Altamira Securities announced Wednesday that it will become a division of National Bank Discount Brokerage, effective September 8.

Both Altamira and NBDB are wholly owned subsidiaries of the National Bank of Canada.

In a statement, Altamira Securities said its clients will now have access to margin accounts, options trading, and a wider range of mutual funds.

The will also gain access to a new Web site that will offer online trading, access to account information, economic forecasts, investment research and advice.

Altamira clients will continue to receive award-wining customer service. NBDB’s customer service was ranked number one for five consecutive periods by Dalbar, an international research firm specializing in the evaluation of services offered by financial institutions. Altamira received the Dalbar service award for mutual funds in four of the past five years.

“This move puts us in a position to become a highly competitive national player,” saidYves Breton, president of NBDB. “By leveraging the strengths of NBDB, we’ve taken a great offering and made it much better for the benefit of Altamira Securities’ clients.”

The transition will take place during the weekend of September 6 and 7. On September 8 clients will be able to access the new Altamira Securities Web site.