Retrieving CVV, expiration date on deceased's credit card + MORE Jun 23rd

Consumers like paying for goods and services with rewards credit cards for good reason. They can get travel points, free groceries and even cash-back on their purchases. But will they like doing that if it starts costing them an extra charge? We might be about to find out.
The benefits a cardholder receives usually come with a cost to the merchant because the credit card companies charge retailers to use them, and they charge more when customers use the fancier premium cards. Now we need to be prepared for that charge to get passed on to you and me. In separate recent class action lawsuit settlements, Visa and MasterCard have agreed to allow merchants to levy a surcharge on premium-card customers.
Here’s what you need to know:
How merchant fees work
There is a reason retailers prefer you pay in cash. When a consumer uses a credit card to make a purchase, the credit card company takes a slice out of the transaction. This is known as the “merchant discount fee”. It’s the difference between what is charged by the merchant and what they actually get paid by the credit card company…

If the primary cardholder dies, an authorized user cannot use the card anymore

News, Tips & Tricks Yesterday we removed the post covering the RBC/Esso news that is making the rounds now. Apparently Esso was not supposed to have sent out an email to its members yet and there is some incorrect information in it. RBC told us they’ll advise us when everything is nailed down so that we can pass along the info. Japan Airlines is going to offer free Wi-Fi on most of their domestic flights within Japan. Would be nice if Air Canada and WestJet did the same? (Source Business Traveller) Alaska Airlines has brought back or rather extended the offer of 5,000 Bonus Miles when you join Mileage Plan and complete your first flight. That 5,000 miles is enough for an award ticket between Alberta/B.C. and Seattle. See the bonus offers section below for details.Posts since our last update: Celebrate Canada’s 150th Birthday With An Epic Canadian Travel Experience With Marriott International The Canada 150 offers and contests keep coming! We post those relevant to our readership and know there are…Great AIR MILES Redemption Option – Delta Airlines Travel Vouchers for use on Delta, KLM, Alitalia or Air France For a limited time you can get in on a very good AIR MILES redemption offer to save you money… Canadian Bonus Offers AIR MILES- Earn up to 75 Bonus AIR MILES Reward Miles when you redeem miles for an Alamo/National car rental in the U…

E C O N – O – M E T R I C

Canada is piling up private debt (households and corporations) faster than any other developed economy, according to a new report by David MacDonald, an economist at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Canadian households and companies have added debt worth $1 trillion since 2011, pushing the total to $4.4 trillion, or 218 percent of gross domestic product.
The trend: We like it when The Economist calls us cool. But in its latest issue, the magazine noticed something else about we Canadians: our addiction to debt, noting in one of two articles on the subject that Canada’s burden is among the “highest anywhere.” The warnings are piling up. Recently, the Bank for International Settlements observed Canada and China were at the greatest risk of financial crisis because of debt and excessive house prices. The International Monetary Fund worries that Canada has done too little to deflate its real-estate bubbles. At home, the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada warned about the implications of the surge in home-equity lines of credit…

Warren Buffett’s company is lending $1.5 billion to Home Capital and spending roughly $300 million to purchase nearly 40 per cent of the troubled Canadian lender’s stock.
Berkshire said Thursday that the credit line will carry a relatively hefty 9 per cent interest rate once Berkshire completes its initial stock investment later this month. The rate is similar to what Berkshire charged on loans it made during the financial crisis to companies including Goldman Sachs and General Electric.
Toronto-based Home Capital has struggled with liquidity issues since Canadian regulators announced in April they were investigating the mortgage lender.
“Home Capital’s strong assets, its ability to originate and underwrite well-performing mortgages, and its leading position in a growing market sector make this a very attractive investment,” Buffett said.
Berkshire is also getting a discount on Home Capital’s stock. Buffett’s company will pay roughly $10 Canadian per share…