6 Financial fun facts in Canada

1. You can transfer money very easily, via email or cell phone . This is through Interac e-Transfer, a fast, secure and convenient way to send money to anyone in Canada who uses an online banking service. Transfers are almost instantaneous, but can take up to 30 minutes depending on the bank.

2. You can deposit checks directly to your account through the tellers.

3. Many use direct mobile payments, i.e. once the credit or debit card information is stored in the device, contactless payments can be made with the cell phone.

Photo by CardMapr on Unsplash

4. Canada's banknotes are made of a thin, flexible plastic known as polymer. Plastic money lasts two to five times longer than paper money and works better in vending machines.Polymer bills are much more complicated to counterfeit. They include a number of security features including transparent windows that are difficult to copy, hidden numbers, metallic holograms and text printed in a tiny font.

Plastic money also stays cleaner and becomes less dirty than paper money because the non-porous surface does not absorb liquids. In fact, plastic money is virtually waterproof, so bills won't get ruined if they are left in a pocket by mistake and end up in the washing machine. These bills are also less likely to spread disease because it is harder for bacteria to adhere to the slippery, non-absorbent surface.

Photo by Michelle Spollen on Unsplash

5. The importance of having a good credit score: A credit score is a three-digit number that is used in Canada to assess your creditworthiness (i.e., whether you can be trusted to pay back borrowed money). If you decide to borrow money to buy a car or a house, the bank will pull a credit report and what they see will determine if you get a competitive loan rate or even if you get approved. Many times even to rent an apartment, the landlord will run a credit check prior to signing the lease.

It is recommended that you apply for a credit card as soon as you arrive in Canada, as it is one of the many ways to build a credit history. Other options include lines of credit, personal loans, mortgages, cell phone contracts and more.

6. If you have a check, you also have the option to take a picture of it and deposit it to your account through the bank's application.

It is worth mentioning that, due to several of the facilities mentioned above, you should be especially careful, as many take advantage and may try to scam you . Be careful with bad checks, even if the money is consigned, for example by means of a photo, and you see that the money is in the account, the truth is that the bank takes a few days to verify the information. A newcomer may deposit the money and as he sees the money in his account, he thinks that the check is real, but it is after several days that the bank investigates and if it sees that the check is false, it withdraws the money immediately. This scam can occur for example with job offers or others.

On the other hand, remember that at Immiland Canada we have an exclusive alliance with the renowned Desjardins group, who offer financial services and more.

If you are in Canada or coming soon and would like to open an account with Desjardins or request more information about its services, you can complete the following form (offered in English, French or Spanish)