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QTQuebecTaux

    Cards and accounts

    What the card gives back, what it costs , and what the account charges.

    Cash back, points, annual fee, monthly account fees: the right product depends on what you spend and on what you leave on the balance.

    See the calculators Read the guides
    Cards

    Cards

    A high reward rate in a category you barely spend in is worth nothing.

    Accounts

    Accounts

    Most plans waive the fee above a minimum balance.

    Rates

    Savings rate recorded

    Savings rate recorded
    ProductRateSource and date
    Savings account, base rateEQ Bank1.00%Source · September 15, 2026

    Recorded on (41 days ago). How we record rates

    Base rate on an online savings account. It can change without notice: check with the institution.

    Tools

    Put numbers on your situation

    Credit card payoff
    Time to pay off2 yr 9 mo
    Interest paid$1,521
    Total repaid$6,521

    For information only: not an approval, and not a rate offer.

    How we calculate

    The number of months comes from the closed-form formula for a fixed-payment loan; the total paid is then rebuilt month by month, including the partial last payment.

    Assumptions

    • The rate is divided by twelve for monthly interest; no new purchases are added.

    Limits

    • If the payment does not cover the month’s interest, the debt is never repaid and we say so.
    Which debt to pay off first
    Attack this one firstCredit cardEvery spare dollar goes to this debt; the others get their minimum.
    Everything is cleared in34 months
    Total interest paid$4,677
    Saved versus the “smallest balance first” method$0Here both methods agree: the smallest debt is also the priciest.

    For information only: not an approval, and not a rate offer.

    How we calculate

    Each debt gets its minimum; the budget’s surplus goes to the targeted debt. When it is gone, its payment rolls onto the next. Avalanche targets the highest rate, snowball the smallest balance.

    Assumptions

    • The simulation moves month by month, with constant rates and budget.

    Limits

    • Avalanche costs the least interest, but the method you stick with beats the one you drop.
    What is left after the reward

    A card and an account are judged by what they cost

    A card and an account are judged by what they cost
    ItemWhat it changesWhat to check
    Reward or pointsIt only counts in the categories where you spend.Your real spending, by category.
    Annual feeIt must be lower than the value received.Yearly rewards minus the fee.
    Interest on the balanceA carried balance erases the reward earned.The rate on purchases and cash advances.
    Account feesMonthly, per transaction, overdraft or foreign exchange.The balance that waives them.
    Guides

    Reading to go further

    // Credit cards

    Compare a Credit Card Beyond the Reward Rate

    Weigh the reward rate against your spending that actually qualifies, then subtract annual fees, interest and foreign-exchange costs.

    // Credit cards

    Annual Fees: Calculate a Card's Break-Even Point

    Divide the annual fee by the reward-rate gap to find the minimum spending that makes the card worthwhile.

    // Credit cards

    Cash Back: Gross Value, Caps and Categories

    Calculate net cash back after annual fees, then apply the caps and rates for each spending category.

    All blog guides

    Every guide in this section

    Frequently asked

    What people ask most

    Because the boosted rate only applies to eligible purchases, defined by the merchant's category code, and often capped. Part of your spending falls back to the base rate. Export three months of statements and work out your real rate before you choose.

    Put numbers on your decision

    Open the calculators

    For information only: not an approval, and not a rate offer.

    A question about your situation?

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