Separating news from noise is harder to do some weeks than others. This might have been one of those weeks. Despite markets responding to earnings and fundamentals, and despite economic news that shows Canada’s economy is now firing on all cylinders, there’s just one story that seems to Trump it all. For traders and investors, […]

If there’s a lesson emerging from the scandal in the US or from Game of Thrones, it’s that details matter. At least in the case of the US, the details are emerging and in the process, the spin doctors are working overtime to shape the conversation. While this may seem like a leap for the […]

Happy Canada Day! Like the weather in July, the deals and promotions section is heating up. The great news for DIY investors heading into the new month is that there are 23 offers or promotions being advertised by Canadian discount brokerages and an additional four when considering the digital advice or robo-advisor promotional offers. Included […]

Not everyone would look forward to turning 150 the way Canada does. That’s simply because us Canadians love to do things our way – including the Canadian discount brokerages and DIY investors. Of course, defining what ‘Canadian’ looks (and trades) like is quickly changing and gladly it looks like most Canadian online brokers are keeping […]

There seems to be no way around it, what happens on social media has now become ‘the news’ cycle the world over. Curiously, the news cycle this week focused on deciphering covfefe as well as the art of the deal – or rather the art of pulling out of the deal. For Canada’s discount brokerages, […]

Discount Brokerage Deals Cash Back/Free Trade/Product Offer Promotions Referral Promotions Transfer Fee Promotions Contests & Other Offers Digital Advice + Roboadvisor Promotions (new!) Update: June 27 Summer is the best time for blockbuster movie hits. And, just like these feature productions, this month’s deals & promos section will be filled with big announcements and teasers […]

‘Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble’ seems to capture the sentiment of any market when buyers get far too ahead of themselves. Whether it’s real estate, the latest feverish run up in cryptocurrency ethereum, or tulip bulbs, wherever bubbles appear, Shakespearean style trouble isn’t too far behind. In this edition of the roundup, we look at […]

Drama. It’s what draws viewers into reality TV and it’s what reality TV producers and those in the entertainment world know how to harness – the innate human tendency towards uncertainty. Funnily enough, financial markets aren’t that different either, with human reactions (and aversions) towards uncertainty playing out almost daily. Interestingly, Canadian discount brokerages are […]

While savvy investors and traders enjoy the ‘boring’ trades, in these markets, the truth is that nothing is quite so boring. For now, stock markets are moving on earnings – which is a good sign – however there appears to be a little extra uncertainty thrown into the mix, which for better or worse, makes […]

Not sure if May got the memo, but it was April that was supposed to get the showers. For many traders, however, this is the month when many of them will be looking to exit the market according to the saying: ‘Sell in May and go away’. While things don’t always go to plan, Canada’s […]

Updated: May 19 Now that spring is in full swing, it looks like the deals and promotions section is getting a little spring cleaning of its own. Like the big puffy Canada Goose jackets, there are a number of deals that are getting shelved for the season (or perhaps for good), however there are some […]

This week, NAFTA was causing all kinds of nausea for media, government and economists who were trying to figure out exactly what was happening with this long standing free-trade deal. While not a multinational economic agreement, Canadian discount brokerages are looking to their own free-trade deals as a way to generate interest and enthusiasm across […]

With markets closed today in observance of Good Friday, investors on both sides of the border can spend their weekend recounting United Airlines memes, legalization of marijuana in Canada and the mother of all bombs. Say what you will about the news, but investors have a lot on their plates to digest – and that’s […]

Updated April 14 Even though this is technically April Fool’s Day, the pullback in deals is no laughing matter. After a very busy March in which there were as many as 35 deals in play, April kicks off with a more modest 24 live deals. The bigger story, however, is recognizing that now might not […]

Even though March is over, it still doesn’t quite feel like the madness is behind us yet. Nonetheless, housing prices (in Toronto) and stock markets are still buoyant, and are managing to keep up appearances. For investors & discount brokerages, it seems the old farmer adage stands: make hay while the sun shines. In this […]

Crazy real estate, crazy IPOs, crazy politics, crazy Oscars, crazy Amazon outages and one very crazy sprint to the RRSP contribution deadline. Not a bad way to ring in the third month of 2017. There’s certainly no shortage of items pulling DIY investors’ attention in every direction this past week and perhaps no coincidence that […]

March is finally here. With the promise of spring ahead of us and the RSP deadline now behind us, attention is going to shift to tax season and where, how and with whom those refunds will be invested.  The great news for DIY investors is that there are still lots of promotional offers to choose […]

Spring may still be a month away but there are many who’ve already had more than enough of winter. Of course, change is certainly the theme for Canadian discount brokerages as their new reality is one in which they will have to become better at managing it and demonstrating that they can pull it off […]

It’s hard to believe a whole month has gone by in 2017. With the news cycle dominated by the ever unpredictable movements of the US president, speculation is as rampant as ever. For Canadian online brokerages, however, getting attention is far more difficult than just sending out a tweet at odd hours. Nonetheless they’re still […]

With the big game coming this weekend, it seems fitting to kick off the deals and promotions action for February in a big way. Canadian discount brokerage deals have reached a feverish pitch as the race to win over DIY investors intensifies to all-time highs. The biggest news, however, is the launch of four new […]