USE IT OR LOSE IT!
5 Steps you can take to protect your accumulated rewards points programs
Rewards cards have made their way into our wallets in one form or another, but what happens to our hard-earned rewards after we pass away? You may have found that you are collecting a lot of points and that recently, with the pandemic, have not have been able to use them. Planning is the answer; people need to treat their rewards as part of their financial portfolio; for some people, a lot of time and money has been invested in them, creating value you don’t want to lose sight of.
Currently the majority of rewards programs offer the ability to transfer points upon death. Most of them also do not have time limitations on this request, however, some do.
Of interest, is that Canadian Tire Triangle reward points can only be transferred by the card holder. This is something that can be done while living and they are able to do so, otherwise, those points are lost.
We suggest you consider the following steps to help protect your accumulated value in these programs:
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First, write down your username, password and all log in credentials needed so that if needed someone can access your account.
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Go to the fine print and confirm what happens to your points upon death.
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Fill any applicable paperwork if there is the option to assign a beneficiary.
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List this as part of your financial portfolio, to be included in your Will and discuss the option to include wording in your Will to pass down to eligible beneficiaries.
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Use your points when you can instead of hoarding or building them up so you don’t risk losing them.
We have listed our understanding of treatment upon death by a number of rewards programs.
