Get More by Asking

Ask to Save Money

First Published Date: January 20, 2016

Whether you are buying something or renewing a service, credit card, or anything for that matter, it does not hurt to explore opportunities to save money simply by asking. Yes, it may not work all the time, but you will never know the outcome if you don’t ask.

I will discuss two examples that I went through in the last few weeks in which I was able to save more and get more just by asking. The first incident was related to renewal of my hosting package that occurs every three years. I received an automated bill from my hosting company stating my credit card will be charged $360 in two weeks to renew my hosting for the next few years. Instead of just letting it happen, I called my web hosting company to see if they can provide me any discounts. After being on the phone with them for an hour and getting transferred from one department to another three times, the final rep was able to gave me deal with a 45% discount. So I saved $162 and ended up paying $198 – not bad for being on the phone for an hour.

The other example is related to renewing one of my annual fee credit cards. Just before the anniversary date, I called my credit card company and asked them if they could provide me a deal, stating that if not I would cancel my credit card. Sure enough, the rep came up with an offer that rewards me 15,000 points just for keeping the card. Yes, I have to pay a $120 annual fee, but the rewards points are worth more than $500 if I transfer them to airline points on promotion and use them for a flight.

It can definitely pay off to ask for more or discounts whenever opportunities exist.

Real Estate Buying Process In Canada

Canadian Real Estate Purchasing Process Explained

First Published Date: March 26, 2010

Real Estate 101 buying knowledge is very important to sellers and buyers of properties. Learning its basics can facilitate the process of buying. Property buying will always require a client to select his or her realtor, also called an agent. It is very easy to make a mistake at this point by selecting the wrong agency. When trying to purchase a Canadian house, avoid working with a dual agency because of some decision-making limitations. Certainly it has its advantages but as it represents both buyers and sellers, every decision is made after consulting each other.

Selecting a seller agency is not safe too because, as the name suggests, a buyer enjoys no representation at all. A buyer agency is the answer when a person wants to get more information about a real estate ad. Avoid choosing just about any Canadian buyer agency available. There is a realtor available to professionally handle the exact interests any client desires. These agents work on commission basis. Money should only be paid to them if a property is bought.

How does Real Estate 101 purchase process work?

The very first step to fulfill in the property buying process is seeking a mortgage pre-approval. This is a very positive progress that impresses any seller. It involves Mortgage form filling and forwarding all the required documents for approval. This can amazingly boost a buyer’s negotiation position because pre-approval shows his or her seriousness. This makes an agent’s job much easier and swift. He or she won’t continue searching for other properties that might interest the buyer.

Another very important document involved in the process is called a Property Condition Disclosure. A buyer must read it to know about the current property condition, its appliances, heating and water systems and so on. Failure to disclose any crucial detail about the property by the seller is not acceptable legally. An agent’s work is to help a buyer report and solve such a problem legally even after closing the sale.

Do you know what earnest money is in real estate 101 buying? A buyer is required to set a side a predetermined percentage of property cost in a Trust account. This money will be locked in the account until the parties reach an agreement and actually finalize the sale. Any realtor knows about this requirement anywhere in Canada and can provide help. If the first offer made by the buyer is good, a seller might accept it right away. If not a seller will reject this offer and propose another.

A buyer is free to accept, meaning he or she does not have a problem with any changes a seller proposes. Rejecting an offer means that a buyer is done and want to sign a Terminate Contract document. He or she wants to have his or her earnest money back. This gets buyer and the agent in the first step of finding a different property. A counter offer can be disappointing if no agreement is reached. However, if both the seller and buyer negotiate fairly, a final solution can be found. After this the parties are ready to close the sale and the buyer will own the property henceforth.

Declining Canadian Dollar Has Positives Too

Canadian Dollar Slides

First Published Date: January 24, 2016

The Canadian dollar is in a declining mode and hit a 13-year low recently by hitting below 69 cents. This happened last in 2003. There is no sign of moving into positive territory in the short run, as the oil price is staying around or below $30 US.

As a wide array of global issues are unfolding, it’s hard to see anything positive enough to push up the Canadian dollar any time soon. China’s sluggish economy, Iran’s stepping into the global market, and the Syrian crisis are only a few to mention.

However, it can’t be all bad for a dollar that’s at its decade low. Yes, a low dollar means paying more at the groceries, travelling abroad less, and shopping less online and outside Canada, but it has some good sides too.

The film industry, Hollywood North, has experienced an accelerated incoming flow from Hollywood to make more movies due to the low dollar.

The tourism industry is also going through a boost as more visitors are coming in from the USA and across the globe. From hotels to dining, and everything else, the Canadian dollar makes much more sense now than before.

Shopping malls across Canada are experiencing more foreign buyers than ever before. In the past, Canadians are the one to cross the border for bargains, but the picture has reversed, as Americans are finding things a lot cheaper with currency conversions and shopping in Canada makes sense.

Industries such as animal agriculture, mining, goods and services, automotive, and anything related to manufacturing industries will be able to export more as foreign buyers will find cheaper prices more attractive due to the dollar’s nosedive.

As the Canadian dollar goes through its cycle, just like everything else, Canadians are embracing and adjusting to deal with the dollar’s peak and dips.

What Rewards Canada Is Not Telling You About Its Top Travel Rewards Credit Cards

Don’t Get Burned Trusting These Ratings

First Published Date : January 25, 2016

Canada’s travel rewards website Rewards Canada just came up with its annual ranking of best credit cards. This is one of many sites that do annual ranking for travel and other rewards credit cards. The site is pretty upfront about its ratings and telling all sorts of good things about the cards it is recommending. However, it is not telling you a lot of important information you need to know before booking your trip with one of these cards.

For example, if you follow Rewards Canada blindly and book your trip with its number one recommendation travel card (American Express Gold) and you need to cancel your trip due to illness, you will get burned heavily before your sun-filled trip to the Caribbean begins because the number one card does not come with trip cancellation insurance. What may interest you is the fact that many other travel cards that charge a lower annual fee than Amex Gold offer full travel insurance including trip cancellation.

These rating sites are hiding a vital piece of information from consumers that you should have before making any selections. What’s more? They are also not disclosing if there is any financial compensation going on behind the scenes to put certain cards on the top of the list. However, you can rest assured that they are heavily compensated when you apply for any of these cards by clicking on the Rewards Canada website.

These sites are affiliated with all these credit cards they are recommending. If you hover your cursor on the link underneath the card picture, you will see an affiliate ID or tracking code. That’s how credit card companies keep track of their accounts (how many people are signing up) and pay them. The more good things you hear about these cards, the more people will sign up and more compensation is generated for these sites. So for obvious reasons, you are not going to hear anything that prohibits you from signing up for these top cards.

Here are some facts I have here today for you, which you will not find anywhere on any sites that are rating these cards for obvious reasons.

American Express Gold – A travel card that charges a $150 annual fee and does not offer trip cancellation insurance. You may lose all your money if you have to cancel your trip for valid covered medical reasons. Neither American Express nor Rewards Canada will tell you that it’s risky behaviour booking a trip without trip cancellation insurance.

Capital One Aspire Travel World Elite MasterCard – Insurances provided by American Bankers Insurance Company of Florida, an American insurer. There are numerous complaints and bad reviews online about these providers when it actually comes to processing claims. All the insurance benefits this card provides look very good on paper, but would mean nothing if they are unable to properly process your claims.

ScotiaBank Gold American Express Card – Same insurance provider as Capital One card above. Also, does not support contactless payment. What this means is that you have to punch in your PIN every time you make a purchase and no tapping. I doubt there is any other card in Canada that, instead of going forward, is going back in time and offering no contactless option.

(Update: July 1, 16 ScotiaBank Gold Amex now provides contactless payment feature)

When choosing your credit cards, do not rely on any single site, and look for if these sites are affiliated with the credit cards they are recommending. There are independent sites that do not offer affiliated links and the opinions you will find on these sites are likely to be unbiased. Also, go through the credit card company’s own sites and look for all the information they are providing. Spend some time researching your dream cards and make educated decisions based on information from various sources.

A Dawn Journal and my YouTube Channel are not compensated by or affiliated with any credit card companies. All credit card articles are 100% unbiased and honest.

Real Estate In Varna

The Eternal City of Varna and Moving There

First Published Date: Aug 29, 2010

If you are going to move somewhere in Europe, one of the best places to go has to be Varna. This Bulgarian city is the largest city along the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and the third largest city in all of Bulgaria after Plovdiv and Sofia. In all, it is the 92nd largest city in the European Union. Currently, it has a population of about 357,821 and it is often called the summer capital of Bulgaria because it is a major tourist city for the country and much of Europe. The city is a major business city, as well as an education one with its university. As well, it has a seaport where the Bulgarian Navy is stationed. In April of 2008, it became the seat of the Black Sea Euro-Region by the Council of Europe. Varna is generally considered to be the second-most important economic center in the country after the capital of Sofia thanks to its trade link over the Black Sea to Russia.

The country has a humid sub-tropical climate, which means it is generally warm all year round, something that many people like about it.

There are also many different sights within the city including Roman Baths, parks, an archaeological museum, the museum ship of the Drazki Torpedo Boat, as well as the Sea Garden, which is an open-air theatre and garden with museums, a zoo and more within it.

Now, if you are thinking of moving to the city, there are plenty of options for the city you decide to move to and you want to make sure you choose the right place for yourself. When you have a friend or someone within the city find you a good location, you need to do a few more things before you get the place.

1.    In Bulgaria, you need to own a Limited Liability Company within the country beforehand before you can buy property in Bulgaria. It is usually best to have the company with someone who is in the country to make it easier to manage.

2.    There are some fees you will have to pay out, including real estate fees, which can push roughly 10 percent of what the total cost of the purchase is. You need to make sure you are aware of the fees before buying.

3.    Make sure you have the proper visa through the Bulgarian government before you buy property. You need to have a visa that lets you live and work in the country for longer than 90 days.

4.    Once you have made the purchase, you need to have a notary process and approve the sale as they are the only ones within the country who can oversee a real estate sale.

Varna is a beautiful city and one you should truly consider if you are going to move to Bulgaria, as one that you may want to live in. It is a beautiful city, with plenty of history behind it.