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There are so many apps available it's no easy task to sift through available options. Four of the five apps we will explore today offer a Canadian slant on the topic of investing: One of these "The Canada Income Tax Calculator" isn't strictly an investment app; however, since income taxes are a major concern for investors, we felt this app deserved a place in this issue's selection.

We did not uncover any apps to help Canadians in setting up RSPs, RRSPs or RIFFs, or how to manage a mutual fund portfolio - a surprise since so many Canadians hold their retirement funds in registered plans.

This void represents an interesting opportunity for enterprising app developers!

Ron Clifford,
Publisher


Apps for Investors



App:  Toronto Stocks Manager
Purpose: Streaming quotes from Toronto Stock Exchange
Described by one user as "easy to use, works well, and has all the relevant info". This app can be used to check on your portfolio and includes market news, charts etc." This app synchronizes information from several sources including Google Finance and Yahoo Finance. The app allows you to manage multiple portfolios and tracks your share costs as well as current prices. It also includes multiple watch lists and live news reports on World markets.
https://play.google.com/store/apps


App:  Financial Calculator
Purpose: Easily evaluates investment opportunities
This app enables you to perform complex financial calculations. It can handle bond valuations, cash flow analysis, net present value, amortizations, and even interest computations. If you want to estimate a company's value, just plug in the needed data, and you get your estimates almost instantaneously.
https://play.google.com/store/apps


App:  Bloomberg
Purpose: Keeps you abreast of international stock market action
Track your stock portfolios with interactive charts that allow you to drill down on relevant information and statistics. Users get easy access to authoritative business and finance news, customized to your personal areas of interest. The app includes easy-to-understand charts and graphs that illustrate the impact of important business trends and issues. This app also keeps you up to date on World and Tech news.
http://www.bloomberg.com/mobile/bloomberg


App:  Canada Income Tax Calculator
Purpose: Keeps track of your income tax rates
Do you want to know how much tax you will pay on your personal income? What's the average tax rate overall? Or maybe you want to know how much tax will you'll pay for each extra dollar you make? All of these questions are answered in this very simple-to-use app. It has the tax calculations for every Canadian province. Note: this app is ad-supported so you will have to put up with some distractions.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.IncomeTax&hl=en


App:  Globe Investor
Purpose: Keeps you up to date on the Canadian investment scene
Although it's not one of the top-rated investment apps, Globe Investor is useful to Canadian investors because it provides up-to-the-minute Canadian business and investment news as well as investment advice. This app has a "My Watchlist" tool that enables you to seamlessly track the securities you're interested in across the web or on your mobile phone.
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/globe-investor/id453077050?mt=8

The first principle for business success in today's digital economy

Today's digital economy is changing the rules of business. Especially so when it comes to the most essential rule ─ How to effectively communicate the value proposition of your business to prospective customers.

Twenty years ago the rule was simple. For most businesses the development of signage, printed materials describing products and services offered, and maybe some direct mail or advertisements placed in local print media, radio and television was all you needed.

This could easily be handled by a business owner/manager with the help of a graphics designer and a general printer. It was easy to know the communications had the appropriate look and feel you needed.

Now, effective business communications are vastly more complicated. Business owners and managers must know how to

  • Get an interactive website developed to represent the business
  • Capitalize on social media such as Twitter and Facebook
  • Use email marketing to stay in touch with customers and prospects
  • Set up viral marketing programs - the list goes on…
  • All the new technology sits on top of the old communications options of signage, printed materials and advertising in old mainstream media.

One certainty the owner/manager must face: by failing to take advantage of today's digital marketing tools … he or she will not survive against competitors that embrace the new!

What's the solution to this dilemma?

Find a single supplier to provide the full range of media services required to thrive in today's digital world and work with it. This is the only way you can be sure your conventional and digital communications are fully and seamlessly coordinated with consistent messaging and strong branding.

Hume Media can meet all of the above criteria. Always at the leading edge in the digital field, Hume Media provides one stop shopping for the full range of services needed to ensure your business is communicating effectively with the community you serve. Check us out at www.humemediainc.com.

Hume Media prides itself in providing top-tier personalized service.


An App Tip for Investors

Some of the best investor apps are not available to the general public. They are the proprietary property of major financial institutions that offer investment services. To get these apps you must be a client. So, before downloading any investment apps, check out your personal investment dealer or bank to see what's available to clients free of charge. Some of the best are available from big bank owned investment dealers. Following are links to investment apps that are available from Canada's biggest banks:

RBC: http://www.rbcdirectinvesting.com/mobile-trading.html

BNS: http://www.scotiabank.com/itrade/en/0,,3726,00.html

TD: https://www.tdwaterhouse.ca/products-services/investing/td-direct-investing/trading-platforms/mobile/index.jsp#faq

CIBC: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/cibc-mobile-brokerage/id441129412?mt=8


Next Issue

With the arrival of Spring, the next issue of The Essential Apps Report will focus on sporting activities or how to enjoy the great outdoors.


Editors Note

We’d like The Essential Apps Report to morph into a two-way conversation with our readers. Let us know about the apps you find most useful, and give us specific examples of how you have benefited from their use.

If you’d like to contribute your favorite apps for inclusion in a future issue, please contact me and, if your suggestions are used, we’ll credit you for your contribution.

Please submit your app ideas to ron@humemediainc.com

So long until next issue,

Ron Clifford
Publisher

We want your feedback! Let us know your thoughts on today's issue. Send comments to ron@humemediainc.com

Copyright © 2013 Hume Media Inc.

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