Problems Arising In The Philippines That Can Only Be Solved in The USA!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ก.ย. 2024
- The only VPN I trust and use personally: Surfshark
get.surfshark....
----------------------------------------------
How I receive my mail overseas safely:
travelingmailb...
-----------------------------------------------
Wise get your first transfer for free:
bit.ly/2Z4xxfZ
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Only Dating Website I recommend to meet serious Filipinas
bit.ly/Recomme...
-------------------------------------------------------------
Inexpensive Travel Medical Insurance Protect yourself from a travel emergency. bit.ly/36pHlVf
-------------------------------------------------
An awesome free Philippines dating site with 500+ new members joining daily!
www.pinalove.c...
-----------------------------------------------------------
Gio's Essentials Traveling List (Must have items for living or traveling in the Philippines)
Order today!
www.amazon.com...
------------------------------------------------------------------
Only Visa Service I highly recommend to help get the right visa for your fiancé or spouse
------------------------------------------------------------
If you would like to buy me a coffee:
www.buymeacoff...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Visiting or moving to The Philippines? 1 on 1 Consultation with Gio: Contact me at: giointhephilip... (For a free consultation join my patreon today)
-----------------------------------------------------------
My Patreon account: Over 80 Exclusive videos not found on TH-cam and free consultations and apparel with silver level and higher.
/ giointhephilippines
JOIN as a Member to get exclusive videos not shared on the main channel!
/ @giointhephilippines
-------------------------------------------------------------
Check out my website for more information on the Philippines.
giointhephilip...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Need a Throw away ticket, look no further $16 for a valid ticket ( I use this all the time).
onwardticket.c...
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Book your hotel when traveling with my link for the best deals:
bit.ly/38CvDgr
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you would like to help support my channel: paypal.me/GioS...
----------------------------------------------------------
Contact Information:
Instagram: / gio_in_the_ph
FB: / giointhephilippines
Contact me by visiting my website and clicking contact Gio
giointhephilip...
AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE: Some of the links on this channel are affiliate links, meaning, at NO additional cost to you, I may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase and/or subscribe.
The only VPN I trust and use personally: Surfshark
get.surfshark.net/aff_c?offer_id=934&aff_id=17091&url_id=1320
----------------------------------------------
How I receive my mail overseas safely:
travelingmailbox.com/?ref=1384
-----------------------------------------------
Wise get your first transfer for free:
bit.ly/2Z4xxfZ
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Only Dating Website I recommend to meet serious Filipinas
bit.ly/RecommendedDatingSite
-------------------------------------------------------------
Inexpensive Travel Medical Insurance Protect yourself from a travel emergency. bit.ly/36pHlVf
-------------------------------------------------
An awesome free Philippines dating site with 500+ new members joining daily!
www.pinalove.com/?ai=3494&cid=1
-----------------------------------------------------------
Gio's Essentials Traveling List (Must have items for living or traveling in the Philippines)
Order today!
www.amazon.com/shop/giointhephilippines
------------------------------------------------------------------
Only Visa Service I highly recommend to help get the right visa for your fiancé or spouse
bit.ly/FilipinoVisa
------------------------------------------------------------
If you would like to buy me a coffee:
www.buymeacoffee.com/italiagio71
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Visiting or moving to The Philippines? 1 on 1 Consultation with Gio: Contact me at: giointhephilippines.com/ (For a free consultation join my patreon today)
-----------------------------------------------------------
My Patreon account: Over 80 Exclusive videos not found on TH-cam and free consultations and apparel with silver level and higher.
www.patreon.com/giointhephilippines
JOIN as a Member to get exclusive videos not shared on the main channel!
th-cam.com/channels/lMlXTxpTNMZRE4AEjlc5RA.htmljoin
-------------------------------------------------------------
Check out my website for more information on the Philippines.
giointhephilippines.com/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Need a Throw away ticket, look no further $16 for a valid ticket ( I use this all the time).
onwardticket.com/giointhephilippines
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Book your hotel when traveling with my link for the best deals:
bit.ly/38CvDgr
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you would like to help support my channel: paypal.me/GioSanTeaching
----------------------------------------------------------
Contact Information:
Instagram: instagram.com/gio_in_the_ph/
FB: facebook.com/GiointhePhilippines
Contact me by visiting my website and clicking contact Gio
giointhephilippines.com
AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE: Some of the links on this channel are affiliate links, meaning, at NO additional cost to you, I may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase and/or subscribe.
With Charles Schwab, you may want to sign up for Charles Schwab International. This is the account that they want you to use if an US expat. Don't know if they have a debt card with atm feee returned but I would ask about it. Also interactive brokers is also friendly toward US expats. May not meet you needs but another option if someone is looking for a brokerage account which is friendly to expats.
I recommend that you contact your embassy in the country you are in. For Swedish citizens, the Swedish embassy charges SEK 800 in fees, about US dollars 80 for consular services such as having your bank send a new credit card through the Foreign Ministry in your home country so that you can collect that credit card at the embassy in the country you are in.
I got it bruh.....its nice
Good video Gio...I'm from the US, and I'm fully retired from my job. I'm planning to visit the Philippines next month for the long-term
Welcome from all expats here!!!!
Hey Gio I was recently in the Philippines. T-Mobile works well. I was able to stay in touch with my family with IG, and WhatsApp. As far as banking Wells Fargo worked perfectly fine. If you come back to America I recommend you to set an appointment with your DMV and book for a Real Id. During Covid19 I had to renew my ID online however when I received it by mail they marked it as a non real ID which could be frustrating explaining it to the PH authorities.
Thank you, I will be getting the Real ID
You might be able to get a Charles Schwab account but they won't let you keep it living in the Philippines.
The account with reinversment benefits is for "travelers". It has a 3 months time limit on it and you need to let them know when you are traveling. As soon as you go over that 3 months or fail to inform them of your travel plans they can shut off your access.
They told me this when I opened my account 7 years ago. They also told me that they know people are abusing it by living overseas but they were not enforcing the rules.
From what I'm hearing now.... the rules are being enforced and a lot of accounts are being closed.
Ok, that is good to know.
I just made the permanent move to Asia last week. Customer support at Charles Schwab told me that a travel alert lasts an entire year and I just need to call them at the beginning of each year to extend it.
@@GiointhePhilippines I have a Schwab brokerage account with checking and that will be a problem in the Philippines--surprisingly, it's not a problem if living in Thailand, Indonesia or Malaysia (these countries are considered "acceptable" countries but the Philippines is not).
If you try Schwab, only get the checking account. That may be accepted. It's the checking account attached to the brokerage account that causes most of the issues with closing accounts. Schwab will likely require a domicile address in the USA (your Traveling Mailbox will NOT work for this)--it needs to be a place in America where you live (or someone does). When I tried to change my Schwab mailing address to my Traveling Mailbox address, they wanted "proof" I lived there (i.e. Traveling Mailbox address) via an electric bill (not cell phone bill) which cancelled that process. I also tried to switch to a Schwab international account and that was a no-go as well. At the moment, I'm in the process of looking for another brokerage that will be easier to deal with when living overseas.
I disagree. I spent 4 months there this year and had no problems. It was a checking account.
My Schwab worked great in Manila, I was there for a little over 4 months. Be sure to indicate it on their WEB site. I think I had to renew it also as it would not allow my exit date,
These issues can really be a pain in the ass over here. Lessons I learned over here on my first 3 year visit; I have a T-mobile line/number I retained, I use Facebook messenger or Viber to talk to the states, I have a VPN, have a ATM, and credit card, I have a photo in my phone gallery of me my Texas DL, and passport. This will be the year of the retirement visa as I am currently in Texas, and will get my retired documentation apostlized while I am here. I am determined to win this battle by God!!! lol..
Sometimes there’s a time limitation on apostilized documents
@@reno1851 6 months from what I understand..
I have a Charles Schwab account. One of the CS agent told me that if I lived in the PH they would close my account. The only solution they told me is to keep my home address. Basically, that's what I did and kept all of my financially info using my US phone.
Yea, exactly just give the illusion that you are living in the US still.
Your on point about being on "vacation". I use XOOM to make funds transfer from my CS account to my PH account. Also, I use MetroBank instead of PNB or BDO. With MetroBank, I have both a dollar account and a peso account. Proper planning is they as you pointed out. Good luck everyone.
having a residence in the U.S with a home address makes things so easy- direc deposit. Social security debit card works great unless you can’t afford to keep your house there .
I was told the same from a CS agent and heard the same solution. So, for now, I'm keeping my house in USA until I'm sure I want to move permanently to the Philippines. I don't like the idea of leaving my house empty (i.e. anything bad can happen) and can't rent it out since it's in a HOA which doesn't allow subletting. Also, the proceeds from the sale of my house would greatly help with living overseas.
I was told by a Charles Schwab agent that if I decided to live in the Philippines or if I spent more than like I think it was 8 months in the Philippines that I needed to change my account from a Charles Schwab USA account to a Charles Schwab Global account. I think I'm just going to keep it like I'm still living in the USA and not mess with the Charles Schwab Global account
I have a VPN, I renewed my drivers license prior to coming to the philippines, also renewed my credit and debit cards, I have a T Mobile account but didn't get the international account but as long as I am on a wifi network I still receive all my text messages and turned on wifi calling in case I have to make or receive a phone call, so there are walk arounds to the international phone plan as long as you have an available wifi network Gio.
Not your mistake, usa is just doing deligence, I'm going through that same thing. One thing in my behalf is my son carries my name a without a suffix of Jr. I've gotten away with some items but Capital one is playing hardball . Even though I know my password and username Capital One still does not recognize it so I have to go through the telephone prompts of Capital One and do everything that entails for me to speak to a customer support individual is lengthy but not every month but I do and I am able to make my monthly payments through the Capital One app. It's funny that a junior/senior family does has its advantages and it can also be disadvantaged if one of the parties are not playing by the rules of credit responcibility.
Yea, I like CapitalOne but just will handle it when I am back.
If you’re a veteran then open a Navy Federal Credit Union account. I have USAA and NFCU accounts and use capital one credit cards here in the Philippines and I still have my T-Mobile number and use it here in the Philippines. USAA and NFCU will send your mail to your Philippines address so if you need a replacement card you can get it that way. I’ve been here for two years with zero issues.
Yea, I just need my t-mobile account and then I should be good.
NFCU is a great bank for living overseas. Recently just before Christmas, my NFCU credit card was compromised and they sent me a card here right away Fed ex with no issues. Just in time for Christmas travel. They also reimburse ATM fees. I hardly ever use ATM here, so I'm not even sure if they have a cap on reimbursements. They also have alternate ways for verification so a phone text is something you can work around.
How is the Reception with TMobile in the PH or is it just for the texting?
I recommend that you contact your embassy in the country you are in. For Swedish citizens, the Swedish embassy charges SEK 800 in fees, about US dollars 80 for consular services such as having your bank send a new credit card through the Foreign Ministry in your home country so that you can collect that credit card at the embassy in the country you are in.
Gio, I am going through the same thing. I was with AT&T but they don't have a Southeast Asia phone plan. I've used them since October 2023 in the Philippines but they are making noises about charging $10.00 per day for "roaming". I got online with T Mobile and set up the account with no problem. But, T Mobile has to send "their" Sim card to put in my phone as I am keeping my old phone number and phone. The problem is that they won't ship the Sim card out of country.
I had them ship to my brothers house which I use as a US home address. Then my brother mailed it to me. I am waiting right now for the Sim card to arrive. I don't have much confidence in it arriving anytime soon. The Philippine mailing system "boggles" the imagination. No addresses ?just a building name ? No Street name ? I don't know how a society can function like that ! And like yourself I am preparing to fly home if necessary. Having to spend 12/1300 dollars to get a new phone number is about to make my head explode !!! Good Luck To You !! Terry
You see I was needing a phone and sim so maybe that was the issue.
many newer phones have E sims you don't need a physical sim. its all digital. you could upgrade your phone if necessary and do the digital sim option. Cheaper than a flight home at least.
I bought a common Oppo phone while there and it will accept 2 GSM simms!@@toy4x4x44
hell will freeze over before I figure out how to navigate my way from my wife’s place to her mothers.😀I can’t go anywhere without her, I’d have no friggen clue how to get back to the house, 😀
Schwab has been great. I opened an account before I came to the Philippines and Thailand June 2023 and perfect. MAKE SURE YOU GO ONLINE AND LET THEM KNOW WHAT COUNTRIES YOU WILL BE TRAVELING. Have my phone service through Spectrum (cable and Internet)< I think it is Verizon rebranded my text and calls worked fine. Both countries, minimal fees. Forget Western Union awful and if that is your money transfer service you may get locked for no reason. It is an awful feeling to need money and they cut you off for no reason, and they wont tell you why. Being in Manila with no money is stressful.
Western Union sux bug time. Their system and service online is horrible. Just tried to send funds from a U.S. bank account to a Metrobank php account and failed miserably. Called their customer service and they said to go to a physical location and pay by cash. The while point being that I didn't want to pay their exorbitant fees. I'll never use Western Union ever again. Better just to pay the Intl wire fee to send to a USD$ account in the Philippines.
I've been living and traveling overseas for 11+ years. I have USAA Schwab, Fidelity, Vanguard, and 20+ other active banks and brokerages accounts. I've never told a bank even once that I'll be abroad. No issues. Its important not to take parroted advice just because a lot of people are repeating it.
I also have Spectrum I live in Ohio and I'm coming to the Philippines late this year I was thinking about adding the Spectrum phone to my package I was just wondering what minimal fees you were referencing please ?
First of, thanks for sharing your dilemma/situation, Gio! The past three years I’ve been planning on my upcoming retirement. And one of the things I immediately realized is that I would need to keep a US telephone number if I want to eliminate potential complications of only having a foreign phone number while still keeping my US-based financial accounts. Dealing with US government services (Social Security, for instance) also necessitates a US phone number. Now, as far as why ones US passport can’t be used in certain situations with practically all US financial institutions is that passports don’t have ones address on it. So, I think it’s worth keeping a US drivers license up to the point when one is fully prepared to transfer ones financial assets out of the US and into ones current domicile. Forgot something: before permanently moving out of the US, close all accounts you don’t need anymore, ask for new credit cards be issued to you (that updates the expiration date), and have all statements be electronically sent to you. That way, you don’t have to worry about not getting any important mail (which, I come to realize, mostly revolves around money matters.)
Absolutely, good info.
I use Navy Federal Credit Union and Charles Schwab and many Credit Cards while in USA open as many accounts with credit unions I use Barksdale FCU as well and Pentagon Federal Credit Union. I will be coming to the Philippines in February and would like to meet you.
I find it surprising that a passport is not viewed as a more, if not the most, trusted form of identification. So I guess just get a t-mobile, or whoever is cheapest, international plan and just keep paying the monthly fee to maintain that US number is what you are thinking is the way to go?
Yea, I will just pay the monthly plan to keep it active.
I agree with you about the use of credit card for being safe. I have one card with a very low limit only $500. It keep everything safer
Gio you can get a USAA credit card with a score of 680. If you have been doing business with them for a while you will have a decent internal score with them which makes it even easier. They have different cards to chose from. Also I use Navy Fed, same deal. I use them in the Philippines all the time. No foreign transaction fees.
When in states get google fi cell service. Have dual sim phone. Use Google fi for data while in states and turn off data and use Phil sim for data while in Phil. Still able to get texts and calls while in Phil from USA. No problem. $20 a month
Be a member of NFCU if you’re a veteran. That’s very safe.
I agree, You can also open an account with them if you're not a Veteran. My Son is in the Military and that enabled me to open an account as well.
With Skype you have to make 3 different payments to them. 1) buy phone number. 2) buy plan to be able to call u.s.a. 3) buy an extra plan, so you can send text messages to u.s.a. Did you buy the text messages plan?
I flew back to the USA from the Philippines a week ago. Philippine immigration wanted to see the most recent receipt of my tourist visa extension. I didn’t have with me, luckily the guy was nice and let me go on my way.
I foolishly misplaced my receipt and when I came back, they tried to charge me 3,000 something pesos before I could re- enter., I showed them the stamp on my old passport- I said why would they stamp it if I didn’t pay, but it took about a half hour to find the record that I had paid it , 😆 I learned my lesson.
Might be a good business for some in the US to do all these things for expats. There are a bunch of personal assistants online I bet would be willing to handle some of these things.
Super Video Gio...I got Mint about a year before I came here to the Philippines, and it's ONLY $15 a month and is perfect for the Philippines...Been here now almost 2 years and staying permanently...You seem to have the most informative videos for expats...Thanks for everything my friend...
I am just curious how does the US phones work in Philippines. DO they use local Towers or by Wifi? For $15 a month, what is covered by Mint? It sounds too cheap. Do you have to pay additional cost for making calls and receiving texts? Appreciate your inputs.
I've been living and traveling overseas for 11+ years. I have USAA, Schwab, Fidelity, Vanguard, and 20+ other active banks and brokerages accounts. I've never told a bank even once that I'll be abroad. No issues. Never been locked out of any account.
Also, I've been getting $10,000+ per year in bank bonuses simply by opening bank accounts and depositing money in them. Banks pay you to open accounts with them. I've been able to continue opening US bank accounts while abroad with little issues. Its a fun and profitable hobby.
People would do well to learn how to use a VPN. Expats it seems to me are cheap and aren't willing to pay $6/mo. for one.. which is a bargain for how beneficial it is
I've used google voice in Asia for 2 years. No problems with text verify for banks or anything.
Yep, same here. It's the only thing I use for both text verifications and calling to the US.
Planned to move to the Philippines to simplify my life and stretch out my fixed income! So many small things can become major catastrophes there. It aint cheap to fly 3 from Cebu to the USA east coast and back. Can you imagine what you'd do if you were on lock down! Thanks for some more first hand info Gio! Thumbs up.
Way things are going there i woukd stay in usa
yes, all of those are good ideas except my suggestion would be to keep your states driver's license up to date because like me I go back and forth to the states and Philippines for doctor and to pay taxes. I would say watch the credit cards because the payments each month will take away from your budget in the Philippines.
Good tip! I pay off my cards every cycle so never own payments.
Aint that funny? Come back to America to pay taxes!
Why do you have to return to the US to pay taxes? I pay my taxes while living abroad.
Schwab International hasnt supported the Philippines for a few years now. Interactive Brokers does.
My credit Union reimbursed me for all ATM fees
I've heard about Interactive Brokers from a few others. I'm thinking of moving my retirement and investment account from Schwab to somewhere else, maybe Interactive Brokers. I also heard they have higher trading fees but it would be worth it if I won't get locked out of my accounts which I need access to for living overseas.
I'm now in Phillippines. Just used my Schwab Debit card here. It works. However, I've only been here a few weeks.
I informed Charles Schwab I was moving to the Philippines and they closed my account.
I've heard that from others.
I do not have a credit card after a serious medical life situation ruined my credit for now, if/ when I travel or rent a car, I have a specific visa logo card, I will put enough cash on so when they hold funds on that card, it will not affect my main banks other accounts!! This is the only way I could do it and it has worked for me thus far!! If not, car rental places will have to seek business elsewhere!! It is what it is!
Hi Gio, I have retired in the Philippines recently. I kept my T-Mobile number and bought a cheap unlocked phone from Amazon with dual SIM. So, I have a US number and a Philippines number. Through Remitly, I send funds to my PayMaya account without fees and have been using it for purchases at restaurants, supermarkets and other facilities. When I need cash, that is when the fees will apply. One day soon I'll open a bank account.
Sounds like you are all set.
Not sure what the problem is with Google voice. Working ok for me. I go home every 6 months or so for a checkup and to take care of business. My Medicare advantage plan reimburses emergency medical internationally.
How much is a month is your Medicare advantage plan?
@@MarcRichard-b1u My medicare advantage plan same price as part B. No extra charge. Shop around. Plans vary from State to state.
This is very informative. I will retire soon and am considering living in the Philippines.
I used Schwab debit card in Philippines at many atms and never notified them about my traveling. Been to Europe previous weeks and use to pay everything with it. Again, no issues there. Biggest issue is atm machines running dry in Philippines. No idea how they didn’t figure out they need to load more cash in tourist locations like Moalboal.
Very interesting. I got along for 12 years in Russia, Vietnam and Thailand (and many short trips to other countries) with just my USAA atm and credit cards; no US phone (I get local SIMs and immediately inform USAA); and no mail forwarding (everything is online). What mail I get goes to my daughter. Every two years I came back to the US and got new cards. But diring the last two years fraud detection has gotten overly strict such that USAA has been shutting me down, decining payments, and making me call them to get reactivated-almost every month! So I think the international living thing has simply gotten more troublesome now, and we just have to cope.
That happens to me with USAA also.
Very good warning. Its funny I already had everything you mentioned and did not realize it would be important, it is just so that I do not fall short in the philippines from verifications in the US or accounts I maintain in the US. The key is want to appear you are still living in the US and traveling. Nice video.
150 work/ 218 Calendar Days until Retirement: I'm switching to T-Mobile [Senior International Plan] before I come out in Nov/Dec 2024. My Existing Dual Sim Phone will get Globe & Smart SIMs. Banking, still working on that.
Get a good lawyer in both countries for notary services to avoid needless overseas travel.
I’ve been getting screwed too with a phone that won’t receive texts! It’s a bad situation
Only place I know of to get a notary while living abroad is the US Embassy, and they charge a fortune ($50 each as I recall).
I use my Tmobile phone also, when u are on a laptop many USA websites will be blocked. Like govt sites, and many other websites. I got a VPN for around $10 a month. Now all of my websites in the USA work online.
my wife went Ph for family visit for 3 months, she has her USA phone with her free text to USA and can call using wifi / or International plan just to use for verifications 1x charge, seem more logical i guess but idk about years there , but we pay online
T Mobile works on 5G in Manila. T-Mobile also has a call center in Manila. T-Mobile is hit and miss in the province and it's 3G at best. I don't know if they still do it but T-Mobile offers a secondary phone number that works over the internet and as long as you have internet accessibility on your phone it will work also. My phone worked immediately when I got off the plane. You have to get the add-on for the international plan and it includes the Philippines.
So my wife and I live in the PI part-time. We use the mail forwarding service you mentioned and it works well. I do use Google phones, and no problems with that as far as verification. I also use Tracphone when I'm in the states. I like pay as you go and not the monthly bill. I also get texts while I'm here in the PI.It's probablyy because I use a VPN.
Also have a CS account. But I'm hearing that CS requires a stateside address and won't accept the online type mail boxes. So, in your case, I'm not sure if they will allow. Good luck.
Please forgive speech to text I have t mobile I've been in the Philippines 2 years but what I have found On all these major network carriers in the US is that if you use your phone longer than 6 months outside of the country they can close the account. so after about 3 months I shut it down and only opened it app to get OTP's when needed or emergency messaging to family. otherwise I use Facebook Messenger
This sounds like a good idea--shut off my "banking" phone and keep it off until needed monthly for just a few minutes .
Gio, signed up for Traveling Mailbox. Very easy and simple. Thanks.
AT&T and Verizon has international plan for $10 any day u use it 1 txt or 100 don’t matter they charge by the day. I still have Verizon with no problems. I use navy federal and USAA for all my banking. Setup my wise while stateside with face recognition direct link to my bank account. If you are prior military join navy federal credit union can do business online, over the phone 24/7. They have branches in Guam, Japan, Korea and probably other places close to PI. If you need new atm card they can issue at the branch. Might be something to look into.
Wells Fargo Bank works well here in Phil and the phone get Majick Jack or /At&T prepaid. Passport is only for International ID. Driver license is the most valid ID just for US is like National ID here in the Philippine.
Hey, I have Wells Fargo also. I've been here for 6 months but I was afraid to use WF credit card or other services incase they shut down my accounts after realizing I'm in another country. How do you access your money? Credit Card? I have a US address but was planning to sell my house since I cannot maintain it over here.
What AT&T prepaid plan do you suggest?
In Australia, it is IMPERATIVE to notify your bank of any overseas travel. I always maintain at least one prepaid SIM that roams. I have no problem receiving one-time-passwords on my Australian number when in the Philippines.
Starting 05-07-2025 US Travelers must use "Real ID" to board domestic flights and access certain Federal facilities.
You dont need real id if you have a passport.
The RAO in Cebu was located a short distance from SM Cebu (North Reclamation Area / near Mabolo) in year 2020. When I departed the Philippines.
Again; Thank you for 3 years ago, connecting me with a retired school teacher in Medellin. I’m enjoying adventures in Colombia sharing joy, happiness, and love with two svelte fit young vetted girlfriends.
Its always good to hear from you Gio... Thanks for all of the advice over the years.
hello GIO i was in the Philippines from November 2021 and i use my magic jack as long as you have wifi i could make calls to anyone in the USA i could call my mom sister my friend i just payed 39.00 dollars a year make all the calls to anyone in the USA i appreciate al your news there thanks
T mobile with auto pay ,plus iPhone to FaceTime to iPhone ,open a BPI in the Philippines
Get motorcycle insurance on a cheap bike stateside and keep it around 100 a year. If not You come back and find your insurance rate is crazy high because they won’t consider insurance on a car in Philippines as having insurance. It’s like your a teenager again with rates
Gio, those are all great points. Before I moved here in the Philippines in April 2021 I pretty much did exactly what you mentioned with the exception of having a forwarding service. I renewed my driver's license, credit cards and whatever else I needed. I'm good to go for a couple of more years at least. I also have T Mobile as my home phone service basically just to keep my American number. Thanks for sharing your story and I'm sure this will be helpful to your viewers
How much do you pay for your T-Mobile plan if I may ask?
I pay 65 dollars a month with my T mobile plan that allows me to use my phone in the Philippines when I visit...my phone plan has unlimited calls and text with 10gig of data while at home...while in the Philippines, the calls are 25 cents a minute...but at least I can call home to the US if I need too and make local calls in the Philippines if I had too...but I make calls and text with the Whatsapp for free anyways with the internet connection.....also T Mobile also gives me Netflix, Apple TV and now Hulu as part of my phone plan which I can watch at home and in the Philippines while at motels that have smart tv's...everywhere I visited in the Philippines my T-Mobile phone worked just fine...except for some places in the mountains...but to be fair my phone doesn't work in all places in the mountains in the US either.
If you’re 50 years old, you pay for $50+ plan. Not sure if you’re younger and how much for that.
And do we need to get an international plan so we can receive one time codes?
If you obviously reside in the PI , why don't you do all your banking, phone etc. done only in the PI?
Help me understand why this has not all been transferred to the US.
Why pretend that you live in the US ?
Gio can you let us know what kind of cost you see on the us phoneyou get from t-mobile once you are back in Philippines
Absolutely!
With spectrum I pat $14/m to keep my phone number and then I use Airalo and get a PH e-sim for $30/m
GETTING AN HSBC PREMIER account is the way to go. Although of course there is no HSBC in the Dumaguete. HSBC Premier has a high account minimum balance $75K ( you can also qualify if you have a total of $5k of direct deposits/month). HSBC allows you to have a foreign address, and has no foreign exchange fees. They are the most expat friendly bank. The only thing is HSBC Philippines are located in Manila, Cebu and Davao regions only….Once you open an account by providing a real residential address, you can change your address afterwards to any Mail forwarding address. The initial process will require proof of address but then once that your account is created, you can now change your home address and mailing address with that of the mail forwarding address. They also allow your checks to reflect the mail forwarding address underneath your name
Many companies are rejecting or denying opening new accounts. I have 2 friends had that issues.vand they are located in the u.s. and financially well of. Still happened.
With due respect Gio it sounds like you are living in the 1900,s.
Have you heard of Wise borderless debit card..this is worldwide...I use it everywhere including philippines, thailand with no issues from Australia...no phone numbers, nothing..your situation sounds like a nightmare...I thought the philippines loved the US passport..what is wrong with a philippine phone company / number?
A T-Mobile account is a must have in the Philippines. Not only does it make it easier to communicate back in the US but we actually get better service from our T-Mobile phones than we do our "Smart" service phones, at least in Bacoor. You need to have as many CREDIT cards as you can get. Also I found out earlier this week that only having one airline account is no good either. I have been planning a trip back to the US, I usually only fly Delta but for some reason their app and website are not working correctly. I ended up getting charged for three trips back to the US but never got any emails/confirmations from Delta. I ended up booking on United and it went right through.
How much is your t-mobile account?
AFAIK you can upgrade a t-mobile plan to int'l for an additional $15 /month.
Hi Gio- The trials and tribulations of living in a developing country.
I would just stay with a USA number Tmoble's travel pass.
BTW-Can you find me a real Ai Filipina 😅😁
lol
@@GiointhePhilippines I have ATT's international plan 😂
Hello Gio, Should we change our drivers license to our traveling mail address? thanks. We really like your videos.
Depends on the state. Some will allow it.
Magic Jack has worked for me (2 years)
Good luck with everything back in America Gio yeah things here in the Philippines can be very difficult
Hi Geo, great video very informative, I have a Google Voice No. and they offer to "port" your USA regular number to them , do you know how this works? will this resolve the issue of receiving calls to regular No. even if you are out of the USA? I'm planning to move very soon to Philippines very soon and I want to make sure that I check all the boxes, thank you.
Do you mean Google Fi ?
Your passport was refused because it doesn't specify a home address, whereas driver licence and state identity card specify an address.
I recently applied for an account with PNC AND used my Google Voice number in the application. It was rejected, but they couldn't tell me why. I applied again with my wireless carrier number and the application was accepted.
There is no address on the US passport. Surprised you didn't call around to see if you could get a u.s. number from other carriers. Good to have a place you can print, ship fax exc in the Philippines.
Makes sense, I didn't even think about that.
I have an account with Mint Sim, very inexpensive, and then I keep that SIM in a separate phone and I get all texts and two factor authentications on that phone.
I think the US passport not working for you as an ID is due to the US passport doesn't have your US address on it. The driver's license or state ID would have that and it sounds like they want proof that you live in America (i.e. a domicile address). I hadn't thought about also getting a state ID but that's a great idea--always good to have additional ID's.
I've also heard positive things about T-mobile and using it in the Philippines but make sure the plan you get covers that (I think their Magenta Max plan does).
All this crap is making living overseas a pain and keeping us retires away from accessing the money we've worked for all our lives. I shouldn't have to return home every 3 months to an official empty apartment that I have to pay for each month I'm not there just to have access to my hard-earned money.
T-mobile is raising international plan rates significantly, and they are now on the lookout for what they call "extreme roaming", which means if you are out of country for more than 90 days expect service to be terminated. I got this info directly from T-mobile 1 month ago.
Not an issue at all if you’re using a local Philippines phone number/SIM card for local calls and data, and only use your T-Mobile line for occasional calls/texts to and from the USA. Many ex pats have been successfully doing that for years - well beyond 90 days - especially if you send/receive texts/calls on your T-Mobile line primarily via wi-fi calling.
Thanks for the information. I plan to relocate to the Philippines later this year.
Yes maintain the illusion is the perfect description you hit the nail on the head
Discover will send card to Phil. however, not all merchants honor it.
I don’t think you’ll be able to rent a car in USA without a current drivers license. But, you should be able to drop into a DMV to get a temporary DL certificate and use your passport for ID.
Hi Gio. I’m Canadian living in Japan. As far as a credit card, can you not simply apply for a credit card (Visa/MasterCard/American Express, etc.) with a local bank or any number of providers in the Philippines? Is credit a problem since you are not Filipino? I have perfect credit and no debt, but I’ve been rejected when applying for credit cards several times in Japan, so I finally gave up. Very annoying at times. I’ve been limited in terms of making purchases or making payments without a credit card.
I'm an American living in Tokyo. Have countless US credit cards. For me no issue. That said, I've never applied for a Japanese credit card. I mean, why bother?
@@jonb3189 Sure, if you have several US credit cards and they work fine for you, then why bother applying for a Japanese card I guess. The only possible downside I can think of is I expect you are using your US credit cards to make purchases in Japan, right? So each time you make a purchase, don’t you have to pay a service fee for exchanging US dollars to yen each time? The American dollar is so strong, perhaps this is insignificant. Can you easily make all your US credit card payments online? My Canadian credit card expired years ago while in Japan and I didn’t think I could renew it since I was living and working in Japan.
@@jonb3189 If you use your US credit cards often enough, won't the US credit card issuers figure out that you are living in another country and disable use of the cards if they are US banks?
It’s all related to the cloud. The cloud is in more and more control now
Gio consider Mint mobile over T mobile. Same ownership. Advantages to mint because your phone will work in the Philippines with signal due to the wifi calling ability of mint mobile. You can make calls back to the usa for free. You pay once every 6 months. Your first 6 months would be about 45 dollars plus tax. Then, goto 90 for the second full 6 months. I use it, and it works great. T mobile won't work in the Philippines. I had them during my last trip there. I was in cebu and never not even once had signal. Then t mobile doesn't have wifi calling ability.
I worked in Fraud at a bank and if your credit card is blocked beyond 60 days they can close your account
That probably will happen. I'll have to reapply once everything is all set again.
Thanks Gio.
Hey Gio. Skype was acquired by Microsoft a long time ago. Microsoft has since shifted from Skype to MS teams. Skype while still working is no longer supported or upgraded. It will eventually be phased out.
Here are the issues:
Your credit reports reflect your current addresses and phone numbers. If you do not maintain a U.S. residence and phone number, it will be very difficult for you to maintain - much less open - U.S. bank accounts, credit cards and telecom services.
Awesome video I'm switching back to T-Mobile before leaving and opening a USAA account cause I got insurance thru them. I just need the Mail forwarding you use for sure. How do you receive the credit card once it gets to Philippines ?
Great question, does a digital mai forwarding company have any issues sending an expired credit/debit card, driver's license overseas (once you ask them to open and scan and they see the content)?
Tmobile works over there?
do they not know by them refusing your passport that you can report them to the usa govement if they do any business in the usa as a identification.becouse the usa passport supper seeds all other identification in the usa. so in fact you could take them to court because they refused to use your passport at all. in wich in the usa is completely illeagel to do.
I have USAA.They are good.If you are eligible,they are a good insurance,bank,and I even have a credit card with them.I have family that served with the military,so I was fortanate to have USAA.
Thanks for the information.
My guess is it is because of the new system i.e. I D control for Filipino numbers
Used Charles Schwab for 8 months here in the Philippine and got hit with I need to verify still living in States or they would close my account
You might wanna make an appointment to renew your driver’s license
Magic Jack not work for the phone service?
With Google voice, I paid a one time port fee of $20. Going on 4 1/2 months in PI with no trouble getting bank text and phone calls via data.
I think it does make a difference if you install Google voice before you leave the US.
I believe that Google Voice will not work if you're out of the US for greater than 6 months per year.
@@jonb3189 False. Works fine for me and I only visit the US for 30 days a year
do they have places in the Philippines that you can rent something like a PO box?
It's a good idea to keep a former phone number for a text verification or even speaking to them. It's more expensive but keeping the use to a minimum keeps it maintainable. I've found that using Skype, Google etc phone numbers is not a good idea because it's what the scammers use. I think being upfront with any bank or other necessary institutions as to where you actually live is also the best bet. Most trading platforms are OK with a US citizen living abroad. However, if they discover anything that was hidden they get suspicious and take the easy step by closing the account.
Hi my name is Antonio Perez my mother past a way at February 28 2021 and my father past a way on April 18 1977 and I have no brothers or sisters in my life as well sincerely yours Truly Antonio Perez
I have lived in the Philippines for 14 years now. Thank goodness I am not American so I have non of those problems.
Good luck my experience with getting a Charles Schwab card was it takes a while to get and activate so yes I would suggest a USA number.
I am still using Skype to contact people in the US no problem, It's registered in the UK
T-Mobile is a good company, I used to have them and no problem no matter what what part of the world I was. But ok you're from that US and things work different over there. 😊
By the way, VoIP stands for Voice over internet provider.