I have a $15 fee showing for WIRING $$ from my MF to HSBC (this shows on the HSBC website).

Anyone know if HSBC charges for an incoming wire? Would surprise me if they did. I can see an outgoing wire, but not incoming. As I read the bank to bank trx agreement, it said something about them maybe debiting your acct. on a wire but later crediting it after validating that everything went through OK. I've asked my MF folks but haven't heard anything back yet. Not sure who charged me or if it is valid.

Any insights?

Perhaps HSBC will offer some sort of bonus for opening a checking account
with them. With HSBC checking you would not have to deal with ACH transfers
to your online savings. A direct deposit to the checking, and you'll be
all set.

I needed a good ACH bank, I have Presidential, ED, UFB, but none of them have ACH or it's a pain to setup. After reading the threads, I opened an HSBC online savings account on Friday. Everything was approved immediately, I am now waiting for my id/password/ATM letter.

Now having read more threads, it seems the perks at GMAC is much better
GMAC: $6 ATM rebate, faster ACH, check writing, free incoming wires
HSBC: ATM machines in foreign countries, $25 bonus, no $500 minimum balance requirements

I thought HSBC was fast in opening accounts, but it seems GMAC is even faster without having to wait for a letter. The perks in GMAC seems more useful, opening a GMAC account seems a no brainer. If I had came across the GMAC thread earlier, I probably would have skip opening the HSBC account.

I will continue to use Presidential with DD, great billpay.
UFB is used mainly for ATM rebate, ED for ACH, both obsolete with GMAC. HSBC, UFB, ED, ING will now have a few cents of my money.

HSBC was (or is still) one of the banks authorized to issue HK's banknotes and the "H" stands for Hong Kong. That's why they have so many business there.

SpetsnazOp said:I went to China this summer and I can tell you I really wished I had an HSBC card. I had travellers cheques which worked fine but a simple card would have been better with the cheques as backup. HSBC was in all the major cities (I think) - especially Hong Kong.

What would be the quickest way to get funds from HSBC online savings account to a CD at another bank so minimal intrest is lost? Okay quickest probably isn't a good word, how about cost effective, since spending too much on a wire transfer wouldn't do much good.

For example the World Savings 6months CD is at 4.86%, I think its $10K minium. At $10K its only $30 more for those 6 months assuming HSBC doesn't raise its rate.

Currently I'd have to ACH the money to my checking account (don't have a checking account with HSBC) then write a check to World Savings to open the CD.

What do people typically do when moving money from one CD to another or between savings accounts and CD's?

elfnumber1 said:Anyone else having problems logging into their online accounts? The wait for technical support is over 30 minutes and when you reach someone they don't really know what's going on. I've tried logging in on more than 10 computers. It's gotta be a problem on their side.

Yeah, I'm having the same problem.

Thanks!

I am looking to jump ship from BoA because I am about to travel through SE Asia, and then reside in Vietnam while teaching English. I'd like to have a checking &/or savings account which provides me with the lowest fee-based access to my cash, and better yet allows me to deposit money in Vietnam. I see that HSBC has at least one branch in Thailand and two in Vietnam, but it's foggy as to if I will find HSBC or HSBC owned bank ATM throughout the major cities in Vietnam.

So I've got a couple of concerns that perhaps one of you out there has direct or related experience with, as responses to the original post of this thread:

EugeneV said:HSBC is offering OnlineSavings account, currently paying 4.25% APY. You can check current rates in this thread. While a few banks and Credit Unions offer higher interest, all of them (currently) have high minimum required to obtain it. If you need a truly liquid high interest account, consider OnlineSavings, with just $1 minimum needed to open.

I notice in the fine print on HSBC's web site that you don't need to be a US Citizen, but must be a US resident to qualify for the OnlineSavings account. Now I am a US Citizen, but while I'm working in Vietnam, technically I am not a US resident. I plan on using a family member's US-based address for the account. Has anyone out there had any problems residing outside of the US (for short or longer term) and being able to keep an OnlineSavings account?

HSBC ATM or debit card is a must-have for travelers. You will get that day's interbank exchange rate with no additional currency conversion fee. The ATM transaction itself is free at HSBC ATMs (and ATMs at banks owned by HSBC) and will cost you $1 (Checking) or $1.50 (Savings) elsewhere. NOTE that the non-HSBC ATM operator may have an additional charge. International ATM fees and rates are discussed in this thread.

So between this thread and the other, I gather that:

1) If you purchase something in a foreign currency using the HSBC Debit MasterCard, you will be charged an additional 2% over that day's exchange rate (1% for Mastercard, and 1% for HSBC).

2) If you withdraw cash at an International HSBC ATM or HSBC owned bank's ATM, you will not be charged an ATM transaction surcharge, and if withdrawing another currency than the one your account is set up in - you will not be charged any additional percentage over that day's exchange rate.

3) If you withdraw cash at an International ATM which is non-HSBC, you will be charged a $1 fee if from Checking or $1.50 fee if from Savings. The non-HSBC ATM operator may add their own additional surcharge for using their machine to withdraw cash from your HSBC account.

However, on point #3 above, I could not deduce what, if anything, is charged above the exchange rate when withdrawing foreign currency from an International non-HSBC ATM machine. Also, I have not deduced what the charges would be if you use the Cirrus network on a non-HSBC ATM to withdraw cash using an HSBC Debit MasterCard as though it were a credit card for a cash "advance".

Please if anyone has any information which contradicts what I've outlined above - I'd love to hear it. Especially in #2 (above) about not having any additional charge on the exchange rate when withdrawing from an HSBC ATM using an HSBC debit card. I find that one really hard to believe.

I do know from travelling through Vietnam previously that the method of using a service which makes a "retail" credit card purchase transaction to exchange to a foreign currency is often a money losing proposition. Between their less than favorable exchange rates, fees and the 1%+ exchange fee on the credit card's currency exchange rate - you may have lost more than an ATM withdrawl would have cost you.

Again - any first hand experience or relevant informations would be very much appreciated.

Can anyone tell me how long it takes for HSBC to confirm opening an account. My account is in pending state for last 1 week. I have completed the account verification process as well. Still waiting..

Opening an online account at HSBC was simple. I was credited with the $25 already. I was told I could deposit money into my regular account and then use the online bank transfer to move the money into the online account. I have been on hold for more than 30 minutes, so their customer service is bogged down. Thanks for all the info.