Knowing Your Banks: ING Direct Canada

ING Direct was first launched right here in Canada. It can be said that the global brand is a truly Canadian success story.

ING Direct Canada was founded in 1997; as of 2009 ING Direct Canada has over 1.6 million clients. ING Direct Canada has four “Save Your Money Cafes” in the major cities of Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver.

When ING Direct Canada came to the Canadian market, they felt Canadians had no real choice in banking. Don’t get me wrong; the Big Five did exist; however every bank’s savings account looked pretty much like one another. They also performed about the same too, offering a low interest and loaded with service charges.

The current President and CEO of ING Direct Canada is Peter R. Aceto; he is a passionate leader and committed savings advocate. As one of the founding members of ING Direct Canada’s senior leadership team, we can see that all of the hard work he and his team have put forward is paying off.

What Does ING Direct Canada bring to the market?

ING Direct Canada realized that Canadians needed a better choice in banking, and a much-needed break from fees, service charges and low-interest. When ING Direct Canada opened in 1997, they brought innovative products that helped revolutionize the market.

Being a virtual bank, aside from the four “Save Your Money Cafes”, there are no branches. Regardless of this fact, you are able to contact ING Direct Canada through the phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The other methods to contact ING Direct Canada are through e-mail, and in person at the ING Direct Cafes. I wonder if they serve espresso?

What Products does ING Direct Canada offer?

ING Direct Canada products include Savings accounts, Tax Free Savings Account (TFSAs), Mortgages, Retirement Savings Plan (RSPs), Guaranteed Investments (GICs) Mutual Funds and Business Accounts.

When you are trying to save, every penny counts and ING Direct Canada knows this. They know that fees and charges will not help anyone save money, which is why they do not believe in them. When it comes to investing in mutual funds, not having to pay loads or commissions can help your money grow even faster. Most banks require that you hold a minimum account balance in order for account fees to be waived, however ING Direct Canada does not believe in this.

What I love about ING Direct Canada’s website is within the products page. They show Canadians what they pay in interest, with the money increasing every second. Makes me wonder if they just have this on a timer to constantly increase. Either way, it got my attention right away.

ING Direct Canada recently launched the THRIVE Chequing account, which is its first chequing account being offered at ING Direct Canada. What makes this chequing account great is that there is no fee involved and it pays interest on every dollar in your account. With 38% of Canadians having said that their chequing account fees disgust them, and 68% of Canadians believe that current banking fees are unfair, this new account is a great option for them. You might be wondering how you would withdraw money, seeing as there are no branches to do so. With ING Direct’s relationship with the Exchange Network system, customers can access their accounts at any of the 2,400 ABMs across the country at no charge.

ING Direct Canada has taken great steps into social media, making use of everything that has been available and using it to their advantage. Their Facebook page interacts with their clients, while releasing information on their new products. What the people want, they give; Canadians wants American Express as a payee on their new THRIVE account, and as of 20 hours ago that was accomplished.

ING Direct Canada is a great bank, offering amazing products, the majority of which help you save more money. What else can you ask for? Well if you do have something in mind, ING Direct Canada will listen and take it into consideration as they continue to provide great service to Canadians everywhere.

What are your views on ING Direct Canada? They compete against Ally Bank, do you feel Ally Bank will beat them in the online world? How do you feel about banking online and not having to physically go to a branch?