Car Loans Getting Easier

Loan Approvals Have Risen To Their Highest

First Published Date: June 28, 2009

Canadians looking to purchase a new car in the second half of 2009 should find it easier than they did a few months ago, according to a new report which gives broadly positive news on the likely availability of car loans for new customers. The report, released this Thursday, 25 June 2009 says that loan approvals have risen to their highest level in more than a year, and since the recession was declared. At the time of the recession’s onset, getting credit for any purpose became a great deal more difficult, with affordable loans comparable to the Golden Fleece for anyone not in possession of a world-beating credit score. With financiers more willing to lend now than they were a year ago, the motorist is getting a green light to secure funding for the vehicle they want.

The main reason for this ease would seem to be the federal government’s move to secure the finance of $12billion worth of car loans which will allow the financing companies to lend to deserving customers who have a decent credit rating. In any recession there will be a reluctance to lend to anyone but the absolute “can’t miss” customers, who often have little need for a loan in order to buy a car and borrow more for convenience than out of necessity. This latest move will open up the chance to buy a new car to a wider range of individuals and allow a greater fluidity of cash through the industry, which will in turn help stimulate an economy in need of some good news as it battles its way through the recession.

The withdrawal of some major lenders from the auto-loan business over the past year is also believed to have played a major part in the absence of credit – with the Bank of Canada being a notable exception. The car companies themselves, though, had in no small part either removed their lending branches or increased the credit score necessary for them to forward credit to new customers. Although there is good reason for being circumspect in giving out new car loans, it did have the effect of creating a vicious cycle which saw fewer customers able to buy cars, and consequently fewer cars being bought.

The overall impression emerging from the latest news is that the credit-worthiness and the intent to buy new is experiencing a rise in Canada and that there will be increased growth in the Canadian auto market as the year progresses. Household credit ratings are improving as the lessons of the recession are learned, and in combination with an increase in the amount of retail and durable goods purchases over recent months, the least that can be said is that the worst of the recession is over. How quickly this translates into growth of a reasonable amount remains to be seen, but it is a relief for any financial commentator to be able to say that better days are very nearly here. How much better depends on how ready people are to believe it.

To streamline and minimize blog maintenance, I will be discontinuing maintaining the Canadapersonalfinancewebsite.com website (however, I will still hold the domain). I will gradually move all articles from this site to A Dawn Journal. This article originally published on the above website on June 28, 2009.

Is It Still Possible to Make Lots of Rewards Points from Credit Cards?

Rewards Points Opportunity Still Exists

First Published Date : July 23, 2015

In the past, credit card rewards points explorers were able to take advantage of juicy sign-up rewards bonuses over and over from the same cards and various different cards. However, some credit card companies closed the loophole that existed and others are working on closing it.

If you check the footnotes underneath credit card profiles on issuers’ websites, you will see that some of them are started to add something like this: Bonus offer is applicable to new members only. If you have held this card in the past, we may still approve your application, but will not reward you with any bonuses.

So this raises the question: Are the rewards points parties that existed until now all over? The answer is actually surprisingly both yes and no. Yes in the sense that like many points explorers did in the past – opening 5 to 10 accounts every year to rack up rewards points and then close those accounts after 3 months and then reopen them again to continue this rewards points party cycle – again and again are over. Credit card companies became aware of these parties and are closing the loopholes that existed.

However, the other answer is – no, it is still possible to make decent rewards points from bonuses every year and year after year. Slow and steady process is the key here and if you carefully apply for one credit card every six months, you can still make decent points without damaging your credit score.

But to succeed with this slow and steady process, there are other details you need to carefully consider and that’s what I will talk about in my upcoming book Credit Card Hacks: What Credit Card Companies Don’t Want You to Know. A full chapter will be dedicated on how to travel for free or with very little money from rewards points. Stay tuned for more once the book is published.

Canada Cottage Country Real Estate – Part Four

Collingwood Cottage Country RealEstate Is The Place To Be For Peace that Surpasses Understanding

First Published Date: Jan 20, 2009

Collingwood, located on the southern shores of the Muskokan Georgian Bay, is a recreational heaven just outside of the largest population in Canada.  It is known for its natural beauty and untouched wilderness and has real estate offerings at prices that are providing great opportunities for real estate investors.

This region is known for its’ skiing activities and is in fact titled the capital of Ontario skiing.  Set in a mountainous region the area boasts both beaches and mountains offering an endless list of possibilities when it comes to things to do.  From snowmobiles to beaches, this area has you covered if you are an outdoor enthusiast.  There is something fun to do here for the entire family.

The farmers market, which was originally started in the Old Town Hall building back in the 1890’s, features farmers, butchers, bakers, feed and wood sellers among others.  If you enjoy getting natural rations of fresh fruits, meats, vegetables and the like then you are in for a treat.

The Blue Mountain Resort is a world-renowned ski resort hosted in Collingwood.  Condos and cottages are available here for rent or purchase and you will have access to some of the most prestigious lands in all of Canada.  It features spa baths with entirely outdoor bath areas with a mix of hot and cold both available.  Dry saunas and eucalyptus steam rooms are an incredible way to rejuvenate your energy.  The cafes are surrounded by amazing landscaping weaving visual pleasures with great aromas to fulfill your senses.

Real estate here is available for every style taste and all budgets.  Single-family homes, condos, real estate rentals, Blue mountain chalets, farms, acreage, vacant lots to build a dream home, and waterfront properties are among the choices you have in Collingwood and the Blue Mountain region.  Known for its’ small-town charm it is the perfect blend of rural and urban settings with people that know how to make you feel at home.  Perfect for retirement or vacations this area boasts a wide offering of commercial and residential real estate properties that can be affordable for renters or multi-millionaires looking to make a home away from home.

Real estate professionals in the area are plentiful and they have the knowledge and understanding of the area with a desire to know your needs.  They can assist you in finding properties within your budget and answer any specific questions you have about the surrounding areas.  This area is an affordable way to get a little piece of heaven for those of you who enjoy the peace and tranquillity of preserved natural wilderness combined with urban activities not too far away!

To streamline and minimize blog maintenance, I will be discontinuing maintaining the realestateexpedition.com website (however, I will still hold the domain). I will gradually move all articles from this site to A Dawn Journal. This article originally published on the above website on Jan 20, 2009.

How To Save Money By Downsizing

Downsizing -Not Always Bad

First Published Date: July 05, 2009

Recession or no recession, it suits any of us to find a way of saving a few dollars here and there. It’s not a bad thing, and none of us should be at all concerned about how it will be viewed. The truth of the matter is that anywhere a saving can be made, there is potential to re-direct funds that may be needed elsewhere or highly beneficial. Looking into your regular expenditure and thinking about what changes you can make, you can come to the conclusion that there is a lot of gain to be made from making a cut – although in some cases it may make for an emotionally challenging decision. However, if you steel yourself for the process and give it your honest appraisal, you may find that it was the best decision you ever made.

One decision that will never be totally comfortable is the sale o f the family home. After all, so many things happened there that made it the center of a life you would not swap for anything. Nonetheless, if the time has come that the kids have moved out – not just to college but to a place of their own, possibly even a marital home – then you are left with a house where at least one room is going empty.

Sure, your kids will visit pretty regularly and may well stay over when they do, and you may well run into a moral quandary when the issue of selling the house they grew up in happens to arise. However, you can take sentiment too far. If selling the house and relocating to a smaller property will make your retirement and the years preceding it any more comfortable, then your kids ought to understand. Moving from a big house to a smaller one can result in a very large lump sum to deposit in the bank.

Downsizing is not solely about making a change from one thing to another, physically smaller thing, of course. Neither is it something that needs to happen when your children have left home and any big home-life change is going to be a lot rawer. Often, the main point of downsizing is to cut on wastage. Most of us have been guilty of spending money that did not need to be spent.

It is worth looking at purchases which hold their value well – for example, a car is not a good choice for downsizing from the “profit” point of view. However much you paid for that when it was new, it is probably worth a fraction now. Even if you have spent hours lovingly maintaining it, it started losing value the moment you drove it off the forecourt. Conversely, items like laptop computers hold their value exceptionally well. If you find that you are using the laptop less frequently, then you can make a few hundred bucks and save on the electricity that a charge-demanding laptop swallows up every day. If you can make do with a desktop computer, it offers more memory and efficiency – and could help you make a saving, too.

To streamline and minimize blog maintenance, I will be discontinuing maintaining the Canadapersonalfinancewebsite.com website (however, I will still hold the domain). I will gradually move all articles from this site to A Dawn Journal. This article originally published on the above website on July 5, 2009.

The High Dam of Aswan | Egypt Travel Blog: Day 3 (Part 25) 02D19

Aswan High Dam – The World's Largest Embankment Dam | Aswan

Egypt Travel Blog: 10 DAYS Egypt Explorer - Felucca Cruise & Red Sea

After reaching the Aswan High Dam, we got off our bus to experience this manmade miracle, an impressive two-mile engineering feat of the 1960s.

The Aswan High Dam was built during the reign of Gamal Abdel Nasser, with Soviet help (400 Soviet experts and engineers worked on the dam). At a cost of 1 Billion dollars, construction started in 1960 and ended in 1970.

The Dam is 3,850 meters (12,565 feet) long, 1,000 meters (3,281 feet) wide and 111 meters (364 feet) high. The volume of the dam's body is 43 million cubic meters of cement, iron and other materials, and a water flow of up to 11,000 cubic meters of water can pass through the dam.

The Aswan High Dam has Lake Nasser, which is the largest artificial lake in the world, on the south side and the Nile River on the Northside. The idea is to stop the Nile from flooding and reserve the water in the lake during a flood and use the water during a drought.

The Aswan High Dam virtually eliminated the danger of floods and can hold 132 cubic kilometres (31.7 cubic miles) of water in Lake Nasser, generating 2.1 gigawatts of hydropower at the dam wall.

We had limited time to view the Dam. It had picturesque views on both sides, with the sun reflecting on the waters. I spent time taking pictures and videos.

I saw Egyptian Army troops guarding the Dam with heavy weapons. There were also police working with them.

We would be heading to the Philae Temple from here, which is located on an island.