My Personal Banker

I recently opened a banking account here, which one is able to do after receiving an FM 3 visa. The folks at the local HSBC branch where I opened the account have been very pleasant to work with and very patient with my often inadequate Spanish. Since opening the account I have made a number of visits to the bank to ask questions about procedures.

Last Thursday I visited the bank and asked Luis, one of the customer services folks, a question that apparently indicated to him that I needed help understanding how banking is done here. So last evening I received a call from Eduardo, an HSBC personal banker, who asked if he could come to my apartment and discuss banking procedures and options. I eagerly accepted his offer. After an hour or so of conversation about banking, and my particular needs, he suggested that I come to his office in the morning and meet with him and one of his English speaking colleagues. Another offer I gladly accepted.

So this morning I walked to Eduardo’s office and met for an hour or so with him and Sebastian who further explained banking procedures, security, and investment options. They then called a currency exchange house, in which they have confidence, to let them know that I had a cashier’s check I needed exchanged. Eduardo drove me to the office where Adriana took care of the paperwork and explained that the funds from the check will be deposited directly into my account. I also found out it is lots less expensive to have funds wire transferred in pesos from my USA bank to my bank here. Eduardo then drove me home.

I learned that HSBC offers a fund, into which I may invest, that buys and sells Mexican government securities, pays about 6% interest, and the invested funds are completely liquid.

So now I have a personal banker looking after me. One less thing to worry about.