Financial Product Reviews
From one of Canada's official credit bureaus comes TransUnion Credit Monitoring, a subscription service that provides unlimited access to your credit score, report, and many other valuable features.
- Credit information straight from the source
- Personalised debt and credit analysis
- Receive email alerts
- $1 million expense reimbursement insurance
- Canadian citizen
- Age of majority
- Personalized credit and debt analysis
- Information is right from the bureau itself
- Up to $50,000 ID Theft Insurance
- Unlimited updates that you can check at any time
The BMO US Dollar Premium Rate Savings Account is available for existing BMO customers who want a place to hold any USD they have coming in, without having to convert it to Canadian dollars first. This sort of account exists so you can save money in USD when conversion rates are less beneficial, then convert it all over when exchange rates are working more in your favour. Or if you spend money in USD, you won’t have to worry about getting it converted.
- No added monthly fees
- Average interest rate
- Easy to get at your money when you want it
- “Free” isn’t really free
- “Average” doesn’t mean good
- No welcome bonus or other sign-up incentives
- Age of majority
- Canadian citizen
- Hold USD without converting it to CAD first
- * Only available as an addition to your BMO chequing account
Instacart Canada is known specifically as a grocery delivery service, but it actually partners with a wide range of retailers to deliver all sorts of products, such as pet supplies, alcohol, high-end makeup, office supplies, and more. If you need it, odds are that Instacart Canada can deliver it.
- Wide availability
- Same day or advance delivery options available
- Premium membership option
- Low $10 minimum order
- Earn loyalty points with your favourite stores
- Referral bonus and impressive promos for your first order
- Still not available everywhere
- You don’t get to select your own meat or produce
- Instacart Canada prices are higher than in-store
- Have items delivered in as little as 1 hour
- $10 referral offer
- Earn loyalty points with your favourite stores
UFile is Canadian-made tax software that starts at $20.95 for individuals, though many people can actually use it for free. Students, newcomers, low-income earners (under $20,000), and anyone with a simple return can file without paying a cent, making it one of the more accessible paid tax solutions in Canada. For those who value privacy, UFile Windows is available for $22.99, allowing you to store your tax data locally instead of in the cloud.
- Free in many cases
- Triple accuracy guarantee
- Express notice of assessment
- Available in Quebec
- Choice to store information offline
- Not free for everyone
- UFile Online uses cloud storage
- No chat support
- No mobile app
- Can no longer import tax files from TurboTax.
- Canadian citizen
- Have a simple return
- Be a student
- Have income below $20,000
You want to budget but you want it to be easy. No work. No pain. Almost…fun? That’s the premise behind You Need a Budget or “why-NAB” software.
- YNAB makes budgeting fun – really
- Automation rocks
- Real-time access
- Mistakes are OK
- Intuitive interface
- Personal support
- 34 day free trial
- You need to be committed
- Gotta trust the internet
- Talk is cheap
- Canadian citizen
- Age of majority
- Surprisingly long free trial
- Highly-rated mobile app
Quicken (Deluxe) is a type of subscription-based budgeting software available for desktops or mobile devices via apps or a web browser. This product has been around for decades and remains a popular option for Canadians trying to manage their finances.
- Easily customizable budgets
- Wide, convenient accessibility
- Data access guarantee
- Free customer support
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- No free version
- Lacking bill payment feature
- Differences between Windows and Mac
- Canadian citizen
- Age of majority
- Access to Quicken’s Lifetime Planner for retirement planning
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Sonnet Insurance is an online-only insurance company that offers lower insurance rates than many of its competitors. It does this by having no physical presence, passing those savings on to its customers. This could be great if you’ve just bought a house and are primarily concerned about premiums, but if you’re looking for a more personal touch, Sonnet probably isn’t the company for you.
- Often one of the lower rates you’ll find
- Initial quotes are precise, once you go through the process
- Nice website and a very user-friendly app
- 24/7 customer service by phone
- Customer reviews are mixed, at best
- Insurance rates are reported to change unexpectedly
- Sonnet home insurance isn’t available in all provinces
- While owned by Economical, Sonnet is a very young company
- Identity theft coverage included
- Sonnet Connect provides discounts, promotions, and freebies from partnering businesses
- Above and Beyond coverage
Sonnet Car Insurance is a fully online insurance provider offering home and auto coverage, backed by Definity Financial Corporation. Their biggest draw is competitive rates on car insurance, made possible by their online model that passes savings directly to customers. Sonnet promises an auto insurance quote in just 5 minutes after answering a few easy questions.
- Ticket forgiveness and other perks
- A user-friendly digital experience
- Fast, precise quotes
- Vroom service bundle and other customization options
- Mixed online reviews
- Unexpected rate hikes
- Not available in all provinces
- No in-person opportunities
- Canadian citizen
- Age of majority
- Optional coverage that provides reimbursement for roadside assistance expenses
- Company is committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2040
If you want to cut through all the fluff, StudioTax is Canadian tax software that offers a simple look combined with support for complex tax situations.
- Offers an offline experience
- Available in all provinces, including Quebec
- Can handle both simple and complex tax situations
- Free tax software for certain individuals
- The outdated look could be confusing
- Limit of 20 returns
- Canadian citizen
- Completely offline
- Support for some complex tax situations
- Make less than $20,000
- Live in the territories (NU, YT, NT)
TurboTax is one of Canada’s most popular tax preparation apps. It’s been around for years, is backed with some solid guarantees, is simple to use, and really takes a lot of the pain out of doing your taxes.
- Import options
- Real-time refund / owed amount
- Easy online filing
- Instant confirmation, fast refunds
- 4 guarantees to help you feel secure
- Good security practices
- Standard $20.99 price tag
- Canadian citizen
- Maximum refund guarantee
- Auto-fill available
- Promo: Get up to 20% off your TurboTax purchase
- Have a simple return
- Comes with limited features










