I don't see how anyone can run a trading business post-decimalization... With a $10 flat ticket charge. It's also hard to understand how $10 brokers can compete with IB. But they do it, yes, they do it... Because they provide little services that Human Beings care about. IB could crush their competitors... But they just leave the door ** wide open **... By their INSULTING failure to provide BASIC SERVICES at a nominal charge... And the arrogance that underlies their Religion... er, Business Philosophy. They are miscalculating their technological edge... it will melt away with time. Below about $0.004/share... it really doesn't matter how much cheaper you get. If I traded for FREE... my profits would only go up by about 25% When, not if, IB gets a direct head-to-head competitor in Canada at similar per share rates... There will be a small flood of traders moving assets... To a place where people will actually cash a cheque... Or find you some stock to short... Or return your phone call.
If IB would only hurry up and add canadian RRSP accounts, I would move everything in a flash. Too much hassle otherwise!
I'm actually somewhat tempted to go work for a retail brokerage for a couple of years in order to get a better sense of how things operate from their end. That said, I personally suspect that the key profit areas for a brokerage are margin interest and commissions generated by sales of mutual funds to clients.
oh they did? i wonder whats so hard about adding rrsp accounts...are they legal hurdles, economic hurdles, too much opposition from canadian brokers who would definitely be impacted?? too bad indeed..
everyone else offers them... e-trade/etc. it would be nice to get commisions down to as low as $2.00 a trade instead of $9.95 a trade... I would definitely move for that.