Case Studies - Banking

Banks will not restrict a person’s access to their own money and credit until they have the required legal documentation to transfer control to someone else. It is important for everyone, but especially seniors, to plan ahead for how their finances will be taken care of if they need help.

In September 2004, Mr. D returned to school with the intention to complete his studies by April 2005. Like many post-secondary students, Mr. D needed help to pay for his education, and in 2004, he took on both federal and provincial student loans through the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP).

In early 2017, Mr. W returned from his yearly vacation. He was always diligent about checking his account activity. When he went online to review his vacation spending, he noticed three transactions for around $4,000 for cheques that he had not written.

One day in 2017, Mr. R’s computer froze. A warning appeared on the screen and a message from what appeared to be a reputable company was displayed. It warned Mr. R that a virus had infected his computer and provided him with a number to call. He called and spoke to a representative who recommended an antivirus software to correct the issues. Mr. R agreed to buy the software for $400.

An elderly woman, Ms. W, had a grandson living overseas.

Mr. T had recently converted his personal chequing account to a joint account with his girlfriend, subject to a right of survivorship. At the time, the account had a $15,000 balance. 

Mr. F had held his credit card, and a number of other products, with the bank for over 25 years. In early 2018, he noticed he had not received his credit card statement in the mail. He called the bank. He asked about the missing statement. 

In early 2016, Mr. and Mrs. J noticed that their bank had not taken the regularly scheduled mortgage payments from their account. The couple had diligently paid their mortgage on time for the past 5 years. When they noticed the discrepancy, they immediately contacted the bank to address the issue.

Mr. S had his credit card for approximately one year. He made regular monthly payments online. Every month, he said he received an email notification that his online statement was available.  At that point, he would look at it and note the due date on which his payment was due.

In December 2010, Mr. B got a five-year fixed closed term mortgage at a rate of 3.44% with his bank. In 2013, midway through the term, the branch manager suggested switching to a “blend and extend” mortgage. This would reduce the interest rate by 0.22% but extend the maturity date to 2018.