Another Teenager TFSA Investing Approach: Buy Stocks In Individual Blue Chip Dividend Paying Or Growth Companies

Here’s another way a teenager could use their TFSA.

Unstable World Equity Markets: Should I Sell Now and Buy Back In After the Crash?

Will I sell out of equities now to avoid a major market meltdown?

My Child Is Now 15 (Or 16) What Should I Do with My Self-Directed Brokerage RESP?

Should I move my RESP before my child starts university or college? What should I be invested in and for how long?

What Happens If a Company I Own Shares In Makes a Share Buy Back Offer For Shares Held at BMO InvestorLine?

Every so often something new happens in my brokerage accounts: this time I had to handle a stock buyback properly.

If I Use a Price Limit Order at BMO InvestorLine On a Stock Dropping and Trading Heavily What Price Will I Get?

Sometimes a bid is just a suggestion!

How Did Our Investments Perform In 2014? Part Deux

Did we win or lose playing in the market this past year? Unlike previous years where I refused to even open the envelopes, this year I read our statements and report the results here.

The TSX Is In Freefall: Time to Buy!

Wow! Good prices: New Money: What should I buy?!

How to Buy Shares of Stock or Units of ETFs Using the BMO InvestorLine App

Is marijuana legal in the location where the graphic designer lives who created the icons for the new InvestorLine app? These and other thoughts crossed my mind while executing a trade using the new iPad App. (And why you should be careful when using this App if you don’t want to end up long in Venezuelan Beaver Cheese.)

How Are My “Defensive” Stocks Weathering the Recent Market Dip?

Some of our money is invested in individual stocks which are supposed to be less likely to nosedive when the market slumps. How is that strategy playing out during this recent drop in share prices?

Why Do Markets at All Time Highs Mean a Crash Is Coming? Don’t Stocks Have to Go Up to Be Worthwhile?

Are you still putting new money in the markets or are you building your bunker out of gold bricks?

How Risky Are My Preferred Shares: Should I Sell Now or Hold?

While wading out into the deeper waters of investing have I taken a step that will sink me? What risks am I taking by buying some preferred shares and will the benefits be enough to keep me afloat?

How to Set up a Computershare Personal Account to Manage Your Shares

I finally joined the electronic age and created a Computershare account to manage some stocks–I refuse to shred the old paper certificates though. Did I need a cell phone to do this and why did I need to pick a colour and three memorable words?

How to Sell RBF2010 HISA Fund Units and Immediately Buy a Stock or ETF at RBC Direct Investing

Ack! The deal of the century and all of my money is deposited in my RBC DI HISA RBF2010 funds. Can I get the cash out in time?

Why Couch Potato Investing Doesn’t Work

Are you bold, brave, strong and resolute enough to be a Couch Potato?

Testing Whether You Can Buy Shares the Day Before A Dividend is Earned and Sell the Day After

I really don’t suggest you follow my example and test this scenario for yourself.

What Canadian Blue Chip Stock is Paying a Dividend Only Yield of 17%?

Do you have any stocks paying amazing dividend yields? How “real” are those yields? Can you live off them in retirement?

Why Do Companies Issue Stock Splits Especially When a Stock’s Price Rises to Over $100?

TD and the National Bank are splitting their shares soon. Should you buy in? Isn’t the answer “intuitively obvious?”

How to Set a Stock Price Alert for a RBC Direct Investing Self-Directed Account

As I ponder whether to buy more TD or sell some prior to the upcoming stock split, I check out how to set up a price alert for it using RBC Direct Investing.

How to Buy Equities or ETFs in a RBC Direct Investing Account

There’s one big difference between buying stocks/ETFs at BMO InvestorLine and CIBC Investor’s Edge versus at RBC Direct Investing as I found out when I executed a trade.

How to Check the Current Real Time Price for Shares or ETFs at RBC Direct Investing

I realize that this is a relatively short post but you do realize that there are Snowy Owl’s out there just waiting to be found and photographed, right? I can’t afford to ignore the first sunshine we’ve seen in a week! P.S. Did anyone you know get caught by TWTRQ?

Can I Take Stocks Out of my BMO InvestorLine RRIF Without Selling Them?

When I have to make mandatory minimum withdrawals from my RRIF, will I have to sell my favourite income-earning stocks?

Examples of TFSA Portfolio Fees and Commissions Using InvestorLine and Investor’s Edge

Some readers considering opening a TFSA at a brokerage may want to review the costs of setting up one of these example portfolios.

How Do I Check My Capital Gain on Shares in my CIBC Investor’s Edge Account?

How could my CGX shares be showing a loss when I know they’ve gone up (at least until the new Batman airs.)

When Can I Spend a Dividend or Distribution Payable into my BMO InvestorLine Account?

I asked InvestorLine via their secure email MyLink service what day I can spend a dividend or distribution payable to my account. The answer was reassuring.

Astonishing 12 Month Target Prices for CU Reported on BMO InvestorLine: Should I Buy?!

Wow, the pundits think my CU shares are going to double this year! Or do they? Here’s what I found when I dug a bit deeper.

What to Watch for When Transferring a Stock to the US Dollar Side of an InvestorLine Account

Ok here’s an easy post to read and prove to yourself that you are much smarter than I am, although I doubt that was ever in question. AKA “Don’t do what I did when moving a dividend-paying stock to your US dollar sub-account.”

How Can I Move a Stock I Hold from the Canadian Side to the US Side of my InvestorLine Account?

Once more I sally forth (like the comic strip) to test how to do something weird in my InvestorLine account: This time my task is relatively benign as I attempt to move some, but not all, of my shares in a certain Canadian financial titan from the Canadian side of my RRSP account to the newly-minted US side. Once more InvestorLine makes mysterious entries into my transaction history and My Portfolio Holdings which I will attempt to de-code to see what has happened or failed to happen and when.

When Will I See My Dividend Payments in my CIBC Investor’s Edge Account?

I know when to expect dividend payments to appear in our InvestorLine accounts but when will they show up in our Investor’s Edge account? Will they be one day late, back dated? Or….? Luckily two good movies came out while I waited to find out.

Verizon on the Horizon: Time to Dump Bell?!

Will Verizon drop mobile phone costs in Canada 50%? Will mighty Ma Bell teeter and fall from her alabaster (telephone) pedestal? Tell us what will happen to Telus? Here’s my rather jaded view on the latest telecom news.

Stocks are Falling: Buy, Buy, Buy!

A strategy for falling markets: Fling a Frisbee!

My Dividend Just Doubled for CU! Or Did It? Stock Splits and BMO InvestorLine

The dividend doubled overnight! The stock is up 2.7% in the first half-hour of trading! Should I buy more? Should I sell? Should I get a life?! Tune in and tell me.

How Can I Buy an Annuity Without Giving Away my Principal?

I haven’t found a true annuity that returns your principal at the end of its term but here’s a “reasonable facsimile” to consider.

Can I Buy the Day Before the Dividend and Sell the Day after and Make Money?

How to make quick, easy money by playing the Dividend Date game! Or not.

How to Save your Account Transaction History for a CIBC Investor’s Edge Account

You never know when you’ll face an audit, whether from the CRA or from your family financial wizard. Here’s how to keep a copy of your transaction history to settle the arguments.

How Can I Look Up What I Did, When I Did It and for How Much in a CIBC Investor’s Edge Account?

If you’re trading so fast you can’t remember whether you sold Enbridge on Tuesday at 2 or Thursday at 12, you may need to check your historical buys, sells, distributions and payments simply and quickly.

How to Place an Order to Buy Shares of a Company with CIBC Investor’s Edge

How to finally place your order to buy stock in your Investor’s Edge account after you have thought through all the quirks and foibles. Includes a refresher on how to check the Real Time price and how to set a Limit Order for the purchase.

Review the Dividend, Yield and Ex-Dividend Date for Shares Using CIBC Investor’s Edge

Don’t you hate that depressed feeling you get when you realize you bought shares just 12 hours too late to catch the next dividend? To avoid it, use these tips for checking the facts on dividends before you buy. For those of you new to dividend investing, the article also includes some timely reminders about the differences between dividends and guaranteed annual interest payments.

How to Review the Price History of a Stock Using CIBC Investor’s Edge

You can check the real time price for a stock using Investor’s Edge: if you know where to look.

When Wishy-Washy Works: Taking Part Profits from a Skyrocketing Stock

Dithering about when to sell a 10-bagger can lead to still holding Nortel or RIM when it’s down to 50 cents a share. You need to make a plan (almost any plan!) for when to exit gleefully. Here’s one possibility brought to you by a carding carrying member of the Wishy Washy World.

How on Earth Do You Decide WHEN to Sell your Shares of a Successful Stock?

Sometimes deciding when to sell is much more difficult than deciding what to buy. Here are some factors that go into the decision and add to the complexity. If you have “the” answer, please be sure to share it with a comment!

How to Place an Order to Buy Shares of Stock in a Company with BMO InvestorLine

An entire article on how to place a Buy Order? It takes about 15 seconds! True but this article slows it down to discuss things to consider and provides detailed instructions. After all you could also buy a car by walking into the dealership and paying what they ask for the first vehicle they show you. Take the time to execute a cost effective share purchase.

Review the Dividend Yield, Timing and Ex-Dividend Date for Shares of a Company’s Stock Using BMO InvestorLine

InvestorLine’s Quotes+ will tell you if you buy a stock today whether you will get the next dividend payment. It will also give you some of the information you need to compare two or three dividend-paying stocks. Be careful though! There are some important things to watch out for.

Review the Pricing History for Shares of a Company’s Stock Using BMO InvestorLine

Before you buy a stock it’s a good idea to review the short- and long-term pricing history. Just because a stock has shot up $3 does this week does not mean it will stay up. If some rumour or stock tip newsletter is spiking an unsustainable price increase, now is NOT the time to buy. Check first by following these handy instructions for a BMO InvestorLine account.

What is in the Transaction History for a BMO InvestorLine Account and What Should I Watch Out for?

InvestorLine’s Transaction History is a great little report so long as you know to be cautious about a couple of the things I mention in this article.

Checking the Current Real Time Price for an Equity Using CIBC Investor’s Edge

When you’re considering buying a stock that makes a Japanese fighting kite look motionless you may want to use this tip to check the real time price before placing an order.

Checking the Current Real Time Price for an Equity Using BMO InvestorLine

Do you want to know the REAL price of a stock not some ancient history 20-minute-delayed price? Use your InvestorLine account to access up to the several-times-a-minute facts.

How Much Money Will I Get at Various Rates for GICs and Dividends

For those who were never fond of math, here’s how to calculate what you will get for your investments when you know the interest rate or yield. Also includes lookup tables for many common rates for those who find percentages perplexing.

Setting Up a DRIP for a Stock or ETF at BMO InvestorLine

How to set up a DRIP for a specific holding with BMO InvestorLine and when it won’t actually yield you any new shares.

What Is Dollar Cost Averaging and Why Is It Useful?

The Dow Jones set a record today which is why I’m considering using dollar cost averaging to invest my TFSA. If you’re not old enough to remember the Wealthy Barber, you might want to read this refresher on why dollar cost averaging is useful and when.

How to Evaluate Mutual Funds and Choose which Funds to Buy

Are you comparing apples and cows when you try to evaluate 2 mutual funds? How will a fund earn you money and how can you get your hands on it? Is it true mutual funds are named using a random phrase generator? And when did Australia become part of Asia anyway? Read on for these and other details about the murky world of mutual funds.

The Types of Mutual Funds, Why They’re Good, and Quick Buying Tips

Mutual funds don’t just invest in equities. Here are 4 other types of mutual funds that you should consider buying.

Pros and Cons of Email Alerts from CIBC Investor’s Edge

What works and what doesn’t when setting Alerts using CIBC Investor’s Edge.

Pros and Cons of the BMO InvestorLine Stock and Market Alert Email Message System

What works and what doesn’t when setting Alerts using BMO InvestorLine.

A Review and Comparison of Real Time Stock Prices at CIBC Investor’s Edge and BMO InvestorLine

After providing instructions on how to get a real time stock price for an Investor’s Edge or InvestorLine account, we review what’s good and bad about BMO’s and CIBC’s reports of the stock price including which reports trade time to the second, which tells you your current cash balance, and which reports the day’s highs and lows for the stock.

How to Set up a Watch List Alert and Analyst Reports for a CIBC Investor’s Edge Account

Instructions for setting up email alerts from Investor’s Edge including a summary of selected stocks’ closing prices, volumes and 52-week highs and lows. Also reports from Wood Gundy, World Markets, S&P and other sources.

How To Set Stock and Price Alerts for your CIBC Investor’s Edge Account

Instructions for setting up notifications by email of stock price changes, P/E changes, moving averages, RSI changes, and more.

How to Set Up Market Alerts for CIBC Investor’s Edge Self-Directed Accounts

Instructions for setting Market Alerts to keep on top of stocks showing the largest change in volume of trades, new pricing extremes, the most activity and other opportunities.

How to Set a Market Alert for a BMO InvestorLine Self-Directed Account

Instructions for setting Market Alerts to keep on top of stocks showing the largest change in volume of trades, current biggest gainers and losers, new pricing extremes and other opportunities.

How to Set a Stock Alert for a BMO InvestorLine Self-Directed Account Including Price Alerts

How to set Stock Alerts for BMO InvestorLine accounts, including alerts for price changes, news, and technical analysis changes.

The Secret Weapon of Stocks that Pay Dividends: Staying Power Support

How dividends can help bolster an investment strategy and cover the cost of inflation.

Pros and Cons of Setting Up a DRIP for Dividends with CIBC Investor’s Edge ShareBuilder Plan

The benefits and drawbacks of enrolling in a DRIP through CIBC Investor’s Edge, including whether share discounts are available.

Can I DRIP US Stocks from a CIBC Investor’s Edge Self-Directed Account?

DRIPping US stocks inside an Investor’s Edge account.

How Do You Decide What is an Ethical Stock or ETF to Invest In?

How to choose an ethical stock or ETF.

Can I DRIP US Stocks Using BMO InvestorLine?

Describes which US stocks are eligible for a DRIP from InvestorLine.

Do I Have to Pay a Commission if My Order to Sell Stock or Buy Stock Doesn’t Get Filled?

Details about when you don’t pay fees and about pesky partial fills.

When Can I Buy a GIC or Mutual Fund After I Sell a Stock in my BMO InvestorLine Self-Directed Account?

Details about when the money moves into and out of your account when buying and selling stocks, GICs and mutual funds.

The Risks of Higher Fees from Partial Sales and Partial Buys

Defines what a thinly traded stock is and explains the risk of fills over several days.

Why Would It Be Worth Buying or Selling Only a Few Shares?

You may need to buy or sell fewer than 100 shares while maximizing your TFSA or RESP but also as a profitable strategy.

Can I Buy or Sell a Small Number of Shares of a Stock, Say 18?

Is it possible and permitted to buy or sell only a small number of shares in a company’s stock? For example, can I sell 18 shares of CU using BMO Investorline?