Fly to Manila each month to get your SS Check? Plus bonus question.

Hmmmmmmmmm well maybe you need a new bank as the PNB. ATM, will give you a before balance and a new balance on each Transaction. ATM fraud as you mention at the Bottom is not confined to the Philippines, but we are not really talking ATM fraud I think.
I take you Point Dave but........................ It is the other parts, that is what I was after. Leaked info and Break ins Hmmmmmmm I don't think so

 

Dear NYC:

Thats what I've done - open up a PHP account with PNB at their Los Angeles, California Branch.

I'm leaving all my direct deposits of monthly pensions going into US Banks for now. The transfer of money will be easy and fast - with a better exchange rate, too - between Wells Fargo and PNB when compared to XOOM.

I did quite a bit of math and discovered that while I can always use XOOM, if I have Wells Fargo and PNB working together, then I will actually save about 25 USD per every 1,000 USD I transfer from W.F. to PNB. That might not seem like alot, but in a year's time, that can add up to be a flight ticket to go somewhere around SE Asia. So I may as well keep that money in my pocket and have some fun with it, right?

It's always handy to have a local banking account if you're going to stay put for awhile. But I will NOT be direct depositing into PNB. It will simply become the local bank institution I will use to transfer PHP into from my Stateside account while I am in the Philippines and will keep well under any large balance of PHP in that account, and use this account to pay my monthly living expenses.

I will keep a US physical address and go over to Cebu to establish an FPO within 30 days of my finding a place to long-term rent in Duma.

***** But I do wonder about whether or how to set up a P.O. Box for my mail in Duma - or if I need to do this and if so, how to go about getting this done and the annual cost.

Any takers on this subject?

Thanks in advance for any help on this!

V/R,
nwlivewire

 

I notice people using xoom or Western Union to transfer money to themselves. Is there a problem with the Philippine ATMs not allowing you to withdraw funds with your debit card? Or is it just saving money from all the atm fees?