Foreign Exchange Newsletter
May 10, 2007
We are working on a service to compare currency exchange dealers and hope to be able to offer the best deal of the moment. The start of this is already online at www.Nizas.com/currency Although these companies are all very close together for their exchange rates, they are in competition and you can do deals, especially if you are buying big lumps of money.
I have also found that at different times, some are giving slightly better rates than others - OK a few points is not a whole pile of beans, but multiplied by a couple of hundred thousand and it can be the price of a (very) small car, or a fantastic celebration dinner for your new home.
I have put a regular newsletter from one of these services on at Forex April 2007 and will try to get a good inter-active service working very soon.
Comment by Phil Palmer
We still have the proceeds from the sale of our share in a house near beziers.
Despite numerous attempts to get the money out, we seem unable to do so. I have a friend whose wife is French & she translated a letter for me. I did French to A-level/HND level myself…. I am dumfounded.It seems, from reading their letters, that I have to go to the bank in question & physically take the money out myself!
I must have lost several hundred pounds in interest on the combined effect of exchange rates/poor interest.
Is there some law in France that allows the Credit Agricole to get away with this??
Comment by Tony
Banks in France seem to be able to do absolutely anything they like and are, in my experience over the last 18 years, incompetent, dishonest and totally unprofessional - I do not have or use a bank account anymore and like millions of French people only use the Post Office - which although no better I know is about as intelligent as talking to a letter box and they do not charge as much for their incompetence.
I am afraid it may be the case with your bank that you will have to go there, prove who you are and in very simple words explain to them what you want done with your money.
Comment by valerie keys
I too have an account with Credit Agricole and their monthly charges just for having the account are too high. Can you please tell me how to open an account with the Post Office.
Comment by Tony
Hello Valerie,
If you have a permanent address in France you can go to any Post Office with; passport, proof of residence and (as usual) just about any other papers you have, and ask to open an account.
You can see all details online at http://www.laposte.fr/