We are excited to announce that RateSupermarket.ca will become RATESDOTCA. Don’t worry, besides a name change, how you compare the best credit cards and mortgage rates will remain the same.
What does this mean for you?
Our name is changing, but rest assured, everything else will remain the same.
In a nutshell, you’ll continue to have access to the best rates from Canadian mortgage brokers and lenders, credit card offers and promotions, and money news and tips delivered to your inbox as always.

You’ll shop the mortgage, credit card and banking markets the same way, from the same providers.
You’ll continue to receive the latest news, reminders, and money-saving tips from us if you’ve subscribed to our email subscription service.
The team behind the scenes is the same.

If you’re already following us on social media, you don’t need to do anything else. If you’re new and want to join our online community, follow our social media handles @RATESDOTCA.
Why RATESDOTCA?
Shopping for insurance and financial services is never fun but RATESDOTCA makes it easy…

We are receiving an overwhelming amount of inquiries about supplementary health care insurance to compliment provincial plans.  In particular, most people are interested in continuing coverage during a career transition.  
If you are exiting an employer sponsored benefit plan be sure to contact your health insurance broker as soon as possible to ensure the easiest and most affordable transition.  
With a second wave of COVID 19 looming on the horizon, it is worth taking a look at what you and your family are protected for from a healthcare perspective. 
Overview 
Each Canadian province and territory has its own policies and standards for coverage when it comes to health insurance. 
While basic healthcare needs are largely covered by the Government here in Canada, there are still many medications and medical treatments that citizens must pay for with their hard earned salaries and savings. 
To fill the gap, supplementary health & dental  insurance exists to ensure families across our great nation are protected and well supported when in need…

The Marriott Bonvoy™ American Express® Card comes with a great sign up bonus of 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points along with a great everyday earn rate but it also has a decent offer for holding on to the card beyond your first year. Upon your card’s anniversary you’ll receive a free Marriott Annual Free Night Award for up to 35,000 points at eligible hotels and resorts worldwide. You get this benefit each and every year you have the card. This means you could redeem it for hotels that fall under the Category 1 to 5 levels in the Standard category:  You can even push it to Category 6 if you can find a hotel that is running an Off Peak PointSavers rate as those are only 35,000 points as well. Now more than ever with so many travel restrictions in place, a lot of Canadians are exploring our own  backyard instead of travelling abroad and if you have your anniversary certificate sitting in your account (it should have been extended to early 2021 by Marriott thanks to the pandemic) or are expecting one to come soon it can be ideal to use it for a great staycation! When I compare rates at many of these hotels on the list, their nightly rates have definitely come down compared to this time last year but many are still pricing out over $200 per night (almost $400 for the example below) so you are coming out ahead with the certificate based on the $120 annual fee on the card…

 Thanks to long time reader and fan of Rewards Canada – BenSenise we have more American Express Cobalt Card multiplier updates for you. Here’s what Ben provided: Market on Millstream Red Barn Market (7 locations around Victoria, BC) The Root Cellar (grocery store, Saanich, BC) J & J Wonton Noodle House, (restaurant, Victoria BC) Village Food Markets, (grocery store, Sooke, BC) Stoked Pizzeria (Shirley, BC) Sakura Sushi & Grocery (Victoria, BC)All of the above are 5x point multiplier locations. Be sure to check out our American Express Cobalt Card Confirmed Multiplier Locations feature to learn of these and many other locations in Canada and worldwide where you can earn those extra points! Earlier this month we let you know about the awesome transfer bonus from Coast Hotels Coast Rewards to Air Canada Aeroplan but what we didn’t know was when the offer was to end.. Coast has finally updated their website with an end date which happens to be tomorrow (Sep 30) Learn more here…

We are excited to announce that RateSupermarket.ca will become RATESDOTCA. Don’t worry, besides a name change, how you compare the best credit cards and mortgage rates will remain the same.
What does this mean for you?
Our name is changing, but rest assured, everything else will remain the same.
In a nutshell, you’ll continue to have access to the best rates from Canadian mortgage brokers and lenders, credit card offers and promotions, and money news and tips delivered to your inbox as always.

You’ll shop the mortgage, credit card and banking markets the same way, from the same providers.
You’ll continue to receive the latest news, reminders, and money-saving tips from us if you’ve subscribed to our email subscription service.
The team behind the scenes is the same.

If you’re already following us on social media, you don’t need to do anything else. If you’re new and want to join our online community, follow our social media handles @RATESDOTCA.
Why RATESDOTCA?
Shopping for insurance and financial services is never fun but RATESDOTCA makes it easy…

 Want to get some early Christmas shopping done? You might want to do it today as AIR MILES has launched a flash deal offering 10x the AIR MILES Reward Miles on all purchases made via airmilesshops.ca! This offer is only valid today and is site wide so you’ll earn the 10x miles on all the retailers offered via the shopping portal.As always don’t forget that you will also earn your loyalty points from the end retailer as well such as Indigo’s Plum Rewards, Lego VIP and more on top of this bonus and your credit card points/miles/cashabackLearn more about this offer here.

We are excited to announce that RateSupermarket.ca will become RATESDOTCA. Don’t worry, besides a name change, how you compare the best credit cards and mortgage rates will remain the same.
What does this mean for you?
Our name is changing, but rest assured, everything else will remain the same.
In a nutshell, you’ll continue to have access to the best rates from Canadian mortgage brokers and lenders, credit card offers and promotions, and money news and tips delivered to your inbox as always.

You’ll shop the mortgage, credit card and banking markets the same way, from the same providers.
You’ll continue to receive the latest news, reminders, and money-saving tips from us if you’ve subscribed to our email subscription service.
The team behind the scenes is the same.

If you’re already following us on social media, you don’t need to do anything else. If you’re new and want to join our online community, follow our social media handles @RATESDOTCA.
Why RATESDOTCA?
Shopping for insurance and financial services is never fun but RATESDOTCA makes it easy…

We are excited to announce that RateSupermarket.ca will become RATESDOTCA. Don’t worry, besides a name change, how you compare the best credit cards and mortgage rates will remain the same.
What does this mean for you?
Our name is changing, but rest assured, everything else will remain the same.
In a nutshell, you’ll continue to have access to the best rates from Canadian mortgage brokers and lenders, credit card offers and promotions, and money news and tips delivered to your inbox as always.

You’ll shop the mortgage, credit card and banking markets the same way, from the same providers.
You’ll continue to receive the latest news, reminders, and money-saving tips from us if you’ve subscribed to our email subscription service.
The team behind the scenes is the same.

If you’re already following us on social media, you don’t need to do anything else. If you’re new and want to join our online community, follow our social media handles @RATESDOTCA.
Why RATESDOTCA?
Shopping for insurance and financial services is never fun but RATESDOTCA makes it easy…

The majority of Canadians are homeowners, and many more want to buy, but not everyone can afford to do so. If you’re one of those who are looking to get into the market and don’t have enough money saved up yet or you currently have poor credit, there’s always the option to rent to own.
Understanding rent-to-own deals
With a rent-to-own property, the end goal is to eventually own it after a period of renting. During your time as a tenant, you should be saving enough to make a down payment and/or improve your credit to qualify for a mortgage.
The seller will initially rent out the home for a period of time—often one to three years—before selling the property after that period at a price agreed upon in the present. This prevents buyers from being surprised if the value of the property increases significantly during that time. However, in some cases, the property may be appraised closer to the date of the sale to determine the price.
A rent-to-own agreement may include an option to buy the home or a commitment to buy it once the lease ends…

 Here’s a sweet offer for those of you who have an Aeroplan co-brand credit card issued by TD and are lucky enough to be targetted for it! Keep an eye out for the email in your in-box to see if you are one of the lucky ones.  The offer which launches today (September 16th) offers select TD Aeroplan cardholders 10 Aeroplan Miles for every dollar spent at aircanada.com including Air Canada Vacations packages, car rentals, hotel bookings, and other third party partner products and services that can be purchased through aircanada.com. The extra miles offer is good for anty purchases made by September 30 and is available to targetted holders of the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite card, TD Aeroplan Platinum Visa card, TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege card and TD Aeroplan Visa Business card.This is a huge bonus considering the normal earn rates for aircanada.com purchases range from as little a mile for $1.50 spent on the Platinum version of the card to 1.5 miles per $1 spent for the remaining three cards…

The majority of Canadians are homeowners, and many more want to buy, but not everyone can afford to do so. If you’re one of those who are looking to get into the market and don’t have enough money saved up yet or you currently have poor credit, there’s always the option to rent to own.
Understanding rent-to-own deals
With a rent-to-own property, the end goal is to eventually own it after a period of renting. During your time as a tenant, you should be saving enough to make a down payment and/or improve your credit to qualify for a mortgage.
The seller will initially rent out the home for a period of time—often one to three years—before selling the property after that period at a price agreed upon in the present. This prevents buyers from being surprised if the value of the property increases significantly during that time. However, in some cases, the property may be appraised closer to the date of the sale to determine the price.
A rent-to-own agreement may include an option to buy the home or a commitment to buy it once the lease ends…

 You can earn 25 bonus AIR MILES Reward Miles when you shop online via airmilesshops.ca at select apparel retailers. The bonus will be awarded when you spend $75 or more in one single transaction at any of the retailers listed below. This offers runs from today to September 21. Find out more here. Adidas, Aldo, All Saints, Altitude Sports, American Eagle, Anthropologie, Ardene, ASOS, Banana Republic, Bench, Bentley, Bloomingdale’s, Blue Nile Canada, Bluenotes, Boohoo, Call It Spring, Calvin Klein, Charles and Keith, Clarks, Clearly, Club Monaco, Coach, DC Shoes, Decathlon, Designer Shoe Warehouse, Deux Par Deux, East Dane, Eastern Mountain Sports, ECCO, Eddie Bauer, Ever New, Express, EyeBuyDirect, Famous Footwear, Footlocker, Forzieri, Fossil, Frank and Oak, Gap, Globo Shoes, Guess, Guess Factory, H&M, Hatley, Herschel Supply Company, Hunter, Influenceu, J.Crew, J.Crew Factory, Kate Spade, Keds, L.L Bean, La Canadienne, La Senza, Lacoste, Land’s End, Le Chateau, Lids, Little Burgundy, Mackage, Macy’s, Marciano, Matt & Nat, Michael Kors, Moschino, Mountain Hardwear, Naturalizer, NBA Store Canada, New Balance, NFL Shop, NHLShop…

This fall, Air Canada will unveil a new and improved Aeroplan loyalty program. Canada’s largest airline has been promising big changes for a while now, and with the COVID-19 pandemic posing a serious threat to the entire travel industry in 2020, an upgraded loyalty program couldn’t come at a better time.
According to Air Canada, the goal of the transformed Aeroplan is to “get you to a flight reward, more easily, with more value.” We’ll find out if that’s indeed the case, but for now the proposed changes sound promising. In this article I’ll let you know what you can expect from the new Aeroplan program so that you’re prepared for it’s launch in a couple of months.
New Aeroplan Rewards Launch Date
The new Aeroplan program comes into effect on November 8, 2020, with a new Aeroplan logo which will be more closely linked to the Air Canada brand. As of this date, current members will see their existing miles converted 1:1 to Aeroplan points, and the new features will take effect…

Credit cards have become ubiquitous, used to pay for everything from gas to travel to home delivery. Managed properly, they’re also essential financial tools, allowing cardholders to build credit, earn cash back or travel points, and gain valuable perks, like insurance or purchase protection. Carrying a balance, however, changes everything. “Credit card debt is very high-interest debt, typically in the neighbourhood of 20% or more,” says Scott Hannah, president and CEO of Credit Counselling Society. At that rate, even a modest balance can spiral quickly out of control. 
If you’re holding a balance on your credit card, paying it off is task number one, so you can once again enjoy its benefits. Here are 10 solid tips to help you get to a $0 balance, faster.
1. Examine your spending habits 
It might seem obvious, but you can’t improve on something if you don’t understand it.  “Typically, when someone comes to us looking for help, our first goal is to look at their expenditures and balance their budget,” says Hannah…

For a limited time, new Aeroplan members can get 2,500 bonus miles (soon to be Aeroplan points) when they join and earn their first mile before the end of September 2020.
Members can earn miles through in-store and online purchases at partner brands by scanning their Aeroplan card or using their Aeroplan credit card. Cardmembers who carry both an Aeroplan credit card and membership card can double-dip on points, earning rewards faster.
In-store partners currently include Home Hardware and The UPS Store. However, there are over 170 retailers available through the Aeroplan eStore. Members can earn at least one mile for every $1 they spend at stores like Indigo, Bose, the Apple Store, Uber Eats and Amazon.ca.
Online shopping through the eStore is easy. Simply type in your membership number and last name to log in, select the partner you wish to shop with and click “Yes, shop now” to launch the affiliated site. These few extra steps in your online shopping ritual won’t cost you any additional money, and you’ll earn miles…

For a limited time, new Aeroplan members can get 2,500 bonus miles (soon to be Aeroplan points) when they join and earn their first mile before the end of September 2020.
Members can earn miles through in-store and online purchases at partner brands by scanning their Aeroplan card or using their Aeroplan credit card. Cardmembers who carry both an Aeroplan credit card and membership card can double-dip on points, earning rewards faster.
In-store partners currently include Home Hardware and The UPS Store. However, there are over 170 retailers available through the Aeroplan eStore. Members can earn at least one mile for every $1 they spend at stores like Indigo, Bose, the Apple Store, Uber Eats and Amazon.ca.
Online shopping through the eStore is easy. Simply type in your membership number and last name to log in, select the partner you wish to shop with and click “Yes, shop now” to launch the affiliated site. These few extra steps in your online shopping ritual won’t cost you any additional money, and you’ll earn miles…

 It’s American Express’ turn to jump back into the 10% return welcome bonus market. We’ve seen it on many of Canada’s cash back cards this year and we even did our first Clash of the Credit Cards podcast on those 10% offers back in July. Recommend listening: Podcast Episode 68 Clash of the Credit Cards – The Ten PercentersAs of today if you apply for and are approved for the SimplyCash™ Preferred Card from American Express you will earn 10% cash back on all eligible purchases for the first 4 months of Cardmembership. The welcome bonus is capped at $400 cash back which is $4,000 in spending on the card or as little as $1,000 per month. The previous offer was the standard 5% for 6 months capped at $300 cash back. The card still has its $99 annual fee that you have to pay, no waiver for the first year like some of its competitors but once you earn the $400 you’ll come out with $301 in cash back. Even with having to pay the annual fee this new welcome bonus puts the SimplyCash Preferred Card at the top of the list in terms of initial value as the next closest card is $250 (and that card is limited to select spend categories) while most of the other majors are at $200…

Today and tomorrow you can earn 50,000 bonus PC Optimum points when you spend $150 or more online with Shoppers Drug Mart. Those 50,000 points are worth $50. Find out more here. Image via Shoppers Drug Mart Meanwhile Rexall will also be awarding 50,000 bonus points on beauty products but on Thursday only. There is a minimum spend of $50 for their offer and you have to login and load the offer to your account.Image via Rexall  AIR MILES has a new offer out with Hearing Life where you can earn 150 miles for completing a hearing test with them and up to 1,000 more miles if you purchase hearing aids. This offer is good to the end of September. Find out more here.Image via AIR MILES Airline Schedule Updates A summary Canadian operations based on data from RoutesOnline and other sources. Remember that many of these route plans are subject to change and right now they are changing frequently!American Airlines is planning to add a new route between Calgary and Phoenix this November…

Now that Air Canada has acquired the Aeroplan loyalty program—and announced that it will be replacing Aeroplan with something new in 2020—we know that Aeroplan-affiliated credit card offerings will be changing in the future, too.
In the meantime, Air Canada has promised it will be business as usual when it comes to earning and redeeming Aeroplan rewards points, and for frequent flyers of Air Canada and Star Alliance partners, there are some lucrative rewards credit card offers to consider right now. We’ve selected the best Aeroplan credit cards based on our analysis of fees, points accumulation, redemption structures and flexibility to help get you to your next vacation faster. 
The best Aeroplan credit cards in Canada

Best overall Aeroplan cards: TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite; CIBC Aerogold Visa Infinite
Best for transferable rewards: American Express Gold Rewards
Best premium credit card for Aeroplan users: American Express Platinum
Best entry-level Aeroplan credit card: CIBC Aero Platinum Visa
About the program: Quick Aeroplan FAQ

Best overall Aeroplan credit cards
TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite*

This card offers one of the largest and easiest to achieve sign-up incentives in the market today…

 Air Canada is once again offering some bonus Aeroplan miles for buying gift cards directly from them. Until September 7 when you buy an Air Canada Gift Card you will receive 2 Aeroplan Miles per dollar spent on cards up to $750 or 5 Aeroplan Miles per dollar when you purchase cards with a value over $750. The miles can be earned up to a maximum of $10,000 for 50,000 Aeroplan Miles. Note however that you can only buy a maximum of $2,000 per order so it would take 5 separate transactions if you do want to max this offer at the $10,000 level.This is quite an appealing offer as receiving 5 Aeroplan Miles per dollar spent is more than you would earn with any credit card out there for Air Canada flights. On top of that you also get whatever miles or points you earn on your credit card for the actual gift card purchase, so the earning potential is very attractive. The only concern that you need to take into account with using gift cards for flights is that you may not be covered by your credit card insurance for those flights in terms of trip interruption, cancellation, baggage delay and so on…

The number of Canadians redeeming credit card points for everyday purchases is surging during the pandemic, according to a study by CIBC. Typically, Canadians would use their credit card points to travel this time of year. However, COVID-19 continues to restrict border crossings and flights, which is causing an unusual trend in credit card redemptions.
CIBC is one of the five largest banks in Canada and is a global institution that has over 10 million personal, business, institutional and public sector clients. The bank’s recent study reviews the redemption of CIBC Aventura rewards points between March and June 2020. The study found an immense increase in the redemption of points for merchandise and gift cards.
“While travel redemption is down significantly, clients are finding value in the flexibility of using their Aventura points where it matters most to them in this environment,” Jennifer Davidson, the Vice President of Cards Products at CIBC, said in a press release.
Additionally, CIBC suggests that credit card rewards redemptions for electronics and house and home improvement categories are up by 72%…

The number of Canadians redeeming credit card points for everyday purchases is surging during the pandemic, according to a study by CIBC. Typically, Canadians would use their credit card points to travel this time of year. However, COVID-19 continues to restrict border crossings and flights, which is causing an unusual trend in credit card redemptions.
CIBC is one of the five largest banks in Canada and is a global institution that has over 10 million personal, business, institutional and public sector clients. The bank’s recent study reviews the redemption of CIBC Aventura rewards points between March and June 2020. The study found an immense increase in the redemption of points for merchandise and gift cards.
“While travel redemption is down significantly, clients are finding value in the flexibility of using their Aventura points where it matters most to them in this environment,” Jennifer Davidson, the Vice President of Cards Products at CIBC, said in a press release.
Additionally, CIBC suggests that credit card rewards redemptions for electronics and house and home improvement categories are up by 72%…

The number of Canadians redeeming credit card points for everyday purchases is surging during the pandemic, according to a study by CIBC. Typically, Canadians would use their credit card points to travel this time of year. However, COVID-19 continues to restrict border crossings and flights, which is causing an unusual trend in credit card redemptions.
CIBC is one of the five largest banks in Canada and is a global institution that has over 10 million personal, business, institutional and public sector clients. The bank’s recent study reviews the redemption of CIBC Aventura rewards points between March and June 2020. The study found an immense increase in the redemption of points for merchandise and gift cards.
“While travel redemption is down significantly, clients are finding value in the flexibility of using their Aventura points where it matters most to them in this environment,” Jennifer Davidson, the Vice President of Cards Products at CIBC, said in a press release.
Additionally, CIBC suggests that credit card rewards redemptions for electronics and house and home improvement categories are up by 72%…