Tips for tipping Noticing more prompts to tip when you check out these days? Or are you being asked to add 18, 20 or even 30 per cent tips where you’d usually add 15 per cent? These can be examples of “tip creep” or “tip inflation,” experts say, and it’s now par for the course as a higher cost of living hits households and businesses across the country. Tip creep has been essential for many, especially in the service industry, as wages have not kept pace with the decades-high levels of inflation seen over the past few months. For this reason, tipping 20 per cent on many bills is becoming standard, experts say. But for households also struggling to get by, the pressure to tip more on a debit machine can be too much. Personal finance expert Rubina Ahmed-Haq suggests paying with cash for this reason, and contributing to the tip jar if you’re feeling generous. Learn more about the new status quo for tipping in this Global News story.  What follows the summer of airport chaos? Long lineups and flight disruptions marked the return to travel for many Canadians this summer, as the end of many pandemic-related restrictions saw airports and airlines overwhelmed and caught short-handed. There’s been some improvement at travel hubs like Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, but as experts look towards the traditionally slower — and cheaper — fall travel season, the future seems up in the air. Demand for air travel tends to decline in September as kids go back to school and parents return to work. Airlines then drop their prices to try to stimulate bookings, explains McGill University’s head of aviation management John Gradek. But some travel experts say they’ve seen unseasonably high demand heading into the fall, as some travellers might have decided to avoid the chaos at airports and delayed their vacations. Travel agent Lesley Keyter tells Global News that sustained demand could keep prices higher into the fall as the tourism industry continues its long rebuild from the pandemic. "When it comes down to it, it's supply and demand. So if there's more demand than there are seats, then obviously the airline is going to try and recoup some of their losses and put the prices up," she told Global News. So when should you buy if you want to get a deal? Global News reporter Craig Lord has what you need to know if you’re hoping to catch a flight this fall.  If I had $5,000 (if I had $5,000)… Even as inflation shows early signs of easing, the successive months of price hikes are squeezing Canadian pocketbooks. The Angus Reid Institute asked Canadians what kind of a difference $5,000 would make in their lives in a poll earlier this summer. Only nine per cent of respondents said they’d put a sudden windfall into a big-ticket purchase. Meanwhile, 38 per cent said that money would go directly to paying down debt, while 10 per cent said it would be needed to cover day-to-day expenses. The remainder said they’d save or invest that money. The stress of debt is only intensifying as interest rates rise to tamp down on inflation, making carrying those loans more expensive. Financial experts say even if you haven’t has a windfall of an extra $5,000, there are steps you can take today to consolidate debt with a lower interest rate and get your finances under control. Read more here. ________________________ – THE QUESTION – “I have an offer from my bank to increase my credit card limit by $6,000. I have heard mixed opinions on how credit card limits can impact credit scores. Will there be a negative impact to my credit score if I accept the increased limit?“ — A Money123 reader “Because the credit limit is offered by your bank (as opposed to you applying for the increase), there shouldn’t be a negative impact on your credit score if you accept the increased limit. When your bank offers to boost your credit card limit, it’s referred to as a pre-approved increase. Pre-approved increases usually don’t affect your credit score. The bank or credit card company offers this increase based on your behaviour as their customer — i.e., your repayment history, account balance, monthly purchases, etc. But, if you request a credit limit increase, your credit card company makes a hard inquiry on your credit report which does negatively impact your credit score. A hard inquiry is a formal review of your credit score that occurs during a loan, credit card, or line of credit application, including applications for a credit card limit increase. These inquiries can remain on your credit report for up to two years. But any negative impact usually rebounds in a few months, suggesting that you’re responsible with your credit use. The ‘mixed opinions’ you're hearing may be a confusion between whether the increase is a pre-approved offer from your bank versus one that you're applying for.“ -Adrian Zee, personal finance writer, www.adrianzee.com ___________________________ Want your money question answered by an expert? Get in touch! | 
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