FAQs

How long have you been in business?
Global commenced operations in December 1994.

How many employees do you have?
As of June 30, 2005, Global employed 22 people on a full or part time basis.

What types of accounts do you offer?
Global offers a variety of account types, including Individual, Joint, Trust, Corporate, Partnership, LLC, Sole Proprietorship, UGMA, and Retirement (IRA, Pension, Profit Sharing, Money Purchase).

Do you offer IRAs?
Yes, including Traditional, ROTH, SEP, Custodial, and Rollovers.

Is my account insured and secure?
Global and our clearing firm, RBC Dain Correspondent Services, are members of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation ("SIPC"). Securities in your account are protected up to $500,000. For details, please see www.sipc.org.

We have arranged for additional coverage through RBC Dain and  Lloyd’s of London to give you protection of up to  $100,000,000 per individual, with a  $1,000,000 limit on cash claims. This coverage is provided automatically when you open an account with us; there are no additional forms to fill out or charges incurred. All assets that remain in the custody of our clearing firm are insured against loss from fire, theft or forgery.

Can I do partial transfers of portfolios held elsewhere?
Yes

Can I trade online?
While you cannot trade online, you can access your Global account using a proprietary ID and password. This will allow you to view your portfolio, current market prices, activity, statements, trade confirmations, tax filings, realized and unrealized gains/losses, etc.

How often do I get a statement?
Statements are mailed to clients monthly. In lieu of receiving a hard copy by mail, you can also request to be notified by email that your most recent statement is available for viewing online.

Do you sell Mutual Funds?
Through our clearing firm, RBC Dain, Global can buy and sell most mutual funds. However, we are of the opinion that with proper guidance from us, you can construct a higher quality portfolio than most funds. We believe that mutual funds are fine for investors who wish to spend little or no time managing their money. Like most things in life, the success you achieve from investing is a function of the effort you dedicate to it.

Do I have access to Rick Rule?
At the time you open your account, you’ll be assigned to a registered representative who is part of an investment team made up of knowledgeable resource specialists. As you would expect, all members of the Global investment team have full access to the research ideas generated by our in-house geologist, consulting analysts and Rick Rule, and regularly share information related to specific stocks as well as the markets as a whole.

Rick’s greatest use of time and energy is researching high potential resource investments, a process that often includes international travel to personally inspect mining sites. His findings are then shared with the investment teams back in the office. While your actual interaction with Rick may be minimal, please rest assured his ideas are always communicated to Global’s brokers and, as such, are available to you with just a phone call.

Do you publish research reports?
Because of improprieties discovered within the research departments at certain large brokerage firms a few years ago, the NASD recently implemented regulations that make it virtually impossible for a small firm like Global to publish its research. However, these regulations do not preclude us from conducting research and disseminating it to our clients verbally.

Are all investments speculative?
By our definition, speculative means an investment with the potential for a very high return. However, as risk and return are almost always closely correlated, speculative investments also carry a higher degree of risk. This is true of many investments in the natural resource sector.

While our firm does its best to reduce risk through careful securities analysis, there can never be a guarantee against loss. This is why we generally require clients who invest in speculative stocks to have a minimum net income and net worth, depending upon age, employment status, and various other factors.

At the beginning of our relationship, one of our registered representatives will discuss your personal level of risk tolerance. They will also review your current financial position and goals. This is an important step in helping to determine if natural resource investments are suitable for your portfolio and, if so, how much exposure to these investments makes sense. By asking important questions, we hope to support you in making the best possible decisions for you and your family. We believe that your investments should add to the quality of your life, not keep you awake at night.

What is your commission structure?
We believe that our commissions are very competitive, especially in light of our specialized services. They generally fall somewhere between those of the “discount brokers” and the larger, full-service brokerage firms. In percentage terms, you can expect to pay somewhere between 1/2 percent and 3.5 percent depending on the price of the shares and the number of shares traded, subject to a minimum of $60 per trade. There is a minimum opening transaction requirement of $1,500. Additionally, there will be a $35 charge deducted from your account annually unless you make at least two trades per year or maintain a cash balance over $10,000.

To receive a commission-rate quote on a specific transaction, please don’t hesitate to call and speak with a Global registered representative.

Can you trade in the foreign markets?
Global can execute trades directly on most foreign exchanges.

Do you have a minimum account size?
There is no minimum account size, however, we do have a minimum trade size of $1,500 on the buy side.