In this book Ellen Roseman distills the financial advice she gives in her columns and blogs into 81 quick tips that all Canadians can use to help them spend sensibly, save money, and avoid costly consumer traps. This book of "personal finance greatest hits" is filled with illustrative examples and cautionary advice from Roseman and stories from her faithful readers. Filled with a wealth of information, the book includes the low-down on dealing with banks and car dealers, cutting costs of communication services, improving your credit, buying and renovating a home, fighting online fraud, ensuring you have the right insurance, and more.

Don't spend another dollar until you read Ellen Roseman's best-ever tips for saving money and making wise financial decisions.

Ellen Roseman is a journalist who sticks up for ordinary Canadians. As a long-time ad- vocate for consumer rights, she's become a brand name for activism and a champion at helping consumers fight back against injustices. Her columns appear three times a week in theToronto Star and her popular blog, EllenRoseman.com, has been online since 2007. She's the author of seven books, includingMoney 101: Every Canadian's Guide to Personal Finance andMoney 201: More Personal Finance Advice for Every Canadian. She teaches investing and personal finance at the University of Toronto's continuing studies department and Ryerson University's Chang School, and is on the board of FAIR (Canadian Foundation for Advancement of Investor Rights) and Community Legal Education Ontario (CLEO).

Forewordxi
by Dave Chilton

Introduction xiii

Part 1: Outsmarting the Banks 1

1. Get a Higher Interest Rate on Your Savings 5

2. How to Fight Back when a Bank Cuts the Interest on Your Savings 8

3. Look Beyond the Big Banks for Higher Savings Rates 11

4. How to Get Higher Savings Rates without Getting Burned 15

5. How to Trim the Banks Service Charges 18

6. How to Fight Back when You Miss a Discount You Deserve 21

7. Challenge Bank Fees for RRSPs and Other Registered Plans 24

8. Watch Out for Foreign Exchange Conversion Fees 27

9. Find the Best Credit Cards for Rewards and Benefits 30

10. Find the Best Credit Card if You Carry a Balance 35

11. Watch Out for Credit Card Balance Transfers 38

12. Watch Out for Expensive Credit Card Insurance 41

13. Beware of Penalties when You Break a Closed Mortgage 45

14. How a Customer Fought Back Against a Banks Mortgage Penalty 49

15. How to Avoid Interest Penalties when Paying Off Your Mortgage Early 52
by Paul Brick

16. Why It Pays to Know Your Rights 55
by Ursula Menke

17. How to Outsmart the Banks at Their Own Game 58
by Matt Goulart

18. How to Get the Best Service from a Bank 60
by Douglas Melville

19. How to Get the Best Service from a Bank if You Own a Business 63
by Douglas Melville

Part 2: Keeping Your Finances on Track 67

20. How to Check on Your Credit Report and Credit Score 71

21. How to Correct Errors on Your Credit Report 74
by Ross Taylor

22. How to Fight Back when Your Credit History is a Mess 77
by Ross Taylor

23. How to Make Sure Your Credit History Stays Healthy 80
by Ross Taylor

24. How to Fight Back Against Bad Financial Advice 82

25. How to Make Sure You Have the Right Investments 85
by Douglas Melville

26. How to Fight for Your Rights as an Investor 88
by Anthony Pichelli

27. How to Recover Losses on Unsuitable Investments 90
by Ken Kivenko

28. How to Fight Back Against the Canada Revenue Agency 93

29. How to Avoid Getting Penalized on Your Tax-Free Savings Account 96

30. How to Fight Back by Using the Taxpayer Bill of Rights 99
by J. Paul Dubé

Part 3: Taming Your Telecom Costs 103

31. How to Negotiate for Better Rates with a Telecom Supplier 105

32. How to Cut the Cost of Your Home Phone Service 108

33. How to Save Money on Your Internet Service 112

34. How to Cut the Cost of Your Cable TV Service 116

35. How to Save Money on Your Telecom Bills and Get Better Serviceby Bob Lepp120

36. How to Buy a Wireless Phone without a Contract 123

37. How a Customer Fought Back Against Cancellation Fees 127

38. How to Save Money with a Prepaid Wireless Plan 130

39. Avoid Data Roaming Charges when You Travel 133

40. How a Bell Customer Fought a $10,000 Bill for Data Roaming 135

41. Watch Out for Premium Text Messages on Your Wireless Phone 137

42. How to Get the Best Value for Your Telecom Dollars 140
by Kim Walker

43. How to Cut Your Telecom Costs 142
by Heather Morgan and Mike Weatherbee

44. How We Helped a Household Slash Its Telecom Costs 144
by Heather Morgan and Mike Weatherbee

45. How to Make Effective Telecommunications Complaints 147
by John Lawford

46. How to Fight Back Against Big Telecom 152
by Lindsey Pinto

Part 4: Stretching Your Travel Dollars 155

47. How to Fight Back when an Airline Damages Your Luggage 159

48. How to Fight Airline Rules That Do Not Make Sense 163

49. How to Fight Back when a Cruise Line Loses Your Luggage 166

50. How to Complain to the Canadian Transportation Agency 170

51. How to Enforce Your Airline Flight Rights 173

52. How to Cross the Border with Your Travel Documents in Order 176

53. What to Do with Your Prescription Drugs when You Travel 179

54. How to Avoid Getting in Trouble when Booking Hotels Online 181

55. How to Avoid Being Denied a Refund on Unused Hotel Rooms 184

56. How to Avoid Paying Medical Bills when Crossing the Border 186

57. How to Choose Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption Insurance 189

58. How to Fight Back when Your Trip Cancellation Claim is Denied 192

59. How to Avoid Losing the Travel Reward Points You Collected 194

60. How to Fight Back Against a Car Rental Companys Damage Claim 198

Part 5: Fighting Back Against Poor Retail Service 201

61. How to Fight Back when a Store Refuses to Give a Refund 205

62. How to Get Your Money Back when You Pay with Your Credit Card 209

63. How to Return a Purchase That You Make Online 213

64. How to Avoid Getting into Trouble with Online Purchases 216

65. How to Fight Back Against Online Fraud 218
by David Malamed

66. How to Fight Back when You Find a Pricing Error 220

67. How to Fight Back Against Automatic Renewals 223

68. How to Avoid Losing Money on a Gym Membership 226
by Nicholas Ross

69. How to Decide on Getting an Extended Warranty 229

Part 6: Protecting Your Big-Dollar Purchases of Cars and Houses 233

70. How to Fight Back when Your Car Does Not Work Properly 237
by Stephen Moody

71. How to Fight Back Against Car Leasing Charges 241
by Neil Rau

72. How Not to Get Stung when Buying a Newly Built Home 245
by Dr. Karen Somerville

73. How to Fight Back in a Phony Real Estate Bidding War 248
by Mark Weisleder

74. How to Resolve Issues with Your Energy Utility 250
by Paul Green

75. How to Fight Back Against Rogue Movers 253

Part 7: Using Your Communication Skills and The Courts 257

76. How to Write the Perfect Complaint Letter 261
by Christopher Elliott

77. How to Create a Circle of Eyes on a Company You Want to Fight 263
by Franke James

78. How to Be Patient, Persistent and Prepared 267
by Ted Whipp

79. How to Use Twitter to Put Pressure on a Business 270
by Scott A.E. Smith

80. How to Deal with a Lawyer if You Have a Consumer Problem 272
by Orie H. Niedzviecki

81. How to Fight Back in Small Claims Court 275

Index 281