Don't Book That Trip With Your Travel Rewards Credit Card Yet

Trip Cancellation Insurance Is Important

First Published Date: March 6, 2016

Before booking your next trip, make sure your travel rewards credit cards offer a very important insurance called Trip Cancellation Insurance. Many rewards travel credit cards do not offer this important insurance, although you will find mega sites like MoneySense or Rewards Canada are recommending these cards as the best travel credit cards and misleading consumers.

Trip Cancellation Insurance reimburses you in case a trip has to be cancelled due to covered causes like illness, death, and much more. You should not go on a trip without this insurance, as it will be a lifesaver in case you have to cancel your trip.

However, if you follow MoneySense or Rewards Canada blindly and book your trip with their number one recommended travel cards WestJet RBC World Elite MasterCard (MoneySense 2015) and American Express Gold (Rewards Canada 2016) and you need to cancel your trip due to illness, you will get burned heavily before your sun-filled trip to the Caribbean even begins because these “number one” cards do not come with trip cancellation insurance.

The methods these sites are using to rank the best travel credit cards are questionable and they do not have the consumer’s best interest at heart, as they are withholding vital pieces of information that you need to know before picking the best travel credit cards for you. For example, you will not find mentioned anywhere that those best travel credit cards are missing trip cancellation insurance. I wrote more about this in these articles:

Before picking any rewards credit cards, always do your research and look for independent web sites such as A Dawn Journal that are not affiliated with or compensated by credit card companies.

How to Buy Property in Australia

Buying Real Estate In Australia

First Published Date : June 20, 2010

Australia is a very popular country to not only vacation at, but live in, and every year thousands of people make the move to Australia where the sun shines every day and the people are very friendly. The country is considered to be one of the safest to live in, and routinely ranks high in terms of standard of living among its citizens.

If you are thinking of buying a home in Australia, then you need to submit an application through the Foreign Investment Review Board. As a foreigner, you can buy property in Australia that are already developed, to be developed, redeveloped or in the planning stage. The FIRB will review all applications for purchase of residential real estate within about 30 days on average. An approval is granted only on a specific property and there are no approvals given for simply buying a home in Australia. This means that for each property that a foreigner wants to buy, they need to put in another FIRB application.

There are several things that will influence the FIRB in their decision. Some examples, but which are not limited to:

·    If a foreign citizen is buying a property for the purpose of renting out the property, it will be refused.

·    If the foreign citizen is a purchaser who only wants to speculate on the property’s future value, they will have their application refused.

·    If the resident is residing in Australia on an entry visa with more than 12 months of validity and wants to buy a property for themselves, the application will be approved. This will have a condition that the property will be sold when the person no longer lives in Australia.

If you are thinking of buying property within Australia, you can send your application to:

The Executive Member

Foreign Investment Review Board

c/o The Treasury

Canberra ACT 2600

Whenever you decide to buy a home in Australia, it is important to have someone look at the property for you. If you have someone look at the property for you, they will be able to tell you if there are any problems with the property, or anything that you should know. If you are going to buy a property in Australia, you should talk with a real estate agent who will be able to help you navigate through the paperwork of being a foreigner buying a property.

Australia is a stunning country that is the home to 22 million people who all seem to love this island nation. Located in the Southern Hemisphere, the country boasts warm weather, beautiful beaches and plenty to do for anyone who loves the outdoors in a country that was founded on having fun outside. If you are going to buy property in Australia, make sure you go through the official channels to ensure that you get a property the right way and do not fall victim to any scams that may target foreigners looking to buy a property in Australia.

Positive Changes In Canadian Economy

Positive Changes In The Current Canadian Economic and Financial Situation

First Published Date: Feb 11, 2010

The Canadian financial events and news is based upon the analysis of a positive change in the current economic and financial situation in Canada. The seventh largest world economy and it is abundant with material wealth and a high-tech industrial society that belongs to the trillion -dollar class. The Canadian financial state and economy is based upon the foreign trade which is for about 2.7 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Canada experienced its sixteenth consecutive year with solid domestic growth product, which is dependant largely upon the natural resources, skilled labour force and modern capital industries. The prudent fiscal management has produced consecutive balanced budgets from 1997 till now. 

The global recession caused slackness in the labour market and also has cost Canada some 400,000 jobs. The plunge in the stock market temporarily compounded the thriving community to delay their retirement plans. But the unemployment rate growth and the number of workers available for skilled trades and some occupation dropped. The recession has only provided a temporary stay from the tense labour market of 2007 and 2008 although; the executive action briefing has provided with a statement the labour supply is now plentiful in many industries. The present and forthcoming skill shortages are embedded with the immigration policy and practice, as well as for the use of contract and fleeting workers. In this widespread scarcity, the progressional plans hold the paramount importance throughout the organizations. The strong employment rate remains the same with 380,000 new jobs and the unemployment rate has continued to stay at an average rate of 6.0% this year which is a record low rate.

Canada is in the list of G7 countries, in surplus from 2007 to 2009 as the expectations of the OECD remains. The international trade performances remains stable during the past challenging economic recession. An almost 60% increase in the value of dollar had been observed as compared to the US dollar since 2002. The Canadian dollar is expected to be just average under US $0.96 in 2010. As for a comparison in the past few years, the United States economy as compared to Canadian financial state and economy weakened and the demand of importing Canadian goods has been affected. The export of goods and services increased by 1.9 % in 2007 when it reached by $533 billion dollars and this has improved the Canadian financial state and economy. And the imports also went by an increase of 3.2 % to $503 billion dollars to support the Canadian financial state and economy.

If the Canadian financial experts and economists bring down the rates of finances, the consumer confidence will be raised higher, it shall encourage the consumer to loosen the strings around his purse. It has been speculated that the Bank of Canada may refrain from pushing up high interest rates until mid-year. The all items consumer price index is also moving from deflation to inflation since the retail gasoline prices have been rebounded. As it has been predicted that there will be an over all global recovery of the economic recession the second of 2010, downsizing and capitalization will improve. Over the past three years, the budget surpluses have allowed the government to begin pay down of the national debt of Canada. This also has given the chance to spend more on federal programs and reduce taxes, to the government. The national debt have come to the reduced figure of 19 billion Canadian dollars.

Real Estate In Sydney

Moving To Sydney

First Published Date: July 02, 2010

Probably one of the most famous cities in the world, and one of the most beautiful, is Sydney, Australia. The largest city in Australia with 4.5 million people, it is a place where you can find everything you could possibly want. It is also a world-class city, known for being an international center for commerce, arts, fashion, culture, education, tourism and entertainment. In addition, the city has featured many important events including the 1938 British Empire Games, the 2000 Summer Olympics and the 2003 Rugby World Cup. Mercer’s ranked Sydney as the 10th best city in the world to live in, while The Economists put Sydney as the seventh most liveable city on the planet.

This just shows that Sydney is a truly great city to live in, and this may be why it is probably the most popular city for foreigners to live in.

When you are thinking of buying property in Sydney, there are some things to take in mind. First, there are the various fees that you will pay including the bank fees to buy the property, stamp fees, and other types of fees associated with property in Australia. Probably the best course of action is to talk with a real estate agent because the agent will be able to tell you exactly what you need to do in order to make sure there are no problems when you buy a property.

Under new proposals that came into place in April of 2010, temporary residents of Australia now have to get permission from the Foreign Investment Review Board, in order to buy any real estate in Australia while living in another country. Under these new rules, you can buy a house but when you leave the country you must sell the house again. These regulations were put in place to crack down on foreigners who bend the rules, as well as real estate agents who help them.

Many Australians are worried about the impact of foreigner buyers on the housing market. Many Chinese investors bought properties in Sydney, causing property values to suddenly jump roughly five to ten percent. This is something that many Australians want to avoid and that means you may find it a bit tougher than you thought it would be to buy property within Sydney.

This does not mean you should not buy property in Sydney. That city is one of the best to live in out of all the cities in the world. You have the ocean right at your doorstep and probably the most famous opera house on the planet. In addition, the housing prices are starting to stabilize with the new rules and that means it may be easier for you to afford a house in Sydney.

Remember, you want to talk to a real estate agent about finding a place and if you can buy a property through a friend who is a citizen of Australia, you can have them buy the house, while you are the one who lives in it at various times through the year.

10 Tips to know before buying your home in Canada

Canada Real Estate Home Buying Tips

First Published Date: Feb 18, 2010

The picturesque beauty of Canada normally draws home buyers from all walks of life. Toronto is a vibrant city with lots to do. Again, living in the Yukon could be an adventure. Even living in Montreal would be a fascinating experience because it is one of the largest cities in Canada. You’re sure to always have something to do and see there.

Here are a few tips when looking for your new Canadian residence. Make the experience a joyful one.

1. Know what you want: It is best to get a general feel for what you’re looking for; do you want a home that has a certain amount of square footage?  A fixer upper? Two or three bedrooms, ranch style, garage? These are all things you should already have in mind before you buy.

2. Know the city you want to live in: If you work in a city like Toronto, it would not make sense to buy a home that is outside of the general area. Keep in mind if you’re comfortable in your job and feel secure there. You can choose a home close to your work place in order to cut down on transportation costs. If you choose to live in a large city like Montreal, you know you will find it easier to locate another job if that is needed.

3. Find a good realtor: interview several realtors and make sure the one you choose has a good feel for the area where you’re looking to find a home. Always engage estate agents with real that are well known especially those of them with proper licenses.

4. Settle for the best: know what your resources are and only settle for the best that your money can buy.

5. Keep in mind the travel aspect: know how far you are willing to travel to and fro with regard to your work. Again, you need to keep in mind the weather that Canada is best known for.

6. Know the area: Make sure you are comfortable with the area you’re looking into for your desired home. Study well and do your homework so you will be satisfied in the end.

7. Do your research: Keep in mind the schools and public transportation system of the area you’re moving to. If you want to be close to shopping or night life, make sure you do your research well.

8. Home inspection– make sure you have your inspections done before making an offer, things like mold and termites are very concern in Canada and you will want to be prepared and not taken by surprise with one of these issues later down the road.

9. Obtain a Mortgage– If your qualified for a loan or mortgage, go for it. This is usually a great avenue to have enough resources for your new home. Just make sure you have a repayment plan put in place in order to forestall a future foreclosure.

10. Moving in– Enjoy your moving in experience and get the help you need.

In all, Canada is a marvellous place to live in and choosing any home should be a wonderful experience. Study about Canada or the area you’re looking into for your new paradise and enjoy the experience of your new home as you get the desired one.