x43b said:Awesome jayK, you win the internet for the day!

(seriously, that was hilarious, made my day) I was being serious.

Pretty much every company that depends on IT to function (which is just about every company these days) has a DR plan in place. This protects the company from earthquakes, hurricanes, man-made disasters, etc. EMP is a big worry, since it can potentially impact a very large area.

There is an entire industry focused on DR. For example, here's one company that offers secure data storage with EMP protection (which also prevents spying via RFI):
http://www.thebunker.net/our-facilities/infrastructure-3.htm

x43b said:jayK said:x43b said:Awesome jayK, you win the internet for the day!

(seriously, that was hilarious, made my day) I was being serious.

Pretty much every company that depends on IT to function (which is just about every company these days) has a DR plan in place. This protects the company from earthquakes, hurricanes, man-made disasters, etc. EMP is a big worry, since it can potentially impact a very large area.

There is an entire industry focused on DR. For example, here's one company that offers secure data storage with EMP protection (which also prevents spying via RFI):
http://www.thebunker.net/our-facilities/infrastructure-3.htm

Interesting post, jayK. I wasn't doubting your sincerity. I just appreciated the fact the conversation has actually gone to discussing EMP defense. I am sure very soon we'll hear glowing reviews of how HSBC is more EMP proof than GMAC.

It's certainly more EMP proof than GM's stock, which took another serious hit today.

x43b said:Interesting post, jayK. I wasn't doubting your sincerity. I just appreciated the fact the conversation has actually gone to discussing EMP defense. I am sure very soon we'll hear glowing reviews of how HSBC is more EMP proof than GMAC.

There you go! From a Bulletin of the Technology Group for the Financial Services Roundtable (BITS):

In December and January BITS staff met with the following organizations to discuss BITS’ initiatives and ways to avoid duplication of efforts: Carnegie Mellon University’s Computer Emergency Response Team and Strategic Computing Group, Council on Competitiveness, Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse Attack, National Security Agency, RAND Corporation, SIAC, SIA and the World Bank.

Who was listed in the bulletin as an advisor to BITS? Robert Muth, HSBC Bank USA
Noticably absent from the advisory board? Anyone from GMAC.



Just kidding. I think both GMAC and HSBC are great banks for being rate leaders in the online banking business and I'm sure they have their data securely stored in an "offsite location" somewhere in an Indian call center.

demis001 said:Bad expriance with CitiBank!!!!

I am encouraged after I read the bad experience people wrote a bout citi bank. I have the worst experience with this bank. I tried to open E-saving account and checking account though phones three weeks ago. I called online 1800…number and communicated with one customer support. She asked me all my information and told me that I am not eligible to open as I am not citizen or legal permanent resident. I wondered and thanked her and closed the phone as I am working as legal employee with non immigrant visa. I am encouraged with the interest rate and called again to open with my wife name which is legal resident. I called the CSR again and told her the call I have made in the morning and the reply I got from her, she told me that she was wrong and I am able to open with my name. I gave all my detail information including my ATM card number I have from bank of America. She asked me if I had co-signer and I told my wife name and she told me that she will send a document which I and my wife should sign and sent them back before the account opened. I agreed and thanked her and close the phone…after a week I received a mail which said activate your account ending with this account XXX and call this number…(from san antanio). Then I waited few days if I had received the document the CSR told me to send. I realized from the mail I received the CSR mis-spelled one letter of my address and I received that mail by guess which was corrected by mail deliverer. I then decided to call and called… I got one useless Indian CSR (guy) and gave the same information I gave on the first day, than he told me to call them back. I called again on the next morning, anther useless Indian CSR (girl) take the call and gave her the same information of myself and told me to call them back a gain. I am now frustrated whether I was talking with real citi bank customer support center or not as there is no single solution to open my new account or not. Then I called the other week as last resort, he gave me hope that I will receive the mail again. I waited and on the other day I received strange message at night with sayed if you do not send us a fax message of at least two bill (phone bill, progress energy bill etc) he will forced to close my account( I don’t know which account he will close as I am on the way to open). Then I told him the process and I decided not to give them additional info before I received the mail from citi bank. We agreed and he told me I will receive the mail he had already sent and closed the phone. I am now little bit relaxed and he acknowledged my worry about identity theft. In the same week some lady called me and asked me about the same thing, I told her I talked with some guy and I will send the info he requested me to fax them after I received the mail. She agreed and asked me the detail info again and she checked my address. She told me to send me the same document again and I told her to fax my proof of address as soon as I received the package she sent me. At the end I received another phone call to my phone which said call to 18007451534 and tell this ref. number XXXXXX. I called the number and connected to another CSR and she asked detailed info about my personal staff and transferred me to other CSR , she asked me the same thing and told me your account have been closed as of Jun3(the account I don’t know at all)

Amazing
Bad experience and west of time with nothing except head ache!!!!

Your non-stardard situation is hardly a reason to avoid CB. In fact, you seem to have skirted the law here.

demis001 said:what do u mean by non standard?

You said that -"I am not eligible to open as I am not citizen or legal permanent resident. I wondered and thanked her and closed the phone as I am working as legal employee with non immigrant visa".

So you don't even qualify for the account but you attempted to circumvent the system and there were problems. Well duh.

demis001 said:hmm... read the next statement, I contacted another CSR to open with my wife name (Legal recedent) and she told me that you qualify for it with H1B visa and the customer support I contacted befor her was wrong. I then proceed in opening... What is wrong in that??

Maybe it was because of the horrible english and inability to spell that I missed it.

Anyway, clearly there are some issues here that are, NON STANDARD. That's what I said, and it clearly is.

demis001 said:hmm... read the next statement, I contacted another CSR to open with my wife name (Legal recedent) and she told me that you qualify for it with H1B visa and the customer support I contacted befor her was wrong. I then proceed in opening... What is wrong in that??The first time you called, you tried to open an account for yourself. You are not a legal resident, therefore you were not able to open the account.

The second time you called, you opened an account in your wife's name. Your wife is a legal resident, and therefore you were able to open the account.

Later, Citi asked you to verify your address by faxing them a few bills. You refused, so they closed your account. Seems pretty straightforward to me, I don't see what Citi did wrong here.

demis001 said:I want you to explain me the non-standard part still? It is true that my English might be horrible to you as I haven’t enough time to correct each line. I just wrote the first hand version of my feeling, never corrected single line. I hope it might not hard to understand, though.

So then, you are saying that a non-resident trying to open an account under his wife's name without providing proper documentation is a standard situation?

I stand corrected then.

Not at all, the first time CSR told me that I am not qlify to open with my name. Then I decided to open with my wife name and called them back. Then I told previous call I made and told her I want to open with my wife name and she told me that you will qulify with your H1B status and the previous CSR was wrong. Then she opened the account with my name and decided to add my wife as co-signer after I recieved a doucment she will send me and signed and return back.

hoffjm00 said:demis001 said:I want you to explain me the non-standard part still? It is true that my English might be horrible to you as I haven’t enough time to correct each line. I just wrote the first hand version of my feeling, never corrected single line. I hope it might not hard to understand, though.

So then, you are saying that a non-resident trying to open an account under his wife's name without providing proper documentation is a standard situation?

I stand corrected then.

Not really… she told me that I have been qualify to open E-saving account and checking with my name and proceed to open it. For the co-signer part (my wife), she wants to add after we signed a document and return her back (where the problem comes)