10 Upfront Fees that Are Actually Worth It

No one likes paying upfront fees for anything. After all, what's the point of paying someone who hasn't done anything for you yet? Besides, sometimes doing such a thing can actually turn into a scam. The person in question could take the fee and disappear -- never to be seen again. But there are some situations where paying upfront totally makes sense. No need to be paranoid because the following top ten covers those times when giving up your money first, translates to big rewards.

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1. Costco Membership
Get a membership here and its inner sanctum can be a tad overwhelming, like a consumerist shangri-la. Who knew you needed so much in bulk? Well actually, a lot of people don't make that discovery for themselves until they step in to Costco for the first time. Sure, there's that danger of going into hyperdrive and buying up the store. But if you can exhibit a little self-control, watch that budget and take advantage of those ridiculously cheap loss-leaders, your $55 membership might be the smartest investment you've ever made, especially if you have a rather large family.

2. CarFax Report
In a world of Craigslist car listings and sellers who don't disclose that the used car your buying was once a write-off, a CarFax report is a verifiable must-have when buying a used car. It may cost you an extra $35, but it could save you thousands of dollars in repairs down the road. Seriously, if there's a problem, you'll thank your lucky stars you got that report and dodged such a costly bullet. While your at it, why don't you take it to a garage for a top-to-bottom inspection before you lay down the cash? The piece of mind will be so worth it. We promise.

3. CAA Membership
Older cars aren't covered by a roadside assistance services like OnStar, so a CAA membership could be a true golden parachute for those still driving an old beater from the eighties. Seriously, emergency gas, towing, battery boosts, lock service, travel discounts, travel insurance and, their don't-leave-home-without-them maps -- what more could you need? Membership costs depend on where you live, but they start at $65 a month and you'll love that you spent the money when you are in the middle of nowhere on the side of the road. Sign up online and avoid the enrollment fee.

4. Annual Fee Credit Cards
This one is definitely on the "worth it" bubble. After all, a ton of credit cards have annual fees for perks and services you'll never actually use. Yet, there are those with the travel and cash and back rewards that make you wonder, 'If I'm going to use the credit card anyway, why not make it work for me?' If you want to take that trip on airmiles, you'll get there faster with an airmiles credit card. Still, if you want to control your finances, you should probably get rid of the credit card all together. But, if you're going to keep it, maybe you should try the Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite, which comes with an annual fee of $99. When you spend $2,500 a month on this card, you'll earn $684 cash back in one year.

5. Fee-Only Financial Advisors
Okay, so dropping some cash on a financial advisor upfront doesn't feel very good when they haven't done anything yet. Still, it's better than having an advisor that only works on commission and sounds like they're always trying to sell you something (because they are). Wee all want unbiased advice and a fee-only arrangement gives you a chance to have that. If you have financial portfolio to manage, or you would like one, this is the best way to have it managed. The first question to any financial advisor should be, "How are you compensated?" Depending on the answer to that very important question, you can go from there.

6. Professional Accounting Fees
If you are self-employed, earn a living through commission, rent property or generate a lot of your income from investments, an accountant can be a godsend. However, if you're able to do your taxes at a big box like H&R Block, an accountant still maybe worth it. Sure, the fee maybe expensive at $365 and up, but there may be years when your finances become more complex and, in that case, an accountant is good insurance. Somebody who, when you need them, you're glad they are there. In those years, they'll pay for their fee one hundred times over with the valuable advice they give.

7. Mortgage Refinancing
Many take low interest rates as the opening they need to refinance their mortgage, but if your pre-payment (the payment you need to make as penalty for breaking the terms of your initial mortgage) is too high, it may not be worth it. However, if the interest rate is lower than 0.50% of your current mortage, then maybe it's time to pull the trigger on refinancing.

8. Safe Deposit Box
Safe deposit boxes in your chosen financial institution are a great investment when it comes to protecting your valuables and important documents from fire, natural disaster or some other calamity. The cost can be between $45 and $250 depending on the size of the box, but you'll probably cross yourself when you realize a copy of your important records still exist after a fire. Along with digital copies of your records, you should probably include a video of the inside of your house to be used in the event of an insurance claim.

9. Music
We're not talking about iTunes here. You can get more bang for your buck using subscription services that make other song recommendations based on what you're listening to. Unfortunately, the popular and arguably best service for that --Spotify -- is not available in Canada, but Last.Fm is. Last.Fm will give you unlimited radio streaming and personalized recommendations for only $3 a month. Plus, you can sign-up and listen to 50 tracks for free before the subscription kicks-in. If that isn't a good deal, you better be singing a different tune.

10. Netflix
If you're throwing away your radio with Last.Fm, why not throw away your cable subscription and get Netflix too? You can watch practically any movie or TV show you want for $7.99 a month. The only problem is, not all the rights for shows have cleared in Canada, so it is somewhat limited compared to its American counterpart. Still, over 7,000 movies and TV shows for $7.99 a month aren't half bad.

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