deltatux
@avidamoeba not sure if that's DUCA but definitely that was PACE. Severe mismanagement & potential fraud from leadership caused many years of issues at the CU. FSRAO ended up ordering its closure and sold it to Alterna Savings.
I second Meridian, really like their customer service. However, I'm really not a fan of their updated account fee structure (as of Sept 1), they're not that competitive with the new fee structure as it kinda copies the Big Banks but w/ less features incl.
Depending on what your needs are, Alterna Savings & DUCA may offer you a better deal. Though I can't vouch of their customer service as I haven't used Alterna much & haven't used DUCA before.
If you're the type that wants to withdraw cash, EQ Bank would be better option than WealthSimple Cash.
EQ Bank offers to rebate all domestic ATM withdrawals, no matter the ATM. They don't rebate International ATM withdrawals though if those machines charge a fee...
Still remember in my teens playing #Starcraft when the power suddenly cut as I was about to save my game lol.
Still had fun doing other things, including a night walk in the neighbourhood without power & seeing the stars so clearly because there's no light pollution.
Regarding Brim & KOHO:
Well real question is what BMO card you have and what you wanted out of it. If you are currently holding say the BMO Cashback World Elite MasterCard, then ya, I can see why those 2 choices can't replace this card but if you compare it with say the Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite, CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite or even the MBNA Rewards World Elite MasterCard, then they can compete.
Really depends on what you're looking for in a card...
@mxwarp This is just a promo rate, all the Big Banks & their subsidiaries do this. They boost the rate for 3-4 months and then you earn their base crappy rate thereafter.
Scotiabank, Tangerine, Simplii & etc. have been doing this for years.
The options in the link I provided previously are non-promo rates.
Other options incl. fintechs like WealthSimple offer 4.5% if you have $100k deposited or invested with them, or via money market funds or investment savings account which all pay >4%.
@mxwarp I mean, what incentives do these banks have to pay higher interest? They own like >80% of the market and their name recognition alone draws deposits.
Keep in mind that paying higher interest rates is a way to attract deposits, when your name recognition & size can already do that for you, why pay more?
As a consumer, people need to consider shopping around. Far too many Canadians believe there's no choice when in fact there is.
For higher paying options, see: https://highinterestsavings.ca/chart
@mxwarp Unfortunately the Meridian Visa roll out was a mess when they decided to end the partnership with Collabria & brought it in house. There were so many issues, they even gave $50 to all cardholders for the inconvenience...
@Inky online banks have their place, so too do credit unions. It also depends on what credit union you're comparing with. Some CUs provide free accounts like the online banks but still have the option to get either free or PAYG branch access for the times where branches can resolve things faster.
If all you want is a no frills banking experience, online banks are great but CUs still fill a role that can't be found with the Big Banks either. Really depends on what your needs are really.