Oh, Canada!

I'm feeling a little like I'm being punished for moving to Canada. There are a few things that make little sense that are affecting my ability to get things done here. One of which involves financial situations.

M doesn't like dealing with the financial side of things. She wants me to take that over because she knows I care about it and will watch it. However, because I haven't been in Canada for very long, I'm a bit stymied in certain things.

For example, in order to earn more interest in a savings account, and because I have been a long-time member of ING Direct, we decided to open an ING Direct Canada account. Although it is the same company, the American and Canadian side do not have ANYTHING to do with each other in the slightest-- to the point of not even checking my credit history and account status on one side to prove I'm an okay risk on the other side. Our joint account is now on hold because I have no credit history at all (which, frankly should be a good thing, shouldn't it? I mean, I have no negatives to work against me! But, having worked for a company that knows all about credit histories, I know that's not how it works). This includes disallowing my wife from doing anything on the account, even though she has a very good credit history, because I am the other person on the account.

It took almost a half hour on the phone to get this reason discovered and explained to me. Now I have to wait 5-7 business days for the official forms to arrive, fill them out and get them notarized, and then 5-7 business days to send them back before either of us can transfer money into the account.

Ironically, anyone, ourselves included, can write a check and put our account number on it and ING Direct will happily deposit the funds into the account even without my credit history. The only REAL reason they want that signed form is so that I (or my wife) can take the money OUT of the account.

Why can't any financial institution simply ask for my SIN -OR- SSN and check both? When they see I have a great credit rating in America, they can use that information as part of their decision making process. Also, the man admitted they use Transunion and Equifax -- both of which work equally well in America and Canada (but, probably, like ING, are completely separate units that cannot talk to each other). Or do they think I've come to Canada with the sole purpose of trashing my credit rating here, being a never-do-well, and then leaving to my pristine credit across the border?

So, now I await the forms. Luckily, we have a friend who is a notary public, so we should be able to get that part done fairly quickly/easily. But having to do it at all is aggravating.