My Experience With A Local Ba Bank Today

[Ceviche]

I'm sure the guy who used to reside in the Congo has even more frightening stories

Yes, the guy from Congo is one helluva frightened soul and whats worse that...he is lost in the woods. Someone like 'nkotb" needs to help him.

 

[Jaredberryman]

There are a couple of private banks downtown. You know how in the US banks are in the FICA system where your money is insured up to 400,000 USD. Here all these banks are similarly in a FICA like system where they are insured up to 30,000 pesos. There are a couple of banks downtown, though, that are outside the official "system" and probably have different rules compared to a lot of these mainstream banks. You might try there. My wife worked at the jockey club, and all of the ultra-rich folks would do their banking at these banks. I can't remember what they are called but sometime today will ask my wife and try to post here. I'll bet they are a bit more flexible for foreigners.

 

[hidalgo]

Forget HSBC, they won't do it. Go to Banco de la Nacion Argentina.
Nancy

I just tried at Banco de La Nacion. They said I also needed to show a Pago Monotributo to open up a cuenta gratuita universal. That means you need a CUIL/CUIT too. Fun!

 

[Irelander]

I just tried at Banco de La Nacion. They said I also needed to show a Pago Monotributo to open up a cuenta gratuita universal. That means you need a CUIL/CUIT too. Fun!

This is nonsense. They're beaching a Banco Central regulation in refusing to open you an account. As it says in the Banco Central de la Republica Argentina website: "El único documento necesario para abrir una Cuenta Gratuita Universal es el DNI". (read it yourself at http://www.clientebancario.gov.ar/) The banks don't make money from these accounts, so if they can make up an excuse to get you to go away, they will.

As I said in a previous post, I called the bank's customer service to get one opened for my domestic employee after she'd been told a series of lies ("you can only open it in the bank nearest your house" / you need to be working 40 hours a week" etc.). You could try getting in touch with customer service, or printing out the regulation and going back in. I think there's also a banking ombudsman ..

 

[henryb]

You know how in the US banks are in the FICA system where your money is insured up to 400,000 USD.

Not FICA, but FDIC and not 400 grand, but 250. But otherwise this is pretty accurate statement.

 

[sevi]

I just tried at Banco de La Nacion. They said I also needed to show a Pago Monotributo to open up a cuenta gratuita universal. That means you need a CUIL/CUIT too. Fun!

I went there with my CUIL (without a job) and they did not ask for pago monotributo. Maybe try another branch?

 

[Ceviche]

Hi

I went to Banco La Nacion today to open a "caja de ahorro".

After a 1 hour wait, got my turn.

The lady attending me took my DNI for several minutes. Later on she came back and really discouraged me to open a "caja de ahorro" account.

First she told me, I could open a normal account at 40 pesos a month with Just :-

DNI, CUIL, address proof in form of a bill

But I insisted that I wanted to open a "caja de ahorro". She said, I can only put 10,000 pesos once in 3 months. Guys, Is that correct? I thought that the deal was that balance can not exceed 10000 pesos any time. So if I put 10000 pesos on 1st and use it by 15th and again put 10000 pesos by 20th. Will that work?? Any experience?

--

On another note for normal account, she said, I can open it without a salary slip. I found that shocking! But she said, every time, I make a deposit, I have to give a written declaration as to how I obtained those funds! Any experience with such a thing?

--

I said " Can I open caja de ahorro today right now" . She said "No". That I must come with a photocopy of DNI, CUIL and Bill and that they had no provision to take a photocopy in the bank! Wow, what a horrible service.

Any one can answer my queries?

Thanks!

==

P.S - Before going to Banco La Nacion today, I called up 5-6 other banks for obtaining information on "caja de ahorro" and they all said that their requirement is that I must have a salary slip to open it. Banco nacion is the only one which said otherwise!

 

[Girino]

What is the difference between a normal account and a caja de ahorro? Do they both come with a credit or debit card?
Weird rules are what make Argentina the less boring country in the world. It does make sense that the national bank institution is not the one with the stricter rules as far as where the money come from. They are shielded by the government, private banks might be not.

 

[ghost]

@Nkotb it is much easier to open a bank account in other countries but I was trying to give him an idea of the equivilant of what he said, basically he said "I am not paying taxes and breaking the law". I don´t want to get into an argument about if it is right or wrong, but no bank here will open that up for you if you state that. Also, in the US if you get over 10k USD they will investigate you and if you can´t show where the funds came from will seize the account.

No they will not seize your account for a 10K deposit cash or otherwise. They might look it over or even rarely ask where it came from but not seize it.

 

[sleslie23]

No they will not seize your account for a 10K deposit cash or otherwise. They might look it over or even rarely ask where it came from but not seize it.

I think it happens, Ghost:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/us-charges-iowa-widow-deposited-husbands-cash-28866427

Not sure how often it happens, though.