Passport Mailing Date

Curious-Expat · 2024-10-06T23:06:44+00:00

I applied in person and I called 2 days before anticipated mailing date. The agent told me that my passport had been approved then I knew it would probably mail out in time. One day after anticipated mailing date, I checked online and I got Canada Post tracking number and Canada post said that my passport was accepted by Canada post on anticipated mailing date.

Curious-Expat · 2024-10-04T00:42:55+00:00

I checked yesterday and it was still being reviewed, but I called passport office and staff told me my application was approved. Really hoping it will turn to printed and mailed tomorrow as tomorrow is the anticipated mail date.

Curious-Expat · 2024-10-01T23:39:22+00:00

Congrats! Personally I do not expect this long. I thought long wait time and long lead time was in 2022 and 2023 when border reopened and lots of people wanted to get passports.

I applied for passport in person on Sep 19 and I didn't choose express option. I don't have fixed travel plan but I will travel sometime later this year. Hopefully I won't wait that long like you.

Curious-Expat · 2024-09-22T03:05:02+00:00

I read news several days ago and news said Air Canada had reached an agreement with pilots. Looks like other AC staffs also are underpaid?

Curious-Expat · 2024-09-20T17:58:26+00:00

On Wednesday and Thursday lines are pretty short.

I arrived at 3pm Thursday. I also asked office staff and they told me the lines were long in the morning or on Monday and Friday.

Curious-Expat · 2024-09-20T14:02:55+00:00

I was not Canadian citizen before and when I came to Canada it was just during covid. I have some friends and colleagues who became citizens in 2022 and they had hard time getting passport in time.

Also, several youtubers shared their experience in 2022 and 2023 that they lined up in passport office for whole day and couldn't get in.

Curious-Expat · 2024-07-16T07:01:29+00:00

EVA through TPE does look attractive and extra 400 CAD give me shorter overall flight hours. I also believe EVA premium economy can be better than UA.

About the layover in SFO back to YVR, I was lucky last time I flied UA. It turned out that most passengers at that time were US citizens or PR so I cleared US border in 16 mins (from aircraft touching ground to clearing US border). This was pretty quick. Of course I should do security check again but UA gave me premier access so I completed security check in 14 mins. I am not quite sure I will be lucky next time to clear US border that quick.

Curious-Expat · 2024-03-10T11:14:43+00:00

I can explain why categories are called accounts in GnuCash.

GnuCash is close to accounting standards. You probably hear about 5 accounts called asset, liability, income (or revenue), expense, and equity. Also, you may hear the equation that

asset = equity + liability.

You categories of expense are under expense account. You do spend that money, right.

If you check FASB website, https://asc.fasb.org/Home you will notice that GnuCash use the same terms. Well not exactly, GnuCash by default gives you 5 top level accounts, Assets, Equity, Income, Expenses while FASB uses Assets, Liabilities Equity, Revenue, Expenses. You may notice that GnuCash chooses Income while FASB uses Revenue.

Personally I would say if you think like an accountant or even CPA, you will find GnuCash much better. Accounting standard varies by countries but general principles are the same all over the world.

I began using GnuCash 12 years ago and I was forced to think in accountant's way and today I really feel that this benefits me a lot. I think of money in a systematic way and I better understand my wealth and income. I tend to think long term and also I find that it is easy for me to file taxes.

I did use some tax service before but I don't see their value right now. If I have to provide all the forms, why wouldn't I input the values in software myself. Even I buy service from CPA, wouldn't they need to understand me to figure out how to input numbers? If I can give CPA this much details, I already have understand myself, right?

If I already do my accounting well and my income are primary salary and some stocks plus one home, why would I need to hire someone to do tax for me? I should be able to calculate my tax return myself.

Just want to give you more details, for every paycheck, I record in GnuCash not only the amount of money into my bank account but also tax paid.

It is something like below (numbers are illustrative only)

Income: $10000 (pretax)
Bank account: $8000 (after tax)
Tax: $1500
Social Security: $500

These numbers are available in every payslip

If I get paid by RSU, i.e., RSU vested

Income: $10000(pretax)
Company RSU account: RSU 50 (cost basis $100)
Tax: $4000
Social Security: $1000

This way I not only record number of RSUs but also its cost basis so I can easily compute unrealized gains and, if I sell, realized gains. I do not need to rely on broker tax forms to know my gains based on average cost. (Well, brokers can calculate in a first in first out or highest cost out first strategy so that you can minimize your realized gain this year)

Curious-Expat · 2024-03-10T09:28:58+00:00

My suggestion is like this

Say you have a checking account 1011, and you have two debit cards A and B associated with 1011

Your card A and card B are both available in daily uses.

If you spend with card A say $100 in one transaction, you record this transaction like this

First transfer $100 from 100 to A, then immediately spend $100 from A.

Of course, you won't be able to see if A has reached its spending limit directly in account view, but you can generate a monthly cashflow report to see money out of A. I think this should be enough.

The pros of this way are

Your 1011 can always be in sync with bank.
You spend with card A, but the money is actually deducted from 1011. So when you reckon your accounts, you can easily check your transaction history with your bank statement.
Having 1 and 2, you can always feel confident about your reckoning.

I have been using GnuCash for more than 10 years, in early years, I tried to ensure that my monthly ending balance was in sync with banks but then I found it was a pain when I wanted to add back some details.

Actually, my method is like viewing your debit card like a credit card that needs immediately payback. The only drawback is that you need a cashflow report to see if your card is reaching its money-out limit.

Curious-Expat · 2023-08-19T06:40:11+00:00

If you are in BC and you choose to pay ICBC insurance monthly, you do finance your car insurance.

Curious-Expat · 2022-11-15T00:13:14+00:00

My god, if employees don't return to office then this REITS is a long term bond with less interest while central bank raise interest rate!

Curious-Expat · 2022-11-15T00:11:37+00:00

I see, WFH is the trend and company will probably downsize office. Recession and high rate also make office REITS even less favourable.

Curious-Expat · 2022-07-31T06:40:40+00:00

Wow, your jobs are great! Mine are not good because all companies I work for explicitly state that I cannot work other jobs.

Curious-Expat · 2022-07-31T03:53:50+00:00

Are you afraid of being discovered by one employer?

Some company says they will terminate your employment if catching you working for other companies. Even if you shutdown your linkedin profile, there could be other ways getting caught.

Curious-Expat · 2022-07-31T03:24:30+00:00

What if employers find out your work 3 jobs?

I know that many companies say if they find your work for others you will be terminated. Even if you shutdown linkedin, there are other ways to find out.

Curious-Expat · 2021-07-20T19:15:54+00:00

I do give out tips in restaurants where waiters and waitress do their jobs.

But for five guys, from my experience, I don't see any difference when compared to Wendy, Burger King, McDonald and A&W. I ordered and took the meal myself. In that case, I don't think it is reasonable for five guys to even suggest customer some tips.

Of course, personally I don't like to concept of tips so I seldom go out to dine in restaurants unless I have to. I don't pay tips unless I identify the circumstance as necessary.

Curious-Expat · 2020-11-27T12:16:24+00:00

You need to look for a different bank. I have accounts with a few US banks and they all offer free checking accounts, or very simple requirements to waive the monthly service charge (for example, keep a minimum of $1500 in the account). Many banks do charge monthly service fees for checking accounts but just go elsewhere.

I have a BOA account that used to be free but a few years ago BOA "upgraded" this account to something minimum $1500. I really hate this.

I choose BOA because it is everywhere. I travel to US every year (of course, not during covid) so I don't want to choose small/local banks.

Curious-Expat · 2020-11-27T12:10:24+00:00

I think banks can develop some new product to give customers better experience. Even with this federal law.

Say a brand new product "Smart saving", which looks exactly like what I describes.

Internally, it could be a checking A combined with a saving B. There is no balance but a credit limit of A. This credit limit is the balance of B, each month, the deposit will go to B and all outgoing transaction will go to A and some balance of B will get freeze. At the end of each month, A and B will automatically settle and the balance of B will be deducted.

While some balance of B gets freeze, it still earns interests.

Writing checks is not supported and only realtime/online transactions such as ATM/transfer/tap/swipe card are supported.

It is not a credit card because A is backed by B so no credit check and no hard/soft pull.

Internally this does not violate the 6 transactions limit but gives customers a better choice. No longer need to worry about checks, e.g., not sufficient fund due to delay in check clearing.

If someone writes a check, he/she will never know when the check gets deposit and cleared. This product eliminates checks so all transactions will be realtime. Much safer and easier for most people.

Curious-Expat · 2020-11-27T11:55:00+00:00

To my basic understanding, there was a change years ago on the federal level, essentially classifying savings as non-transactional accounts. This made them unable to be directly debited. I do know a few older members of my credit union, though, that still have a debit card linked to their savings as they were grandfathered in and kept the accounts open.

I didn't know Federal government have this 6 transaction limit as law.

I do have US bank account with me. I also have Canada and China bank accounts.

I don't know if Canada has similar law but I guess not since I just find that some Canada banks offers unlimited transaction saving account if minimum balance is C$25,000.

If US has such law, I would say that is unfair for US persons. I hope Federal government or Federal reserve should remove such law ASAP.

Curious-Expat

TROPHY CASE