Consumer Sites
Credit Sites
www.canadiancreditcenter.com - Everything you may want to know about credit, such as loans, credit score, mortgages, credit cards, etc.
www.creditcounsellingcanada.ca - A directory of accredited Credit Counseling Agencies located across Canada.
www.creditcanada.com - A listing of non-profit credit counseling agencies in Ontario. Money management tips included.
www.rcmp.ca - Information on investment fraud and scams.
www.insuremytrip.ca - Travel insurance comparison site from leading national companies. Selection includes: emergency travel medical plans, annual multi-trip plans, package plans and trip cancellation-only plans.
www.mib.com - If you have applied for individually underwritten life, death or disability income insurance during the past 7 years, you can receive a free MIB report by calling 866-692-6901. The MIB report is based on any insurance application that you have made within the past 7 years.
The Medical Information Bureau is owned by approximately 470 member insurance companies. (MIB may also search for lost insurance policies.)
Found Money - The following websites may hold your buried treasure in one form or another.
www.bank-banque-canada.cawww.missingmoney.com (in the U.S.)www.osb-bsf.ic.gc.ca (bankrupty funds)www.bcunclaimedproperty.bc.cawww.clhio.ca/policysearch.html (unclaimed life insurance money)www.capsa-acor.org to CAPSA members (unclaimed pension funds)
Home exchanges - If you are willing to swap your home with another party, you can save money and see the world. The major home exchange sites include: www.homelink.org,www.intervac.ca,www.homeexchange.com,www.ihen.com, www.4homex.com andwww.1sthomeexchange.com.
couchsurfing.com - Worldwide network for making connections between travelers and the local communities they visit. Here's free accommodations to enhance educational exchanges, spread tolerance and facilitate cultural understanding.www.planetfeedback.com - If you have a complaint, compliment, suggestion or question for a company, this site may help you.
RedFlagDeals.com harnesses the power of community to scour Canada for all of the latest shopping information. The site helps consumers save money with daily deals, coupons, freebies, and a popular community forum.
Chargecards.ca is a non-biased database of all Canadian credit cards, charge cards, gas cards, retail cards, reward cards and others. You can compare different offers and bank rates.
Lawyers.com is a free resource for consumers to find the legal help they need, with the experience they need, where and when they need it. By providing consumers with a detailed, easily searchable directory of lawyers that includes their areas of specialty, how long they have been practising, and the size of their firm, lawyers.com enables Canadians to make informed personal legal choices and identify high-quality legal representation.
Besides providing a national database of accurate profiles of Canadian lawyers, their expertise, and helpful tips on how to select a lawyer, lawyers.com provides detailed information that helps users better understand the law. This includes an overview of the Canadian legal system, consumer-friendly explanations of major areas of law, articles on current legal topics, a glossary of 10,000 legal terms, and more.
Assuris.ca (416) 359-2001 - Formerly CompCorp, it protects Canadian life insurance policyholders against loss of benefits due to the financial failure of a member company.
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation - www.cbc.ca - Current business and consumer news. The personal finance section has a potpourri of articles. Daily markets and market commentary.
Insurance Bureau of Canada - www.ibc.ca - Loads of information on auto, home and business insurance. Articles on insurance shopping tips, optional coverage, fire prevention in the home and much more. You can even ask personal insurance-related questions.
consumerconnection.ic.gc.ca - Industry Canada's site offers various publications, eg. Consumer News, Consumer Handbook on consumer rights, Complaining Effectively, Credit Card Reports - Rate Info, Mutual Fund Fee Impact Calculator and more.
Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation - www.cdic.ca - How deposit insurance works, member institutions, articles and fact sheets.
www.consumerinformation.ca - This site houses 25 government departments and agencies with interest in consumer issues such as housing, travel, money and products.
Check your credit files. No charge for this service. More info on credit rating on these sites: www.equifax.ca and www.tuc.ca .
www.relocatecanada.com - Guide for relocating or moving in Canada, organized by city and categories of interest from arts to weather.
www.fsco.gov.on.ca - Financial Services Commission of Ontario regulates insurance, pensions, credit unions, mortgage brokers and loan and trust companies.
Price-to-Rent Ratios - Visit the Royal Bank website at www.rbc.com/economics/market/hi_city.html to compare how expensive home prices are in relation to equivalent rents. A city-by-city analysis is available on this site.
Sales-To-New Listings Ratios - When sales drop to less than 40% of new listings, then you have a buyers market. Charts can be viewed at www.td.com/economics/special/pg0907_housing.pdf.
www.tarion.com - They've been operating for over 30 years, protecting more than 1.45 million new home buyers. They are the regulator of the new home building industry in Ontario, and in this role, they license all new home and condominium builders in the province and ensure that all new homeowners receive the new home warranty coverage that they are entitled to by law.
www.renomark.ca -Renovate with confidence by using one of their renovator members who have "raised the bar" by meeting the criteria to join the program, and now proudly display the RenoMark logo with their company!
The Mortgage Alliance Company of Canada strives to provide the optimum environment and resources, enabling our national team of professionals to deliver choice, convenience and counsel to Canadian mortgage consumers.
HLC Home Loans Canada - Their mortgage calculator can help you with your comparison shopping for the best rate/features.
The Mortgage Centre - www.mortgagecentre.com - Mortgage lenders compete in an electronic bidding process that requires only one credit check and guarantees the best available deal. Guarantees no bias and the service is free.
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation - Topics include: buying or renting a home, financing options, market info, renovation planning, mortgage bonds, budget planner and calculator for determining how much mortgage you can afford.
www.themortgage.com - mortgage information, calculators and the ability to shop rates from lenders.
www.cimbl.ca - Canadian Institute of Mortgage Brokers and Lenders' web site offers access to over 5,000 mortgage lenders and mortgage tools such as a rent vs. buy calculator, maximum mortgage calculator and a prepayment calculator.
Greater Toronto Home Builders' Association - Tips on the home buying process.
Entertainment Books offer 50% off and 2-for-1 discounts at your favorite local places for dining, shopping, attractions, sports and services like dry cleaning and movie rentals. Entertainment Books even include discounts at hotels and other great travel services like Continental Airlines and Avis Rent-A-Car.
www.save.ca offers a ever changing selection of manufacturers' coupons that can be redeems at major grocery, variety and department stores. You select the coupons you can use and they will be mail to you within a few days free of charge.
EnergyShop.com - an online energy sales force that represents not just one energy retailer, but all competing offers from electricity and natural gas suppliers. They are paid a commission whenever a consumer signs up with an energy retailer via their web site, but they go out of their way to list all known energy offers whether or not those retailers pay a commission.One of the suppliers, Ontario Energy Savings Group, provides practical information on your options. See their website at www.oeb.gov.on.ca. Ontario residents may welcome some relief from upcoming electrical charges.
The Cool Savings Rebate (1-800-990-2708) being offered to Ontario residents with existing central air conditioning systems. The rebates are:
$50 rebate on an AC tune up, and$500 rebate on replacement of an existing system with an energy star qualified system.
Phonebusters - A national police-lead centre you can use to check out questionable offers and scams.
If your favourite charity isn't able to accept your gift of mutual funds or stocks, Link Charity Canada can act as a go-between. The federal government has extended the "pilot program" of enhanced income tax benefits for donations of publicly-traded securities.
www.frugalshopper.ca - Freebies, coupons, contests, online deals and other money-saving offers can be found here.
http://consumerinformation.ca - The "Canada Site" is the portal for information on the Government of Canada, its programs, services, new initiatives and products.
Student Assistance - Whatever you need to know or whatever question you require an answer for about post-secondary education the following Canadian sites will provide the information:
www.canlearn.ca - Produced by the Department of Human Resources and Social Development Canada, this site is loaded with information on education savings and planning to help students and their families address all educational needs. There's an Education Savings Calculator to assist you plan, save and pay for your child's post-secondary education. What and where to study info is available. www.millenniumscholarships.comwww.scholarshipscanada.comwww.studentawards.com
www.carfax.com - offers vehicle history reports on such matters as odometer fraud, accident claims and unpaid liens. A single report is $25 or $30 for any number of reports.
www.carproof.com - offers a similar report as carfax. A report costs $35-$60 depending on details requested.
Need a Car Broker? - The North American Automobile Trade Association has a list of brokers on their website at www.naata.org. They can be helpful if you are considering a purchase in the U.S.
Online vehicle insurance quotes can be attained from these sites:
www.kanetix.commwww.insurancehotline.com They also provide quotes on travel, property, home, critical illness and motorcycles. www.carinsurance.ca - An online insurance brokerage.www.insurance-canada.ca - A source of insurance industry information as well as online quotes by province and for special needs like 50-plus drivers, and customized or antique cars.
Other vehicle-related sites:
www.caa.ca - The Canadian Automobile Association's site will supply data on the cost of operating vehicles. Instructions on calculating your vehicle's cost is given. Reliability ratings on vehicles can be found here.www.canadiandriver.com - Used car reviews.www.edmunds.com - New and used vehicle information such as road tests, safety information, advice, etc. You can ask personal questions.www.lemonaidcars.comwww.canadianredbook.com - The Canadian RedBook is a guide produced for the auto industry and used by dealers and insurance companies to determine car values.www.carproof.caa - For about $40 Car Proof will verify a vehicle's registration, any liens, accidents, etc.www.tc.gc.ca - Transport Canada discusses safety-related problems and recalls.www.ucda.org - Used Car Dealers Association of Ontario can be contacted for free complaint mediation.www.omvic.on.ca - Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council offers complaint mediation also.
Phil Edmonston, the author of Lemon-Aid, wants you to know that there are hidden extended warranties on some models. These secret warranties are put in place instead of a more serious recall. The Lemon-Aid website offers some free details on some warranties at www.lemonaidcars.com.
More detailed coverage can be found at Alldata - www.alldata.com. For vehicle problems search the technical service bulletins (TSB).
It Figures - This site provides a collection of calculators such as: the life expectancy calculator, stop smoking and save calculator.
www.fcac.gc.ca - The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada works to protect and educate consumers in financial services. All you'll ever need to know about credit cards is here. All you'll ever need to know about credit cards is here. Look also at the "Cost of Banking Guide" (self-explanatory) and the interactive tool to help you choose the best banking service package.
www.points.com - this site offers a (credit card) points exchange program and points related services.
www.sharegrief.com - Since 2001, ShareGrief.com has been providing on-line grief support, education and resources via e-mail to the bereaved from all over the world. They have provided this service to:
* Grievers who are isolated or live in rural areas where services are unavailable;
* The bereaved who are elderly, handicapped or homebound;
* People with busy lifestyles who find it difficult to seek professional help at a regularly scheduled time;
* Those who are uncomfortable speaking face-to-face with someone about their grief; and
* Teens and young adults who would rather discuss their losses via e-mail rather than with family, friends or professionals.
U.S. Sites
www.tightwad.com - Looking for cheap stuff, free stuff and coupons. This site will reward you.
www.creditnet.com - Lists 900 plus credit cards. The best ones, in their view, are featured. Articles on how to build credit, repair damaged credit, and the like.
ForSalebyOwner.com - A service to sell or buy your own home in the U.S. Gives you the facts on the U.S. real estate market. Maybe pick up a deal in a depressed area?
www.consumersearch.com - Purchasing a household item? You may find this U.S. site gives you helpful background information. Remember that pricing and product standards differ from Canadian items. Categories include: automobiles, computers, electronics, house & home, kitchen, lawn & garden, office, sports and leisure and more.
Business Sites
www.cbsc.org/ontario - Canada-Ontario Business Service Centre provides access to accurate, timely and relevant information on federal and provincial business-related programs, services and regulations. An extensive source for a start-up or an established entrepreneur. For other provinces, replace "Ontario" with the province of your choice.
www.enterprisetoronto.com - An innovative public and private sector alliance which will assess your business idea, and review your business plan at no cost. Lots of related information.
www.strategis.gc.ca - This site offers general business data from Industry Canada.
www.businessgateway.ca - Government of Canada site offering links to business sites for all provinces.
www.entrepreneurship.com - Ottawa's entrepreneurship centre for research and innovation.
www.entinst.ca - the Entrepreneur Institute of Canada.
www.youth.gc.ca - Federal government's website for young entrepreneurs and job seekers.
www.youthbusiness.com - website for young entrepreneurs.
U.S. Sites
www.ceoexpress.com - CEO Express.com is designed to be the executive's interface to the Internet. Information needed by executives is pared down to the most critical and useful. Sections include:
Daily News & Info - world business news, news feeds, tech and lifestyle magazines, health, time and weather.
Business Research - financial markets, government agencies, company research, banking, investing and IPO research.
Office Tools & Travel - calculators, speech and writing, airlines.
Breaktime - sports, real estate, leisure, autos, shopping.
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