Advantages and Disadvantages of Electronic or Online Statements (eStatements)

Advantages and Disadvantages of Electronic or Online Statements (eStatements)

First Published Date: July 15, 2012 ADawnJournal.com

Financial institutions and all other institutions, whoever needs to send you a statement monthly, quarterly, or annually, are moving towards eliminating paper statements and encouraging customers to subscribe or access statements online. Some banks will charge you if you still want to have paper statements. I am slowly switching from paper statements to online statements. Today, I will discuss some advantages and disadvantages of having statements delivered online.

Advantages of Electronic or Online Statements

– When I moved in the past, I was always scared that my paper statements would arrive after I had moved and it would go to the wrong hands. With online statements, this is not possible as you will have access to it anywhere on earth 24/7 – regardless how many times you move or wherever you go.

– Easy to manage and keep organised. With paper statements, I always had statements piling up and sometimes I missed deadlines because some statements went missing or were underneath so many other statements. Online statements make your life a lot easier and never miss a payment again if you know how to keep your email organised and tidy.

– No more waiting for the mail to arrive. Better yet, no need to worry if your mail goes missing. Electronic statements are available and accessible instantly as soon as your institutions release them.

– Saves trees and saves money. Feel good about yourself knowing you are doing your part to protect the environment.

Disadvantages of Electronic or Online Statements

I don’t think there are really any disadvantages using online statements. Some may argue that online statements are not secure, lots of hassle to access, and lacking the ability to have physical records. All these disadvantages are actually depend on how you handle it. If you are knowledgeable enough to secure your digital life, online statements are actually more secure than paper statements. And if you still like to have paper records, online statements give you the option to print it off to file it for your records. I recommend you go through some articles I wrote regarding Internet security here: Internet & Investment Fraud and Scams

NB – Online or electronic statements may also be known by other names such as electronic or online documents (eDocuments or eDoc), electronic or online invoices (eInvoices),electronic or online billings (eBillings), and so on.

Canada New Mortgage Rules

Changes to Canada’s Mortgage Rules

First Published Date: July 22, 2012 ADawnJournal.com

To tame the Canadian housing market, new mortgage rules kicked in starting June 9, 2012 for government insured mortgages. Here is what you need to know briefly:

– The maximum amortization period is now 25 years (down from 30 years).

– Borrowers now can refinance mortgages using 80 percent of the home value (down from 85 percent).

– Homes costing less than 1 million are eligible for mortgage.

– GDS (gross debt service ratio) ratio and TDS (total debt service ratio) are limited to 39 percent and 44 percent. GDS tells you the percentage of gross annual income you need to cover mortgage and housing related payments such as mortgage payments, property tax, 50% condo fees, etc. TDS tells you percentage of gross annual income you need to cover housing related payments and other debts such as credit cards, car loans, etc. So, TDS = GDS + other debts.

A point worth mentioning is that until these new changes, the acceptable GDS and TDS ratios for mortgages usually have been 32 percent and 40 percent. Also, lenders would relax GDS ratio for borrowers with higher credit scores.

RBC Offers RBC MyProject MasterCard to Pay For Projects - But Is It Worth It?

RBC Launches MyProject MasterCard

First Published Date: August 12, 2012

To start a brand new life after the wedding with heavy debt, and to put more Canadians into debts with their everyday projects such as renovations, vacations, or anything else you can possibly think of, RBC came up with an innovative idea to offer a credit card and a loan built into one called RBC MyProject MasterCard. However, the question is, is this credit card + loan worth trying for?

RBC MyProject MasterCard – How Does It Work?

For the first six months, RBC MyProject MasterCard works just like a regular credit card. You make purchases and accrue no interest during your first six months purchase period. After six months, RBC MyProject MasterCard balance will convert into a loan and monthly payments will start. The loan can be either a variable rate loan or a fixed-rate loan with an amortization period of up to 15 years. If you want, the loan can be paid off in full at anytime you want.

Is RBC MyProject MasterCard Worth It?

RBC MyProject MasterCard offers an unbeatable deal if you finance any projects for free for six months. Instead of spending cash, use RBC MyProject MasterCard and pay off the loan by the end of the six month purchase period without paying any interest. If your project is something that must be done even with paying interest, then use an RBC MyProject MasterCard instead of charging your regular credit cards and paying 20% interest. However, I would recommend you call RBC first to check what their variable and fixed interest rates are, and then check with other banks if they can offer a line of credit accounts below RBC’s interest rates.

Casio F-91W – The World's Best & Cheapest Value Watch

Casio Black Classic Casio F-91W - The Legendary Watch Everyone Should Own

If you ask around and show the legendary Casio F-91W, most likely people would be able to recognize this watch.

The Casio F-91W is one of the best, cheapest, and the most popular watches in the world. You can buy many other cheap watches these days, but a watch with the same high quality as the Casio F-91W will be hard to find.

Casio started producing the F91W in 1989, and it’s still in production to this day. Casio produces 3 million units per year. The Classic Casio F-91W has survived and stood the test of time and remains the most popular watch in the world.

There are several factors that made the Casio F-91W become so popular: it is durable, unique, simple, functional, looks good, and feels comfortable to wear.

The learning curve to get acquainted with the Casio F-91W is not steep. It is very easy to learn and looks remarkably good on everyone, whether you are young, old, male, female, or kids.

The Casio F-91W is a minimalist watch that offers a simple LCD screen, three buttons or pushers, a stopwatch, a calendar and a battery life that can last somewhere between 7 to 10 years.

What I don’t understand is how Casio can still make and offer this timeless watch so cheap without compromising quality and features.

In Canada, you can grab the Casio F-91W for around $20 CAD. In the USA, it’s a mere $10. That’s a shocking value price given the fact that these days a fast-food meal costs around the same amount.

My video review of the Casio Classic Black is available below:

Timeless Classic Casio F-91W The Best Cheapest Watch

Do You Really Need A Visa Debit Card?

What Is A Visa Debit Card?

Published Date: September 23, 2012 ADawnJournal.com

Recently, I have noticed a steady stream of Visa debit ads as Canadian banks are trying hook up more clients with their comparatively new product, the Visa debit card. Today, I will discuss a few things about the Visa debit card.

The first thing you need to know is that although the name has Visa attached to it, the Visa debit card is not a credit card. Think of it as a bank card, but with international usability. A regular bank card issued by any bank becomes a worthless piece of plastic when you board a foreign-bound plane. However, a Visa debit card becomes your friend when you are in a foreign country.

You can make purchases around the globe with a Visa debit card – just like using a Visa credit card. However, the money comes out of your bank account instead of your credit card account. Visa debit card transactions are made through Visa’s network and protected by same security features and zero liability Visa offers like a Visa credit card.

Now the question may arise – why do you need a Visa debit card when you can use a credit card? Actually you don’t. If you have no problem paying your credit card bills on time in full, you may not need a Visa debit card. However, a Visa debit card is a good option for those who don’t want to deal with credit cards or do not have credit cards. Because money is coming out of your bank account directly, there is no question of ending up with credit card balances. You only buy what you can afford.

Although my bank mentioned that they will be sending me a new Visa debit card to replace my regular bank card, I will continue using a regular reward credit card when I travel outside Canada. And to carry a minimum numbers of cards, I will leave my Visa debit card at home.