CIBC Investor’s Edge Self Directed Investing

Where Should I Buy My RRSP GICs in My Brokerage Account or At a Bank or Credit Union?

I may have to open a regular RRSP account at Oaken Financial to buy my fixed income GICs.

Get a Guaranteed CDIC Insured 9.75 % Return On Your 3 Year GIC !

Watch out for misleading and tricky advertising for GIC interest rates before you lock your money up at a loss.

With the Bank of Canada Increasing Rates Where Can I Keep My Cash to Get a High Interest Rate?

Interest rates are finally starting to climb so where should I keep my cash?

Canadian Interest Rates Are Rising: Should I Sell My PH&N Bond Fund Units in My Pension Plan?

There are times that I wish I was psychic.

What To Do With the Cash in My RRSP and TFSA Brokerage Accounts

It’s time to park my cash so what can I get for it and how?

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.

If I Keep 50% of My Portfolio in Fixed Income What and Where Do I Keep It?

What goes into my “fixed income” asset class especially in this day of low, but possibly rising, interest rates?

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?

Why Might a Second RESP for a Niece, Nephew, Grandchild, Godchild or Other Loved Child be a Good Idea?

There are times when it might be better to open a second RESP for a child than to hand cash to the parents to put into the first RESP.

Should I Set Up a Second RESP for My Nephew, Niece, Godchild or Other Loved Baby?

You may want to help someone else’s child pay for an education. Here’s some things to consider before opening a RESP for that child.

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.

Why I Watch Each Dividend Get Paid to my BMO InvestorLine, CIBC Investor’s Edge and RBC Direct Investing Brokerage Accounts

Why I keep an eye on my dividends and distributions and what happened to NFI’s payments for 2016.

How to Contribute to Your RRSP at CIBC Investor’s Edge By Transferring from a Linked Account

It’s simple and fast to contribute to your RRSP at Investor’s Edge.

Why Being Old Means I’m Not Upset by the Plunging Canadian Dollar, the Stock Market Meltdown or the Crude Oil Price Crisis

Are you in the Alfred E. Neuman club?

Why Buying an Index Fund ETF Must be for the Long Term Not for a “One Year Wonder”

What investment did I make in 2014 that had a better return in 2015 than XIC or a one-year GIC?

Thank Goodness We Didn’t Dump the Bond Fund Yet!

Sometimes procrastination really does pay dividends.

Is the Tangerine Offer of Cash for Transferring Your RRSPs to Them a Good Deal? Where Should I Consider Keeping my RRSP Investments?

Tangerine is offering a small cash incentive for transferring a large RRSP to them. Is it a good deal? Where else should you consider keeping your RRSP money?

CIBC Investor’s Edge Really Wants Your Business: Free ETF Trades, Cash Back, Free Stock Trades

Investor’s Edge is offering free purchases and sales of 1900 ETFs just in time to re-balance our portfolio: how kind is that? They are also offering quite a package of incentives to lure in new customers and new money.

Where Can I Get the Best Rate of Return on my RRSP GIC?

It’s getting harder each year to find a good rate for a GIC even during “RRSP Season.” Here’s what was available today including 2.4% for a 1-year term.

Who Should I Name as the Beneficiary for my Non-Registered Investment Accounts?

I trust that you already know the answer but if not, read on.

With the Drop in the Overnight Rate, What Interest Rate Can I Get On my Cash in my Brokerage Account?

If you have any cash parked in your brokerage account you may want to get it moving.

How Can a Canadian Couple Legally Income Share to Reduce Taxes?

These two strategies allow some income-splitting between spouses regardless of whether they have any children.

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.

How Did Our Investments Perform In 2014? I’ll “Shoyu” Mine! Part One

Well our “under the car seat and behind the couch cushions fund” has had a return of over 250%! Here’s how our other fixed income investments did.

What Was Our Personal Rate of Inflation in 2014 and How Does It Affect Our Retirement Plan?

Why I’m eyeing the crabapples thoughtfully after calculating our 2014 personal rate of inflation.

The TSX Is In Freefall: Time to Buy!

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

Simplifying and Improving Our RRSPs: a Review of the Progress Made Over 4 Years

How one piece of paper can save your spouse $1 500 or more. This and other things I learned while straightening out the tangled strands of our RRSP skein.

What Are the Common Types of Registered Education Savings Plans and Which is Best?

Where’s a good place to open a RESP if you can’t or won’t invest in the stock market? What about if you want to buy equities but only have a small amount to invest each year? What about investors with large family-plan RESPs who want to buy ETFs? Here are some suggestions and considerations. Please add your own in the comments.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Holding a Self-Directed RESP Account at a Discount Brokerage

We considered many factors before moving our RESP to an online brokerage–here are some to consider.

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?

Markets are Falling: When Should I Buy Now or Later? When Will Prices Reach the Bottom?

Ok you’ve found some money to invest with and the markets are slumping–when should you click Buy? A Wishy Washy Investor discusses how to develop your personal investing strategy.

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 Group Non-Registered, TFSA and RRSP Accounts Under One ID at Investor’s Edge

Ok this is not an inspired post but it’s the first Monday back after vacation: at least it provides useful info for those of us who want to see all of our portfolios after signing in only once.

Another Race: Tangerine to BMO InvestorLine and CIBC Investor’s Edge

Another simple race to move RRSP money using T2033s.

Which Self-Directed Brokerages Handle Which RESP Grants, Bonds and Incentives?

Only some of the larger brokerages are offering support for most of the federal and provincial government education savings grants, bonds and incentives. Here’s a list of which brokerages are supporting which grants, and a list of links to read about the different programs from which your child may be eligible to receive money.

Investing for Beginners: Don’t Buy Stocks, ETFs or Mutual Funds in a Non-Registered Investment Account Unless You Know How to Calculate an ACB

Please don’t set up a DRIP for a non-registered (not RRSP, not TFSA) investment if you don’t understand what an ACB is.
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T3 and T5s Lull Unsuspecting Investors Into Expecting a Tax Form for Everything

Online Brokerage Price Wars Spell Savings for Investors

RBC Direct Investing has dropped its requirement for $9.95 trades and some other big bank brokerages have followed suit. What else is on offer?

I’m Not Sure What to Do with My RRSP Money—What Should I Do Till I Decide?

It’s open season for banks angling to land your RRSP dollars. If you don’t want to be hooked like a Sucker on spring migration, instead of rushing into a RRSP investment, you may want to park your contribution in a short-term investment. Here are a few factors to consider and options to evaluate.

How Much Can I Contribute to My TFSA? I Turned 18 or Arrived in Canada after 2009

Not everyone is 22 or older nor has been a Canadian Resident their entire life. If you’re a recent immigrant to Canada, a visa student, or you’ve just turned 18, you can check your TFSA contribution limit here if you’ve never made any contributions to a plan.

Get Ready to Die: Beneficiary and Successor Account Holder Forms for your Online Brokerage Accounts

Are you ready to die? Do you want to shout “hands off my money” at the government as you perish? Do you know the difference between a Successor and a Beneficiary and why it matters? If you’re not part of Canada’s Distinct Society I encourage you to read on.

How to Buy Units in a High Interest Savings Account Fund in a CIBC Investor’s Edge Account

I’ve decided it’s time to sell my units in the “Greek Government Honest We’ll Pay You Back!” bond fund and move the money into something really exciting: a high interest savings account fund. OK, maybe this is just good information for temporarily parking your cash while waiting to pounce on a great investment.

When Should I Switch to a Self-Directed Brokerage Account? As Soon As It’s “No Fee”

When’s the right time to open a self-directed online discount brokerage account? In my case, about 1.5 years ago: Guess I’d better get cracking.

How to Get the $9.95 Trades on CIBC Investor’s Edge Once You Have $50,000

Don’t count on ancient mainframe computers to save you money. Here’s what to do to save $19 a trade.

Is the ING Direct 2014 TFSA Kick Start Account a Good Idea and How to Open One

How does opening a TFSA help me pay for my dim sum fix?

CIBC vs ING Direct to Investor’s Edge RRSP: the Race is On

Bored by your RRSPs? How about a little race?

How to Sell a Mutual Fund in a CIBC Investor’s Edge Account

Why exactly are we holding $457.82 in a Global Bond Fund? It hurts too much to think about that so instead I decided to sell it. Here’s how.

Which Brokerage is Better for GICs: InvestorLine or Investor’s Edge?

If I want to only buy GICs in a brokerage account, where should I open one? At CIBC or BMO?

Where Should I Start a Self-Directed RESP?

There are many factors to consider when choosing where to open a RESP brokerage account, from annual fees (no minimum balance needed at this Big Bank brokerage!), to ETF commissions (some can be traded with no fees at this other Big Bank brokerage), to customer service and which grants can be accepted. Here’s some factors we considered while pondering where to put that hard-earned future-beer money.

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 Will I Get My Dividends in my InvestorLine and Investor’s Edge Brokerage Accounts?

It’s July 31! I can take my Cineplex dividend and go to the movies tonight…Can’t I?

Which of the Big 5 Brokerages Offer a US Dollar Side, Journal, Ledger or Sub-Account for an RRSP?

If you receive large distributions or dividends paid in US dollars it may be worth having a US dollar sub-account within your RRSP. Unfortunately only some of the Big 5 Bank discount brokerages offer this option. Here’s which ones.

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.

How to Transfer RRSP Cash from CIBC to CIBC Investor’s Edge Using a T2033

If you want to transfer cash from a RRSP into your Investor’s Edge RRSP you need to know where to get a T2033, how to fill it out, and how long you’ll have to wait. This post tells you how we did it.

How to Transfer Cash to an RRSP at ING Direct from another RRSP Using a T2033 Form

The current federal government has essentially killed the value of investing in Canada Savings Bonds so it’s time for us to transfer out our holdings in the free Canada Retirement Savings Plan. This same method also works for any transfer of a cash RRSP to an ING Direct, now Tangerine.ca, RRSP. If you need to consolidate your investments at ING Direct, now Tangerine.ca, here’s how to do it.

Stocks are Falling: Buy, Buy, Buy!

A strategy for falling markets: Fling a Frisbee!

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 Get Ready to Buy Shares of Stock in a Company through a Self Directed Account

It’s easy to buy shares using an online brokerage, perhaps even a little TOO easy. Here are some factors to consider before clicking that Submit Order button.

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.

Does CIBC Investor’s Edge Have a Referral Bonus for Convincing Friends and Relatives to Open a New Account?

BMO InvestorLine offers a referral bonus for new accounts. Does CIBC Investor’s Edge? Here’s what I found out.

Does It Cost Anything to Transfer Part of my ING Direct RRSP to Another Institution?

How to transfer your RRSP from ING Direct, now Tangerine.ca, to InvestorLine or Investor’s Edge or another financial institution. Includes information on where to get the T2033 and how long it will take.

How to Choose a Self-Directed TFSA Brokerage Account to Minimize Fees and Costs

Compare the fees, including transfer and closing fees, for self-directed TFSAs at brokerages to choose the best place to invest your money.

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.

Are ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) Better than Mutual Funds?

What are the tax differences between ETFs and mutual funds and the differences in how they DRIP? These and other features are important to examine before making a purchase.

How to Buy a GIC in a CIBC Investor’s Edge Self-Directed Investing Account

Instructions for reviewing rates and buying GICs within a CIBC Investor’s Edge account to form part of your fixed income holdings.

The Benefits and Drawbacks of Mutual Funds

Most of us know a few major drawbacks of mutual funds, but fewer of us realize they offer benefits too. Read on to discover how to maximize the benefits of mutual funds while fine-tuning your portfolio. And confirm your guess about what stock is trading up $1079 today.

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.

RRSP Strategies Part 2 Move the Money Where You Want to Keep It. Choosing a Long Term RRSP Investment Account

How to choose a long term RRSP investment account, including bank accounts vs brokerage accounts, and how to transfer short term RRSP savings.

Stop those Monthly Statements from Arriving by Mail from CIBC Investor’s Edge

Be careful when following these instructions to stop receiving paper statements from Investor’s Edge, there’s something else you’re stopping too.

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.

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.