My experience switching broker from TD Direct to National Bank Direct Brokerage

I notice that my TFSA account was no longer with TD Direct, but it wasn't either way yet arrived in my National Bank Direct Brokerage. However, I check again at the opening, and there it was, my TFSA - but only my TFSA account - was now inside my National Bank Direct Brokerage! Immediately, I check if my number of stocks for each investment was correct, which it is. I also check on my average cost per share, as well as my book cost info. All of those were ok. 

However, I am missing one single investment inside my new National Bank Direct Brokerage TFSA account. One specific investment that I had inside my TD Direct TFSA account hasn't been transferred over my TFSA account that I now have with the National Bank Direct Brokerage. And the fact is, that missing investment is no longer from my TFSA account with TD Direct because my TFSA with TD Direct does no longer exists. So I guess that my missing investment must be somewhere, behind a rock or something lol.

And I am also missing a part of the cash I had inside my TFSA. It wasn't a big amount, but still. To fix this out I called National Bank Direct Brokerage. I was told that I had to wait 48 hours. If after 48 hours I still have elements that are missing from my TFSA portfolio, I need to call NBDB.

So far, only my TFSA account had been transferred, other accounts haven't been transferred yet, which is normal. It took National Bank Direct Brokerage a little while to open my non-registered portfolios margin accounts. I guess that the next account I should receive from TD is my RRSP.

I spent over 41 minutes over the phone trying to talk to a broker with National Bank Direct Brokerage. Customer service is quicker with TD Direct, but I am willing to wait several minutes over the phone to get 0$ commission fee broker account. It sucks to wait, but I put my cell on speakerphone and voilà. I left it on my desk as that and... wait. I guess that people at National Bank Direct Brokerage might be quite busy with all those new clients like myself who just love the idea to trade at a $0 commission fee. It's too much of a hot deal not to take benefit of it.

The funniest thing ever is that I received an email from National Bank Direct Brokerage saying that my first transaction had been done. Not exactly... Transfer only. Before doing any trading, I want all of my stuff to be completely transfer, so sorry National Bank Direct Brokerage.

I think everything will get done by next week. Once that I talked to a National Bank Direct Brokerage broker, I was told that TD Direct was among to faster to complete transfers like those.

I will wait and see.

My last days as a retail investor with TD Direct

Being French Canadian - and Acadian not to say it - is sometimes strange because I do sometimes used English words that I don't exactly know the meaning, but I know that I am using them the right way. This of course is a secret. I have let say an intuition of what some words mean, without really knowing. Since my intuition is almost always accurate, I can say that I am fully bilingual without really being. It must be difficult for an outsider to understand.

Take for example that expression: "retail investor". I know its the way to describe small investors like myself, who are not institutional or professional because I read that expression many times before. However, for me, "retail" is not and elegant fit with "investor". Retail for me refer to store. There's something cheap notion that came with retail that doesn't go to well with what being an investor really mean in its strongest meaning and role.

Currently, I am counting my last days, and hopefully, my last hours as a "retail investor" with TD Direct, aka TD Waterhouse. As announced previously, my account with National Bank Direct Brokerage is now open. Between TD Direct and National Bank Direct Brokerage, I prefer TD Direct platform. but a platform is just a platform. So far, TD Direct didn't change anything yet regarding their commission fees. In result, I am saying goodbye. You need to be a bit dumb to accept paying to trade when you can perform all the trades in the word for 0$.

Thank you National Bank Direct Brokerage.

I am experiencing my last days with TD Direct on an extreme high note. Currently, my non-registered portfolio is at $135,773.98, my TFSA portfolio is a bit lower, playing in the 128k.

Thank you for everything, TD Direct.

I am now (almost) in business with National Bank Direct Brokerage and that's fun fun fun!

Desjardins Online Brokerage is now following National Bank Direct Brokerage lead by offering free trading to their clients. However, between Desjardins Online Brokerage and National Bank Direct Brokerage, I definitively prefer National Bank Direct Brokerage. National Bank is a professional bank, while Desjardins is a big shit show bank. I have to say, I feel at ease with National Bank Direct Brokerage. I want to deal with a brokerage service that knows what they are doing and I get that with National Bank Direct Brokerage.

So far, National Bank didn't disappoint me: opening an account with their brokerage service had been super quick! I proceed with the opening on September 9, and the following day, on September 10, I was receiving an email saying that my broker account with National Bank Direct Brokerage had been opened and that I could access it. I have to say, I already had a small investment with the National Bank, which is the NBI Income Fund that I hold inside my RRSP portfolio. It may have helped to speed up the process. I wasn't able to access my new broker account with the National Bank right away.

To resolve my problem, I call National Bank Direct Brokerage technical support. I was able to reach someone almost immediately. My access problem got resolved quickly and following what I asked to be transferred to a broker because I had a few questions. I had received an alert from Equifax, saying that someone had verified my credit, and I wanted to know if National Bank Direct Brokerage had to check my credit. The answer to that question was yes. For a margin account, they do verify your credit. Following what, I asked if my as is transferred was under progress, and if on their end it was an as is transferred that had been requested - just to make sure - and yes, everything was asked for an as is move. As for the transfer from my old broker to National Bank Direct Brokerage, I need to give them a few more days before it gets done. It should be complete by Thursday.

I had linked my chequing account to my broker account with National Bank Direct Brokerage. When I was talking to one of their brokers earlier today, I was told to send a cheque specimen to their email, which I did. If things continue to run smoothly between me and National Bank Direct Brokerage, I may open a chequing account with National Bank, and a credit card, and oh, a credit line too, please. One thing about me, I like to collect credit lines, credits cards, but best of all, I like to collect stocks.

I really hope that by now, you understand that especially like to collect stocks. And best thing being, since I won't be charged any commissions fees for selling or buying stocks with National Bank Direct Brokerage, you bet that I am going to enjoy it and trade trade trade!

Actually, National Bank Direct Brokerage, is about to see me glow into a DIVIDEND QUEEN. 

Got to take your fun where you can.

Transferring all of my investment portfolios over National Bank Direct Brokerage: the moment of truth

Today, I call both TD Direct and National Bank Direct Brokerage customer service. First, I call TD Direct to see if anything was going to be done regarding commission fees, if things will change anytime soon since National Bank Direct Brokerage no longer charges commission fees to buy and sell stock. According to the TD Direct rep, nothing had been announced and for now, nothing will change. In the immediate, TD Direct will continue to charge a $9.99 commission fee to buy or sell stocks on their platform.

 

From there, it was clear to me: I have to switch to National Bank Direct Brokerage. I asked TD Direct what will be the trading fees. TD answer: $150 per account. This means, if you have a US non-registered account, a Canadian non-registered, a TFSA account, and an RRSP account, you'll be bill $600 for transferring all of your stock shit over to the National Bank. National Bank Direct Brokerage will give you $135 per account that you transferred to help to cover the charges, which make $540. A $60 will have to come from my pocket, which I agree on.

I won't anymore accept to pay $9.99 per trade for buying or selling stocks. After that, I called National Bank Direct Brokerage customer service. On the French line, it said that the waiting delay was 1 h 30... It was possible to schedule an automatic call back, which I asked to keep my priority in the line of calls. And following what I called the English line, and I got someone almost immediately. Fortunately enough, the rep I reached out was speaking French. I could have handled this in a rough and tight English, but I prefer to speak French when possible. I asked if their $0 commission fee thing was just a promotion or if it was there to remain. I was answered that it's here to remain. And from there I asked how to proceed and it goes like this: first, you need to create an account online. Once it's created, in a period of 2 to 5 days, you can call National Bank Direct Brokerage and you can actually proceed with the transfer of your stocks over the phone.

Personally, my transfer wasn't done exactly that way since I already hold a little investment with National Bank, a mutual fund. I connected myself using the link provided by National Bank Direct Brokerage, and I used the login that I currently have in order to open a broker account with the National Bank. I answered a few questions. At a point, their system send me a link to my cell phone via a text message, and I clicked on the link to take a picture of one of my ID, and I also had to take a selfie of myself, which I did with absolutely no makeup on because I simply didn't have time to do better. And finally, I complete a form on which I enter the info in order to proceed with a transfer as is (in French, the correct term would be: comme tel) of all of the stocks I hold, as well as my margin debt, over National Bank Direct Brokerage. That term as is is really important if you want to simply transfer things the way they are currently in your portfolios, and simply have everything transferred - stocks and margin - over your new broker.

While performing a transfer from a broker to another broker, you have many options. As is is one of them, but you can also have all of your stocks sell-off, and only have money transferred to your new broker account. And there seem to be more options available. However, I am not familiar and I didn't get any info on those types of transfers. Personally, I want the as is option please.

I proceed with the as is option today. We'll see how it goes, I will of course keep you posted. At first, the only idea of proceeding to such transfer is scary, but there's nothing to be scared of. Once you decide to proceed, I strongly suggest that you download all the documentation you may have access to from the account that you are leaving behind because once the transfer is being done, your old broker account may get close automatically - I don't know. To download all of your monthly statements for this year and previous years. Personally, I did so, and I download a copy of my orders and I print screen the content of my portfolios in a Word document.

I am just hoping that this transfer will get done quickly. I will keep you posted.

Welcoming my highest net worth EVER: $332,735.61!!!

Happy Labor Day, investors!

 

I just came back yesterday from a 2-weeks vacation in New Brunswick. I had a great time. I had spent close to 2 years without traveling back home. I needed a little vacation time off. It's not fun to be stuck in one place without being able to travel anywhere, even if it's just to New Brunswick. As you may know, August 27 was my birthday. I just turned 41 years old. I asked my old folks if I look 41 for validation, and the answer was a simple NO, thank God.

All sorts of things were happening when I was on vacation. Louisiana and other states got hit by a historic hurricane. In New Jersey, there's a city name New Brunswick that also had been hit badly. We also had an Amber Alert in Quebec regarding a little boy who got kidnap by his father, but fortunately enough, the story ends well. During those events, the TSX baby just kept going on. The TSX closed this past Friday session on an awesome 20,821.43 points. As I saw that, I knew I was going to be on a record high net worth, and so I am. My net worth is currently at $332,735.61. I am now missing less than 70k before hitting the magical $400k, and only missing $17,264.39 before hitting a $350,000 net worth, which is quite nice.

Also, when I was away, National Bank announced that there will be no more commission fees for buying and selling stock using their National Bank Direct Brokerage. I am seriously thinking about transferring all my stuff with them. Why should I pay $9.99 per trading move with TD Waterhouse when I will be paying $0 with the National Bank? I prefer to be with a broker who's also a bank, it makes me feel more secure. And National Bank is a bank offering a broker service... Currently, my margin interest rate with TD is 4%. With National Bank Direct Brokerage, the margin interest rate for the current $47,800.45 margin debt that I hold within my non-registered portfolio would be only 3.75%. It's only a 0.25% deduction, but for a 100k margin debt, the interest rate, with the National Bank Direct Brokerage is only 2.75%... You can check on the pricing here. I have to say, it's quite super tempting!

My investment portfolio on date of September 6, 2021

Cold cash: $6,831.41

Stocks and Units investment portfolio $CAN

Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS)

Methanex Corporation (MX)

Fortis Inc. (FTS)

Pembina Pipeline Corporation (PPL)

iShares S&P/TSX Capped REIT Index (XRE)

New Flyer Industries Inc. (NFI)

TMX Group Inc. (X)

K-Bro Linen Inc. (KBL)

TransCanada Corp (TRP)

Canadian National Railway Co (CNR)

Enbridge Inc. (ENB)

Emera Inc. (EMA)

Saputo Inc. (SAP)

Loblaw Companies (L)

Savaria Corporation (SIS)

WSP Global Inc. (WSP)

George Weston Limited (WN)

Power Corporation of Canada Subordinate Voting Shares (POW)

TOTAL: $134,805.79

Stocks and Units investment portfolio $US:

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.B)

General Mills Inc. (GIS)

TOTAL: $4,212.56 USD: $5,309.09 CAN 

 

Tax-free savings account (TFSA):

Dumont Nickel Inc. (DNI)

CT Real Estate Investment Trust (CRT.UN)

Canadian National Railway Co (CNR)

Exchange Income Corporation (EIF)

Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. (BIP.UN)

Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners L.P. (BEP.UN)

Andrew Peller Limited (ADW.A)

Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD)

Boyd Group Services Inc. (BYD)

Canadian Apartment Properties Real Estate Investment Trust (CAR.UN)

Data Communications Mgmt (DCM)

Morneau Shepell Inc. (MSI)

Royal Bank of Canada (RY)

Park Lawn Corporation (PLC)

Toromont Industries Ltd (TIH)

BCE Inc. (BCE)

Boralex Inc. Class A Shares (BLX)

Savaria Corporation (SIS)

Northland Power Inc. (NPI)

Calian Group Ltd. (CGY)

Canadian Utilities Limited (CU)

WSP Global Inc. (WSP)

Granite Real Estate Investment Trust (GRT.UN)

Cargojet Inc. (CJT)

Nutrien Ltd. (NTR)

TFI International Inc. (TFII)

Canadian Imperial Bank Of Commerce (CM)

SIR Royalty Income Fund (SRV.UN)

ATCO Ltd. (ACO.Y)

Aecon Group Inc. (ARE)

Brookfield Asset Management Inc. Class A Limited Voting Shares (BAM.A)

Metro Inc. (MRU)

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. (ATD.A)

Fortis Inc. (FTS)

CGI Inc. (GIB.A)

TMX Group Limited (X)

Brookfield Infrastructure Corporation Class A Exchangeable Subordinate Voting Shares (BIPC)

Brookfield Renewable Corporation Class A Exchangeable Subordinate Voting Shares (BEPC)

Suncor Energy Inc. (SU)

Rogers Communications Inc. (RCI.B)

Telus Corp (T)

JFT Strategies Fund Class A Units (JFS.UN)

Bitcoin Fund The Class A units (QBTC)

Purpose Bitcoin ETF CAD ETF non-currency hedged units (BTCC.B)

3iQ CoinShares Ether ETF (ETHQ)

Tilray Inc (TLRY)

TOTAL: $130,781.32 

RSP investment portfolio: 

Emera Incorporated (EMA)

Ovintiv Inc. (OVV)

Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD)

Telus Corp (T)

Royal Bank of Canada (RY)

Savaria Corporation (SIS)

Thomson Reuters Corporation (TRI)

Park Lawn Corporation (PLC)

Richards Packaging Income Fund (RPI.UN)

Toromont Industries Ltd (TIH)

CAE Inc. (CAE)

CGI Group Inc. Class A Subordinate Voting Shares (GIB.A)

Boralex Inc. Class A Shares (BLX)

Quebecor Inc. (QBR.B)

Logistec Corporation Class B Subordinate Voting Shares (LGT.B)

Brookfield Renewable Partners L.P. (BEP.UN)

Leon's Furniture Limited (LNF)

Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS)

Brookfield Renewable Corporation Class A Exchangeable Subordinate Voting Shares (BEPC)

Cascades Inc. (CAS)

JFT Strategies Fund Class A Units (JFS.UN)

Total: $62,713.11

CIBC Dividend Growth Fund + CIBC Emerging Markets Index Fund + CIBC Monthly Income Fund: $3,567.43

Energy and Base Metals Term Savings (Indexed term savings): $577.30

Natural Resources Term Savings (Indexed term savings): $502.45

NBI Income Fund: $1,393.10

Manulife Fidelity NorthStar GIF CAP

Manulife Simplicity Growth Portfolio 

Maritime Life CI Harbour Seg Fund

Maritime Life Fidelity True North Seg Fund

Manulife GIF MLIA B World Invest

Total: $8,899.89

Other various: $25,057.07

TOTAL: $102,710.35

Social Capital at Desjardins Membership share: $35

Online money: $63.10

Savings + Stocks, units, mutual funds + Tax-free Savings account + RRSP:

$380,536.06

On the date of September 6, 2021

My debt situation on date of September 6, 2021

Margin account debt: $47,800.45 @ 4%

Annual interest: $1,912.02

On the date of September 6, 2021

**For a complete update regarding my debt, click on the label "Debt situation" located at the right column of this blog.

Remember the date: August 27 is my birthday

I hope you are doing well. This is going to be my last post as  40 years old - I will talk to you again once I will be an old 41 - on August 27 - and once I will be back from my vacations :-) I am all in a mix-up situation where I want to visit my family in New Brunswick, but the COVID situation is still here. I am going anyway, but I am not totally feeling at ease with my decision and I am anxious. All I can say is that I am better going now because later on, things could get worst. This is not a fun time for me, but the idea of leaving Montreal for a few days is exciting. 

I am used to many backs and forth during a year between Montreal and X town in New Brunswick and I use to love it. But since COVID hit, the possibility of traveling had been taking away from me. Missing the last hunting season was what choked me the most. For this upcoming season, I hope I will be able to make it. I took again a few vacation days in October. As for Christmas, sincerely, I don't care so much as I really hate to travel during wintertime. For the past couple of months, there's no bus going from Rivière-du-Loup to X, which is another annoying thing. During winter, I wouldn't like my old folks to drive and pick me up there. Everything can become quickly difficult with COVID. The simple things are just not that simple anymore.

This morning, I was listening to BNN's The Open without really watching the TV screen and suddenly, I heard a familiar voice: it was Jean-François Tardif. You can listen to his interview right here.

Justin Trudeau is just not the man of the situation and he's going to break us. I felt quite insulted by his behavior. I never like Trudeau and now, I hate him more than ever before. What he's doing to us brave Canadians is so insulting. He didn't have to put federal elections on our back. On the other hand, knowing that Justin Trudeau is not handling things properly, maybe this is actually a good time for the elections. 

We are also having elections in Montreal, this one is a normal process, however, it's still terribly annoying. With the Montreal elections, I am totally lost. 

Today at BNN, Jean-François Tardif mentioned a stock that I own inside my RRSP portfolio: Quebecor Inc. (QBR.B). QBR.B is down for a reason or another. However, I had been doing well on that stock and it's been from my RRSP portfolio for many years now.

I am watching the TSX from time to time, but I had been busy. With work and at other things. I wanted to clean my computer files and pictures for a really long time and I finally did. And I also wanted to have a backup for my documents, all of my pictures, and videos. After cleaning the mess, I proceed with two back up on two portable storage. One of them I plan to leave in New Brunswick, and I will have the other one with me. I also had many many old diskettes. Many of them are about 20 years old, and a bit less. I was checking on those diskettes and transferring the stuff from the diskettes to my laptop but at a point, a diskette got stuck in the diskette drive and it broke my diskette drive. That diskette drive was really old. Fortunately, they still sell diskette drives. I plan to order one from Amazon once I will be back from my vacation so I can continue the process. It's quite a big job. 

It's crazy the number of things I can accumulate. However, I am doing better with age, be assured, and as I get older I am less and less of a sweet hoarder. For the pictures, I had so many of them, and many duplicates... I also clean my laptop from personal papers. You never know what can happen. Our modern-day being what it is, it's better to remove from your laptop any taxes or any kind of documents that contain personal information.

And that being my good advice of the day.

Welcome in my TFSA portfolio PFB Corporation (PFB)!

Finally! Yesterday, I invested in PFB Corporation (PFB) inside my TFSA portfolio two days ago. I still have at my disposal over $13,000 left in TFSA contribution room left. I had some cash left inside my TFSA account which help to cover about the third of the investment value. For the amount that was missing, I took the money from my margin account and got it transferred over my TFSA. I am getting paid this week so I should be able to cover this quite quickly. This investment in PFB Corporation (PFB) is probably my last investment before I hit 41 years old.

Two days ago, my non-registered portfolio closed the session at $132,877.37, my TFSA portfolio at $127,366.01 and my RRSP portfolio - stocks only - at $61,514.89. My margin debt is currently at $46,736.13. I estimate my net worth to be in the fabulous $325,000. I am enjoying the good results as it last. In somewhat 15 years of investment, the road haven't been easy. However, I was able to jump from a 10k net worth to $325,000 in 15 years, by only investing small amounts after small amounts. I like to think that my blog is the best illustration of how easy it can be to build financial help, one investment at the time, on the TSX. The TSX is simply the place to be.

With my newest investment in PFB Corporation (PFB), my annual dividend income is now getting closer to the $9,800. I didn't invest in PFB for its dividend, but fact that its playing a little dividend is helping to build my dividend income.

Welcoming my highest net worth EVER - on date of August 6, 2021: $322,871.23

I hope you are enjoying the summer because I know I do for sure, in respect of the sanitary measures of course. I am fully vaccinated since something mid-July now, I got my two doses of Pfizer, no secondary effects whatsoever following the second dose if not my arm that hurt a little, but it didn't last too long. It hurt me more the first time than the second time. I strongly suggest that you get your COVID vaccine if you didn't get it yet. Act now before it's too late. Getting vaccinated should be your top priority. If you read this blog, get vaccinated. It's an order.

Other than for work, I am not spending much time in front of my laptop these days. I look at the TSX every day - several times during the day just to check if everything is ok, and guess what: it is! I am just enjoying the nice summer weather and at the same time, I am enjoying watching my different investment portfolios going crazy rocket high like I never need before.

It simply pays off to be a lazy girl like I am - not to say a lazy bitch lol - on the TSX these days. It actually really pay off and I couldn't be happier. I am calling myself "lazy" - as for bitch, that's another subject, but in terms of laziness, I am definitively a super lazy investor these days. Proof if, I had been talking about PFB Corporation (PFB) over and over again. I am literally obsessed with that stock. Recently, that baby jump in the $26 per stock: and I was like: oh noooo I miss the boat! Because I didn't invest in PFB yet. Luckily, the price per share went down, and currently, PFB Corporation (PFB) is in a good place, at $21.10 per share. Usually speaking, PFB share value is steady, and I like that. It will all depend on how my day goes tomorrow, but I am pretty sure I am going to invest in PFB Corporation (PFB). It's about time, like we could say... It's not going to be a huge investment, but it's probably the last investment that I will make as a 40 years old. Sniff sniff... I am getting older and I have white hairs (just a few ones for now, but still, it's scandalous !!!).

I guess you may have noticed my portfolio update this past Friday. This past Friday, I registered a net worth of $322,871.23, which is now my highest net worth ever. I won't update my portfolio this evening, but I am pretty sure that today, my net worth climb hire because on this beautiful but hot day in Montreal, my non-registered portfolio closed today session at $131,913.30, my US portfolio at $4,292.00 US, my TFSA portfolio at $126,037.54 and my RRSP portfolio - stocks only - at $61,616.06. I can say for sure that my net worth is probably in the $324,350 right now. I was hoping to have a $320,000 for my birthday - which is on August 27. But guess what, I may be able to get on a $325,000 or why not a $330,000 by that special date. Don't be surprised if you don't hear anything from me this year on August 27 because I will be away on vacation. I will be visiting my family for the first time in many many months. Just don't expect the usual ITS MY BIRTHDAY post because there probably won't be any this year. I am turning 41 in case you didn't know by now, and August 27 is my birthday, really important and must be remembered :-)

41 or not, you'll still get portfolio updates and posts. Nothing is changing.

I am just happy that I didn't spend much money to celebrate my first $300,000 net worth because now I can go blow some of that money in New Brunswick. It's going to be FUN.

I have to go shopping.