The “Big Five” Canadian banks offer credit cards and include Royal Bank of Canada, Toronto Dominion Bank (TD Canada Trust), Bank of Nova Scotia, Bank of Montreal and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC). Did you know that there are many other options?
Latest News
The Aeroplan eStore 12 Days of Gifting returns from December 3 to 14 + MORE Dec 3rd
Aeroplan eStore's annual 12 Days of Gifting has returned. This promotion has a different online retailer each day during the 12 days with an bonus for shopping with them. On the launch day it's lululemon being featured with 10x points on all eligible purchases made today. The landing page for .... More »
Credit card debt poll: 56% of balance-carrying cardholders have had debt for at least a year + MORE Feb 21st
A new poll from CreditCards.com revealed 56 percent of credit card holders carrying balances have been doing so for more than a year. However, half of indebted card users say they aren’t particularly stressed out about it..... More »
If you don’t have a budget, make writing one a resolution for the new year + MORE Dec 31st
OTTAWA – If you don’t have a budget, then financial planners want you to add another thing to your list of new year’s resolutions.
Credit counsellor Pamela George says budgeting is important no matter what your income.
“I think it is even more important for a bigger salary to.... More »
Here are the latest RBC Offers including a Mastermind Toys $5 statement credit, bonus Petro-Points and more + MORE Nov 4th
The RBC Offers program has added and extended quite a few promotions this month to bring the complete list to 27 offers. Be sure to login to your RBC account right away to load these offers (if required) or get the promo codes if required. Personally I received these offers on the WestJet RB.... More »
Clash of the Credit Cards! BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard vs. TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card Jan 27th
Welcome to another Rewards Canada Clash! This time in our Clash of the Credit Cards we have two flag ship proprietary rewards cards battle it out! Those cards are the BMO AscendTM World Elite®* Mastercard®* and the TD First Class Travel® Visa Infinite* Card. In this match up we look at over half .... More »
Look Beyond Sign Up Bonuses – BMO World Elite MasterCard Review
– ratesupermarket.ca
Would you sign up for a travel rewards card if it meant you could fly right away for free? Massive point and mile sign-up bonuses are the latest favoured incentive from credit card companies, keen on luring customers with the promise of an instant vacay.
While complimentary jet setting is an attractive idea, it’s important for prospective cardholders to look beyond sign up perks and asses the real value offered by a card over time. Be sure to ask yourself the following when choosing a credit card:
Is it a good fit for my spending habits?
Is there an annual fee?
Will it earn rewards quickly and with few restrictions?
What is the value of one reward?
How convenient is it to redeem rewards?
Penelope’s Pick: BMO® World Elite™ MasterCard®*
This premium option from Bank of Montreal really is a winner across the board; not only are new signups welcomed with a hefty 30,000 point bonus (a $300 travel value), this card offers a fast-earning and flexible rewards program that’s designed for daily use…
Air France KLM Flying Blue Promo Awards – Save 25% on award tickets between Toronto/Montreal & Europe for summer travel
– RewardsCanada.ca
The latest set of Air France KLM Flying Blue Promo Awards are out and this time there are two Canadian cities included. The past few Promo Awards have not seen any of our cities included so this is a nice change! The latest set of offers will be bookable as of May 1st and are good for award travel over the summer in July and August! The offers this time are for 25% off Business Class between Toronto or Montreal and Europe. This could end up being a great deal considering this is for award travel during peak season when other airlines will be typically charging higher amounts of miles if they have the availability. Don’t have the miles? You could always consider transferring Starpoints earned via the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express to Flying Blue.What are the promo awards? The promo awards are a discount of 25-50% off the regular Flying Blue mileage requirement for select AF KLM flights in select cabins. Due to increases in the regular award mileage requirements last year the promo awards not as grand as they used to be but overall are they are still considered a great deal when compared to the regular mileage requirements…Banks Should Do a Better Job Teaching Canadians About Money: Survey
– ratesupermarket.ca
Canadians are finding it harder than ever to save money, and they believe banks should do a better job of teaching them how, according to a recent poll from a group of credit unions.
The study found six in 10 Canadians said their current level of debt does not allow them to save as much as they would like, with three in 10 (31 per cent) unable to save any money at all.
Household Debt Rises, Personal Saving Plummet
Schools educate youth about geography, history and mathematics, but when it comes to financial literacy we’re on our own. While household debt continues to climb, the personal savings rate is shrinking. The average Canadian household owes $1.63 for every dollar in disposable income earned, according to Statistics Canada.
“In the last 20 years, the personal savings rate in Canada has plummeted while household debt has grown dramatically,” explains Marie Mullally, president and chief executive officer of Credit Union Atlantic. “More needs to be done to develop innovative options to help Canadians and their families develop healthy financial habits that will allow them and our economy to thrive…
Apr 30 Update: Alberta to ban points/miles on prescriptions, latest set of Aeroplan Distinction flights, tons of new bonuses
– RewardsCanada.ca
Alberta joins B.C. and Ontario in banning points/miles on prescriptions, Distinction flights in Canada and more! News, Tips & TricksWhile we were on vacation last week we missed this important development right here in Alberta. It appears that the Alberta College of Pharmacists has followed British Columbia and Ontario’s lead in banning the awarding of loyalty points/miles on prescriptions. This change is due to take effect on May 1st.You may recall from a few months ago we provided lots of coverage of the B.C. issue thanks to our reader Randy out of Victoria and now it is happening right here in the home province of Rewards Canada. The biggest hit that we see is the Safeway/Air Miles partnership as it is a huge draw to using Safeway pharmacies and as such there is a big push from the two (plus Sobey’s) to have this decision reversed. There is an online petition which at the time of posting already had over 22,000 Albertans voicing their opinion. I haven’t seen any communications from Rexall (Aeroplan), Sobey’s (Club Sobey’s/Aeroplan), Shoppers Drug Mart (Optimum) or others yet but at least with Shoppers there is a work around as they award Optimum Points on buying Shoppers Gift Cards which can then be used for the prescription purchase…
