President’s Choice to CIBC – Are You on Board?

PC Financial Free Banking Ends

On August 16, 2017 the news broke that CIBC is ending its almost 20-year relationship with President’s Choice Financial and will offer free banking through its own Simplii Financial. This news put 2 million PC Financial (PCF) customers in limbo as everyone is trying to make sense of this breakup.

The main reason people signed up with online banking provider PCF was to avoid big banks like CIBC (and pay no banking fees for basic banking) and now customers are all back under the same giant. CIBC mentioned there will be no change in anything such as account information or fees and business will be as usual under CIBC’s new free banking division Simplii, but confusion and uncertainty remain palpable.

There are talks about CIBC’s cutting some features customers have been enjoying for free with PCF and also declining in customer service satisfaction. PCF offered excellent customer service provided by call centres located in Canada. So it will be interesting to see if it starts to move over to India or somewhere else. A PCF representative mentioned to me that CIBC is moving over all PCF reps under its wing and customer service will be provided by the same group of people as before.

For now, customers remain cautious and will wait and see how the transformation plays out. There are other free online banking providers out there and if things go downhill, CIBC will definitely lose a good chunk of loyal customers who have been with PCF for years.

I have a video on this and you can watch by clicking the link below or on the picture at the top right.

The End of President’s Choice Financial

Portable Selfie LED Ring Light for Video or Smartphone

SOGOCOOL Selfie LED USB Light Review

Today, I will do a short review of a rechargeable selfie light that you can use for your lighting needs to take pictures or video. I have a video review of this product as well, which you can watch by clicking the picture on the top left. To clarify, like my other reviews, this is not a paid review and opinions are unbiased and honest. However, Canadian visitors can buy this by visiting my Amazon link mentioned here (SOGOCOOL LED Selfie Ring Light) and I will collect a small commission if you do so.

This LED ring light is very lightweight, portable, and made of 36 white LED lights. It’s very easy to carry and would fit in a small bag or carry-on luggage. My purpose for buying this was not for selfie pictures, but for video recording for my YouTube channel.

I have done several test clips of this LED ring light (see the video) and it works best when you need a light source in complete darkness. However, if you are outdoors and need a light source for your video or pictures or even when you are in indoors and need to brighten up your face, it does not seem to make any significant difference.

However, considering the low price of the SOGOCOOL Led Ring Light, you can’t go wrong buying it. When you need a light source for video or pictures in complete or semi-darkness, it really works and your face will be clearly visible when it otherwise wouldn’t. If you watch my video review, you will see how it’s performing in the dark and it’s easy to conclude that it works.

It can easily fit on top of any smartphone, laptop edge, or camera’s LCD flip screen and will provide the light when you need it. However, don’t expect it to provide heavy bright light like on a movie shooting because that’s not what it is.

Get Smarter by Seymour Schulich - A Must Read book

Affiliated Link: I collect Small Commission If You Purchase Using this Link

Life and Business Lessons

Get Smarter by Seymour Schulich is a business book full of life and business lessons from business and non-business perspectives. Seymour Schulich is a self-made Canadian billionaire and a great philanthropist. So far, he has donated over $200 million dollar to various educational and non-educational organizations. This is a book you must read and its money well spent – if you are buying this book.

Schulich has taken a very laid-back approach to describe his thoughts and you will never be bored reading this book. I will list some of my favourite chapters here:

• Money’s Value Falls 90 Per Cent Every Thirty Years

• There’s No Such Thing As Overnight Success

• Never Envy the Rich Man or Any Person

• China

• Spending Money

Get Smarter has 49 chapters in total. In appendix, Schulich describes his top ten movies, his trip to the Arab World and a reading list. Let me end this post by describing a quote by author’s which basically spells out the essence of personal finance teaching – “I have a 12-year-old car, a 35-year-old house and the same wife,”

First Published: ADawnJournal.com Dec 13, 2007