Credit Cards

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Current Credit Card Strategy

ByMatt

I have been asked this question fairly often, so I think that I am due for writing a post about my current credit card strategy.

First off, I would like to go on record saying that my main goal has always been to bring my credit card bills down to zero. Any time I can find ways (not an easy feat) to reduce my costs, that is my highest priority. The goal is to keep my overall total monthly credit card bills to under $1,000 per month for a family of 3 and a business, which has been working out (minus a one time home renovation bill)!

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Top Cash Back Credit Card Offers for April 2017

ByMatt

Personally, I am still not a big fan of cash backs (mostly because of the lack of significant sign up bonuses), but it seems to be a big trend in Canada. Either way, there are still some decent options to look out for.

By the way, thank you Greg, for some feedback last time. I updated the posts accordingly this time around. Keep in mind that in most cases, the emphasis is really more on the promotional offer.

Capital One Tips on Protecting Against Credit Card Fraud

ByMatt

Capital One Canada has reached out to me to share a research that they conducted on credit card fraud. This has become a very sensitive topics in recent years, so Brent Reynolds, Managing Vice President of Capital One Canada, also provided some tips below on how you can better protect your personal information.

See also: All our posts about Capital One credit cards

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RBC Devaluing Conversion to American Airlines AAdvantage

ByMatt

One of my readers email me a few days ago about this, I was in denial for a few days. But it is true. If you log into your RBC Rewards account, you will find the following wording:

Please be advised of the upcoming changes to the conversion of RBC Rewards points to American Airlines AAdvantage miles through the RBC Rewards program. Effective May 2, 2017, for every 10 RBC Rewards points which is converted, you will receive 7 AAdvantage miles. A maximum of 500,000 points may be converted annually. A minimum conversion of 5,000 points continues to apply each time.

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RBC Visa Business Platinum Avion First Year Fee Waived

ByMatt

I was actually pretty shocked to see this promotion, as RBC rarely waive their annual fees, granted the RBC Visa Business Platinum Avion is a business card, rather than personal. Either way, I am just happy to see this offer. Below are the highlights of this credit card:

$120 annual fee (first year fee waived if you apply before May 31, 2017)

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Top Credit Card Higher than Normal Sign Up Bonuses for April 2017

ByMatt

Another list of top credit cards with higher than normal sign up bonuses. In case you feel that there are other promotions that I should list, keep in mind that I have also been providing two other types of lists:

Top Cash Back Credit Card Offers
Best Current First Year Fee Waived Cards

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[DISCONTINUED] Chase Amazon.ca Rewards Visa Discontinued?

ByMatt

Just a few days after a write a post comparing the co-branded Amazon credit cards between Canada and the United States, it seems like it the Canadian version has been discontinued. Here is the official wording:

As of April 3, 2017, we are no longer accepting applications for the Amazon.ca Rewards Visa Card and there is no other way to get the card at this time.

Comparing Canadian and U.S. Amazon Credit Cards

ByMatt

It has been fun for me to compare similar Canadian and U.S. based credit cards. So far, it has proven that Canada does have some competitive cards. I cannot expect them to be at par with each other. Today, we continue our comparison series with the Amazon co-branded cards.

Keep in mind that the U.S. has two versions of the card to consider. Below are the highlights of each respective cards:

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Comparing Canadian and U.S. Costco Credit Cards

ByMatt

After Costco dropped American Express as the exclusive accepted credit card at its retail stores, they took at MasterCard in Canada and Visa in the United States. Today, we will be comparing the two respective co-branded Costco credit cards available.

Both cards require the cardholder to be an existing Costco member to qualify. Furthermore, in both cases, the cash back is received once per year in the form of a Costco certificate (or rebate coupon).