Being an immigrant in a new country can be an intimidating experience. In addition to learning a new language (in some cases), you also have to adapt to a new culture and a new way of living. When immigrating to Canada, your previous financial history is unfortunately often also irrelevant. Here are some money management tips for a new Canadian citizen to help you settle into your life in a new country. Continue reading “Money Management for a New Canadian Citizen”

So you get take out or eat at a restaurant once or twice a week, that’s no big deal. And sure, you buy a latte every morning but it’s only $4.00. Maybe the weather is changing and you need to restock your wardrobe – $50 on a nice sweater is pretty reasonable, especially if you plan to wear it a lot. And besides, you can always put it on credit and pay it back later, right? That’s how easy it is to fall into the trap of overspending. $4.00 here and $10.00 there might not seem like much but it’s troubling how quickly things add up. Here are some tips to help you stop overspending before you end up under a mountain of debt. Continue reading “How to Stop Overspending”

Knowing your credit score is an important part of being financially independent and responsible. Your credit score is the key to unlocking personal loans, mortgages, credit cards, and is often required by a landlord in order to rent property. So how can you actually check your credit score? There are a couple of different ways depending on your needs. Continue reading “How Can You Check Your Credit Score?”

Have you ever gotten a credit card bill and seen a charge for a small amount or for a company you don’t recognize? While your first instinct might be to assume it’s credit fraud or identity theft, there’s another less alarming option to consider: grey charges.

 

What are Grey Charges?

Grey charges are charges for services you’ve forgotten about or were not aware of and that you don’t use but that are still charged to your credit card on a monthly, quarterly, or yearly basis. Remember the gym membership you signed up for and totally forgot about? How about that video streaming service with one month free and then they charge you full price every month? Despite not actually going to the gym or using the VOD service, the company could easily still be charging you if you forgot to cancel (depending on the length and terms of your contract).

Continue reading “Grey Charges – What are They?”

Having access to credit isn’t just a fundamental part of how society functions, it’s a requirement for a huge number of important financial milestones. Mortgage, car loan, student loan, you name it: a good credit score is your key to tapping into borrowed money.

So how do you actually obtain a good credit score? Keep reading to learn how to become a credit super star and stay on top of your finances. Continue reading “A Good Credit Score: Become a Credit Superstar”