ssd:
EcoCard maxes their charges for withdrawal at $150 – generous of them – not! But it’s a bit better than the $500 you mention.
So now, for me, it’s back to the drawing board trying to get a money method straight. I can’t pay $80 for every withdrawal from EcoCard. eWalletXpress wants 10% across the board – say a $500 withdrawal via bank wire = $50 to eWalletXpress + $50 to my bank.
I’ve been looking at Offshore Banking as an option.
Barclays wants $10,000 on permanent deposit plus a whole inquisition of where your funds come from. International ATM card.
Griffon in Dominica will open with $1,000 but international bank wires from ACCEPTED banks are $50 – iffy about whether EcoCard is on that list. The nosiness is bearable with them. Very nice international ATM card options.
Fortis has very little of their site in English. Basically, it amounts to “if you want an account go to a branch” – which are not listed. After many shenanigans (St Patty’s Day coming up) in Google, it turns out that the branches are not in English. If you manage to decipher enough of the site to find an application form – it’s the inquisition all over again. Also, they talk about accounts for “Private Wealth” – what? What private wealth. I just want to get my few thousand a month out of the casinos and into my hands. Incidentally, it looks as though when you get to the board of directors for Fortis, they are Turks.
I will not bank in Latvia.
How much can you get a wire for before the IRS gets interested? Anyone know?
It seems the only option is to go with EcoCard, pay the $80, and make the transfer big enough that it won’t hurt so much.
I’d be interested in opinions as to options. I’m sure many of us face this crap – there has to be a solution.
ntaus