Erica Alini, The Globe and Mail

Erica Alini

The Globe and Mail

Toronto, ON, Canada

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Recent:
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Past:
  • The Globe and Mail
  • Global News
  • CKNW 980AM

Past articles by Erica:

Toronto man with broken back describes travel insurance nightmare: ‘Your 1-800 line never picks up’

Travel insurers are struggling to keep up with soaring demand as scores of Canadians flock to tourist destinations and more of them take out insurance amid widespread flight disruptions and lingering public-health concerns → Read More

A quarter of Canadians unable to cover a $500 emergency, StatsCan survey finds

Soaring rents, along with heavy student-debt loads, were the primary drivers of financial distress among Canadians between the ages of 26 and 41 → Read More

Rental fraud grows amid rise in fake, falsified tenant applications

Criminal groups are increasingly using fake tenant applications to commit real-estate fraud → Read More

Canada’s transportation regulator doesn’t track 97% of air passenger claims

The CTA does not know how many complaints were resolved in favour of the customer and what compensation was issued → Read More

Air Canada donation of couple’s missing luggage raises questions about what airlines can do with lost bags

Legal experts, consumer advocates say while airlines never had the authority to dispose of lost baggage, passengers’ use of tracking devices could pose a legal test of that practice → Read More

Foreign buyer ban will likely put further squeeze on rental market, experts say

Federal rules aimed at making homes more affordable for Canadians may prevent temporary residents from buying residential property in urban areas → Read More

Say good-bye to roaming fees when travelling with this smart new technology

And a look at behavioural biases and how they affect our ability to think clearly about money → Read More

Scotiabank declined her account application, then set a deposits cap. She still doesn’t know why

Scotiabank declined an application to open an account that would hold funds to be used for sponsoring an Afghan refugee → Read More

Automakers looking at digital subscriptions to monetize customer relationships

Vehicle subscriptions take off as a way to keep automakers in drivers’ everyday lives, but analysts say they have so far proven to be a mixed bag for consumers → Read More

Decisions on passenger claims will extend to other travellers on same flight, CTA says

The move is unlikely to result in significant benefits for average travellers, advocates say → Read More

Wrap-up: How to disaster-proof your life

Don’t forget to check these items on your financial crisis-prep list → Read More

Renting vs. buying a home

Whether you rent or buy for housing depends on how long you plan to live there, if you can afford the associated costs and your long-term goals → Read More

Forty-year amortizations among emergency tools mortgage lenders, insurers using to prevent defaults

With interest rates up 3.5 percentage points so far this year, the industry is looking to assist borrowers who can’t manage growing mortgage payments → Read More

National Bank scraps mortgage portability

National Bank has stopped offering rollover mortgages, which it described as a ‘financing solution’ that allowed borrowers to transfer the interest rate, remaining balance and remaining term of an existing mortgage to a new loan → Read More

Why holiday air travel could still turn into a nightmare before Christmas for Canadians

Experts caution there could be widespread delays and cancellations at airports, so plan for disruption → Read More

Black Friday deals are extra good this year as retailers look to draw down inventory before end of holiday season

After dealing with supply chain snags, retailers are now struggling with how to draw down inventory in warehouses piled high with merchandise with consumer malaise likely to set in amid high inflation → Read More

Major mortgage lenders let borrowers shift unpaid interest onto principal to cope with rising costs

The variable-rate mortgage products from TD Bank and CIBC are not new but they’re being put to the test in this rising rate environment → Read More

Amplify: Why financial literacy is so important for women of all ages

In this issue of Amplify, guest editor Erica Alini talks about the MoneySmart Bootcamp, and encourages women to take the reins of their own finances → Read More

Higher TFSA contribution limit and lower taxes are among the rare upsides of high inflation

Canadians can look forward to several outsized changes in 2023 that will benefit their wallets → Read More

How to manage the money you have

Hello, Welcome to the first dispatch from MoneySmart Boot Camp – I’m so glad you’re here. My name is Erica Alini, I write about personal finance at The Globe and Mail. Let’s dive right in. The key concept I want to talk about today is: Spend less than you make. That’s the foundation of any kind of healthy relationship with your money. There can be no saving, investing or financial planning… → Read More