Smart Borrowing – How to Prosper Financially

Neo Financial MasterCard – Standard and Secured Credit Cards for Canadians

July 2, 2022 by Ben Leave a Comment

The Neo Financial MasterCard is a secured credit card offered in Canada by Neo Financial. Founded in 2019, Neo is a Canadian company brought to you by the creators of SkipTheDishes. By being entirely digital, they allow you to comfortably control your finances from anywhere. Neo is partnered with and backed by MasterCard, ATB Financial and Concentra Bank who guarantee complete security as well as being recognized worldwide. Neo offer a good range of products with low costs and high rewards. For example the Neo Money Account offers unlimited free transactions with one of the highest interest rates in Canada at 1.8%. They also offer Neo Mortgage, Neo Invest, and the Neo Financial MasterCard.

The Neo MasterCard comes in a secured format and a regular unsecured version. Both variants are low cost and high reward.

Neo Financial MasterCard Review

The Neo Financial Mastercard is an intriguing option considering its many upsides and few and minor negatives. Neo’s Card is available across Canada and can be controlled and managed digitally from the Neo Financial App. The Neo Credit Card is meant for all Canadians. From those who want to save some money, to those who have a larger appetite for spending, anything is possible while building your credit score. To cater to these different audiences, the Neo Card has three different levels. The only distinguishing factor between the tiers is the average cashback rewards and their monthly fees. Moving through the tiers can be easily done through the app. It only costs the monthly fee of the given tier you are switching to, allowing flexibility to find the best level for you.

The Neo Standard Card is the base tier at $0 in monthly or annual fees with an average of 4% unlimited cashback at thousands of Neo partners.
Right above that you have the Neo Plus Card, averaging 5% cashback at partners with a monthly fee of $2.99.
At the top is the Neo Ultra Card. This level is considerably more expensive at $8.99 per month, however it comes in at an average of 6% unlimited cashback.

There are general rewards that go for all tiers as well. The Neo Credit Card guarantees a minimum 1% cashback across all purchases made. This basically means that if your cashback happens to fall under the 1% margin, Neo themselves will step in and push you up to that line. Other rewards include the 15% cashback on your first purchases at participating Neo partners. Applying for the Neo MasterCard is very easy and can be done through the Neo Financial App. Approval is instant as long as your credit score is 600 or above.

A physical Neo Card will then be sent to your door within a week or two. However, the app is absolutely enough to do everything including purchases, with notifications that notify you about your account live. The Neo Financial Mastercard is backed by Mastercard’s zero liability protection. In essence, you are completely safe from unauthorized payments at all times. Neo’s Credit Card only comes with a few downsides being that it does not include insurance. The other more noticeable downside is the higher Purchase Credit Rate of 19.99%-24.99%. With many rewards and the option of no monthly or annual fees, the Neo Financial Credit Card is fantastic and fresh competition to the usual Big Bank Credit Cards.

Neo Financial Secured MasterCard Review

For anyone who is struggling with their credit score, is new to credit or is entirely new to Canada, Neo provides the Neo Secured Card. Neo’s secured card comes with no monthly or annual fees. This is just one of the reasons that it can work for anyone. With the secured card, the only fee you’ll encounter is a one-time security deposit of only $50. As the card is secured, no hard credit checks are performed so that your approval is guaranteed. As well as being assured, your approval is instant so that getting started is immediate and hassle free.

Just like with the Neo Credit Card, everything can be controlled from the Neo Financial App. From increasing credit limits by adding security funds to freezing cards, the Neo app can do it all. Unlike other secured cards, Neo has fantastic cashback opportunities. You can earn an average of 5% unlimited cashback with their secured card. If you ever decide to close your account, your security funds will be returned as long as the balance has been paid in full. The secured card has the same Purchase Credit Rate as its unsecured counterpart and is once again without insurance. As can be seen, Neo’s Secured Card comes with many upsides and caters to a wide audience. It is quite rewarding and doesn’t have many drawbacks.

Neo Financial MasterCard Partners

Neo is partnered with Mastercard, meaning that both the Neo Credit Card and the Neo Secured Card are valid anywhere Mastercard is accepted. As previously mentioned, they fall under Mastercard’s zero liability policy, keeping you safe from unauthorized payments. Neo is also partnered with Concentra Bank, which grants Neo clients absolute security along with Mastercard. Neo’s clients earn an average of 5% cashback at thousands of partners which is automatically redeemed. The range of partners is great too with Netflix, Amazon, Loblaws, Walmart, Sport chek and many more in Neo’s lineup.

A Neo Financial Card is worth it for many reasons. For starters, everything can be managed digitally and is designed for convenience. The Neo cards are low cost, presenting no monthly or annual fees. This doesn’t prevent them from rewarding their customers though, with great cashback rewards everywhere. Their products are innovative and should be considered by anyone as they challenge the often archaic tenets of major Canadian banks for your benefit. For a limited time only, new Neo customers who get approved for the Neo Credit Card receive a $25 voucher.

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Best Secured Credit Cards in Canada

June 8, 2022 by Ben 12 Comments

Credit cards are useful in that they help build good credit, book hotel accommodation, rent cars, and purchase goods and services online. Interest rates have been low since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic but some people with bad or tarnished credit may not qualify for regular cards. This is where secured cards come handy in allowing users to build good credit and shop in-store or buy products online.

Best Secured Credit Cards for Canadians

Major banks no longer offer secured credit cards which means that choices are more limited for Canadians. Still there are some good offers to look into if you have no or blemished credit like the cards that Home Trust and Refresh Financial feature.

Neo Secured Credit Card

The first secured credit card from Neo Financial is made for those who want low cost way to build their credit. Neo charges no monthly or annual fees and does not run credit checks. This means that anyone is eligible for this secured card. The only fee that comes with the card is the modest $50 security deposit. Approval is instant and guaranteed, just like the 1% cashback across all purchases. In addition to the 1% guaranteed, you can earn an average of 5% unlimited cashback at thousands of Neo partners. At participating partners, you can even earn 15% cashback on your first purchase. Neo’s secured credit card is a great option, whether you are looking to repair your credit or just starting out.

Interest rate: 19.99%-24.99%
Annual fee: $0
Cashback: 1% minimum, average 5% at partners

Refresh Secured Card

Refresh Financial offers a secured card that helps users to get a credit boost by making timely monthly payments. There is even a feature that allows you to get an idea how your repayment and spending patterns affect your credit rating. You can use their handy online calculator to check your utilization rate. For example, if the balance is $100 and the limit $600, then you have an optimal credit utilization rate (17 percent). There are other benefits for users, one being that payments are reported to both bureaus. Another is that the higher your credit score is, the lower your interest rate.

Interest rate: 17.99 percent
Maintenance fee: $3/month
Annual fee: $12.95
Credit limit: $200 – $10,000

Home Trust Secured No-Fee Visa

Also a good choice to fix your score fast, the Home Trust Secured No-Fee Visa has been voted 2020’s Best Credit Card for Rebuilding Credit. You will not only benefit from a zero annual fee but you only pay interest on your outstanding balance. The card allows you to make purchases and pay online up to your deposit limit. Home Trust also allows you to choose a deposit limit that works for you, and it can be as low as $500 and as high as $10,000.

Purchase interest rate: 19.99 percent
Annual fee: none

Home Trust Secured Visa

This is a low interest option to rebuild credit as long as you keep your account active and make timely payments. There are many benefits for holders such as the option to set your limit, set accounts online, pay utility bills, and make purchases online. The card also comes with purchase security coverage so that all eligible purchases are insured against damage or theft for 90 days. You can use the card to make payments in more than 200 territories and countries and with merchants that accept Visa cards.

Interest rate on purchases: 14.90 percent
Fee: $5 per month or $59 annual fee

What Is a Secured Credit Card?

Secured cards work much like standard ones in that they allow holders to build a positive credit history and make purchases, whether they buy groceries, book flights or cruises, or repay other outstanding balances. The most common varieties are American Express, MasterCard, and Visa. Whatever the brand of choice, users have to make a deposit which is used as a safeguard by the issuer as to cover any outstanding balances in case of missed or late payments.

Are Secured Credit Cards for You?

If you have bad credit and can’t qualify for a standard unsecured card, this is a good option to rebuild credit by making small purchases and paying the balance in full and on time. Using the card responsibly also means that you won’t incur interest payments. Interest rates are higher on average, and paying more than the minimum will save you a lot of money.

Benefits of Secured Credit Cards

The main benefit of secured cards is that they offer the chance to rebuild credit and apply for a wide variety of products with preferential terms and affordable rates. Your account history is forwarded to the major bureaus and goes toward your credit report. Not only this but you can use the card to shop online and make secure payments. Some issuers also offer added incentives such as upgrading and rewards points.

Security Deposit, Credit Limits, and Card Fees

When you get approved for a secured card, you will be asked to make a cash deposit which is equal or larger than your credit line. This means that credit limit is based on the deposit made. Some issuers offer the option to increase the credit line after a certain period provided that you use the card responsibly. Secured cards typically come with annual fees but there are some issuers that advertise zero fees.

Alternatives to Secured Credit Cards

If you can’t get a secured card, one option is to apply for a prepaid card that you can use to pay for services and goods. It is not linked to a credit, checking, or savings account and allows you to keep cash for later use. A major drawback is the fact that your payment history will not be reported to the credit bureaus. Still, they offer some benefits such as ease of use and safe and secure payments. Prepaid cards are easy to reload, and there are different ways to do this – in person, online, by direct deposit, or via bank account transfer.

Getting an unsecured card for bad credit is also an option, albeit the choice is more limited. Some issuers offer unsecured cards to Canadians with fair and good credit, regardless of their annual income. Added benefits for customers are low annual fees and interest rates, no fees for supplementary cardholders, and zero fraud liability.

A third option to look into is payday loans, and there are some benefits to consider such as fast and easy application, borrowed amount based on income level, and no credit check guaranteed approval. Still, getting a payday loan can be risky because of the very high interest rates and short terms that finance providers offer.

Other alternatives that financial institutions offer include guarantor and short-term loans, secured loans, overdrafts, and debit cards. The choice of product depends on your credit score, income, occupation, and financial circumstances.

In general, getting a secured card is a good choice for customers with little or no credit exposure, including young people and newcomers to Canada. It is also an option for borrowers with blemished credit who are refused a loan or credit card because they have past delinquencies, recent missed or late payments, or for any other reason. Borrowers with low or no income and high balances on cards and loans are also likely to get their application denied. A secured credit card is a good alternative for borrowers with a tarnished credit history who need a fresh start and a card to make daily purchases. We all know what having poor credit means – higher home and auto insurance premiums, difficulty securing a home lease, higher loan rates, and even strained personal relationships. A secured credit card offers users the chance to master good money management skills by borrowing responsibly.

Refresh Financial – Improve Your Credit Score with Secured Credit Card

May 22, 2022 by Ben 4 Comments

Refresh Financial offers a range of products, services, and tools, including AI-enabled product recommendations, automated credit coaching, credit report and score monitoring, and secured credit cards. By offering financial literacy programs, Refresh helps customers to improve their money management and savings skills to make better financial decisions and achieve their long-term goals. Common situations in which financial literacy helps are using credit cards, managing debt, investing, reducing expenses, purchasing a home or car, sticking to a budget, and saving for retirement.

Refresh Financial and Borrowell Acquisition

Refresh Financial takes a new approach to consumer financing. The company offers loans and credit cards to customers with poor or no credit to aid their credit improvement efforts. Established in 2010, Refresh has offices in Ottawa, Kelowna, and Hamilton. As of January 2021 Borrowell closed the acquisition of Refresh Financial and raised $25 million in funding. All-equity financing was secured by a group of new investors, among which iA Financial Group, BDC Capital, and Kensington Capital Partners. Existing investors such as Equitable Bank and White Star Capital also provided funding.

One of the largest financial tech companies in Canada, Borrowell specializes in digital wealth management, digital banking, and alternative lending solutions. Their online lending platform utilizes AI-powered technology to offer customers product recommendations, free credit scores, predictive cash advances, bill alerts, money management and monitoring solutions. Founded by Andrew Graham in 2014, Borrowell offers a wide range of financial tools and products, including mortgages, credit cards, and personal loans. The platform is backed by a network of mortgage brokers, investment funds, and institutional lenders such as FirstOntario Credit Union and Portag3 Ventures.

Canadian Market for Secured Credit Cards

Refresh Financial and Home Trust are among the few Canadian financial service providers that offer secured credit cards. Targeting subprime borrowers with average and poor credit scores, secured cards function much like standard ones, the only difference being that customers pay upfront cash deposit. The deposit serves as a guarantee for financial institutions should the borrower miss a payment. Issuers can keep the cash deposit when borrowers default on payments.

Essentially, a secured credit card can be a helpful tool to build or rebuild credit. Using a debit or prepaid card or cash to make purchases or pay bills will do nothing in terms of credit score improvement. That is because payments are not reported to the major bureaus. When used wisely, a secured credit card enables borrowers to reestablish credit and demonstrate responsible management to the reporting agencies and financial institutions. Once approved, borrowers can use the card for things like making purchases, paying everyday expenses, or booking a vacation.

Consumers who use their card responsibly build credit over time. Common reasons why this is not happening include having one type of credit only, errors on the customer’s credit report, missed payments, and a utilization rate above 35 percent.

Refresh Financial Products Offerings

Refresh offers a credit builder loan and a secured card, along with a suite of tools for responsible debt management. In addition to reporting customer payments to TransUnion Canada and Equifax, it also features useful financial tools such as score simulators, credit alerts, debt calculators, and goal managers.

Refresh Secured Card

This card is backed with a security deposit which determines the credit limit. The limit can be as low as $200 and as high as $10,000 depending on how much the borrower is willing to put on hold. The deposit aside, this card by Refresh works just like a standard card, allowing users to make in-store and online purchases while gradually rebuilding credit.

This secured Visa by Refresh Financial is a good choice for borrowers with no or bad credit who are turned down by brick-and-mortar banks. Virtually all applicants get approved as there is no minimum income requirement. This card is a particularly good fit for customers who want to make a small deposit and for people with a history of delinquencies and bankruptcies.

Refresh also offers a handy online calculator to help customers check their utilization rate. Customers with a credit limit of $1,000 and a balance of $400, for example, have a utilization rate of 40 percent. The optimal rate for credit building is 30 percent and should not exceed 35 percent.

Cardholders who pay the balance in full avoid interest charges. There are two options to make payments toward the card balance – either through online banking or via pre-authorized debit. Once the payment has been received, it is first applied to any interest due and then to cash advance, annual card, and other fees.

Interest rate: 17.99 percent
Maintenance fee: $3 per month
Annual fee: $12.95

Credit Builder Loan

This financial product by Refresh Financial is nothing like a traditional loan. Instead of borrowing a lump sum and paying the principal and interest over the loan term, customers are charged monthly fees plus interest. Basically, this is a form of installment credit whereby customers pay back the full amount in equal installments. The best part is that payments are reported to the major bureaus as proof of responsible debt management.

Customers are free to cancel their loan at any time by logging to their Refresh Dashboard. Once the loan has been cancelled, it cannot be reactivated. Clients are free to withdraw their available funds, and the money will be deposited in their bank account within 10 – 15 work days.

There are two package options for customers to choose from – apply for a credit card and cash loan or take a loan first and get a secured card later. With the first option, customers have access to two lines of credit and enjoy spending flexibility. The main benefit of having two lines is that responsible use shows financial institutions that the borrower can manage both.

Interest rate: 19.99 percent
Loan amount:
$25,000
$10,000
$5,000
$2,500
$1,500

There are further benefits to taking a credit builder loan, one being that customers are assigned a dedicated relationship manager. Relationship managers act as a single point of contact and help borrowers to build a financial plan to meet their long-term goals. The goal is to make the customer’s banking experience more convenient and smoother by bringing expertise across a range of financial solutions. With experience and knowledge of personal banking, borrowing, and credit management, dedicated financial managers offer clients finance-related recommendations based on their needs.

Summing Up

Overall, Refresh Financial is a good choice for borrowers who got the short end of the stick and need to rebuild credit. Each of their products, the Refresh Secured Visa and credit builder loan are meant to help consumers, with payments being reported to the credit bureaus. Qualifying for a loan or credit card is simple and boils down to the customer’s ability to meet future payments, including product fees and interest charges.

What Is Responsible Investment

April 13, 2022 by Ben 2 Comments

Responsible investment is an approach or strategy that takes into account governance, social, and environmental factors. Responsible investors acknowledge the fact that assets and businesses underperform when ignoring ethical, corporate governance, or social issues.

Environmental, Social, and Governance Factors

Responsible investment is about opting to invest in businesses that drive change, such as addressing public health issues and growing inequality, mitigating climate change, or improving labor standards. Examples of environmental issues that affect investment decisions are deforestation, pollution, waste, resource depletion, and climate change. Some of the social issues that impact the decision-making process are working conditions, child labor, modern slavery, and human rights. Corporate governance factors that can play a role in the selection of investments are donations and political lobbying, board structure and diversity, executive pay, and corruption and bribery.

ESG Integration

ESG integration is basically the inclusion of governance, social, and environmental factors in investment analysis. Issues such as the human resource policies, R&D, and product strategy of a company are analyzed, based on what issues the asset manager or institutional investor prioritizes. The extent to which the analysis is reliable and thoroughgoing depends on the values, sources of information, experience, and background of the analyst.

What Is Socially Responsible Investing?

Socially responsible investing refers to a diverse set of approaches that utilize environmental and social criteria when evaluating companies. Social criteria can cover a wide range of issues such as respect to gender and race, promotion and hiring practices, occupational safety and health, community welfare, etc. Environmental criteria can be things like:

Waste and recycling
Impact on natural resources
Raw material sourcing
Resource and energy efficiency
GHG emissions
Environmental management

Typically, investors score and select companies based on a set of chosen criteria. They first compile a list of qualifying companies and then evaluate their financial performance.

Thematic investment is a subtype of socially responsible investing whereby funds select companies that fall under a specific theme, such as climate change, pollution control, low carbon energy, or water distribution. A healthcare fund, for example, would invest in high-tech companies, nursing homes, health insurance providers, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies.

Green investment falls under thematic investing and covers a variety of approaches that seek to support eco-friendly or green assets. These can include waste management, recycling, pollution control, and energy efficiency technologies, smart grids, low carbon vehicles, etc.

Impact Investing

Impact investing is a strategy that seeks to achieve a specific objective while generating financial returns. Such an objective can be supporting companies that hire persons with disabilities, companies promoting access to basic services such as education, healthcare, and housing, or projects providing employment to community members. Basically, the goal is to generate both positive environmental and social impact and financial returns.

Impact investors range from development finance institutions and family and institutional foundations to wealth managers, financial advisors, pension funds, and banks. The impact investment market has attracted a wide variety of institutional and individual players, including:

Nonprofits
Family offices
Insurance companies
Private foundations
Religious institutions
Diversified financial institutions
Fund managers

Socially Responsible Mutual Funds

These funds target and invest in companies that meet environmental, religious, moral, and social standards. They choose the securities that make up their investment portfolio based on both financial and ESG criteria such as policies aimed at fostering social inclusion, reducing poverty, or curbing the carbon footprint. Like other funds, they also seek to invest in companies with robust corporate government policies and strong balance sheets. The three main approaches that socially responsible funds utilize are impact investing, ESG integration, and value-based investing.

Typically, they target companies that employ and train disadvantaged minorities, promote responsible forestry, water and clean air conservation, or fight climate change. When looking into different mutual funds, investors typically account for factors such as experience, performance potential, risks, costs, and the extent to which the investment portfolios align with their values. There is a wide selection of socially responsible funds for investors to screen, a few examples being the SDRP S&P 500 Fossil Fuel Reserve, Vanguard FTSE Social Index Fund, and Parnassus Core Equity Investor. Parnassus, for example, excludes companies within the nuclear energy and fossil fuel sectors while the S&P 500 Fossil Fuel Reserve only targets fossil fuel-free companies. Vanguard eschews investments in companies within the gambling, alcohol, and tobacco sectors, civilian firearms manufacturers, and companies within the nuclear power and fossil fuel industries.

Socially Responsible ETFs

Socially responsible ETFs include a range of assets, including sector, international, and domestic equities. ETFs mainly invest in companies based on factors such as environmental and social impact. The iShares GNMA Bond ETF, for example, provides investors with the opportunity to promote affordable housing. The iShares MSCI ACWI Low Carbon Target ETF offers investors the chance to reduce their carbon footprint by investing in companies across a broad range of sectors, including real estate, energy, communication, and industrials, which are less dependent on fossil fuels. There are also ETFs with a focus on gender equity such as the SPDR SSGA Gender Diversity Index ETF, which invests in companies that help promote gender diversity. Another example is the iShares MSCI KLD 400 Social ETF which excludes companies that are involved in adult entertainment, military weapons, gambling, tobacco, and alcohol.

Socially Responsible Investing vs. Responsible Investing

While both terms are used interchangeably, there are some notable differences. Responsible investing refers to a broad range of strategies that consider both environmental and social factors and financial returns. The three main approaches here are impact investing, ESG integration, and socially responsible investing. With SRI, issuers or companies are excluded /negative screening/ or included /positive screening/ as investments based on environmental or social impacts. Positive screening might favor companies engaged in clean technology and alternative energy, environmental sustainability, or social justice. Negative screening, on the other hand, may mean eschewing investments in companies that have unacceptably high carbon footprints or a poor waste management record. Other negative screens may include labor violations, production of defense tools and weapons, gambling, tobacco and alcohol, and lack of diversity on boards. Exclusionary or negative screening is used to exclude companies within industries such as gas and oil and those that are contrary to international conventions and declarations. Common exclusions can also be:

Gross human rights violations
Nuclear power
Companies operating in a particular region or country
Hospitals or clinics practicing abortions
Companies operating in violation to international agreements such as the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development or the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

March Break on a Budget

March 10, 2022 by Ben 2 Comments

March Break is a time for travel, relaxation, rest, and some family fun. After the pandemic this will be the first time kids and parents can enjoy a normal March Break. While you might not be heading to a tropical island with white sand beaches and turquoise waters this year, that doesn’t mean you should be staying home for March Break. There are some awesome travel destinations for everyone, so whether you are a luxury or mid-range traveler or an avid backpacker, now is the time to travel and enjoy sightseeing attractions, nature, some amazing activities, and festivals. Here are some travel ideas and advice for a memorable, low-budget March Break holiday.

March Break Ideas

Ice Hotel in Quebec

Hodel de Glace is a gem in the town of Valcartier and a worthwhile experience. Open from January to March, the hotel is made out of snow, ice, and frozen water, including sculptures, furniture, walls and the décor. With 44 suites and rooms, Hotel de Glace features a chapel, Grand Hall, bar, and an outdoor pool and spa baths. Themes change every season to keep visitors delighted, with plenty of attractions and things to do around, like snowboarding and skiing, ziplines, and more.

Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario

Found between Ottawa River and Georgian Bay, Algonquin Provincial Park is just the right location for nature lovers and adventure-minded travelers. It is the home to many streams and lakes for rafting, kayaking, and canoeing in the summer, along with cross-country skiing, during the cold months.

Halifax, Nova Scotia

A city with plenty to offer, this can be a starting point for a few days trip to enjoy local museums, historic architecture, and serene fishing villages. Halifax itself is the home to attractions and landmarks such as the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, and plenty more.

Budget Travel Advice

Travel within Your Province

Travelling within your province is a great way to enjoy a relaxed and pocket-friendly vacation on March Break. Naturally, accommodation makes for a big chunk of your travel budget but there are plenty of budget options to look into. If you are travelling by car, for instance, staying at provincial parks can help keep costs down. Alternatively, you can try couchsurfing, cheap hotels, hostels, or guesthouses in your province.

Living in Ontario? You can claim 20% tax credit if you travel in Ontario this year. The credit to support local tourism applies to overnight stays between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2022

Rent a Camper Van

Renting a camper van or taking a train trip can be inexpensive travel options for March Break when done right. Renting a camper van not only allows you to create your own itinerary and travel plan but is also a great way to explore Canada on a tight budget. Costs to plan for include vehicle insurance and maintenance, gas, living, and activity and attraction costs. Taking a train trip is also a great way to travel across Canada and take advantage of the well-connected train network, making commuting inexpensive and comfortable. Keep in mind that only fully vaccinated travelers are currently allowed on interprovincial VIA Rail and Rocky Mountaineer trains.

Whatever your preferred mode of travel, consider covering one region only, like the Maritime Provinces, the Toronto/Niagara region, or the West Coast. Because of Canada’s size and vast territory, transportation costs can be expensive if travelling across the country.

Last Minute Deals

Airfare can be expensive in Canada, so why not check last minute deals on search engines like Itravel2000 or Expedia? Expedia, for example, features last minute vacation deals to help you save on flights and all-inclusive packages, especially if you book a bundle of services for your spring vacation. Additionally, Expedia offers travelers the opportunity to make monthly payments as well as use book now, pay later plans. And if you want to purchase travel insurance, there are plenty of options to choose from, including package, hotel booking, and flight protection plans.

Itravel200 also features last minute deals and the option to collect points for additional savings. You can choose from hundreds of vacation deals from cities such as Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, and Toronto, with a selection of travel destinations, standard and superior rooms, and all-inclusive packages. You will find great promotions and discounts on car rentals, tours, hotels, and flights operated by major airlines such as WestJet, Air Canada, Sunwing, and Porter.

Join in at Festivals and Local Events

Art, food, and music festivals and diverse events are happening here all year round. The best part is that most local festivities in spring time have free entry. This is also a great opportunity to learn more about local traditions, cultures, and artistic works, try amazing food, and mingle with locals. Depending on your travel destination, you will find events, carnivals, and festivals showcasing rodeos, music, local cuisines, contests, native craftsmanship, and plenty more. To find out when and where events take place, pick up local newspapers at restaurants or cafes or Google to plan your stay in advance.

Visiting Big Cities

If you plan to stop in some of Canada’s biggest cities, you want to join the self-guided or historical guided tours they offer. Use an attraction pass if you are heading to Toronto, Calgary, or Vancouver and visit some of the remote communities and small towns around big cities.

Local Museums

Visiting local museums is also a way to save on travel costs and find more about Canada’s history and wildlife. Canada’s museums feature a wealth of stories, photos, and artifacts, from Indigenous contemporary and past experiences to the country’s Gold Rush of the late 19^th century.