自从来了加拿大之后，就一直是TD银行的客户，在TD的支票帐户（Checking Account）没什么不好，唯一可抱怨的就是没有利息。
为了避免前文提到的支票帐户手续费，我在TD的支票帐户至少得维持$2000的余额，而我们一家三口一个月的开销，与工资跟帐单日期经常无法对得上，导致支票帐户里经常有上千元，免费借给银行使用。
以现在的储蓄帐户无风险利率算起来，一年损失大概在几十元之谱，不是太大，但是如果利率随着景气往上走，一年$200，约等于100杯咖啡，为何要让银行赚走？
为了能够思考HSBC Direct Savings这个帐户是否合适取代支票帐户，首先你必须问自己，支票帐户是怎么用的，以我的个人状况，如下：
存款
- 工资入帐
- ATM存钱
付款
- 自动转帐付款（Pre-Authorized Payment）：付房屋贷款、地税、Condo管理费及瓦斯、電費
- 网上付款（on line bill pay）：主要是信用卡
- ATM/ABM取现金：其实很少用，一个月或许2次？
- 网上转存其他具有储蓄或投资功能的帐户
实际上如果可以将大部分的付款（Bill Pay），从此储蓄帐户流出，即使工资入帐在其他户头也无所谓，只要设定发工资的当天，自动把钱转入储蓄帐户即可。
HSBC的网页写得清楚，全国有几千家ATM可以提领现金，包括免費使用 BMO 的 ATM。基于我几乎从不进银行排队等行员辦事，這個帳戶滿足了我對支票帳戶的所有要求。
以下文字摘於HSBC Direct Savings 網頁細字註解1
The Direct Savings Account has no account fees and includes the following: Telephone and Personal Internet Banking withdrawals, bill payments, pre-authorized debits, Interac® payments, and unlimited deposits and withdrawals from any HSBC Bank Canada, THE EXCHANGE® and BMO Bank of Montreal® ATMs.
至於网上转存其他具有储蓄或投资功能的帐户，註解2說：
Includes transfer of funds between your HSBC Direct Savings Account and your accounts with other Canadian financial institutions.
我这就去申请，等一下都移入这个帐户后再向大家报告结果。
请问网友，有人这么做的吗？
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hmm, this is interesting.
I use Line of Credit as my checking account. No fee, as long as you don’t carry any balance. Free checks. Unlimited deposit and withdraw.
Just FYI.
@lucy,
Thanks for the comment and idea.
I heard of this line of credit strategy. A few questions on top of my head:
1. You’ll still need a checking account to pay this Line of Credit, no?
2. Can you direct deposit into Line of Credit?
3. Also, how do you handle bill payment and pre-authorized payment?
sorry, I didn’t reply earlier. Please see below.
1. You’ll still need a checking account to pay this Line of Credit, no?
–> I don’t think that’s the only way. I have LOC and visa card account with TD, and I can transfer money from my visa account to my LOC account, which, in a sense, is to pay this Line of Credit using my Visa credit card.
2. Can you direct deposit into Line of Credit?
–> Yes, I used to have my salary deposit to my LOC. Just provided the payroll department the account number of my LOC.
3. Also, how do you handle bill payment and pre-authorized payment?
–> The same as you use your regular check account. Specify the payment account is your LOC account.
PS: all my experience is with TD. But I think other bank will operate similarly.
One more question about your article: how did you get the number of $200? Assuming that one day the saving account will give you an interest rate of 15% to 20%?
@Lucy,
Good stuff. Very interesting experiment. It actually makes business sense to encourage people use LOC as checking. Most will start to owe balance I guess.
I calculated $5000 average in a checking account on interest rate of 4%. It’s embarrassing to admit that we’re averaging $5000 in checking balance. I’m just too lazy to move it around all the time.
What?! You normally have $5,000 in your checking account? 28 days out of a month I have only $1,001 to $1,010 in my account.
口袋里从来没有余钱的人掩面飘过……..
Maintain such a high balance is nothing to be proud of.
I have applied for HSBC direct savings account. I will update my experience in a few days. Stay tuned.