Today I was continuing my research on different tickers and for quite some time I have been following BNS. I was planning on purchasing some today in my iTRADE account until I noticed that they have a 9.99 commission fee. A Scotiabank platform charging a customer to purchase its own stock blows my mind to be completely honest.
A fantastic combination in the highly regulated, oligopolistic Canadian banking market: the banks beat every index and outperform many AI-related stocks! How is this possible? Very limited competition Financials make up roughly 25% of the TSX A government-sponsored oligopoly Foreign players are effectively shut out Tight regulation prevents new entrants, and the cost of entry is enormous Time to ditch the Big 6! https://www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/bf7d9d6039be00147d8b6c3c5567e16e20c334c1d7291f4fe19d6858f63d67d3/GPLSWCIO3VFP3CRLR6YTC4QH6Iread more
if you are a TD bank client with their credit card. you should seriously read this article. I am actually very suprised with TD rep reply !! TD Visa's claim that approving transactions after three wrong PIN entries is "standard protocol" isn't security—it's a catastrophic authentication bypass. The chip-and-PIN protocol exists for one purpose: fail securely. When a terminal clears, prints approval, and demands only a signature after three failed PIN attempts, it has surrendered cryptographic verification to friction reduction. This isn't a bug. It's a systemic design failure that turns PIN protection into theater. Any fraudster can now exhaust the PIN attempts and fall back to signature-only authorization—the weakest link in the chain. TD's response—escalating to "potential security breach" internally while publicly dismissing customer concerns as routine—exposes a priority mismatch: customer confidence over liability mitigation. Mark Sach-Anderson didn't discover a glitch; he reverse-engineered the truth behind what TD doesn't want verified. In a post-breach world where tap limits keep rising, treating PIN validation as optional is negligence dressed as convenience. The fix isn't harder protocols—it's admitting the terminal logic is broken. https://www.thestar.com/business/this-etobicoke-business-owner-typed-the-wrong-pin-three-times-video-shows-td-visa-still-okd-the-purchase/article_608cfb16-24fa-4b42-88a9-8bd8ae4a82e8.htmlread more
I find it fascinating how the largest Canadian Banks have paid dividends since the 1800s BMO $BMO - paid a dividend since 1829 Bank of Nova Scotia $BNS - 1834 Toronto-Dominion Bank $TD - 1857 Royal Bank of Canada - $RY - 1870 Canadian Imperial Bank $CM - 1868 What do you think of the Canadian banks? 🇨🇦 Are you a buyer? read more
With buying at the wrong time also comes with consequences like averaging down and maintaining a stronger base. This allows my dividend and compounding to grow, decreasing risks and volatility in general: everything I strive for in an ideal portfolio while maintaining my growth rates.
Exiting $BANK and $BK and rotating into $CBNK 40% Open-ended ETF anchor (no NAV cutoff risk) $LBS 35% High-yield bank + lifeco life insurance $SBC 25% Big 6 Bank split fund Higher potential overall return! Thoughts? read more
adding more high performing $BK, split share and higher risk than financial pillar $BANK. Will this be one of my smarter moves? How has $BK been for you?
Capital Southwest reported another decent quarter, but I don't think this is one to celebrate without looking at the risks. What I liked: 1) Total investment income increased to $61.0M 2) Investment portfolio grew to roughly $2.2B 3) Weighted-average yield on debt investments remains strong at 10.9% 4) Regular $0.58 dividend was covered by NII 5) CSWC still has $1.06/share in undistributed taxable income 6) Leverage remains reasonable at 0.91x debt-to-equity What I didn't like: 1) NAV slipped from $16.69 to $16.61 2) NII of $0.58 only covers the regular dividend, not the full $0.64 distribution including the supplemental 3) Non-accruals are 2.4% of the portfolio at cost 4) CSWC is still lending into an uncertain environment where higher rates and slower economic growth can pressure borrowers. In general, private equity has been struggling with slower exits and a difficult deal environment. My takeaway: $CSWC had a solid quarter, but I'm not ignoring what's happening underneath the surface. The 10%+ yield is attractive because there is real risk attached to it. For now, the regular dividend looks sustainable, And the balance sheet remains in good shape. But NAV, non-accruals, and dividend coverage should be watched, And when it comes to BDCs, the sustainability of the dividend is what matters.read more
$SOFI is heading back down to $17.64 at the market close today. How far will this bank stock drop to this week? I could see a $17 price point or lower by this week
$NU vs $HOOD— Why I Prefer NU 🇧🇷 I like both, but if I’m putting my money behind one for the long term, I’m taking $NU. NU already has 135M+ customers, just crossed $5B in quarterly revenue, and produced $871M in net income in Q1 2026. Mexico is already at 15M customers and reached profitability, while Brazil still has a massive runway. (Nu International) HOOD is an amazing business, but I think NU has the better combination of growth, valuation and long-term runway. To me, NU has a better chance of becoming a massive global financial platform, not just a great brokerage. I’m confident holding $NU long term. 🚀 read more
Moved from a $CM and $BNS split into $ZEB. Probably should have done this long ago, but liked no MER. Rebalance on this only happens twice a year, but sometimes it’s better to do this for less headache and likely better returns after banks have made record profits. Let me know if any of you have thoughts!
Financials dominate this morning, with $CNS, $AMG, $BHB, $WTBA, $BOKF and $FISI heavily represented. Homebuilders $GRBK and $TOL form the clearest secondary theme.
$FICO keeps testing the $1,037 area… and it just refuses to give way. The longer a level survives, the more interesting it becomes. Let’s see who wins this tug-of-war. 🍿
Banks continue to anchor this afternoon’s report, with $SBSI, $GBCI, and $GL making financials the clearest theme to gather positions. Industrials also remain well represented through $KNX, $MRTN, and $HTLD, while PPG, RIGL, KRYS, and AROC add exposure across materials, healthcare, and energy.
State commercial banks remain the largest group at noon, with $COLB, $ABCB, $GBCI, and $MBIN appearing at favourable report levels. $HTLD and $MRTN keep trucking represented, while $BYD, $EBAY, $AXTA, and $FOSL broaden the midday mix. Banks account for 8 of the 17 entries
