5 years ago when I signed, my interest rate started at 3.5% on a variable rate. I rode it for almost 2 years and then locked in at 4.25%. I still have just over a year and ahalf on that one, but I can't transfer it to my new mortgage.
Wow, that is a great rate!! You guys also get free medical, we pay out the behind for our medical insurance....
Medical is not free... Different provinces have different tax rates... In Quebec, I pay close to 50% in taxes right off my pay... Then, you take the half they "let us keep", and anything we buy has a 6% federal tax and 8% provincial tax. And that's only after we pay property taxes, school taxes, city taxes, water taxes, additional taxes for booze and smokes... It definitely isn't free... Funny part is, the last two times I needed medical attention (once after coming home from Cancun 4 years ago, the other after returning from Texas 3 years ago), I went to a private clinic and paid for my treatment as to not wait in a half day line triage room. We talk a good game, but our "free" health care isn't much different than yours. Talk to any hospital in Florida, California and Texas and ask them how many people they refuse a day versus how many people get treated who can't or won't pay. The big difference is, we pay for it whether we use it or not.
Look at it as a small business owner. You have 10 employees. All making $5.15/ per hour. Now the federal gov't says you have to pay your employees $5.85/hour. Your profit margin just went down or you have to lay people off. Your business still has the same bills to pay and taxes are the same or probalby going to increase. Your obvious choice is to make the consumers pay for the increase in emplyoee wages. So instead of paying $3.99 for a Big Mac Value Meal, now you're going to pay $4.99 for the same meal you just paid $3.99 for yesterday. If there was a way for Federal and local gov't to give tax breaks to business owners to pay their employees more then it would work out better.
:shock: :shock: Your Big Mac meals are only $4.99 :shock: :shock: Pass me the imigration documents... I'm moving across :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Ian :lol: PS. Yup, same here in relation to our ' free ' health service. You pay an extra 9% National Insurance ' tax ontop of the income tax you already pay on your earnings ( currently between 22-40%, dependant on your income ) to cover the ' free ' health cover. ( Although a portion of this does go towards your state pension when your older )
Ours sucks! My new medical plan I pay out of each paycheck $49 (JUST for me) and we also have deductables just like auto insurance. So if I go to the Dr. I have to pay the first $200. After that, they will pay 80% of all of my visits up until my 20% adds up to an additional $800. Once I have paid $1,000 out of pocket (on top of the $50 per week) THEN they will cover me 100%. We also get taxed in our paychecks too, Federal Income Tax & we have a State Tax as well...then there's Social Security...blah blah... We are also property taxed on our homes, vehicles - be it a boat, car, motorcycle-anything that has to be registered. Along with cigs and the 6% for whatever else...I say it's a scam!!
:claphappy: :claphappy: :claphappy: Do you also pay a tax just to own a TV set in your house ? I'm not talking about cable or satelite that would provide you with premium movie / sports channels but just to have a TV in your house and receive the basic terestrial crap they pump out... £120 Per Annum ( $240US ) Come on, there must be better examples of legalised national robbery :lol: :lol: :lol: Ian :lol: :lol:
Actually Kris.. it sounds like your plan is terrible, whoever set that up for you is terrible. I pay about $18/week with very small copays, cheap drugs, and lots of docs. my christmas night emergency trip (4 hours) with xrays, morphine, and doctor cost me all of $50
That's how mine USED to be & I was fine with it. My allergy shots (3 per week) were free, no copay or anything-just my $35 per week out of my check. ....Jan 1st they changed it to this. A lot of companies are going with the deductable crap now...so now I pay more per paycheck-and have deductables! No, I do not pay to have my TV :lol: (taxes that is) just property taxes on the home we keep it in. Scam scam scam!!
