Financial Product Reviews

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.

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.

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.

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.

As you can guess from the name, the National Post is one of Canada's few newspapers that has a national rather than a regional or local focus. With a strong eye to news, politics, and business – and a lighter touch on topics like food and lifestyle – the National Post might not be of great interest for many Canadians.

With a long and storied history, the Globe and Mail is one of Canada's most widely read newspapers. Reaching over 6 million readers every week, the G&M covers stories and news of interest to people across all of Canada, where most other newspapers are much more focused on local or regional news. And, as a venerable Canadian institution, you know it's news you can trust.

The Scotiabank Getting There Savings Program For Youth is a hybrid between a chequing account and a savings account, similar to other bank accounts for kids. With no monthly fee, unlimited debit transactions, a (mostly) decent interest rate, and the ability to earn Scene+ points, this account has many benefits.

The RBC Day To Day Savings account account is a free savings product from one of Canada's largest and most well-established banking institutions. It's about as basic of a savings account as you'll find, but if that's what you're looking for, this product is a solid choice.