The US $$

[2Tiggies]

Thankyou.....Have been reading the posts on this site for many a year..now I have started posting...

Welcome! I was also a long time lurker, but being 'shy' wears off pretty quickly on here. Looking forward to hearing more from you!

 

[wayneg]

Thankyou.....Have been reading the posts on this site for many a year..now I have started posting...

Look forward to reading many more of your posts

Welcome! I was also a long time lurker, but being 'shy' wears off pretty quickly on here. Looking forward to hearing more from you!

Lee, shy. Nope just doesn't go together

 

[Shaggydog]

I expect you will as we have been 5 times before and are going again for 3 weeks in August. Can't wait as we are doing alot of different things including Baseball, Rodeo, Discovery Cove and staying at Hard Rock overnight as a treat too. Will need as many $ as possible so the higher the rate the better. Still won't be as good as back in 2008 when it was $2 to the £

 

[cliveywolves]

I opened a Citibank $ account and transferred some money into it and we get the interbank rate which was 1.62 a few days ago First time we went in 2004 we were getting 1.72 so its not that much different.

Hi

how easy was it to set up that citibank $ account ???

ta

 

[wayneg]

I expect you will as we have been 5 times before and are going again for 3 weeks in August. Can't wait as we are doing alot of different things including Baseball, Rodeo, Discovery Cove and staying at Hard Rock overnight as a treat too. Will need as many $ as possible so the higher the rate the better. Still won't be as good as back in 2008 when it was $2 to the £

Would be great back up at $2 again, you never know, maybe one day.

I have a couple of DISmeets planned in August, you are more than welcome to come along to either.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2621880

 

[Shaggydog]

Hi

how easy was it to set up that citibank $ account ???

ta

Very easy. I applied online ( if you go for the $ current account you need an income of over £20000 ) - got the forms through within a few days which were signed and returned and I got a Visa debit card, $ cheque book and paying in book the following week. Did a test transaction of £10 to check it worked tranferring it from my bank account to the citibank account. It took 2 days to reach the new account and the rate was really good. That is the only downside ....it takes 2 days for the money to reach the account and gets credited at the interbank rate on the day it arrives at the new account and not the day it left my account. But according to news on another forum Citibank are going to be moving to quicker payments from June ( it was supposed to be March but has been put back.....but I suppose it could be put back again so wont hold my breath !!)

 

[Shaggydog]

Unfortunatley won't be able to make the 10th as we don't arrive til the 12th but not sure about the 26th. Will have to check the planner a little closer to the time as the final itinery hasn't been done yet !!

Sharron x

 

[wayneg]

Unfortunatley won't be able to make the 10th as we don't arrive til the 12th but not sure about the 26th. Will have to check the planner a little closer to the time as the final itinery hasn't been done yet !!

Sharron x

No problem, we will be there anyway so just turn up if you are in the area. How can you resist a Dole Whip?

 

[Shaggydog]

I can never resist anything thats bad for you

 

[kazdav]

Very easy. I applied online ( if you go for the $ current account you need an income of over £20000 ) - got the forms through within a few days which were signed and returned and I got a Visa debit card, $ cheque book and paying in book the following week. Did a test transaction of £10 to check it worked tranferring it from my bank account to the citibank account. It took 2 days to reach the new account and the rate was really good. That is the only downside ....it takes 2 days for the money to reach the account and gets credited at the interbank rate on the day it arrives at the new account and not the day it left my account. But according to news on another forum Citibank are going to be moving to quicker payments from June ( it was supposed to be March but has been put back.....but I suppose it could be put back again so wont hold my breath !!)

What are the advantages to this over just using a Nationwide card?

 

[wayneg]

What are the advantages to this over just using a Nationwide card?

As Sharron is now offline I will give my view.
Transferring money to a US account will get the rate on the day it is moved, upto $1.64 today.
Using a card you take the rate on the day you use the card, Nationwide Credit card also take 1% fee so instead of $1.64 today you would get nearer £1.62. Other credit cards are better (Santander Zero, Halifax Clarity and Post office) these 3 give full interbank rate.
Fixing at todays rate is a gamble just as much as waiting and using a credit card, rate could go either way. if the rate drops then it would have been better to transfer into $US now, if it rises then it is better waiting and using a credit card.
I await to hear if there are any other benefits.

 

[Shaggydog]

The advantages for me are that I don't have to take cash (which could get stolen and not covered on insurance as not sure if our Condo has a safe) - there are no ATM fees from citibank and 7eleven cashpoints - because the account is in $ then I just use the debit card with no fees / charges to exchange rate to £ - and after losing £1000 using Crown Currency having the Citibank account covered by the banking compensation scheme is a bonus. Also the exchange rate is the interbank rate and not the tourist rate. I didn't want to apply for any more credit cards as I know I will be tempted to buy more stuff in Florida and have a large bill when I come back so this way it is what we have saved up over the last few years loaded into this account and wont come back with any debt

 

[cliveywolves]

Cheers for that,..

I have got a Post Office Card, But i might as well get a citibank $ account also, its not going to hurt to make use when the $ rate is really good....

 

[2Tiggies]

I can never resist anything thats bad for you

It is actually not bad for you at all. It featured on the Healthy Choices section of the Disney Food Blog.

This has nothing to do with currency however so I will just bring it under the covering of monetary talk by saying it costs around $4 (or a snack credit).

 

[disney_princess_85]

It is actually not bad for you at all. It featured on the Healthy Choices section of the Disney Food Blog.

Really? That's interesting to know, thanks Lee!

 

[2Tiggies]

Really? That's interesting to know, thanks Lee!

Instead of a Mickey Bar: 1 Bar, Calories: 330, Fat: 22g, Carbs: 31g, Protein: 3g…
Have a Dole Whip: 1/2 Cup Prepared, Calories: 80, Fat: btwn 1 and 3g (differing based on sources). Note that the usual Dole Whip serving is more than a 1/2 cup, but even with size, you’re saving on fat calories.

Here is the link. It is under the "Eat this not that" heading

http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2010/02/04/eating-healthy-in-walt-disney-world/

You may as well have two

 

[cliveywolves]

The advantages for me are that I don't have to take cash (which could get stolen and not covered on insurance as not sure if our Condo has a safe) - there are no ATM fees from citibank and 7eleven cashpoints - because the account is in $ then I just use the debit card with no fees / charges to exchange rate to £ - and after losing £1000 using Crown Currency having the Citibank account covered by the banking compensation scheme is a bonus. Also the exchange rate is the interbank rate and not the tourist rate. I didn't want to apply for any more credit cards as I know I will be tempted to buy more stuff in Florida and have a large bill when I come back so this way it is what we have saved up over the last few years loaded into this account and wont come back with any debt

Ta for your help.....

So there are def no bank charges or fees when you use your card in the USA with this account ?, just had my application accepted by citibank.....

So when i transfer money from my UK account to this US account you get the interbank exchange rate too... thats even better.....

 

[Shaggydog]

No there are no charges using the debit card in shops, restaurants etc because the account is already in $ so no need for Citibank to exchange the currency of the transaction. The ammount just comes off your bank balance. There are some ATM charges at some locations in USA but it is free to withdraw money from Citibank ATMs and 7Eleven stores. Some people have said that some ATMs at Walmart have said there would be $2 charge for withdrawing the cash and when they checked their account online they found they had NOT been charged at all, so it is a bit hit and miss with the chargable ones. A list of free ATMs can be found on the Citibank website too.

As for transferring money into the account.....I transferred £500 on Monday and it arrived in my Citibank account on Wednesday ( usually takes 2-3 days depending on the time of the transfer ) and I got an exchange rate of 1.638 which was over 6c better than the rate at M&S. I always check the exchange rate on XE.COM and thats always been pretty dead on to the rate I get on the day it hits my account.

Hope this helps

 

[Shaggydog]

Just had a look on XE.COM and the rate has dropped 3c this week down to 1.6004 so really glad I seemed to do the transfer at the best time

 

[act1980]

I know

Not looking to good right now is it