Financial Product Reviews
The RBC VIP Banking is an excellent choice for a premium bank account as it offers enough perks and benefits. These benefits – like free overdraft protection, a discounted safety deposit box, unlimited ATM withdrawals, etc. – pay for themselves if you use them often and correctly.
- New Apple iPad as a welcome bonus
- Unlimited free transactions and e-Transfers
- Earn RBC Avion points
- Additional account fee waiver
- Credit card annual fee waiver
- Save on fuel and earn Petro-Points
- Plenty of discounts and freebies
- Value Program fee discounts
- Very high monthly fee
- Can't completely waive the monthly fee
- Overdraft interest still applies
- At least the age of majority in your province
- Opening a sole account in your own name
- Living in Canada
- Earn at least 1 Avion point per $10 spent with your debit card
- No monthly overdraft protection fee
- Free personalized cheques
- RBC Direct Investing maintenance fees waived
- Save 3 cents/L on fuel at Petro-Canada and earn 20% more Petro-Points
The RBC Advantage Chequing Account is a basic yet solid chequing account with unlimited Interac e-Transfers and debit transactions within Canada, plus the opportunity to earn rewards. The $12.95 monthly fee is very reasonable, with rebates available for students, seniors, and more.
- Unlimited debit transactions in Canada
- Unlimited Interac e-Transfers
- Instant savings on fuel at Petro-Canada
- Earn RBC Avion points on your debit transactions
- Earn more Rexall Be Well rewards
- Right Account Guarantee
- Harder to waive your monthly balance
- $5 overdraft protection fee
- Age of majority
- Canadian citizen
- Earn RBC Avion points on your debit purchases
- Save on fuel at Petro-Canada locations
- Earn extra Be Well points at Rexall
- 1 free NSF each year
The RBC Signature No Limit Banking Account is a mid-level chequing account, offering unlimited transactions and an array of other helpful features and services. With big bank security and the ability to earn valuable Avion points, this product should be a contender for any Canadian looking for value and flexibility.
- New Apple iPad as a welcome bonus
- Unlimited debit transactions and Interac e-Transfers
- No overdraft protection fee
- Free book of cheques
- Rebate for select RBC credit cards
- Save on fuel at Petro-Canada
- Earn Avion points with your debit card
- Monthly fee refund if you're not satisfied
- High monthly fee
- Complicated Value Rebate Program
- High fees for unaffiliated ATMs
- At least the age of majority in your province
- Opening a sole account in your own name
- Living in Canada
- Earn Avion points
- Up to $48 rebate on annual fee of select RBC credit cards
- Multi-product and seniors' rebates available
- Save on fuel at Petro-Canada
The RBC Day To Day Banking Account account is the most basic chequing account offered by RBC with a monthly fee of just $4.00 compared with some premium accounts that have fees in excess of $30.
- Monthly fee waiver for 12 months + 15,000 Avion Points
- Unlimited Interac e-Transfers
- Extra perks at Petro-Canada
- Get personalized financial insights with NOMI
- Only 12 free debit transactions per month
- Non-affiliated ATM withdrawals are $3 each in Canada
- Overdraft protection not included
- At least the age of majority in your province
- Opening a sole account in your own name
- Living in Canada
- Free with a multi product rebate
- Save on fuel at Petro-Canada and earn bonus points
- Earn 50 extra Be Well points per $1 spent at Rexall
- Earn Avion points on debit purchases
- Free transactions for public transit use
The EQ Bank TFSA Savings Account is an easy way to take advantage of tax-free savings without having to worry about complicated investments or accounts. All you have to do is deposit your money as you normally would, and you'll earn a modest amount of interest that won't be taxed upon withdrawal.
- 1.5% interest on every dollar
- The tax-free benefits of a TFSA
- No minimum balance or fees to worry about
- Low risk means low reward
- Though convenient, still have some registered-related hoops to jump through
- Everything is done online
- You must be a Canadian resident
- Be the age of majority in your province/territory
- Transfer to linked accounts via Electronic Funds Transfer
- Competitive interest rate
The EQ Bank RSP Savings Account adds a touch of convenience to your retirement savings plan. Everything is done online and is easily accessible on your accounts, so you know exactly how this portion of your savings is doing. It also provides a low-risk investment option for people who don't have a long savings timeline ahead of them.
- Convenient and transparent retirement savings
- A modest 1.5% return on your money
- No fees and no minimum balance
- Low risk means low reward
- Convenient to deposit, difficult to withdraw
- Completely digital bank
- You must be a Canadian resident
- You must meet your province's age of majority
- Competitive interest rate
- Easy EFTs to other EQ Bank accounts
- High rate RSP GICs available
- 10 years
- 15 years
- 20 years
- 25 years
- 30 years
- 35 years
- 40 years
When you think about life insurance companies, RBC Insurance doesn't immediately come to mind. But they're a full-fledged life insurance company with a wide range of products. They might be a good fit for you if you want the comfort of knowing your insurance policy is backed by one of Canada's largest, oldest companies. Their rates are competitive and it's easy to get a quote online.
- They offer a wide range of insurance products and options
- You can get an immediate, anonymous online quote
- RBC uses commissioned insurance advisors
- There have been reports of poor customer service
- Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or landed immigrant (must be in Canada for over 12 months)
- Ages 18 to 85
- Many customization options available
- Accidental death benefit for beneficiaries
- 30-day review period in case you change your mind
- 10 years
- 15 years
- 20 years
- 25 years
- 30 years
- 35 years
- 40 years
Litecoin launched in 2011 and is a peer-to-peer cryptocurrency that enables instant payments to anyone in the world. Litecoin shares a lot of similarities with Bitcoin, which is the reason why it is often referred to as the digital silver to Bitcoin’s gold.
- 4x faster than Bitcoin
- Scalability
- A top 5 cryptocurrency
- Litecoin transactions are non-reversible
- Copy of Bitcoin
- Price remains volatile
- 5 year: 6.09%
With mortgage rates hitting record highs, you may be wondering if a variable rate mortgage is right for you. If rates stay high, you could end up paying more...but if rates go down, you save money on payments. If you're willing to roll those dice, a variable rate mortgage might be right for you.
- You can save money compared to a fixed rate mortgage
- RBC offers a 120 day rate guarantee
- Flexible mortgage repayment options
- RBC rates are average at best
- Variable rate mortgages are slightly risky
Founded by 19-year-old Russian-Canadian Vitalik Buterin in July of 2015, Ethereum is an open-source platform that uses blockchain technology to create and power tamper-proof decentralized financial contracts and digital applications. It's currency, ether (ETH), is currently selling at around US$4,895.53 per coin, though this is subject to change regularly.
- Smart contracts
- The team behind Ethereum
- Name recognition
- Transactions aren't as fast
- Smart contracts hack
- Trouble with scalability










