Jump to main navigation Jump to main content. Last updated Wednesday, Nov. The best reason to be a do-it-yourself investor is to cut costs, and the online broker that helps you do that best is Virtual Brokers. Cost is a huge category in the 15th annual Globe and Mail ranking of online brokers, and VB aces it. Now you understand why this tiny firm that hardly anyone knows about has, for the second year in a row, taken top spot in the annual Globe and Mail ranking of online brokers.

VB is no one-trick broker. It ticks off several other key boxes in this ranking, including personalized account reporting to show clients how their portfolios are performing and the availability of U.

As a relatively new player in the online brokerage business, VB is still a bit rough around the edges. But over all, it emerges ahead of Qtrade Investor, long a dominant player in this ranking, and other strong options like BMO InvestorLine, RBC Direct Investing and Scotia iTrade. For the first time, the independent firm Questrade has been included with the higher-scoring brokers.

This ranking is designed for mainstream investors, not active traders, so firms are only considered if they offer all types of registered accounts, and a wide variety of investment choices and tools for research, planning and screening.

Commissions on bonds and mutual funds are also considered, as are administration fees for registered accounts and the availability of commission-free exchange-traded funds. In this category, brokers live or die by the job they do in helping clients gauge how their portfolios are performing over time. Brokers are graded here on the availability of registered accounts that can hold U. Shows which firms are leaders in terms of cutting prices and introducing new services, and which are followers.

Administration fees for registered accounts are also on the high side for small accounts. Aside from costs, InvestorLine does pretty much everything well.

Through its AdviceDirect channel, InvestorLine even offers an advice option. Clients pay 1 per cent of their account assets annually less for large accounts in exchange for investing guidance delivered online and through a staff of eight investment specialists.

Not a CIBC client? So why does it promote the sort of active trading that generates wealth for brokers at the expense of clients?

Investors, beware the shifting world of online trading fees - The Globe and Mail

Follow Cibc online stock trading canada Carrick on Twitter: Ten ways to pick the best online broker for you. PORTFOLIO STRATEGY All-in-one simplicity: The portfolio in a box. PORTFOLIO STRATEGY A primer on low-commission trading. Discover content from The Globe and Mail that you might otherwise not have come across. Newspaper delivered to your doorstep. Subscribe to the newspaper. Digital all access pass across devices. Subscribe to Globe Unlimited.

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Canada’s CIBC plans international banking business in Dublin

Thomson Reuters is not liable for any errors or delays in Thomson Reuters content, or for any actions taken in reliance on such content. Globe Investor is part of The Globe and Mail's Report on Business. Selected data supplied by Thomson Reuters. The best, and cheapest, online brokers in Canada Add forex trading straddle Comments Share via email To start at novice binary options on facebook Share on twitter Share on LinkedIn Print License article.

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How to place a stock trade. Globe Unlimited offers even more for business readers and investors. Single page 1 2 3 Next. Stock Trading Commission Comparison Here are the online stock trading commissions that would apply in three different transactions.

Discounts for active trading are not included. Check with individual firms to see how big your account needs to be to qualify for lower commissions.

Here's the price quoted by each broker, including foreign exchange charges, effective on the morning of Oct. Stock-trading commissions are not included here. Interest rates on margin debt In a margin account, an investor borrows money from his or her broker to buy securities. These are base rates that apply to Canadian-dollar balances; lower rates may apply on larger balances. More Related to this Story Online Brokers Online Brokers Ten ways to pick the best online broker for you PORTFOLIO STRATEGY All-in-one simplicity: The portfolio in a box PORTFOLIO STRATEGY A primer on low-commission trading.

CIBC Investor's Edge - For Active Traders

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