Globe Investor Gold Subscription Service? Worth it?

Hi...

I joined and renewed for one year (i.e. I'm into my second year with them)... some of the tools are ok (ie stock data download). The insight is ok... I like the fact that their TV programs are streamed and archived so you can view them online. You can also search a specific symbol and they will list the programs/segments it is mentioned on.

I like the fact that they can e-mail you news/price change alerts for stocks in your portfolio, or SMS to cell phone.

They also have a lot of financial links in one place, so you don't have to go to many websites to find what you are looking for (ie you can branch off from one place).

My wish list of improvements are that the stock screen/filter could be better, and the portfolio manager doesn't have enough decimal places for mutual fund investment holdings where you have specified that you wish to have distributions re-invested.

The rounding that occurs for re-invested mutual funds causes huge inaccuracies of what you really have and what their portfolio manager says you have.

Also their portfolio manager doesn't allow for DRIPs of stocks or trust unit holdings.


When I intially joined they had a special intro. price of a little under $100... this year (when I renewed) the price when up to $149.95. It is is a little bit steep now... If you haven't done so... I suggest you try their 14 day trial and decide if it is right for you.

If there is a better site that anyone with all this that RFDers out there can recommend, I would look at that too. But from the above standpoints, Globeinvestor gold is still ok for me as I don't use the portfolio tracker or stock screen/filters much.

Try the 14 day trial... and if you don't like it make sure you call them and cancel before it ends.

yatko wrote:Who has it here? Does it worth the money?
I have BMO investorline account but thinking to get more data on ceration things.

Any other good canadian investment resources?

As I do not know what type of a trader you are, it is difficult to provide you with a definitive answer - I do not know what your needs are.

Having said that - for the active trader and the technical trader, this service is not robust enough. Charting, screening/filtering and technical tools lack depth and variety. Spend the big money for better platforms - MetaStock, Esignal, AmiBroker, etc.

For the low volume trader, mutual fund trader and the fundamental trader, this product is good. It offers basic charting, basic technical tools, a Mutual Fund screener, alerts, news, company financials, Portfolio Tracker, etc.

Overall, this package offers is very good for exclusive Globe & Mail articles, Buy Side Reports for Stocks from Canadian Mutual Fund Companies, Streaming Level I quotes (upgradable to Level II), Streaming Option Pricing and Chains, Access to ROBTV, RealTimeTraders Headlines, a Personal Finance Centre catered to Canadians and an excellent resource for Canadian Companies, Mutual Funds, and Income Trusts which are difficult to find elsewhere on the Internet (Yahoo Finance, Reuters, Zacks, etc.).

I agree with deal_lurker, try out Gold to assess if it meets you needs. It may meet your needs or it may not. I have it but do not use very often - it is available for free from TD Waterhouse and CIBC InvestorEdge for their Premium Account Holders. If you have a Tradefreedom Account, you can link the two accounts together and trade directly from the GOLD Tracker.

GlobeinvestorGOLD Plans*

Annual Subscription
Get a 14-day free trial plus 2 months free! - $149.95 per year, plus applicable taxes

Monthly Subscription
Get a 14-day free trial with your monthly plan - $14.95 per month, plus applicable taxes

Real-time Quotes Plans*

All the features of GlobeinvestorGOLD, plus receive streaming real-time data from TSX, TSX Venture, NYSE, Nasdaq, Amex, the Montreal Exchange and/or OPRA.

Real-time quotes package with Level I Subscription
Get a 14-day free trial and all of the features of GlobeinvestorGOLD, plus streaming real time quotes.
$29.95 per month, plus exchange fees and applicable taxes.

Monthly Real-Time Quotes with Level II Subscription
Get a 14-day free trial and all of the features of GlobeinvestorGOLD, plus streaming real time quotes and TSX, TSX/Venture & Nasdaq Level II.
$39.95 per month, plus exchange fees and applicable taxes.

On another note - BMO will be updating their site shortly to include more research. Currently, they provide very little research and the only third-party info they provide is from Zacks (they do not even provide Zacks' proprietary ratings system).

Currently, the best provider of third-party research is TD Waterhouse and not SMDI (as reported by the Globe & Mail).

TD offers research from Reuters, S&P, INK, Argus, Vickers, Ford, First Call, Financial Post and TD Newcrest.

SMDI offers research from CSFB, First Call, Financial Post and Scotia Capital.

I should also mention that SMDI does provide the best technical analysis and pattern recognition software package available in Canada from Recognia. Recognia does not offer this software a retail level. It is only available through participating brokers - ETrade, Qtrade, Disnat Direct , Shorcan, Credential Direct, National Bank, TradeFreedom, Global Trader and SMDI.

Suntzu... Do you know which research company BMO will be using??? Will it be their in-house (Nesbit Burns) or a third party? I am interested to know... though BMO is supposedly rated the best brokerage in Canada, I find BMO very lacking in terms of research information.

To the orginal poster... occasionally some of the brokerages might offer free Globeinvestor Gold access. Last year... I recall HSBC was offering free one year subscriptions to Gold for new sign-ups.

It was already too late when I heard about that as I had already renewed.... otherwise.. I would have opened an account up and got Globeinvestor Gold for free and saved the subscription fee.

suntzu wrote:On another note - BMO will be updating their site shortly to include more research. Currently, they provide very little research and the only third-party info they provide is from Zacks (they do not even provide Zacks' proprietary ratings system).

Currently, the best provider of third-party research is TD Waterhouse and not SMDI (as reported by the Globe & Mail).

TD offers research from Reuters, S&P, INK, Argus, Vickers, Ford, First Call, Financial Post and TD Newcrest.

SMDI offers research from CSFB, First Call, Financial Post and Scotia Capital.

I should also mention that SMDI does provide the best technical analysis and pattern recognition software package available in Canada from Recognia. Recognia does not offer this software a retail level. It is only available through participating brokers - ETrade, Qtrade, Disnat Direct , Shorcan, Credential Direct, National Bank, TradeFreedom, Global Trader and SMDI.

deal_lurker - unfortunately, BMO is still in discussions to what and when upgrades will be launched - they are trying to develop an active trading platform and pricing model, better charting software and finally upgrading research...in that order.

No contracts have been signed yet for third-party research. Nesbitt is dragging its' feet - by offering their reports to Retail customers, they worry that it will undermine the value of these reports to their Institutional Clients.

I would expect these the upgrades to be introduced in two phases - summer and winter - hopefully completed by RRSP season 2007 (but I am not holding my breath).

Do you work work them? You seem to be in the know....

suntzu wrote:deal_lurker - unfortunately, BMO is still in discussions to what and when upgrades will be launched - they are trying to develop an active trading platform and pricing model, better charting software and finally upgrading research...in that order.

No contracts have been signed yet for third-party research. Nesbitt is dragging its' feet - by offering their reports to Retail customers, they worry that it will undermine the value of these reports to their Institutional Clients.

I would expect these the upgrades to be introduced in two phases - summer and winter - hopefully completed by RRSP season 2007 (but I am not holding my breath).