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Should an Expat Park Cash For Profits in an EC Bank or Credit Union?

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cccmedia

Expats may be aware that U.S. bank account interest has been a tiny percentage for years -- often a small fraction of one percent.

Ecuador banks and credit unions typically pay a much higher rate.

Here are the updated 2016 rates for some of the top-payers among the  "biggest, insured banks" in EC, as provided by Dom Buonamici of the Ecuador Real Estate website....

        Banco Procapital         6 %

        Banco de Pacífico       6.5 %

        Banco Amazonas        7.1 %

In recent years, depositors have been covered by Ecuador's bank insurance at such institutions up to about $30,000.

Source of percentages:  mass emailing to subscribers of ecuadorrealestate.org ...

The above are annual percentages based on a deposit of $10,000 invested in a one-year CD.  A higher percentage rate can often be negotiated for larger deposits.

cccmedia in Quito

cccmedia

Even higher rates of interest in the 10 % range are possible at credit unions or cooperas in Ecuador.

However, Dom and I recommend against investing at these credit unions because they typically are not covered by FDIC-type deposit insurance.

Several years ago, a coopera in Cuenca failed after officers of the organization looted the treasury.  Numerous Expats lost big bucks.  They held meetings and consulted with government banking officials, only to decide they had no viable recourse.

Another factor Expats should consider is that money wired out of Ecuador is taxable by the EC government.

cccmedia in Quito

cccmedia

For the list of banks and institutions covered by government deposit insurance up to $32,000, visit the page-link below.

The agency's name is COSEDE, which stands for Corporación de Seguro de Depósitos (Corporation of Insurance for Deposits)....

www.cosede.gob.ec/wp-content/uploads/20 … OSITOS.pdf

-- cccmedia in Quito

gardener1

But I believe there is a 5% tax on bank account withdrawals which exceed $3,000 in one month? So it seems to me that if you ever took your money back you'd end up paying a lot of the earned interest in taxes, si?

cccmedia

The 5 % tax affects wire transfers.  Cash can be taken out of the bank and onto a plane -- up to $10,000 -- without penalty, although carrying that much cash in Ecuador is not advised.

As to your basic point, yes, wiring money out would reduce the apparent profits gained from interest.

cccmedia in Quito

gardener1

Just as a reminder to new posters, we should link to the 5% tax law in question -

http://translate.google.com/translate?h … 6bih%3D626

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