Why 2026 could be a year to rent, not buy + MORE Jan 28th

BMO Financial Group has announced it will replace Air Miles with a new loyalty rewards program called Blue Rewards this summer. It said the new program will be available for all Canadians through a newly designed Blue Rewards app, and will be integrated into BMO’s existing mobile banking app and website for the bank’s clients.

Air Miles program members can continue to use their collector cards, and their miles will automatically convert to “Blue Points” at an equivalent value upon this summer’s launch, with no action required. BMO Air Miles credit and debit card holders can also continue using their cards uninterrupted and will receive more program details in the coming months.

BMO revamps Blue Rewards with simpler, personalized perks

The bank said Blue Rewards will feature a simplified booking experience for flights, hotels, and car rentals powered by Expedia Group. It will also build on recent changes, including the ability to earn points on grocery and food deliveries when in-store receipts are scanned using the Blue Rewards app, as well as bonus points at most grocery retailers and wholesale clubs across Canada…

The “new year’s special” advertising a two-bedroom unit at a midtown Toronto highrise might be what draws you in when searching for your next home—an offer for up to three months of free rent, plus a $500 “move-in bonus.” Or perhaps a year of complementary internet, on top of two months’ free rent, sweetens the deal for those interested in a rental promoted in central Vancouver.

Landlords across Canada are increasingly dangling such incentives, along with other common perks like free parking, waived pet fees, and moving allowances, to compete for new tenants. After a post-pandemic surge in rental costs, real estate watchers say the scales have tipped back in favour of renters amid falling prices, higher vacancy rates, and uncertainty in the housing market overall. 

“It’s a race to the bottom,” said Marco Pedri, a Toronto-based broker with Shoreline Realty who specializes in leasing transactions. “We talk about the inventory of all these new buildings…

Credit card rewards are an often-overlooked financial asset. Many cardholders forget they even have points, while others redeem them without much thought. If your rewards are sitting unused or being cashed in at the wrong time, you could be leaving real value on the table.

With a bit of know-how and a clear points strategy, you can get more out of your everyday spending. If you’re new to credit card rewards, don’t worry. We’ll walk you through the smartest ways to redeem your points and flag the common mistakes to avoid so you can maximize your efforts.

TL;DR Travel rewards? Save points and redeem strategically Cash back or statement credits? Redeem regularly Not sure? Save some, redeem some

Maximizing your rewards redemption value

If you have points burning a hole in your pocket, take a moment to determine their actual value based on different redemption options. Most rewards programs offer at least one, if not more, of these redemption opportunities:

Travel

Cash back or statement credits

Gift cards

Merchandise

Charitable donations

Point transfers to travel partners

Your rewards hub should include a calculator that lets you plug in the number of points you want to redeem…