Financial Product Reviews

ExpressVPN is a Virtual Private Network (VPN) service that protects your personal data with end-to-end encryption, giving you control over your own online privacy and security. You'll also have the ability to get around geoblocking of certain websites and services, whether it's American Netflix, Hulu, or other content we can't normally access in Canada.

While few opt for a home equity line of credit instead of getting a traditional mortgage when they have relatively little equity in their home, this option can be attractive to those who owe less on their home. With the ability to split your TD Home Equity FlexLine into a revolving portion and a term portion, you can take advantage of interest rates when they're low and flexible prepayment options at the same time. You could use the term portion to pay off your house, for example, and the revolving portion to pay down existing debt or do some renovating.

With the rise in interest rates, variable rate mortgages have been declining in popularity in Canada. Consumers are looking for increased stability during this period of high inflation and cost of living.

With interest rates changing as often as they have been lately, variable rate mortgages aren't getting a whole lot of attention. Most people are looking to lock in their rates with longer term fixed rate mortgages, so options like open variable mortgages – with their shorter terms and unpredictable rates – are being chosen only by people with very specific mortgage requirements.

If you're looking for a 5 year mortgage, but you also want the option of paying it off whenever you want, you might be interested in a Scotiabank open variable mortgage. Open variable mortgages generally have 5 year terms with flexible repayment options – offering you complete control over how and when you pay them off, but still at competitive mortgage rates...for a time.

The RBC Homeline Plan is a surprising product from RBC that combines a traditional mortgage with a home equity line of credit. With this loan, homeowners have access to a revolving credit line that increases as what you owe on your mortgage decreases. It's an interesting, popular hybrid product that offers significant flexibility.

Condos have unique insurance considerations that aren't always taken into account by a more generalized home insurance policy. TD Condo Insurance has taken these unique qualities and created an insurance product that combines the best of its home insurance features with the specific needs of condominium living. It's specially designed to cover what the condo corporation's building insurance doesn't – things like personal liability, loss assessment, and more. And it covers this gap very, very well.

Trupanion is a reputable pet insurance provider in North America. They offer comprehensive policies for pet owners, including coverage for hereditary conditions, dental work, medication, and much more. You can also customize your deductible – giving you the option to raise or lower it as needed.

A TD line of credit is a borrowing tool that gives you easy access like a credit card, but often with a much lower interest rate. Because it's a revolving credit product, you'll be given up to a $50,000 credit limit which you can spend, pay off, and spend again. This convenience makes it a popular choice for debt consolidation, plus you can decide how much you can pay off each month, as long as you meet the minimum.

The Toronto Star digital edition features news and views from across Canada, but primarily has a strong focus on the GTA and Ontario. While many stories aren't specifically about news relevant to Ontarians, the paper is of limited value for most Canadians.