Did You Know?

Here are five valuable facts that our TCU Wealth Management/ Aviso Wealth Financial Planner Tré Bynoe, CFP®, RIS, CIM® wants you to know about Qtrade Direct Investing®:

1. Qtrade has been consistently ranked as Canada's #1 online investing platform.
2. You can buy and sell 100+ EFTs commission free.
3. Qtrade offers easy to use savings and investment calculators to help you plan for your goals.
4. If you transfer $15,000 or more, Qtrade will reimburse your transfer-out fees up to $150.
5. Stock trades are $8.75 - or $7.75 if you are 18-30 years of age and set a $50 or more monthly PAC.

Here are five valuable facts that our TCU Account Manager Mike Jones wants you to know about TCU Mortgages:

1. Today, the housing market can seem like it is moving quickly. A mortgage pre-approval can guarantee financing for a home purchase for up to 90 days, meaning you can search for your perfect home knowing exactly what your options are ahead of time.
2. We can guarantee mortgage rates for you for up to 120 days, so you can have peace of mind about your borrowing costs.
3. You can purchase a home with as little as 5% of the purchase price as a down payment and 1.5% of the price as closing costs; though we always recommend having some extra funds saved for your new responsibilities as the homeowner.
4. An Account Manager at TCU can build a plan for you to make the most out of your savings in the build up to a home purchase though great options such as Tax-Free Savings Accounts and the new First Home Savings Account. You worked hard to build those savings, so let’s make those savings work hard for your new home.
5. Have other financial goals such as retirement, travel, or supporting your children through further education? By collaborating with our Account Managers, not only can we create a plan to help you reach the goal of home ownership, that same plan can ensure your other goals and responsibilities are prioritized too. This way, the costs of home ownership do not come at the expense of your family’s well being and the experiences you work hard to provide.
   

Here are six valuable facts that our TCU Account Manager Bilal wants you to know about Flex Mortgages:

1. With a Flex Mortgage, you gain ongoing access to credit (revolving portion). As you pay down your outstanding balance, your available credit increases up to your credit limit. You can also add a term portion at any time.
2. With the revolving portion, you can borrow up to 65% credit limit of the Flex Mortgage and get a variable interest rate that changes with Prime Rate. As you pay down your outstanding balance, your available credit increases up to your credit limit. You can pay at your own pace without prepayment charges – pay as little as interest only, make additional payments, or pay off your outstanding balance at any time.
3. You can put all or a portion of your outstanding balance from the revolving portion into a term portion and establish regular payments at a fixed or variable interest rate for an open or closed prepayment term.
4. If you opt for a term portion at set-up, you may be able to borrow up to 80% of your home’s value – compared to the maximum 65% in the revolving portion (the credit limit).
5. On a closed term portion, you can make one or more prepayments up to 20% of your original term portion amount every year without a prepayment charge.
6. On an open term portion, you can prepay in full at any time without incurring a prepayment charge or increase your payment amount as much as you like.

Here are five valuable facts that our TCU Account Manager Tom Brown wants you to know about TFSAs:

1. TFSAs are tax-free. The funds that you contribute to your TFSA will be after-tax dollars.
2. You will not pay tax if your investments increase in value, or when you choose to withdraw funds.
3. You will never lose TFSA contribution room. The TFSA limit for 2025 is $7,000, and unused contribution room carries forward each year.
4. TFSAs were introduced in 2009. Now, in 2025, Canadians now have a cumulative lifetime TFSA contribution limit of $102,000.
5. There is no age limit on how long members can hold a TFSA. Members must be at least 18 years of age to open a TFSA account.

Here are five valuable facts that our TCU Account Manager Sally Dinh wants you to know about Term Deposits:

1. Invest with peace of mind, our GICs offer a safe and secured investment that guarantees 100% of your principle and interest, as well as a guaranteed rate of return for the term of your investment.
2. A flexible solution to manage your money and to plan for the future with terms of 1 to 5 years.
3. Our most flexible option is a 1 year cashable term that offers you all of the flexibility and higher rate of return compared to a regular savings account. Funds can be accessed anytime after 30 days with no penalty, as well as unlimited number of withdrawals allowed as needed. 
4. You can get started with any term deposit with only a minimum deposit of $500.
5. All deposits held at TCU are also fully guaranteed by the Credit Union Deposit Guarantee Corporation. There is no limit to the size of deposit covered, whether it is $1 or $1,000,000, all deposits are fully guaranteed. 

Here are seven valuable facts that our TCU Business Solutions Account Manager Aaron Norum wants you to know about Business Equipment Lines:

1. Get a pre-approved borrowing limit to save time when making purchases for your business.
2. you can re-borrow up to your approved limit.
3. Have the confidence in knowing that your funds are available when they are needed.
4. Structure your Equipment Line into multiple sub-loans.
5. There are no prepayment penalties.
6. We have a streamlined documentation and funding process to get your funds faster.
7. The Equipment line helps to better manage your cashflow, while seizing opportunities to grow your business.

Here are seven valuable facts that our TCU Business Solutions Account Manager Meghan Fossenier wants you to know about Business Investment Savings Accounts:

1. There are tiered interest offerings which means the more you save, the more you earn.
2. No minimum balance is required.
3. The funds you put in your Investment Savings Account are accessible at any time, nothing is locked in.
4. There are no monthly fees.
5. You receive one free debit transaction per month.
6. This account compliments our business banking operating account packages, which are tailored to suit your business' needs.
7. The funds in your account are fully guaranteed by CUDGC (Credit Union Deposit Guarantee Company).

Here are five valuable facts that our TCU Account Manager Michelle Rekunyk wants you to know about Student Loans:

1. Our Student Loans function as a line of credit while you are in school, so you will pay interest only payments while completing your studies.
2. You will only make interest payments on what you borrow from your line of credit.
3. there is a 24-month grace period after completion of studies before your line of credit balance is converted to a fixed loan and you will start making regular fixed payments.
4. Our Student Loans offer competitive interest rates.
5. Having a Student Loan helps you establish and build your credit.

Here are four valuable facts that our TCU Account Manager Brayden Dewey wants you to know about a TCU Mastercard:

1. Every TCU Mastercard comes standard with Zero Liability Fraud Protection, Purchase Protection and Extended Warranty, and Mobile Device Insurance, even on our cards with no annual fees. This provides peace of mind when making a larger purchase like an expensive appliance, new cell phone, or shopping online.
2. You can save a considerable amount in fees when traveling to the United States by using our US Dollar Card. When using a Canadian card in the US, every ATM that you visit can charge you a conversion rate and a foreign transaction fee. With the US Dollar Card all your purchases are made in USD, so when the time comes to pay the bill, you can pay it with USD purchased directly from us in branch, giving you a transparent one-time conversion rate and minimizing out of country fees.
3. Credit cards are known for having higher interest rates, but that isn’t always the case. A credit card like our TCU Classic Mastercard offers a rate as low as 12.99%. If you find yourself leaving a balance on your card at the end of the month, this can be a much better option than a card with a higher rate. The average interest rate on a credit card is 23.65%, so with our Classic Mastercard you can end up paying around half as much as a traditional card.
4. If you have considered switching to a card with a higher annual fee with better benefits and are wondering if the switch might be worth it for you, often you can out earn your annual fee in the points and the benefits you take advantage of. For example, if you take a vacation once a year, the Emergency Health Care Coverage, Trip Cancellation & Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental/Collision/Loss Damage insurance, and Lost or Delayed Baggage Coverage offered by our World Mastercard can end up saving you more than the $120 annual fee when compared to paying out of pocket for these services. After that, the points you earn are just the cherry on top.
   

Here are five valuable facts that our TCU Account Manager Brandi Hanoski wants you to know about Vehicle Financing:

1. A pre-approval makes your vehicle shopping experience less stressful!
2. We work with you on a payment that fits your financial goals.
3. Choose a payment schedule that works for you.
4. There are no application fees or prepayment penalties.
5. We have loan insurance options to protect you and your loved ones.

Here are five valuable facts that our TCU Account Manager Qaiser Khan wants you to know about our First Home Savings Accounts:

1. Contributions made to an FHSA are tax-deductible to buy your first home.
2. Enjoy earnings on your FHSA tax-free.
3. Qualified first-time home buyers do not need to pay back FHSA funds.
4. You can contribute to your spouse’s FHSA to help buy a home together.
5. Contributions are not limited to the down payment of your home.