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My Readers Write – More Questions about Costa Rica
October 10th, 2011
Hi to my faithful readers. Here is yet another addition of “My Readers Write”
In this post you will find both emails and comments asking me questions are generally not covered in The REAL Costa Rica or this Blog…. or maybe they are answered, but there is some other twist that I think might be of interest.
As some of these were sent more than 5 weeks ago, I do appreciate your patience. I am just bombarded with email.
I do correct grammar where practical and some spelling of the various emails/comments, but I do not change the content other than maybe a swear word.
If this interests you, please read on.
Filed under Banking in Costa Rica, Costa Rica, Costa Rica Law, Costa Rica Tourism, Life in Costa Rica, Living in Costa Rica, Real Estate, US Embassy, Visas to the USA | Comments (14)Banco Nacional Gets it Right!
October 23rd, 2009
Safe Internet banking in Costa Rica has been an issue for some time. In December 2007, I wrote this post about how insecure it can be and giving suggestions on how to make it less so. It is clear that I have not been impressed with Costa Rica online banking at least from from a security standpoint… until now that is.
I personally bank at three Costa Rica banks: BAC San Jose, Scotia Bank and Banco Nacional. All were subject to various schemes that could easily cause serious security problems, especially if the customer did not use adequate security protection in their computers or worse, used Internet cafes or a wireless connection while banking online.
Now along comes Banco Nacional with a high tech but easy-to-use gadget that all but guarantees your security even if banking from an Internet cafe or using a wireless connection. I got one about three weeks ago and have since been trying to figure out how someone could get into my account. My conclusion? They cannot or if they can, they are a whole lot smarter than I am.
If this topic interests you, read on!
Filed under Banking & Finance, Banking in Costa Rica, Internet, Internet Fraud | Comments (11)Renewing My Residency and Ummm Groveling
August 18th, 2009
Back in July, I blogged about the new cedula renewal process (this also applies to lost cedulas). The days of visiting Immigration (migracion) are over… at least that was what I was told. I have lived far too long here to think that any process here can change literally overnight. Overnight in Costa Rica can mean anything less than two years
Well.. I was wrong. It seems there is a process in Costa Rica that can take less than a decade to change for the better. Today was my appointment for my cedula renewal at at the American International Mall branch of Banco de Costa Rica in Alajuela. It went without a hitch… and if this interests you… read on!
Filed under Banking in Costa Rica, Costa Rica, Expatriate Life, Immigration & Residency, Immigration Law, Life in Costa Rica, Living in Costa Rica | Comments (5)Costa Rica Residency Renewal – Revisited
July 2nd, 2009
Last year, I blogged about the process of renewing my residency. Those interested can read the posts here and here. For no good (logical) reason that I can see, renewals are for one year only and even though I did not GET my residency card until 4 months after the process began, it is now time to again renew the *%*(&$** thing.
This year, though, things have changed! OK… I know better than to say such a thing. Let us just say that the process has changed, and we shall see if “things have changed”.
What are the big changes? Well the biggie is that this year, it seems, that I will not need to make the trek to immigration. The other stuff will be gravy. So here is the new process:
Filed under Banking in Costa Rica, Costa Rica, Costa Rica Residency, Expatriate Life, Immigration & Residency, Immigration Law, Residency | Comments (28)Banking Games
May 14th, 2008
One of my readers reasonably asked my thoughts on the recent revaluation of the dollar.
Easy answer! I have not a freaking clue!
Todays exchange rate of about ¢511.41 / ¢518.71 makes absolutely no sense whatever and to me, smacks of some serious manipulation.
Filed under Banking & Finance, Banking in Costa Rica, Cost of Living, Cost Of Living Costa Rica, Costa Rica, Life in Costa Rica, Living in Costa Rica, Politics, Questions from Readers | Comments (6)Safe Internet Banking in Costa Rica
December 6th, 2007
Lately, there have been a goodly number of news articles about people having their money stolen from their Costa Rica bank accounts.
As some of you know, several of my companies here in Costa Rica are “high tech” related, especially the web hosting business where we host thousands of customers world wide. Server and computer security are paramount issues as you might guess.
So when I got a phone call yesterday asking me my thoughts about this rash of Internet bank fraud and seeking advice, I decided rather than answer her question immediately, I would BLOG about it and maybe pass on some ideas for my readers. While this relates to the banking thing, it is really germane to ANY Internet transaction that uses passwords, bank information, credit cards or ANY confidential data.
This will not be a “techy” post. I’ll try to keep it very basic so non-techies can understand what they can do (MUST do) to avoid Internet fraud.
I am sorry, but this will be a long post, but I cannot recommend strongly enough that your read this.
If this topic interests you, read on!
Filed under Banking & Finance, Banking in Costa Rica, Costa Rica, Internet, Internet Fraud, Life in Costa Rica, Living in Costa Rica, Technical Stuff | Comments (23)Follow-up on the Exchange Rates and Banking
November 28th, 2007
I expect my readers are might be a bit tired of all these posts about banking and the revaluation of the colon last week, but things are happening here that affect (especially) those expats living here.
But, I have also received a lot of email about this topic, so here are some things I am noticing in my travels around San Jose in the past few days. I think they may be important.
Filed under Banking & Finance, Banking in Costa Rica, Cost of Living, Cost Of Living Costa Rica, Costa Rica, Life in Costa Rica, Living in Costa Rica, Travel, Travel to Costa Rica | Comments (6)Central Bank Revalues the Colon
November 22nd, 2007
So sweet!
Back on August 12, 2007, I wrote a post entitled “The Colon Vs The Dollar – Watch your money!” In that post, I cautioned my readers that the weakening dollar could not long stand firm against the Costa Rica colon. I urged readers to move their funds from their dollar accounts (in Costa Rica banks) to colon accounts as I anticipated that the Central Bank had to act soon to bring the dollar down and increase the value of the colon.
Last night, they did just that. The colon has been revalued to about ¢497 and ¢498.39 to the dollar.
Filed under Banking & Finance, Banking in Costa Rica, Cost of Living, Cost Of Living Costa Rica, Costa Rica, Life in Costa Rica, Living in Costa Rica, Working in Costa Rica | Comments (9)BAC San Jose – A total joke! Their New Rating? ZERO
September 8th, 2007
A few weeks ago, I wrote about three banks here in Costa Rica and how they compare. You can review that post HERE if you wish.
In that post, I left readers hanging a bit regrading BAC San Jose and their policies regarding the depositing of checks from outside Costa Rica. You may recall they have this little “gotcha” policy that prohibits the depositing of any check from outside Costa Rica for the first year, a truly stupid and needless policy for most people and for businesses especially. After 18 months of 100% trouble free banking, I asked that my company accounts be allowed to deposit checks, all from the USA. Here is what I was told:
Filed under Banking & Finance, Banking in Costa Rica, Costa Rica, Life in Costa Rica, Living in Costa Rica, Rants | Comments (13)The Colon Vs The Dollar – Watch your money!
August 12th, 2007
For many years I suggested here in this blog, in The REAL Costa Rica and elsewhere that the smart person living in Costa Rica (or for that matter anyone who keeps money here), should always pay using colones, but keep their money in a dollars account. There was a good reason for this. The colon was, for many years, on a system of scheduled devaluation that made holding colones a losing proposition.
I am now doing a 100% change in that position. If this subject interests you, read on…
Filed under Banking & Finance, Banking in Costa Rica, Cost of Living, Cost Of Living Costa Rica, Costa Rica, Life in Costa Rica, Living in Costa Rica, Retire in Costa Rica | Comments (30)