“Kathleen, help! I am getting ready to take an unplanned trip to Chile, Uruguay, and Argentina soon. Now that I have attended your summits, and get your newsletter, I am seeing life in a totally different view.
“Off the top of your head, do you know if those countries allow Americans to open up checking or brokerage accounts, and what I need for identification? This is a sudden surprise, so I don’t have much time to plan.”
–Winnie S., United States
You’ll need a reference letter from at least one bank where you currently have an account…two would be better. A local introduction helps and can, in fact, be necessary, depending on the bank.
In Uruguay, you can speak with Juan Federico Fischer, our local attorney, who is very experienced helping foreigners open local bank accounts. In Argentina, you can speak with Paul Reynolds. Paul owns and operates a real estate agency, but he also has a good private banking contact in this country. I wouldn’t open a local account in Argentina (most Argentines know to keep their money out of the local banks). In Chile, you can speak with Michael Stronach (reach him at stronach@sj.cl).
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“Kathleen and all the staff of Live and Invest Overseas, I enjoy reading your article every day because I learn something new every darn day. Thanks for that!”
–Don A., Latvia
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“Kathleen, Big Brother is everywhere watching all of us, but what can you do? Unlike Lief or my British friend who was recently arrested at Heathrow for insulting airport security, I will continue to meekly follow airport instructions. My friend did not actually do time for the insult, but he was escorted to the police station, detained with paperwork, and missed his flight. All he got out of that was a story that vastly amused all of us who know him.
“As for me, I take a tranquilizer before entering an airport bound for an international flight because I won’t give up travel and would like to protect the bit of serenity I have managed to find for myself. I always hope they will question the drugs in my handbag so I can say–very politely, of course–that my doctor prescribes them for situations such as these. But, no, they are more interested in whether my hand cream is actually a liquid.
“So tell your husband to get some decent pharmaceuticals or to take a shot of whiskey cowboy-style if that’s his thing, and just travel on. Why battle windmills?”
–Connie B., United States
