I have previously written a post about The Importance of Diversification, but I feel that I am due for an update on this discussion. The temptation is to pool all our miles and points into one program, especially if we do not have many means to earn a lot of points and the desire to accumulate more miles or points into one program so that we can have a more decent reward redemption.
In the world of earning miles and points, we mostly think of travelling by plane and staying at hotels. However, the are also lots of positive in taking road trips instead. Below are some of my top reasons for taking a road trip.
The cash back competition continues to hear up as CIBC is now offering its first year fee waived to its Dividend Visa Infinite Card. If you have been contemplating signing up for this credit card, now is a great time to do so.
The Canadian dollar has recently fallen below 69 cents, hitting a 13-year low. This really hurts the wallet for those who want to travel down south. The amount you see on a US price tag needs to be multiplied by almost 1.5 times to equate to the price in Canadian dollars.
As I suspected, the credit card cash back competition is heating up. First up, in 2016 is the new Desjardins Cash Back World MasterCard. Right when I called Desjardins out to step up their game. Let’s see how worthwhile this new cash back credit card is.
Aeroplan and American Express have teamed up to offer 4 co-branded charged cards. They do not offer any credit cards cards, no any business version of the cards. Below is a list of changes and sign up bonus Aeroplan promotions to look out for.
American Express Membership Rewards is once again offering a 25% transfer bonus to the British Airways Executive Club.
The Bank of Montreal (BMO) is offering some higher than normal sign up bonuses on several credit cards. Below is a list of some if the promotions to look out for. If you have been contemplating some of the credit cards, now may be the right time to sign up.
Outside of the top 5 big banks (TD, Royal Bank, CIBC, Bank of Montreal, Scotiabank), which control much of the financial industry in Canada, it is slim pickings thereafter. American Express has a decent foothold in the Canadian credit card market, but there are a few companies that can breakthrough if they made some bolder moves.
American Express Canada is continuing to make negative changes to its sign up bonus and referral program. First, we saw the change to only one lifetime sign-up bonus per credit card. The only except is if you are referred by a friend, but that policy also took a negative hit where you need to wait at least 6 months in between sign ups.