Much like last year, CIBC is once again running a promotion waiving the first year’s annual fee on their suite of premium travel credit cards. To qualify for the ‘rebate’ on your annual fee all you have to do is spend $500 on the card with the first three months of having it. The offer is good on the CIBC Aerogold Visa Infinite, CIBC Aerogold Visa, CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite and CIBC Aventura World Elite MasterCard. This offer runs until June 28, 2013.Each card’s sign up links can be found here:Aerogold Visa InfiniteAerogold VisaAventura Visa InfiniteAventura World Elite MasterCardApparently you can get the same offer with no spend threshold, ie 100% rebate of the annual fee without spending a dime by either calling in your application and asking for the first year fee waived or walking into a CIBC branch and doing the same.This is a nice offering to get 15,000 Aeroplan miles for nothing as you can always cancel your card before the first year is up.  If you want even more Aeroplan miles you can even add another 20,000 Aeroplan Miles by signing up for the American Express Gold Rewards Card which is also fee-free in the first year and awards 20,000 Membership Rewards points via this link…

"Experts to Generation Y: Save with your credit card" – http://t.co/bQwllnMsEs

— Creditcards.Ca (@Canada_cc) June 2, 2013

A quiet day here in the FFB and RC world. Just some bonuses to pass along! News, Tips & Tricks Although it is only bonus offers today you really should make note of a few of them. The first of course is from Aeroplan and their latest double miles offer for stays at Choice Hotels, second is the Cathay Pacific offer for flights from Canada that had its own post last night and finally the Saudia Alfursan Buy Miles bonus. It definitely is not as lucrative as the US Airways or Aviacna TACA bonus but with proper planning there are a couple of redemptions that could be worth buying the miles for as they can be bought for as little as 2 cents each. Of course depending on availability the 50,000 miles for economy class Canada to Europe on Saudia’s SkyTeam partners (Air France, KLM, Delta). You can buy the miles for ~$1020+tax and if you can find availability you could potentially save a few hundred dollars versus buying that flight outright with the airline if there is no seat sale…

Visa Canada wants you to use your credit card for small purchases, while Desjardins gives insurance discounts based on your driving patterns.

Many young Canadians are putting their retirement at risk by not considering how much money they’ll need and delaying saving for retirement, according to a recent BMO Retirement Institute report.
Only one in 10 young adults between the ages of 18 and 34 have thought a lot about how much money they’ll need to save for retirement. And 27 per cent admit they haven’t even started saving for life after work.
Poor planning? Maybe. But, rather than worry about retirement, I’d suggest most young people should actually make getting out of debt their top financial priority.
Debt Reduction Takes Priority
Don’t get me wrong. There’s a lot to be said for the smart use of credit to reach a goal like home ownership or a college education. There’s also a big difference between someone who’s just finishing grad school and a 30-year-old electrician.
But they do have one thing in common: both need to be smarter about how much they borrow and what they do with that borrowed money…

June is upon us and with that there seems to be a lot of buy/share/transfer bonuses out! The semi-worthwhile ones are the Diners Club to Avios, US Airways share miles and Hyatt buy points offers. As always, I wouldn’t transfer/buy unless you have a somewhat immediate need for the miles/points (booking for travel News, Tips & Tricks It appears that Virgin Atlantic may be following Air France KLM’s lead by reducing fuel surcharges on Economy Class Flying Club award tickets. (HT View from the Wing) Meanwhile, LoyaltyLobby lets us know that Air France KLM is now offering First Class tickets in their selection of reduced mileage Prom o Awards. Noticably absent for the summer season are any North American routes. Bonus Offers Air Canada Aeroplan- 30% Bonus Aeroplan miles at Points.com when you exchange or trade your points for Aeroplan Miles. More… Until Jun 30, 13British Airways Executive Club- 30% Bonus Avios when you transfer Diners Club Club Rewards Points into British Airways Avios…

The preliminary numbers from the March fiscal year end are in for Canada’s deficit, and there’s some good news: it has decreased to $18.3 million, compared to $21.6 million as of last year. It’s an indicator the federal government’s plan to cut the deficit is on track, and it’s good news for the Conservative government, which looks to balance the books by 2015.
A lower deficit is also very impactful for the average Canadian. Let’s break down the numbers and take a look at how the deficit factors into our nation’s economy recovery, and what it means for Canadians.
Breaking Down the Numbers
The Conservative government’s cost cutting plans look to be paying dividends. A decrease in program expenses lead to $3.4 billion in savings. This is largely due to job restructuring in the public sector, as the federal government looks to downsize its bloated workforce. Canada’s excellent credit rating also looks to be paying off; public debt charges are down by $2 billion, as we saved on interest payments our federal debt…

One of the most frustrating things about credit card rewards programs is that you have to have a credit card. While I like to use my credit cards to earn rewards, and use those rewards for cash back and free stuff, not everyone is comfortable with the idea of credit… even for rewards.
If you want to earn rewards, but not use a credit card to do it, a great option is the Scotiabank Scene debit card. With the Scotiabank Scene card, you get the great benefits of an account with a trusted bank, and you don’t have to worry about using credit.
Scotiabank Scene Debit Card
Many people like using debit cards because they combine the convenience of a credit card with a checking account. Paying with plastic is easier and more convenient than paying with cash, since you don’t have to carry around a lot of bills. Just swipe your debit card. (Or, if your Scotiabank debit card is equipped with Interac Flash, you can just tap it against the terminal, or wave it front of the terminal, as long as the terminal is equipped for contactless payment…

Are TV ads encouraging credit card use for all purchases sending the wrong message? http://t.co/BsZsl4T0Nw

— RateSupermarket.ca (@RateSupermarket) June 6, 2013

"Canadians managing credit card debt better than expected" – http://t.co/wN0bKj4Aat

— Creditcards.Ca (@Canada_cc) June 1, 2013

"Canadians managing credit card debt better than expected" – http://t.co/wN0bKj4Aat

— Creditcards.Ca (@Canada_cc) June 1, 2013

"Experts to Generation Y: Save with your credit card" – http://t.co/bQwllnMsEs

— Creditcards.Ca (@Canada_cc) June 2, 2013

The preliminary numbers from the March fiscal year end are in for Canada’s deficit, and there’s some good news: it has decreased to $18.3 million, compared to $21.6 million as of last year. It’s an indicator the federal government’s plan to cut the deficit is on track, and it’s good news for the Conservative government, which looks to balance the books by 2015.
A lower deficit is also very impactful for the average Canadian. Let’s break down the numbers and take a look at how the deficit factors into our nation’s economy recovery, and what it means for Canadians.
Breaking Down the Numbers
The Conservative government’s cost cutting plans look to be paying dividends. A decrease in program expenses lead to $3.4 billion in savings. This is largely due to job restructuring in the public sector, as the federal government looks to downsize its bloated workforce. Canada’s excellent credit rating also looks to be paying off; public debt charges are down by $2 billion, as we saved on interest payments our federal debt…

June is upon us and with that there seems to be a lot of buy/share/transfer bonuses out! The semi-worthwhile ones are the Diners Club to Avios, US Airways share miles and Hyatt buy points offers. As always, I wouldn’t transfer/buy unless you have a somewhat immediate need for the miles/points (booking for travel News, Tips & Tricks It appears that Virgin Atlantic may be following Air France KLM’s lead by reducing fuel surcharges on Economy Class Flying Club award tickets. (HT View from the Wing) Meanwhile, LoyaltyLobby lets us know that Air France KLM is now offering First Class tickets in their selection of reduced mileage Prom o Awards. Noticably absent for the summer season are any North American routes. Bonus Offers Air Canada Aeroplan- 30% Bonus Aeroplan miles at Points.com when you exchange or trade your points for Aeroplan Miles. More… Until Jun 30, 13British Airways Executive Club- 30% Bonus Avios when you transfer Diners Club Club Rewards Points into British Airways Avios…

Are TV ads encouraging credit card use for all purchases sending the wrong message? http://t.co/BsZsl4T0Nw

— RateSupermarket.ca (@RateSupermarket) June 6, 2013

Visa Canada wants you to use your credit card for small purchases, while Desjardins gives insurance discounts based on your driving patterns.

"Experts to Generation Y: Save with your credit card" – http://t.co/bQwllnMsEs

— Creditcards.Ca (@Canada_cc) June 2, 2013

Here is the roundup of news and bonuses for June 6th: News, Tips & Tricks Aeroplan has announced mileage accumulation changes for flights on partner airlines Adria, LOT and Scandinavian: As you can see the changes are positive for Scandinavian (more miles for full economy fares) but lower end economy fares on LOT don’t fare so well while Adria airways is a mixed bag with some classes now earning miles while others get reduced or eliminated.In the bonus offer section see the next IHG 1,000 point bonus for your next stay in Canada. This offer may not work for you if you took advantage of it under the promo code #7620 but if you didn’t sign up for that one then there is a good chance it will work. Bonus Offers Cathay Pacific Asia Miles- Double Asia Miles when you stay at participating Accor hotels and resorts in Mainland China and Hong Kong for two consecutive nights or more. More… Until Aug 31, 13- Quadruple Asia Miles for stays at participating Jumeirah Hotels Worldwide…

"3 scary 'bad credit' options you should avoid" – http://t.co/gDOHzFAvKk

— Creditcards.Ca (@Canada_cc) June 4, 2013

"Canadians managing credit card debt better than expected" – http://t.co/wN0bKj4Aat

— Creditcards.Ca (@Canada_cc) June 1, 2013