FELIPE: The most important thing about the online business is the absence of human intervention; there's no conflict of interest on the part of the broker or the person who does the trading for the client.

The transaction side of the business is determined by the machine, which is objective. It levels the playing field. On top of that is that the small customer's accounts are being asked to pay a much smaller commission.

There's extensive diversity within the Yapster e-Conglomerate. How do you decide which products stay and which are shelved or dropped?

FELIPE: The performance of each product will be determined according to the performance of a particular company's CPO. And there will be no conflict of interest whatsoever because there's no mixture of products. If there's a mixture, there's competition with the self to succeed - and to make more money that the other e-, but not to compete by selling at a lower price IT'S competing for success.

Your children, nephews and nieces completed their further education in Vancouver. Was there any reason for this preference?

FELIPE: Actually, it was always my attention to have them study abroad.

In 1986, our plan was to send them to the States - either to New York, to LA. Unfortunately, having been going to the States at least once a year, we found out that the drug problem was quite serious.

Vancouver was developing and has a very sound educational program. The reason really is that, all things being equal, we wanted to send the children to a place where the chances of getting into drugs was less.

CHRISTINE: It's quieter. The pace is not as hurried as in some of the American cities mentioned.

FELIPE: But now, there's no difference. It's not the same 10, 15 years ago. Then it was a place for people to retire and study.