The Stock Tips/Investment Advice Thread

[prarieboy]

Originally Posted by Slava

This is not necessarily true. Buying funds and having someone get paid to provide advice for you to do so is not all bad (contrary to what some might think!). If you want professional help, then you will have to accept the fact that someone is earning a living providing that advice for you...its not the worst thing in the world, either!

Look at it this way: I could cut my own hair. I know how to use a pair of scissors and I know the hairstyle that I want....I could even save myself some $$ by doing so. Would I do this? Absolutely not! I get far better results by getting it done right!

Lastly, there are deferred service charges which make more sense in many cases. This is a service charge that gradually reduces to zero, generally over 7 years. If you are not planning on withdrawing in those seven years, then you're really not paying any service charge, but still getting professional advice, professional monitoring and professional service along the way. Globefund is cheaper, but its not providing you all of that!

Abviously our opinions differ greatly. If I'm locked into an energy fund that has a back end charge and the govenment decides to raise royalty rates to the point that the industry declines I have no alternative other than to stick with the fund and except the losses or to cash out and pay the withdrawl fees.
This is just one example.
My point is that there is alternatives to the readily accesible Financial Advisor offered Mutual Funds.
A little leg work goes along way in Mutual Fund investing. I know, I've paid my dues.
With that said someone who is new to investing may benefit from proffesional advice and as someone else pointed out earlier be very wary of financial advise garnered off the internet. Myself included.

[MoneyGuy]

Originally Posted by prarieboy

Abviously our opinions differ greatly. If I'm locked into an energy fund that has a back end charge and the govenment decides to raise royalty rates to the point that the industry declines I have no alternative other than to stick with the fund and except the losses or to cash out and pay the withdrawl fees.
This is just one example.
My point is that there is alternatives to the readily accesible Financial Advisor offered Mutual Funds.
A little leg work goes along way in Mutual Fund investing. I know, I've paid my dues.
With that said someone who is new to investing may benefit from proffesional advice and as someone else pointed out earlier be very wary of financial advise garnered off the internet. Myself included.

Okay, look at it this way. You buy the Mackenzie Resource Fund, perhaps the best one available. You don't want it for the reason you've mentioned, no problem. Flip over to Cundill Value, which may be the best mutual fund ever. No problem, no cost. You can get professional advice and never pay any loads, or buy no-load, no-advice funds. I think a case can be made for professional advice.

[Ryan Coke]

There are as many opinions on investing as there loonies (the monetary kind...well actually, either works). But if you looking for some really good no load and low MER funds, I've been very happy with Mawer www.mawer.com. A local company, right here in town, and I've been happy so far. I believe you do have to start off with a min 5k investment though.

[prarieboy]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

Okay, look at it this way. You buy the Mackenzie Resource Fund, perhaps the best one available. You don't want it for the reason you've mentioned, no problem. Flip over to Cundill Value, which may be the best mutual fund ever. No problem, no cost. You can get professional advice and never pay any loads, or buy no-load, no-advice funds. I think a case can be made for professional advice.

I agree a case can be made for professional advice, not trying to run down the financial advisors here. You sound alot more flexible than the loser I was hooked up with previously. His "advice" resulted in me looking for alternatives that did not involve the use of a financial advisor.

[red sky]

GOLD GOLD GOLD!!! If you are a little more riskier getting in with a junior gold company that trades on the venture then you could have some major success.... of course you could lose money as well. There is always too sides. Whatever you do, stay away from pink sheet stocks. Trust me, I have learned my lesson one too many times.

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by fotze

I have to agree, the first 5 financial advisors I had were from the big box banks and I could have achieved a better ROR from buying beer and returning the bottles. The one I currently have is amazing, approachable and isn't always trying to sell me something.

That's the key. There's nothing better than a good Financial Advisor. Problem is I think the industry stresses selling stuff more than providing proper financial advice. That probably leads to quite a few of them out there being more pressure sellers than Advisors" Finding a good one is gold because even if your an educated and experienced financial professional, sometimes you don't have the time to research companies in industries you're not familiar with, or simply don't have as good a knowledge of products available that meet your investment criteria. The key though is having someone who's good. A buddy at work(who has an MBA in finance and is a CFA charterholder) had an FA that pitched him a couple of investments. My buddy asked him what the enterprise value of the companies were and the FA responded "Well we're projecting the first company's to be . . ." My buddy interupted (Buzzer sound) "You're fired!!"

[tkflames]

I didn't want to start a new thread about this. I am looking for some advice regarding small investment ($1000-$25000) online trading. Any advice regarding good brokers (low starting fee/transaction fee/small scale trading) would be very much appreciated!
Thank you in advance!
TK

[JiriHrdina]

^I use TD Waterhouse and it works well.

[Phanuthier]

TD Waterhouse, BME Investorline and (I think) RBC all would charge the same for 1k-25k I believe, $25 per. However, if you have >100k invested, its $10 per, and BMO counts it if you join accounts with someone.

Does anyone know where I can trade china stocks? Unless I'm being dumb, I don't think I can do it on my BMO account. (I, obviously, use BMO)