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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 16, 2016

Published September 16, 2016
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For Isaac Newton a falling apple sparked inspiration about gravity. For traders and investors this week, Apple defied gravity and seemed to spark a rally in a falling market. The lesson seems to be clear: don’t fight the obvious. Markets for DIY investing are clearly giving signals to Canadian discount brokerages and this week it […]

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Discount Brokerage Weekly Roundup – September 2, 2016

Published September 2, 2016
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September’s here and it’s all about the kids – well at least what some people consider to be kids anyway. After a summer spent huddled away figuring out what the ‘cool kids’ of investing may want, the Canadian discount brokerages have launched into September with some new features that are clearly aimed at winning the […]

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Discount Brokerage Deals & Promotions – September 1, 2016

Published September 1, 2016
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Update: 9/23/16 At the outset of September, the discount brokerage deals & promotions activity appears to have contracted slightly but still remains reasonably healthy for any DIY investor searching for a deal. With 21 offers in the mix, there are certainly deals to be had and certain brokerages, such as Desjardins Online Brokerage (Disnat) and […]

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Discount Brokerage Weekly Roundup – August 19, 2016

Published August 19, 2016
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With the 2016 Rio Olympics staring down the final stretch, it has been quite the run for Team Canada and for many athletes the world over. Like the athletes who are focused on getting themselves on the podium next time, Canadian discount brokerages who want to win understand that training to be better happens day […]

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Discount Brokerage Weekly Roundup – August 12, 2016

Published August 12, 2016
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One the great lessons embodied by the Olympics is that preparation, practice and discipline lead to success. It’s a message that holds true not only in the world of sport but also in the world of investing. For Canadian discount brokerages, one of the ways in which they can help enable investors to succeed is […]

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Discount Brokerage Weekly Roundup – August 5, 2016

Published August 5, 2016
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Citius, Altius, Fortius – the Latin version of the motto of the Olympics which translates into faster, higher, stronger – seems to be an appropriate jumping off point for this week’s roundup, especially as the US stock markets hit new ‘personal bests.’ As with the Olympic games in Brazil, competition between Canadian discount brokerages is […]

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Discount Brokerage Deals & Promotions – August 1, 2016

Published August 2, 2016
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Updated: Aug. 9th At the start of August, discount brokerage deals and promotions appear to be in vacation mode. With a pair of deals that expired at the end of July and one new partner offer that joined the list of promotion, the turnover and activity in offers coming into this month was minimal. While […]

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Discount Brokerage Weekly Roundup – July 29, 2016

Published July 29, 2016
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The summer Olympics are just around the corner and with them will come all kinds of excitement, fanfare and of course, the widely anticipated opening ceremonies. While there aren’t typically flag bearers, parades, fireworks or exotic choreography, there are a handful of Canadian discount brokerages who try to make opening an online trading account feel […]

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Discount Brokerage Weekly Roundup – July 22, 2016

Published July 22, 2016
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With the activities going on in the US republican convention this week, it was difficult to escape the news cycle that was dominated by the upcoming US elections in November. Alas there are no plagiarized speeches, comb-overs or bad spray tans (at least that we know of) in the online brokerage space. Given the hubbub […]

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Discount Brokerage Weekly Roundup – July 15, 2016

Published July 15, 2016
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Even when the world appears irrational, markets still move to beat of their own drum. Against a backdrop of turbulent headlines, markets in the US have managed to hit new all-time highs. For DIY investors in Canada, however, it is an interesting moment. As stock prices move higher, this will invariably attract investors back into […]

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Discount Brokerage Weekly Roundup – July 8, 2016

Published July 8, 2016
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Bulls will be bulls. On a day when grim news captured the headlines, the S&P 500 managed to put it all in the rear-view mirror and touch a new record high intraday. Despite what naysayers are nay-saying, the numbers on the tape tell a different story. For Canadian discount brokerages, the news cycle is relatively […]

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Discount Brokerage Weekly Roundup – July 1, 2016

Published July 1, 2016
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Happy Canada Day! The recent visit of US President Barack Obama to Canada underscored the importance of the two countries’ working relationship. Interestingly, at least one US online brokerage has managed to maintain its presence in Canada as part of its international expansion plan and the writing on the wall suggests that it won’t be […]

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Discount Brokerage Deals & Promotions – July 1, 2016

Published July 1, 2016
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Update July 13 It looks like the ‘brexit’ wasn’t the only big exit to happen this week. Closer to home, the Canadian online brokerage deals and promotions space also saw a number of promotional offers take off, perhaps for the summer, perhaps longer. The trend towards promotional offers continues to be a volatile one, which […]

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Discount Brokerage Weekly Roundup – June 24, 2016

Published June 24, 2016
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Despite what the pundits and talking heads are passionately and energetically discussing on business news networks the world over, global markets are not in turmoil. While the calculus of a market repricing may seem messy (and it sometimes is), the reality is that markets are doing what they do best: putting a present day price […]

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Discount Brokerage Weekly Roundup – June 10, 2016

Published June 10, 2016
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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 […]

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Discount Brokerage Weekly Roundup – June 3, 2016

Published June 3, 2016
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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. […]

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Discount Brokerage Deals & Promotions – June 1, 2016

Published June 1, 2016
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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 […]

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Discount Brokerage Weekly Roundup – May 20, 2016

Published May 20, 2016
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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 […]

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Discount Brokerage Weekly Roundup – May 13, 2016

Published May 13, 2016
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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 […]

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