We finally got a car!! Yey!! A brand new Ford Escape in a three year lease and we are ready to roll.
After checking the weather forecast and the news we set off for a short road-trip just north of Toronto. It was beautiful. Everything was white and shiny. The air was fresh and clean. Everything we wanted to see in Canada that we never had back home.
After a long day of going around and around, we started heading back home. Like in a horror film, the weather was changing fast and for the worse. A snow storm with white-outs and temperature dropping to -35 Celsius with the wind factor were becoming unbearable.
We reached a closed road - first sign of trouble. We tried taking another route and ended up at another road block and having the road behind us also closed.
We were stuck in a small town named Flesherton and ended spending the night in the basement of the town church.
At about 4:00 Am we got some news that the snow storm had died and that roads were being cleared. We rushed back to the car and drove off...
Next time, we'll take sleeping bags.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
No Credit
One of the major steps in our economy was the invention of the credit card. In Israel, I got my first credit card when I was in the army. It had gone through many phases and credit changes but I ended up having a gold MasterCard and used it for everything. It had come to the point, where like many of my friends, I didn't carry cash anymore.
One would think that a global computerized company like MasterCard would have identified me in Canada and would happily grant me a new local card. Here is the mistake. When you get a credit card in Israel, the bank gives you the credit according to your income, the amount of money you have in your account, your parents accounts, etc. In Canada you have to start over. Here no one will give you any credit because you do not have any credit history. You cannot get credit history, because you do not have credit - catch 22. No amount of money in the bank account will help.
So, what do you do? You establish credit the hard way. The first step would be to make a few long term payments - such as cell phones or cable television. Next, you need to ask for a zero-credit credit card - yes, such a card exists. CapitalOne can supply you a 300 $ prepaid credit card.
If you have successfully done these steps, you will start gaining credit history. After a few months, if all your bills are paid - you will start getting better offers and have sufficient history to get credit for loans, such as car leases.
Whatever you do, before coming to America, make sure your Israeli card is in good shape and keep some funds available back home.
One would think that a global computerized company like MasterCard would have identified me in Canada and would happily grant me a new local card. Here is the mistake. When you get a credit card in Israel, the bank gives you the credit according to your income, the amount of money you have in your account, your parents accounts, etc. In Canada you have to start over. Here no one will give you any credit because you do not have any credit history. You cannot get credit history, because you do not have credit - catch 22. No amount of money in the bank account will help.
So, what do you do? You establish credit the hard way. The first step would be to make a few long term payments - such as cell phones or cable television. Next, you need to ask for a zero-credit credit card - yes, such a card exists. CapitalOne can supply you a 300 $ prepaid credit card.
If you have successfully done these steps, you will start gaining credit history. After a few months, if all your bills are paid - you will start getting better offers and have sufficient history to get credit for loans, such as car leases.
Whatever you do, before coming to America, make sure your Israeli card is in good shape and keep some funds available back home.
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