing, to new features, this week’s Roundup covers exciting developments at online brokerages on both sides of the border. Dive in to read more about customer service at Robinhood, the launch of CI Direct Trading, and BMO adviceDirect’s move to make their service more accessible to online investors.

In focus this week, more online brokerage data. Check out a deep dive on the 2021 MoneySense online brokerage rankings, including an interesting discovery about the connection between commission pricing and service experience.

This week, we review the rebrand and launch of Qtrade Direct Investing, including how their new logo, colour scheme, and design direction are changing what an online brokerage in Canada looks and sounds like.

The phrase that’s been a mantra for many of us in 2020 – aside from “You’re on mute” – has been “Is it over yet?” Finally, it’s a lot closer to being true than at any previous point in the year. Thank goodness. In keeping with the sentiment of a very long year, this end-of-year […]

After making it through 2020, there are few things that would count as truly surprising anymore. Between COVID-19, the wild US presidential election and everything else that has unfolded this past year, 2021 can’t come fast enough for many of us. For Canadian DIY investors and Canada’s online brokerages, despite a wild year of volatility, […]

So, if things seem like they might have gone from bad to worse this past week, with non-stop coverage of the US election chaos, the good news is that the stock market happened to shrug it off. While there’s a lot for everyday people to digest in terms of news flow, thankfully the online brokerage […]

It’s likely a sign of the times, but what we see and hear on the news is so vastly different depending on where we live. And, even though we are all living through the collective experiment of lifting restrictions, we are starting to learn more about the unforeseen consequences of COVID-19 as well as the […]

After the ‘big game’ in the NFL, it’s now time for the championship race between Canadian online brokerages to kick into high gear. With just a few weeks left until the deadline for RSP contribution, it will be an all-out sprint by Canadian online brokerages to land new accounts and assets from Canadian DIY investors. […]

Update Jan. 21 It’s a new year, a new decade and what better way to ring it all in than with some new discount brokerage deals for online investors looking to find a new home for their hard-earned investment dollars. The past year was a time of significant change in the online brokerage space – […]

With the holiday season just a few short weeks away, gifts and presents are top of mind for many folks. Fortunately for Canadian DIY investors, there are some early presents that have arrived courtesy of some of the newest online brokerages in Canada – and the timing couldn’t be better. In this edition of the […]

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday landing so close to the beginning of December, deal hunting is going to be top of mind for DIY investors heading into the final month of the year. Fortunately, there are deals to be had with a number of cash back and commission-free trade promotions going on to round […]

Updated Nov. 27 Welcome to November, where DIY investors, like daylight, are in for some savings when it comes to investing online. Despite the extra hour available to online brokerages, TFSA contribution room dates, RRSP contribution deadline season and tax season are all quickly approaching, and as a result, investors are already kicking the tires on […]

Updated Oct. 15 There probably couldn’t be a better name for the current season that online brokerages find themselves in this year. Fall is definitely here and more than just the leaves on the trees, commission rates are dropping to the ground this October. The casualties in the US online brokerage space are making headlines […]

Updated Sept. 4 When it comes to discount brokerage deals, it appears that this month, school is definitely in session. Even though there are no new deals that officially launched at the beginning of September, there were several that snuck in at the tail end of August, just in time for the Labour Day weekend […]

It seems like more and more discussion is taking place around the “R” word. Of course, with stranger things taking place around the world with respect to interest rates, trade wars, and conflicting accounts from economic indicators, it’s tough to make heads or tails of what’s going on. Despite the pervasive and heightened uncertainty, one […]

Updated Aug. 28 As we round the corner into August, most DIY investors are patiently waiting for new discount brokerage promotions to drop. Unfortunately, it seems like most Canadian online brokerages are in summer vacation mode when it comes to offering new deals. Even so, the summer so far hasn’t been totally silent. HSBC InvestDirect […]

Updated: July 8 Despite all the fanfare and celebration that typically accompanies the beginning of July, it seems like many Canadian online brokerages are taking a bit of a break from the promotional game. Heading into the first official month of the summer, the discount brokerage deals section appears to be keeping its cool with […]

June is here, and for many Canadian DIY investors, their attention is fixed on the Raptors’ amazing journey to the NBA finals. As we cross into a new month in the deals and promotions section, however, it appears that there aren’t going to be nearly as many slam dunks in here to start off the […]