I had a thought: if you want to draw down your accounts at your bank and don't want to answer questions or draw attention, why not use credit cards for cash advances at different banks or different banks' ATMs, then pay for the cash advances from your checking account? You get the cash from somewhere else rather than the teller, you write the check from the account to pay the bill, and there you go. Of course, if you are really cynical, you take cash advances late in your billing cycle in December and just hold the money. If hell breaks loose, you keep the cash and wait for the credit card bill to show up; if it doesn't, you pay the bill from your checking account when it comes in.

-- Kurt Ayau (Ayau@iwinet.com), October 26, 1999

Answers

interestingly though--the banks are already limiting the amount of cash you can withdraw from your credit card!!! try it. you will see.

-- tt (cuddluppy@yahoo.com), October 26, 1999.

When you do the credit card trick, remember that you will be paying interest from the moment that you take the advance. The rate on the cash advance will probably be 2% for withdrawal and 1.5-2% per month. Why make the credit card company the middle man for this operation. They keep better records than the bank does. Anyone who wants to not be seen, will use cash for everything that they buy.

Also, what is cashing out? Is it considered everything that you own? Do you have more than a few thousand? How much do you think that you will need? Is there a point where cashing out is not possible? Many people who say their cashing out, don't have enough in savings to make a difference.

I have set a cash limit. I have food, heat, and shelter. I wont need that much cash. I think that $2000 should be enough, and by taking out no more than $200 per day(ATM bank limit is 400/day @ Key Bank), you could get to that goal in 10 days. That can easily be done with ATM transactions at one machine at my bank.(Never pay a bank fee by going to another bank with your card.)

So, the big question is how much will you really need? You have atleast 60 days. (60 x $400=$24,000), do you have that much in your account? Remember that is at one bank and at one ATM. If you need another bank, open another account. Get a bank check and take it to the the new bank, deposit it, wait the 3 day holding period, and start making the $200 or $400 withdrawals from their ATM. You could have a third and forth bank(that is the great about the US). All of these don't require you to pay the fees if you set up the ATM only accounts. Check with the new bank. A bonus is that all of these bank option don't require you to pay a fee and a high rate of interest for the cash advance of the credit card.

It is just another way to get your cash and there are no forms involved. Also if you are going to just go to a teller and take out $2000-$5000 in cash tell them a week in advance. They need time to have it delivered to the bank. It is funny when you find out how much you can get if you let them know in advance.

-- Ned P Zimmer (ned@nednet.com), October 26, 1999.

Get extra cash when you buy things with your ATM card. Reject the standard offer and get 19 or 39 dollars. 19 gets 4 one dollar bills, one five dollar bill and 1 ten dollar bill, 39 gets you a twenty also.

When they start giving out cash in increments of 50, 100 or 1000, a very small number of customers will clean out the change drawers. You'll need exact change (also the guys behind the cash registers don't know how to make change without a computer).

-- ng (cantprovideemail@none.com), October 26, 1999.

I do not understand why people think it is so hard to get cash into their hands. Just go to one of your friends who has a retail business and ask him if you can buy his cash with a check just before he makes his deposit of sales for the day. Or even, get a cashiers check and ofter it to a business friend who works for a chain store. Come on guys, it really is not hard. I have only been using a check card for a couple of years. Before that, if I needed cash, I would write a check at a local store for cash for $100 or what ever I needed. I get the feeling that some people on this forum do not understand the concept of "community". Get to know the owners of the stores where you shop. Friends help friends before they help strangers.

-- chicken farmer (chicken-farmer@ y2k.farm), October 26, 1999.