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
Amex Membership Rewards to the new Marriott Rewards/Starwood Preferred Guest program conversion rate is here! Jul 21st
A question that has been asked by many and to which I have not had the answer to is 'What will the Membership Rewards conversion rate be to the new Marriott/SPG program"! Many American Express cardholders (primarily Cobalt and Gold Rewards Card) have been wondering this and now we have the answer:We.... More »
The number of Canadian millionaires will jump by more than half in the next five years: Credit Suisse Oct 21st
The number of millionaires in Canada will jump by more than half in the next five years, a faster growth rate than other developed countries like the U.S., according to a new wealth report from banking giant Credit Suisse..... More »
June 6 Update: $10 statement credit for J. Crew with Amex Cobalt and British Airways drops Calgary for the winter + MORE Jun 7th
Another American Express Cobalt Perks offer came out this month. This time they have partnered with J. Crew (a long time Amex partner) that when you shop at J. Crew stores in Canada and you can receive a $10 statement credit when you spend $50 or more on your registered Cobalt Card. Find out mo.... More »
Scotia Passport Visa Infinite Card sees increased sign up bonus of 30,000 points + MORE Mar 2nd
Many of have you asked whether the well rounded Scotia Passport Visa Infinite Card would ever see an increased sign up bonus and/or have a first year free offer. Good news is that today Scotia launched a new offer for the card that sees an increased sign up bonus. Right now when you apply for the ca.... More »
University of Calgary paleontologists discover closest-known ancestor of T. rex - CTV News + MORE Jun 11th
University of Calgary paleontologists discover closest-known ancestor of T. rex CTV NewsA new Mongolian tyrannosauroid and the evolution of Eutyrannosauria NatureFossils found in 1970s are most recent ancestor of tyrannosaurs, scientists say The Guardian‘The missin.... More »
Canadian Customers Will Soon Have to Pay More to Use Certain Premium Credit Cards
– ratesupermarket.ca
Canadian customers will soon be subject to additional fees when paying for purchases with certain premium credit cards, now that Visa and MasterCard have entered into a settlement agreement stemming from a class action lawsuit that will see both companies make changes to their “No Surcharge Rule”.
In 2011, Canadian merchants filed a lawsuit alleging that Visa and MasterCard rules forced retailers to accept all credit cards as payment, including cards that charge higher retailer fees for each transaction. The rules also forced retailers to bear the full weight of the merchant fees as they are not allowed to surcharge customers who use premium cards.
After discussions with the federal government, Visa and MasterCard agreed in 2014 to voluntarily reduce the fees for five years.
Earlier this week, however, both credit card corporations entered into a settlement agreement, in which they agreed to pay $19.5 million each and allow merchants to add limited surcharge fees when accepting premium credit cards as payment from consumers…
Why everyone feels like they’re in the middle class
– moneysense.ca
Most Canadians think of themselves as middle class. In fact, the term is so elastic that politicians know they have just about everybody’s ear when they talk about “middle class” goals and aspirations. We think they are talking to us, whether it’s about wage increases, debt, taxes, or savings vehicles to help us save for our kids’ post-secondary education.How do we define the middle class? Depends on who you talk to. Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz last year said the term applies to those people who hold most of their wealth in the equity of their homes. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described the typical middle-class Canadian family as one with $90,000 in household income.
According to Nora Spinks, chief executive officer of The Vanier Institute of the Family in Ottawa, it’s misleading to simply look at the middle class as an income bracket. “Whether you think you’re middle class really depends on where you come from and what you aspire to be.”
So who are these middle-class Canadians and what defines them, besides income level? Is it the fact that they have children? A good education? A good job? Or something else? For many it is all about total wealth, not just income…
