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The latest posts from SparxTrading – in depth views on the world of online investing.

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Discount Brokerage Weekly Roundup – September 26, 2014

Published September 26, 2014
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When it rains it pours. That’s not only true if you’re in Vancouver, but also if you’ve been following what’s been going on with Canadian discount brokerages this week. In this edition of the roundup we highlight what’s probably been one of the biggest and busiest weeks of 2014 for Canadian brokerages. On the menu: […]

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Kind of a Big Deal: Scotia iTrade Raises the Stakes for Discount Brokerage Deals

Published September 23, 2014
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Earlier last week the Canadian discount brokerage landscape saw a massive deal unfold. Scotia iTrade, one of Canada’s bank-owned online brokerages, launched their latest offer: 500 commission-free trades or $500 cash back for deposits of $500,000 (or more). Yes, that’s correct, 500 commission-free trades or $500 cash back. Aside from the headline grabbing numbers, what […]

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Discount Brokerage Weekly Roundup – September 12, 2014

Published September 12, 2014
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Spectacular northern lights thanks to solar flares, wild summer snowfall in Alberta and Apple being able to design a smart watch but not a smart map. It’s been a strange week to be sure. Equally strange – the silence from Canada’s discount brokerages through the month of September. It’s not often that there’s a quiet […]

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Discount Brokerage Deals & Promotions – September 2014

Published September 1, 2014
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(Updated: Sept. 15/14) Although it’s hard to believe, September is already here. For many it is a signal that Fall (and the cooler weather that comes with it) is just around the corner. Canadian online brokerages have had quite the summer and as they enter September the deals landscape seems to be cooling off – […]

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Discount Brokerage Deals & Promotions – August 2014

Published August 1, 2014
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[Updated: August 9, 2014] Coming into August, it’s hard to tell what’s hotter – the summer sun or the activity at Canadian discount brokerages. This summer, online brokerages have been busy adding new features or tweaking their pricing structures and, we believe, the fall is when brokerages will be working hard to showcase these updates. […]

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Discount Brokerage Weekly Roundup – July 11, 2014

Published July 11, 2014
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The word heading into the end of this week: Drama. This weekend it seems no matter where you look there is some source of incredible drama. An Argentinian team playing for the World Cup final in Brazil, LeBron ‘going home’ to Cleveland and rumours of Eva Mendes having Ryan Gossling’s baby – wait what? Not […]

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Discount Brokerage Deals & Promotions – July 2014

Published July 1, 2014
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[Updated: July 18, 2014] July is here and while sidewalks and barbeques might be sizzling, deals at Canada’s online brokerages at the outset of the month are quite a bit cooler. That said, if history is any predictor, we don’t expect that situation to persist for too long. As was the case last month, the […]

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Discount Brokerage Deals & Promotions – June 2014

Published June 1, 2014
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[Updated July 10, 2014] With summer just around the corner, June is an interesting month for Canadian discount brokerage deals. On the one hand, there are six offers that are scheduled to expire at the end of the month. On the other hand, history has shown that Canadian brokerages don’t like to be left out […]

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Discount Brokerage Weekly Roundup – May 30 2014

Published May 30, 2014
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Another week, another record high. It looks like not that many folks chose to sell in May and go away after all. In spite of most NHL hockey players and seasonal investors starting to take it easy, Canadian discount brokerages were still keeping busy keeping one another on their toes. In this week’s roundup we […]

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Discount Brokerage Weekly Roundup – May 2, 2014

Published May 2, 2014
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Dramatic playoff hockey, incredible playoff basketball, markets hitting new highs (again) and the new Star Wars cast announced. It looks like May is bringing more drama than it is flowers. As we round the corner into May, the drama among discount brokerages continues to unfold, albeit with less flare than the heart pounding finishes from […]

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Discount Brokerage Deals & Promotions – May 2014

Published May 1, 2014
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[Updated: July 10, 2014] While many in the markets might be thinking of  May as the time to head for the exits, it is interesting to see what is or isn’t being offered by Canadian discount brokerages in terms of deals and promotions. Heading into a new month, there were a few deals from April […]

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Discount Brokerage Deals & Promotions – April 2014

Published April 1, 2014
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[Updated 4/15/14] There are noticeably fewer discount brokerage deals & promotions at the start of April than at the same time last month. That said, this is spring and there are any number of surprises that can pop up. While the month starts off on a slightly leaner note than month’s past there were a […]

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Discount Brokerage Weekly Roundup – March 21, 2014

Published March 21, 2014
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If there is one thing that March madness can guarantee, its unpredictability. In the discount brokerage space this was certainly the case as we were watching to see who, if anyone, would launch a promotion that could make a splash in the already ultra-competitive online brokerage market. This past week it happened. In this week’s […]

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Discount Brokerage Weekly Roundup – March 7, 2014

Published March 7, 2014
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The beginning of March has seen a frenzied week across international markets and here at home in the discount brokerage space.  While the world is watching to see what unfolds between the Ukraine and Russia, markets paused only briefly on the news but then continued to push higher into new all-time highs (for the S&P […]

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Discount Brokerage Deals & Promotions – March 2014

Published March 1, 2014
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Updated March 28/2014 The deals and promotions offered by Canadian discount brokerages at the outset of March are largely unchanged from February.  While the the deals may be starting March looking one way,  there’s a good chance that the end of March will look very different.  Of the 18 offers currently available, 12 are set […]

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Discount Brokerage Weekly Roundup – February 21, 2014

Published February 21, 2014
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This past week in the Canadian discount brokerage space seemed about as quiet as the US Women’s Olympic hockey team dressing room after that most spectacular win by Team Canada.   The silence on the brokerage front, however, is likely indicative of the planning and ‘strategizing’ by marketing and product teams as the battle for brokerage […]

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