revil

I do a lot of banking between, japan and america. I am also looking to get a new credit card. my current one kinda stinks. I was thinking about just getting a credit card from the bank i apply for.

First Internet Bank
It has a pretty good interest rate on the savings account. Then I was also planning on getting their credit card because it has a lower apr than my current card. however, i'm not sure i can pay off their creditcard with the savings account, so i might want to get the free checking as well.

here's the thing. I don't know if this is a good deal or whatnot. is this a good way to save money? should I do something else? is first internet bank even reputable? should I use a bank that is in both countries? I also need to pay off my current credit card (about $4000), and then I want to start saving money for the future.

anyways, gotta be plannin for the future and i know nothing about finances.

Kevster

My brother lived and worked in Ireland for 3 years, then one year in France. He had seperate accounts in both the USA and Ireland/France. The key thing is that you should maintain at least one credit card and bank account in the USA so that the credit reporting agencies will have something active for you on record (they don't keep track of foreign accounts, so those won't show up).

If you need to pay off bills in the USA, you should have your parents help you out and pay those bills for you with your active bank account in the USA. I don't know about using a bank that is in both countries - they may keep accounts seperate between countries. My brother usually did a wire transfer once every three monthsor so between banks to cover his bills in the USA. You may want to check on the fees for that.

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I think over again
My small adventures, my fears.
The small ones that seemed so big,
For all the vital things I had to get and to reach.

And yet there is only one great thing, the only thing:

To live to see the great day that dawns,
And the light that fills the world.

-old Inuit song

Butch

I have a Citibank account in the US and in Germany - as well as credit cards in both countries.

I maintained my bank account in the US because I needed a dollar denominated account to pay my credit card bills on a monthly basis - and, of course, I needed a Euro-denominated account for my paycheck and day-to-day expenses here in Germany.

By going with Citibank in both places, there is no fee to transfer money from my Euro-denominated account to my $ account - aside from the currency exchange, of course (At least this is what the fella said here when I set up my account - I haven't had to try to transfer funds yet).

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I used to be into sadism, necrophilia and beastiality, but then I realized I was just beating a dead horse