I'm sure this is a tired topic, but everyone has an opinion on it, so I figure I'll share mine.

I'm by no means a frequent flyer, in fact I signed up for Aeroplan so I could get the $3 discount per flight leg by being able to decline the Aeroplan points. They'll probably expire before I get anything out of them.

Here's my take:

Credit report bureaus are required by law to discuss your report with you if their report was used and you were denied or rejected credit when requesting a loan.    

I have absolutely no idea what kind of help they can offer over the phone, so if you're aware, please post a comment here.

I consider the BMO Prepaid Travel Mosaik Mastercard to be the best reloadable prepaid cards on the market.

Here's (mostly) why:

Mastercards and Visa Cards for Canadian Teens

CIBC Launches First Debit Visa Card in Canada

The best bank account in Canada, for those that need an advanced banking package with a ton of features is the TD Canada Trust Select Service Account.

Click here for NOVEMBER 2010 Update: CIBC Launches First Debit Visa Card in Canada: So Far, LOOKS GOOD!

Well, it's January 27th, and I just received my CitiMastercard Enrich Rebate cheque. Their credit card is pretty much the only one in Canada that gives you 1% cash back from the first dollar with no annual fees and no minimums (though there is a max rebate of $250/year I think).

The cheques are mailed out of Toronto/Mississauga, so it's likely an overnight thing for me, but those out East or West might need to wait a few days before getting them.

As stated in my review of the prepaid cards available on the Canadian market, there are those that are non-reloadable and anonymous, and those that are reloadable and engraved with your name and everything.

Seriously, I'd highly recommend reading through my Canadian Prepaid Visa & Mastercard review. Seriously. 

Avoid the MuchMusic Prepaid Card, you pay too much for what you get. 

TD Rebate Rewards Visa Card

The Toronto Dominion Rebate Rewards Visa is a fairly run-of-the-mill no fee credit card. It has one main benefit over TD's basic "Green" Visa card, and that is its 0.5% cash back on your first $3000 in purchases, and then 1% cash back, up to some maximum.

Just thought others would benefit from this read world experience.

I shipped a package via Canada Post Surface Mail from Toronto Ontario Canada to Paris France.

I'm sure UPS/Fedex/DHL could get it there faster, but probably at a substantially higher price.

Get Rid of that Spare Change!

2011 Update: BMO now has FREE coin counting machines too. The current list is here, and they have some outside of Ontario too!

CIBC offers two Dividend Visas:

These are their two Visa credit cards that offer cash back rewards. Not points, but cash. I'll address their Aerogold and Aventura Visa cards in a later article. But for now...

Of course, confirm everything with your bank. There may be exceptions, get the sure answer from them.

Do you make a lot of purchases where you can't use a credit card, or perhaps you don't qualify for a decent rewards credit card, like the Citi Enrich 1% Cash Back card?

Well, there are actually reward DEBIT cards (yes, those Interac cards) available for Canadians.

For Canadians, a valid passport is already required for those planning on entering the United States via Air, such as an international flight from Toronto to Seattle. However, a passport would NOT be required if you were to drive across the border to Buffalo and then take a flight to Seattle from there. This is as of 2008.

Canadian Passport Related Articles that may be helpful:

• Using the Online EPass Form to Skip the Line At the Office
• Passports and Criminal Records & Charges
• • Dan Matan's blog
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Tracking Your Passport Application

All Canadian Passport Applications are trackable. Your receipt should have a file number, but even if this has been lost, you can still fill in your other relevant information.

Nortel , the Toronto-based Company now focusses on four product areas: Carrier Networks (for mobile products), Enterprise Solutions, Metro Ethernet Networks and Global Services.

 

Update: Passport Application Renewals:

The new "Simplified Passport Application Renewal" Procedure seems to be eligible for the same Epass short-lineups, but I think this might depend on the location.