What to do if your credit card rate goes up + MORE Apr 21st

Embarking on a home purchase? It’s time to put together your dream team. Connecting with a real estate agent is step one for many prospective buyers, but there are a number of pros you’ll need to connect with along the way before calling that home your own – and it’s up to you to hire them.
Here’s a list of the pros you can expect to work with during the buying process – and what you should know about them.
The Mortgage Broker
What they do: The mortgage broker’s role is to find you the perfect mortgage rate. This pro will navigate the lender marketplace on your behalf, and will be your point of contact with the bank when negotiating your financing. Brokers have access to a number of rates offered by various lenders, and can likely score you a better deal than you would have found on your own. They also work with your specific budget and credit standing to find a mortgage product truly suited to your needs.
What it’ll cost you: Nothing – brokers are paid by commission from lenders when they close your mortgage deal…

With the U.S. economy on the upswing, an interest rate hike is expected soon. That could be a shock for credit card holders, who will face a higher cost for carrying a balance. But there are a few things you can do to minimize the pain

Two big promotions to tell you about today News, Tips & TricksAlthough they already had separate posts right here on the blog, the big news for today are two new promotions that were released. The first is the return of Air Canada’s Earn Your Wings promotion. This fourth incarnation follows in the footsteps of number buy only being open to Air Canada Altitude members. The second is IHG’s summer promotion called Share Everything where IHG Rewards Club members can earn 1000′s of bonus points not only for themselves but for friends and family too! Links to both offers can be found right below.Posts since our last update!Air Canada Earn Your Wings 4th Edition – AC Altitude members can earn up to 750,000 Bonus Aeroplan Miles Yesterday the 4th Edition of Air Canada’s Earn Your Wings launched and like the 3rd edition, it is strictly for…IHG Rewards Club Share Everything now open for registration – Earn up to 115,500 Bonus Points and more Last week we brought you the first details of the IHG Rewards Club’s Summer promotion for their members in… Bonus Offers Alitalia MilleMiglia- Triple MilleMiglia Miles for stays at any participating Accor Hotel Worldwide…

Yesterday the 4th Edition of Air Canada’s Earn Your Wings launched and like the 3rd edition, it is strictly for Air Canada Altitude members. The 4th Edition looks to be almost an exact copy of the 3rd edition.  The only differences we can spot so far are the 3rd edition only had 62 airports qualifying and it also had Fairmont and Avis components which are absent this time.The premise of this and past Earn Your Wings promotions is to earn Wings by completing various earning actions.  In this fourth version you will receive 2,000 Bonus Aeroplan Miles for every 2,000 Wings collected.  The more ‘Wings’ you collect the more Aeroplan miles you earn with a maximum  of 750,000 Aeroplan Miles awarded per individual. If you end up in the top 20 Wings earners you will get an equal share of 10,000,000 Aeroplan Miles (500,000) over and above the miles you earn from the promotion.Your first 500 Wings are super easy as they are awarded just for registering for Earn Your Wings…

Traditionally, paying bills such as rent required a series of post-dated cheques or setting up a direct deposit connection to your bank account. Paying with a credit card hasn’t always been an option – until now, as third-party payment processors grow in popularity.
One such service, Plastiq, has been touted in Canada for several years as a method for paying income taxes, and has been gaining popularity as a payment alternative for vendors who wouldn’t usually accept credit cards. Users set up an account, add their payees of choice, and the amount they wish to pay. Plastiq then processes the payment and sends it to the payee as either a cheque or electronic money transfer, charging a fee of 2.5 per cent for the service.
A similar service, Rentmoola, focuses on brokering rental and condo fee payments for free via debit, and for a 2.75 per cent fee via credit card.
The Pros and Cons of Using Plastic For Your Bills

Pro – You can ramp up your rewards: Using your credit card to pay in more instances increases your ability to earn more rewards…