All posts by Saro

How to import a vehicle from the USA into Canada

Cars, , , ,

Here’s a small guide a client of mine wrote up concerning how he managed to purchase a car in the United States and import it into Canada. There’s a lot of paperwork to go through, but you should end up saving quite a bit of money, especially since the Canadian Dollar now is so strong.

  1. Find a car of your choice.
  2. See if the car is admissible into Canada, and that it fits the Canadian safety requirements.
  3. Check the vehicle history by using a service such as CARFAX. You’ll need the car’s VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) to perform the lookup. CARFAX is predominately an American vehicle lookup service, while CarProof is Canadian.
  4. Check to see if there are any recalls on the car with the dealer and Transport Canada.
  5. Check to see if there are any modification requirements. Transport Canada (1-800-848-8240) and Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV).
  6. Negotiate the price of the car with the seller.
  7. Reserve the vehicle and then send the seller a USD money order, via Fedex or a courier of your choice.
  8. Prepare the Original Certificate of Title and sales receipt 72 hours before arriving to the border.
  9. If the vehicle is purchased for resale, you have to advise this to the CBSA (Canadian Border Services Agency).
  10. Ask for a recall clearance letter from the manufacturer / dealer. Fax this document to RIV, which is 1-888-642-9899, to facilitate the timely release of the inspections form from RIV.
  11. Anti-theft immobilizers are required.
  12. If the vehicle will be shipped to you, call a company to arrange transportation, e.g. ShipMyVehicle.com (1-877-512-2227).
  13. Open an account with a broker, e.g. A&A Contract Custom Brokers Ltd.
  14. Call the broker and provide the necessary documents: title, registration, sales receipts, buyer information and recall clearance letter.
  15. Get the Admissible letter from the broker, which he will get from the border.
  16. Complete Vehicle Import Form #1, from A&A Contract Custom Brokers Ltd.
  17. Your vehicle will now ship to your chosen destination.
  18. Get the recall letter from the dealer and send it to the broker in order to complete Form #2.
  19. Take an appointment with the inspection company. With Canadian Tire, it’ll take you 2-3 days to do so.
  20. Vehicle inspections must be done prior to licensing and insuring.
  21. Register the vehicle with Forms #1 and #2 approved by the inspector, recall letter, admissible letter, sales receipts, original certificate of title and pay the 8.5% PST/TVQ sales tax to the SAAQ.
  22. Change the speedometer to km/h (if possible) and turn on daytime running lights.
  23. Check to see if there are any other additional costs (duties & taxes) such as the A/C excise tax.

The reason why the Epic Meal Time staff does not get fat

Health, , , ,

I’m a big fan of Epic Meal Time on YouTube. They are considered local heros here in Montreal, getting quite a bit of publicity for their outrageous and creative meals. After watching them since their launch on YouTube, one of the questions that comes up often (in the comments) is: “how come the guys don’t get fat with all those calories and fatty foods?”

The answer is simple: they are on a ketogenic diet.

Now, I don’t know the guys personally, but I’ve noticed that the majority of foods that they eat are carbohydrate-free: chicken, turkey, sausage, ground beef, steaks, eggs, cheese, bacon, etc. In other words, they are only consuming large amounts of protein and fat. In a recent episode (the “84 Egg Sandwich”) there is a clip where they get rid of the bread and only keep the egg, bacon and sausage. Note that bread is full of carbs! They even skimp out on some vegetables, due to their starchy nature.

There is this long-standing myth that fat is bad, and carbs are… well, not really taken into account to begin with. The truth is our bodies are using carbs as a fuel source, and since it’s programmed that way, the excess carbs that come get turned into… you guessed it… fat. This in turn will get stored as a backup fuel source for your body. This is why people are fat, or have fat around their bodies.

Now, what happens when you stop eating carbs? Your liver will start producing ketones to keep your brain functioning and alive. Your body will then switch over to another fuel source: fat! And the quickest way to process fat is the one stored on your body (afterwards the food you consume). After a few weeks of starving yourself from carbs, your body will process fat exclusively and never worry about its carbohydrate intake. Now, you don’t have to read and believe what I’m saying. The science is out there for you to check out in case you want more information.

Since MusclesGlasses is a known trainer, I’m pretty sure he’s got the staff on a keto diet with plenty of training days to burn off the calories. That’s f*ckin smart.

I personally have been on a keto diet for the past 2 weeks, and already I have lost a bit of body fat. My waistline has definitely decreased, and I have not felt any adverse health effects from following the keto diet. For those looking for the most efficient way to get rid of fat, a ketogenic diet is the way to go.

 

Don’t follow the news if you want to be successful

Investing

Retail traders who act on live news are rarely successful, if at all. By the time a major news corporation picks up the market trend, it is too late. If you want to have an “edge” on the market, you need to follow indexes.

To understand the market a little more, I recommend following the top 10-15 future indexes. Looking at these futures can tell you a lot more than reading or watching the news.

Continue reading Don’t follow the news if you want to be successful →

A small follow up to the Rich Dad Education Review

Reviews and Rants, , , , ,

A while back, I posted a review (or more specifically, a rant) on the whole Rich Dad Education/Academy for real estate investing “course”. My review, and opinions, still stand today. I hope I have warned some people about the disaster that the whole Kiyosaki “program” really is.

I’d like to make note of the fact that people are actually reading the review I posted. Google Analytics shows that people are spending a good 10-12 minutes on that page, informing themselves and preventing future mistakes. You’re welcome guys.

I’m also getting quite a few hits from people searching Pip Stehlik’s name, including the typos that go with it: “stelik” and “stehlick”. Oops.

Other keywords finding the review are “rich dad education” and, lo and behlod, “rich dad education scam“. I don’t have to explain the last one.

That is all. Carry on, gentlemen.

Why you shouldn’t buy your next car from BMW West Island

Reviews and Rants, , ,

I was trying to delay writing this post, thinking it’s going to work out in the end, but I no longer have a choice. Maybe BMW West Island will finally take notice and give back what belongs to me.

Synopsis

BMW West Island (located in Dorval, Quebec) failed to sell me a car, and in return, has not credited my deposit of 200.00$. After repeated phone calls and text messages to the sales rep, I have gone ahead with a charge-back and the publication of this review.

The real reason for this review, however, is to bring light to some of BMW West Island’s shady practices when selling a car.

Continue reading Why you shouldn’t buy your next car from BMW West Island →