The Web is becoming more and more important to everyday business. It can provide a wealth of information if you know where to look.
Outlined below are some useful sites that can help you manage your business and personal finances.
- www.cchwebsites.com/content/calculators/indexcanadian.html
This site contains many useful tools to help you calculate mortgage and interest payments; future values; and auto loan calculators. It also includes calculations to help with decision making such as lease vs. buy decisions
- www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/lifeevents/
The service Canada website provides a guide to the different government programs, requirements and other considerations when a major life event occurs (i.e.: buying a home, getting married, having a baby, getting a divorce).
- https://srv111.services.gc.ca
This site provides access to the Canadian Retirement Income Calculator and the Post-Retirement Benefit Calculator.
- www.tax-services.ca
This site contains basic tax information such as CPP and EI maximums; Canadian Income tax calculator; Income tax rates; tax deadlines; HST rates; and RRSP tax savings calculators.
If you do conduct a lot of activity on the web you likely have a lengthy list of on-line passwords and login information. Everyone seems to have a different method of storing these passwords. Some people work from memory alone, others keep them in a word or excel document (which itself is password protected) or others use applications that have become available (such as KeePass and Quick Password Manager). Really the choice is up to you. However, you will appreciate that the CRA has recently taken a step to help eliminate one password from your memory/list.
In a recent update on November 5, 2012 by the CRA, the CRA released the following:
“The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is now offering a second login option in addition to the CRA user ID and password. You may be able to use your online banking information to log in to the My Business Account service. The new login option means that you will have one less password to remember.
This option is available for those who already use online banking services with TD Bank Group, Scotiabank, and BMO Financial Group.
Business owners can register and learn more about the new login option at www.cra.gc.ca/mybusinessaccount.
I have tried this login method myself and it works very well. There is no indication yet whether RBC will be added to the list of sign-in partners.
