Common Myths about Auto Insurance

Insurance can be confusing at the best of times, but here are some of the most common misconceptions about auto insurance coverage in Canada.

The color of your car affects your insurance rate: Most people may not know it, but the insurance industry is colour-blind. It doesn't matter if your car is blue, red, silver, white, or black, your insurance rate for that make and model of car will always remain the same. 

A 2-door car is more expensive to insure than a 4-door: Not necessarily. Insurance companies rate cars based on the claims history of that vehicle. They look at things like accident frequency, repair costs, theft, vandalism and safety ratings for each make and model. When these factors are combined, a 4-door could cost more to insure than a 2-door model.

Getting a parking ticket means your insurance rates will go up: Parking tickets by themselves do not count against your driving record or your insurance, but unpaid fines could affect your ability to renew your driver's licence or worse result in a licence suspension - which will affect your rate.

Useful Info for Newcomers: 2

Place to Live: The cost of housing in Canada varies in each city and region. Rents and home prices are generally higher in Vancouver and Toronto than in other cities. Housing costs also depend on your location within the city. Initial cost effective choice is renting an apartment. Apartment postings can be found in a number of places, especially if you are wanting to share an apartment. A good place to search for apartments is the local newspaper. Other places to look is Universities, Libraries, and even sometimes Bustops. In some cities such as Toronto, there are special apartment magazines than solely rent apartments, houses, and condos. Also ask friends or colleagues who might be able to help you.

Useful Info for Newcomers: 1

Food and Cooking in Canada may be different from what you were used to in your native country. Like everyone who moves to a new country, you will probably have to make changes in some of the ways you buy, store and cook food. Most Canadians shop for food at large stores called supermarkets. You can also purchase food at smaller grocery stores and specialty shops. In larger cities with well-established immigrant communities, you may find specialty food stores that sell food from your home country. However, some of your traditional foods may not be available in Canada or may be very expensive. List of Supermarkets include: Costco, No Frills, Metro, Loblaws, Price Chopper, Sobeys etc.

Tip: Cooking is always cheaper than buying cooked food

Fraud Awareness

CTV Report

Canadian television network's headline news, reports, videos, and blogs... This report shows some realities but not both sides of the truth...

Drive Licence: Dos

Drive Licence: Do Nots

Survival Tips: Car buying strategies

Living in North America, especially in Canada, without a car is like walking without one leg. Unless you are living in one of those big cities where street cars, trains, buses and subways are all well connected, you would be quite limited to how fast you could get around town.

Buying a car here can be very tricky. Incentives and rebates have been part of the car-buying landscape for several years. Now, along comes a new twist, "employee discount programs" trumpeting once-in-a-lifetime deals. Is this the real deal? Or just more advertising hype?

The answer isn't a simple yes or no. Instead, we have to say that the employee discount programs seem to offer better deals for more people. What we mean is this: most buyers hate negotiating. Under the employee discount programs, they can get a good deal with less haggling. In most cases, they can look up the price on the Internet before they go near a dealership, and be confident they can get the car for that amount.

Interview Questions... Clues

This is an article on typical Canadian Job Interview questions and think about how you would answer them. Read the questions listed, followed by some clue/strategy/suggestions to deal with it.

1. Tell me about yourself?

The most often asked question in interviews. You need to have a short statement prepared in your mind. Be careful that it does not sound rehearsed. Limit it to work-related items unless instructed otherwise. Talk about things you have done and jobs you have held that relate to the position you are interviewing for. Start with the item farthest back and work up to the present.

2. Why did you leave your last job?

Stay positive regardless of the circumstances. Never refer to a majorproblem with management and never speak ill of supervisors, co-workers or the organization. If you do, you will be the one looking bad. Keep smiling and talk about leaving for a positive reason such as an opportunity, a chance to do something special or other forward-looking reasons.

Finding a Family Doctor

By Marilyn Campbell, About.com

Finding a good family doctor can be one of the biggest task, a newcomer might encounter. According to Statistics Canada nearly 10% of Ontarians didn't have a family doctor in 2007, either because they hadn't looked or couldn't find one. Based on the rest of the 2007 Community Health Survey, we're not as bad off as some of Canada, but if you're one of the 559,000 Ontario residents who wanted a doctor but couldn't find one, better-than-average numbers are no comfort. Whether you've moved, your doctor is retiring or you've just never had a long-term physician, the time to start looking for a family doctor is before you need one. Here are some doctor search techniques to get you started:

Decide What's Most Important to You: Before you even begin your search, take the time to think about what you're really looking for in a family physician. Does the doctor's gender matter to you? Is it important they be close to transit, or have parking near the door? Or are you just looking for the doctor who most closely matches your personal health care philosophy, no matter who or where they are? Which raises the question - do you know what your personal health care philosophy is?

Finding temporary work in the GTA

By Marilyn Campbell, About.com

The moment you land in this country or even before that, most of your thoughts might be revolving around finding a job at the earliest. Finding a temp job is a first step in this regard. Many Canadians look at temp work as the additional-income. But temporary employment can also help bridge the gap while you're job hunting, not only by providing income but also by keeping your skills and experience up-to-date. In addition, many Toronto temp agencies provide in-house training on things like computer programs and workplace safety, which can make you more employable overall. For those looking for a career change, short-term contract work will allow you to try out new jobs while you build new skills and gain experience. If you're one of those people who is easily bored and simply likes to change jobs often, having an employment agency looking for your next contract can save you valuable time in-between gigs. Finally of course, there is the opportunity for anyone to pick up extra income by working during their off-hours. So if you're job hunting, changing careers, or just want some extra cash, here are some of the temp agencies in Toronto that can help you reach your goals. Please click on the agency name to go to their respective websites.

It's time to YAK in Canada!

By Peter Nowak

Fido, Solo and Koodo are going to have some new competition next year, although the newcomer's brand name won't end in "o." Globalive Communications Inc., the big winner in this summer's government auction of cellphone airwaves, will launch two separate wireless services in the second half of next year — one discount brand officially named Yak and another as-yet-unnamed core brand. Yak, which is the same banner that Globalive uses to sell land line, internet and long-distance services, will compete directly with Fido, Solo and Koodo, said company president Anthony Lacavera on Thursday. Those are the discount brands of Rogers Communications Inc., Bell Canada Inc. and Telus Corp., respectively. Yak will target the same customers Fido, Solo and Koodo cater to — namely, cellphone users who are more price sensitive and interested in voice and text rather than advanced smartphone features such as e-mail and web surfing, he said. Globalive will also compete with the core brands from Rogers, Bell and Telus, which offer smartphones and data services, through a core brand. The Toronto-based company plans to launch a countrywide network, with the exception of Quebec, by the end of 2009, with backing from Egyptian telecommunications billionaire Naguib Sawiris.

Starting a business in Canada

Starting a business can be a rewarding undertaking, but it comes with its challenges. Before starting a business in Ontario, it is wise to do your research. There are several issues to consider such as regulations, financing, and taxation, managing your business, advertising and much more...

For more information, please see>>

How to find a Job in Canada

by Zhu

As a newcomer in Canada, you will probably need to get a job as soon as you can: settling in a new country is expensive. But going job-hunting can be an intimidating task. Here are a few tips to help you find a job in Canada. Your first goal should be to be assessed:

Have your documents translated: if your work-related documents (such as degrees, certifications etc.) are not in French or English, you will need to have them professionally translated (for Ontario, you can use the Canada International Translation Services

Know Your Credit Card

Source>>

Here's a handy checklist of questions you should ask yourself and the credit card issuer when you're looking for a credit card. Be sure to take these questions and the Worksheet to Help You Choose a Credit Card (PDF Version, 147 kB) with you when you comparison-shop.

The Importance of Good Credit History

by Admin www.all-healthtalk.com

If you were ever turned down for a loan, charged higher interest rates, or had a landlord refuse to rent you an apartment, it could be because of your credit history. Your credit history may make you appear to be a bad risk, or indicate that you sometimes have trouble making your monthly payments. Maybe you never had credit before, so there is no track record of how you pay back money you borrowed. Or maybe - without knowing it - you were a victim of "identity theft", which affected your credit rating. Many Canadians - especially newcomers to Canada or students - who do not have much experience with credit would be surprised to learn how crucial it is to build and maintain a good credit history if you want to qualify for a mortgage or other types of loan. To help consumers understand the ins and outs of credit, the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) has developed a useful booklet called Understanding Your Credit Report and Credit Score, which you can obtain at no cost by calling FCAC, toll-free, at 1-866-461-3222, or by visiting the Agency’s Website>>

How To Bank in Canada

By Zhu

Unless you’re from the U.S.A, chances are you will find banking a bit confusing when arriving in Canada. Interact, checking and saving accounts, credit cards may be new to you. Besides, opening a bank account on a resident visa and applying for a credit card can seem challenging. Let’s have a closer look at that! The main commercial banks in Canada are: Scotiabank (Bank of Nova Scotia), CIBC (Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce), National Bank of Canada,TD Canada Trust (Toronto Dominion), BMO (Bank of Montreal), RBC (Royal Bank of Canada). As a temporary or a permanent resident in Canada, you will need two pieces of personal identification (your Permanent Resident card, SIN card, Health card, Canadian driver license or foreign passport are among the acceptable piece of I.D) to open a bank account. You do not need to be employed or make a minimum deposit to open the account.

How To Manage Your Money In Canada

By Zhu

Money is always a bit tight for newcomers to Canada. Settling in a new country is expensive, especially between the immigration fees, the settling expenses and the fact you may not get a good job right away. So here are a few tips on managing your money in Canada. First thing you need to remember, is that the prices you see in stores are before tax. This is very important because it adds up and makes a difference on the final price you pay! In Canada there are three types of sales taxes:

Tips for Newcomers from a Seasoned Newcomer

Tip # 1. Do not listen to negative people! As soon as you hear a negative comment from another immigrant, run as fast as you can.

2. Try to associate with people that have succeeded in what you now want to accomplish. ~ It is true that as soon as a Newcomer gets a good job, you would hardly hear back from him/her again. For some reason, most success stories just go under the radar. You could rarely see some high achievers in magazines. Well! Actually you can see some when a non-profit organization needs an advertisement toy to recreate a fake portrait of the “great job” they are doing to help us. And you know what? It is our fault. We need to help each other. We need to Network among us. We need to give each other a hand. We need to support each other. WE= You and Me and all other New Canadians.

Tips on Canadian Real Estate

As with most countries, Canada offers a wide variety of options when it comes to choosing a place to call home. The choice you make will depend on several factors, including your budget, your space needs, and your desired location. Below are some of the options you may want to consider:

* Room for rent: Some individuals who own a house or an apartment may rent out separate rooms in those dwellings. All of the tenants share the bathroom(s) and the kitchen.

* Studio apartment: These apartments are small and were primarily designed for just one person. Most consist of a single large room that contains the kitchen and bedroom and a separate bathroom.