ING has extended their $100 bonus

Good news! I realize that when I wrote last month about my decision to switch my CIBC chequing account (which charged me $13 for the pleasure of using their services) to an ING Thrive chequing account (which gave me $100 to thank me for being their customer), I didn't leave you much time to make the switch as well. 

Fortunately, ING has extended their promotion so if you open an ING Thrive account and have your payroll automatically deposited into it by August 31st, you'll receive $100 bonus. The best part is that there are no monthly fees, free first batch of 50 cheques, free ATM access, and several other wonderful benefits explained in full here. To set up my account, to add my payees and to send in the paperwork to my HR department, it took less than 20 minutes. In the words of Gwen Stefani, what are you waiting for?

I must ask, what are you waiting for? photo source

I have been a fan of ING's savings accounts for years (mostly because I can nickname the account anything I want) and I am now pleased to be doing my daily banking with them. Using their handy ABM locator (available online or on your iPhone as an Ap), I have found 2 machines within a 2 minute walk to work and 1 behind my condo building. So the inability to access your cash quickly is no longer an excuse not to bank with ING. 

The only hiccup that I have found so far is in regards to e-mail money transfers. I did receive one recently from a friend who banks with the Bank of Montreal and when I accepted the e-mail link, I could only deposit the money into a CIBC, RBC, TD Bank, PC Financial, or BMO account. I phoned into ING to explain this dilemma and they took my call within 35 seconds. The rep explained that at a head office level, ING is working to be added onto this network list, but for now, the big banks are purposely excluding them. She said that their service and products are so good that the other banks are going out of their way to make the lives of ING clients difficult whenever they can. I found her explanation to be amusing, although not that helpful. My Eye Candy has not made the switch to ING as he has several automatic payees each month from his account that makes the $100 bonus not worth the aggravation so I simply deposited my friend's e-mail money transfer into his CIBC account and he wrote me a cheque. This is the only setback that I have experienced so far using ING chequing and in the grand scheme of things, it is not a big deal.

While you're at the ING site setting up your chequing account, why not start a savings account too? And if you're related to me, I suggest you call the account Cuba! or Havana Nights and start contributing $25 weekly to begin saving for our family fun vacation next April. The best is yet to come as if you use my Orange Key number 31643528S1 and deposit $100, ING will give you $25 and me $25. We will both $25 closer to the sand, sea, and sunshine.

No riddle me this, when was the last time someone gave you free money? 

*Rosie*