Manilla SSA and Citibank Ripoff

[BonMot]

On 5/20/2022 at 9:15 AM, Reposed said:

Well, mine does not appear.

 

Do you think me so stupid I don't know my own email address? It is the same one used to contact Manilla. And my senator. And my family and friends.

 

Mods, feel free to close.

Do you happen to use a dot in your username? Google does not recognize the dot. I therefore can submit my user as [email protected] or user.name@ . Some websites make a distinction and see these as different names. Also, I'm sure stated but check the spam, trash folders. If using an unpopular email service switch to gmail or outlook.

[BonMot]

On 5/17/2022 at 7:39 PM, gamb00ler said:

online access to your SSA account?

Can this be set up and accessed from Thailand?? Two part question there. If I set it up in US can I access it in Thailand? Will it show my benefit at 62-67 ? Thanks.

[KanchanaburiGuy]

15 minutes ago, BonMot said:

Can this be set up and accessed from Thailand?? Two part question there. If I set it up in US can I access it in Thailand? Will it show my benefit at 62-67 ? Thanks.

I can access my My Social Security account from Thailand, no problem. We'll, almost no problem!

 

They send an access code to either a phone number or an email address, depending on how you set it up. The access code expires in ten minutes. Only ten minutes. Lol Even though they say you should receive it in two minutes, or so, I've usually had it take 8 minutes or more, which is a little nerve-wracking with a ten minute expiration. Lol

 

A couple of times, I didn't get the code until after it had expired. ???? 

 

Of course, this is not a difficult thing. But something that in the computer age should be quick and easy......... almost instantaneous........... making me wait......... and maybe making me wait again........ can be a little frustrating. The only thing I can guess to explain this slowness is the Social Security Administration has chose to use slow electricity. (Yes, that's a joke) 

 

As for your benefit amounts at different ages, the SSA.GOV website has a Benefit Estimator program. As I recall, you answer a few questions, and it will tell you your estimated benefit amount at different retirement ages. I don't believe you need a My Social Security account to use this. It's just there on the regular website. 

 

----------------

 

In case anyone is curious......... Here's how I did my math on deciding when to take my Social Security........... 

 

If I started payments at 62, I would receive 54 reduced payments before I'd ever become eligible for full payment. That gives me a pretty substantial head start, dollar-wise! 

 

If I waited until I could collect full payment 4 1/2 years later, the extra money I'd get monthly would start chipping away at the head start I had received at 62. 

 

I calculated that those two lines won't intersect until I'm 76!

 

In other words........... 

 

If I die before I turn 76, I come out ahead financially by taking the head start at 62. It is only if I live passed 76.......... that I'd see any extra money, overall! 

 

(14.5 years of "62" money......... is approximately the same as........... 10 years of "66 1/2" money!) 

 

So............realistically.......... a lot of it comes down to how long you expect to live. With my health---past and present---76 is not a realistic expectation.

 

So......... with my "62" benefit far exceeding my cost of living in Thailand........... and having full Thai health coverage through my wife........ being able to retire 4 1/2 years earlier.......... became an EASY decision! ????????????

 

Just food for thought......... 

 

Cheers! 

 

 

 

[EVENKEEL]

I took mine at 62 as well. For me I think the magic age was 71 before I started coming out ahead. All depended on your earnings. No regrets here.

[gamb00ler]

2 hours ago, KanchanaburiGuy said:

They send an access code to either a phone number or an email address, depending on how you set it up. The access code expires in ten minutes. Only ten minutes. Lol Even though they say you should receive it in two minutes, or so, I've usually had it take 8 minutes or more, which is a little nerve-wracking with a ten minute expiration. Lol

 

A couple of times, I didn't get the code until after it had expired. ???? 

 

I use a gmail account.  I access it on both my desktop and my smartphone.  I have always received a notification on my smartphone within 30 seconds of the incoming email that contains the access code.  This happens in both USA and in Thailand. 

 

You can create many gmail accounts so you could have a separate account just to receive access codes, or whatever you wish.  To get notifications on your smartphone, just setup the gmail app to access the correct gmail account and to allow it to notify you of new emails.

 

3 hours ago, BonMot said:

Can this be set up and accessed from Thailand?? Two part question there. If I set it up in US can I access it in Thailand? Will it show my benefit at 62-67 ? Thanks.

As @KanchanaburiGuy stated, once your mySSA account is set up it is easily accessible from Thailand.  I can't verify that you can create a mySSA account from Thailand as both I and my wife created ours while still residing in USA.

 

Once you have a mySSA account they have a calculator available to show you what your benefits will be when you start them on a date of your choosing.  Since SSA already has all your contributions on file, you don't need to enter any information to generate the very accurate calculation of your benefits using mySSA.

 

For those wondering how much detail is available on the mySSA website, here is a redacted version of what I see when I ask for details of SSA payments. @Reposed

 

[KanchanaburiGuy]

25 minutes ago, gamb00ler said:

I use a gmail account.  I access it on both my desktop and my smartphone.  I have always received a notification on my smartphone within 30 seconds of the incoming email that contains the access code.  This happens in both USA and in Thailand. 

Thanks. 

 

I use Gmail on my smartphone, both here and in the States. Same problem both places. I guess they just like you better than me! ????????????

 

I guess I could create a new email address and change it in the system. See if that speeds things up. But jeez, who wants to keep track of all that for something I open once or twice a year?

 

Besides, if I didn't have that, what would I have to complain about? 

 

????????????

 

Cheers! 

[gamb00ler]

10 minutes ago, KanchanaburiGuy said:

I use Gmail on my smartphone, both here and in the States. Same problem both places.

If you have the same problem stateside and here, it is more likely a problem caused by your phone or application settings.  If you're on IOS, I can send you a copy of the settings that work well for me.  I never owned an Android phone so can't assist for those.

[lopburi3]

12 minutes ago, gamb00ler said:

If you have the same problem stateside and here, it is more likely a problem caused by your phone or application settings.  If you're on IOS, I can send you a copy of the settings that work well for me.  I never owned an Android phone so can't assist for those.

Do not have smartphone but perhaps sync of email issue - on my home computer it is within a few seconds but perhaps phone have setting to limit usage?

[gamb00ler]

1 hour ago, lopburi3 said:

Do not have smartphone but perhaps sync of email issue - on my home computer it is within a few seconds but perhaps phone have setting to limit usage?

Smartphones have options that are designed to limit usage in certain circumstances, to prevent interruption when using the phone for some other task, to ensure privacy, etc... many reasons.

 

The settings in IOS that could be relevant to receiving timely email notifications are: Background App Refresh, Time Sensitive Notifications, notifications in Lock Screen mode, Show Previews.  I have all those options enabled on my iPhone.

[JustThisOnePostOnly]

Can't create my mySocialSecurity account.  Login.gov insists I provide a U.S. phone number. I don't have one.

 

I've run into this issue in the past and researched some of these services that allege to give you a U.S. number from overseas but they all seem very fly-by-night so I always gave it the pass.

 

But if the alternative is dealing with Manila and especially after reading this thread I will make the effort to get the phone number.

 

Thanks for the good info. Sorry you're having so many problems OP.

[lopburi3]

14 minutes ago, JustThisOnePostOnly said:

Can't create my mySocialSecurity account.  Login.gov insists I provide a U.S. phone number. I don't have one.

 

I've run into this issue in the past and researched some of these services that allege to give you a U.S. number from overseas but they all seem very fly-by-night so I always gave it the pass.

 

But if the alternative is dealing with Manila and especially after reading this thread I will make the effort to get the phone number.

 

Thanks for the good info. Sorry you're having so many problems OP.

Manila deals with a large number of people and expect most without issues but there seems to have been more issues during covid lockdowns than normal but PI is just about back to pre-covid now so expect things will be improving.  Manila is the proper channel to use so if it were me I would give it a go.

[JustThisOnePostOnly]

11 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Manila is the proper channel to use so if it were me I would give it a go.

The problem with that is that I'm not entirely sure I'll be staying in Thailand for the duration. I also have the retirement visa equivalent in Mexico. I get to do both, a little here, a little there.

 

So U.S. bank is much preferred as I can easily access the money from wherever, and since I am expected to pay taxes to the U.S. when overseas and using this bank then this should not be a problem, yes?

 

I was thinking that surely it'd be easy to change which bank I receive payments to, but after reading this, and with first-hand experience of all matters related to money in the Philippines, the answer is no.

 

I'm going to contact my U.S. Senator to resolve any problems I have? Are you kidding? I've been out of the U.S. so long I forget which state I'm from (only partly kidding, what counts as residency?) And how does that even work when there are on average like three million citizens per Senator?

 

Recipe for real pain is what that is.

[gamb00ler]

32 minutes ago, JustThisOnePostOnly said:

So U.S. bank is much preferred as I can easily access the money from wherever, and since I am expected to pay taxes to the U.S. when overseas and using this bank then this should not be a problem, yes?

I applied through Manila and receive my benefits to a US financial institution with no problem.

 

If you do go through Manila, I advise you to get them to send you a copy of the application before they send it on to Baltimore.  Go over every field on the application and verify it.

 

In my case they made a simple but inexcusable error.  They made the same type of error when doing another poster's application.

 

I hope it goes smoothly for you.

[JustThisOnePostOnly]

1 hour ago, gamb00ler said:

I applied through Manila and receive my benefits to a US financial institution with no problem.

Ok I misunderstood. I was thinking Manila would mean Bangkok Bank or the like. If I can do U S. Bank then that is more palatable.

[Pib]

With the SSA you can use any U.S. bank with an ACH/ABA routing number (they all have one).....the Bangkok Bank New York branch is a licensed U.S. bank with routing number and is the only Thai bank which can receive payments via the ACH system. 

 

Or a person can use the IDD method which uses SWIFT codes vs U.S. ACH/ABA routing numbers if the SSA has IDD available for a country...and SSA does have IDD for Thailand since late 2019.  

 

If using the IDD method a person can use any Thai bank (including Bangkok Bank)--and it can be a regular/unrestricted Thai baht acct (even at Bangkok Bank since IDD is being used).  

 

If using the ACH method (i.e., an ACH/ABA routing number) it can only be Bangkok Bank if wanting to use a Thai bank and has to be a restricted/special acct.  Or, use any other U.S. bank (thousands of them) to a regular acct....I recommend the Lick Skillet, Kentucky credit union.  ????

[Reposed]

On 6/4/2022 at 7:53 AM, BonMot said:

So, you are stating that if I have my social security sent to Bangkok Bank NY ending up in Thailand - this incurs a us50 fee? Monthly?

 

Can you and others please confirm? That sounds absolutely criminal.

The last four months have all been different. Payments have varied wildly and nothing to do with BKK BNK nor the exchange rate. Citibank seems to take what they want. Still waiting for a response from Baltimore and my senator. Manilla is worthless.

[Reposed]

On 6/7/2022 at 7:13 PM, JustThisOnePostOnly said:

The problem with that is that I'm not entirely sure I'll be staying in Thailand for the duration. I also have the retirement visa equivalent in Mexico. I get to do both, a little here, a little there.

 

So U.S. bank is much preferred as I can easily access the money from wherever, and since I am expected to pay taxes to the U.S. when overseas and using this bank then this should not be a problem, yes?

 

I was thinking that surely it'd be easy to change which bank I receive payments to, but after reading this, and with first-hand experience of all matters related to money in the Philippines, the answer is no.

 

I'm going to contact my U.S. Senator to resolve any problems I have? Are you kidding? I've been out of the U.S. so long I forget which state I'm from (only partly kidding, what counts as residency?) And how does that even work when there are on average like three million citizens per Senator?

 

Recipe for real pain is what that is.

I'm going back to stateside deposits and Wise every few months.....