Posts by darkmaker94

Yeah, your co-signer can basically be anyone who meets their credit requirements. Their site says:

"This loan doesn't require any collateral. You just need to meet the applicant's creditworthiness standards (co-signing is an option)."

So, you're gonna need a co-signer. I doubt your parents could pull it off on their own. Your best bet is to just shoot an email over to Chase.

But seriously, are you 100% sure you actually need this loan? Better question: are you certain you'll land a job right after graduation so you can actually pay it back?

To pull off that loan, you’re gonna need a co-signer or a guarantor—basically someone with a steady paycheck and solid credit.

Look, 99% of people asking about online payment cards just want them for PayPal. Since Maestro is accepted at such a tiny handful of places, there’s really no point in even bringing it up—you can't actually use it anywhere. It's the same deal with Diners; sure, it works online, but only on maybe every fiftieth site you visit.

By the way, Visa and Mastercard are accepted by basically every single online shop that takes cards, so those are your actual "supercards." 🙂

And not all Visa Electron cards work for online shopping. 😉

You can't pull off installment plans with Zions Bank cards (Visa or Mastercard). If you want to pay in installments, the Zaba Mastercard or their Debit Card are your best bets since they're accepted at way more places.
From what I know, the Federal Reserve or Split banks let you do installments with their Visa cards, but the number of merchants that actually support it is pretty slim.
So yeah, stick with the Zaba MC or the Debit Card. 🙂

silverpanther6 said:Actually, you can use a Citibank Maestro card, provided the merchant accepts Maestro and they have the Visa Secure system set up.

And honestly, their new card design is absolutely stunning.

All high-end electron cards work fine. If you ask me, the smartest move is to open a foreign currency account where you can hold the specific currency you need for your purchases. That way, the exact amount is debited without those annoying extra conversion fees creeping in.
If you're just paying in US dollars, then a standard USD savings or checking account works perfectly.

And besides, does that card even work on PayPal? Or eBay? Or Amazon? Nope. So basically, it's useless.

You can't even use a Bank of America Visa or Mastercard anyway if you're looking to pay in installments.

Anyway, there's already a thread about credit cards. 🙂

Hm... I get the distinction between my legal residence and where I actually live. Opening accounts was a breeze, too—didn't run into any issues at all with JPMorgan Chase or Goldman Sachs. 🤷
I even mentioned to my wife that I don't actually stay at my registered address and that I have everything mailed elsewhere, and it wasn't an issue.

Honestly, sounds like you just ran into a clerk who didn't know their stuff. 😁

Lisa Watson6 said:So, I did some digging and talked to a few people, and everyone keeps telling me to just open a checking account because business checking is basically dead news these days.

So what’s actually the difference between a checking and a business account, and can I do everything you mentioned above with just a standard checking account? thanks

With a basic checking account, you usually get a debit card that doesn't work for online shopping.

Not sure if any of those four banks offer a Visa card with their checking accounts.

I’ve had a checking account open for a few years now, but since I’m a student, I don't have any income coming in. 😉

There are already a few threads like this on this subforum.

If you want to shop online, you’ll need a Visa Electron card, but just a heads-up: not every bank's version works for web purchases. The ones that actually work are Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Citibank. Your best bet is picking one of those four. Depending on which one you go with, the card usually comes bundled with a checking, savings, or maybe even a specialized account. Check their individual websites for the specifics.

For example, with Chase, you can get a Visa Electron tied to a standard checking account that works perfectly online. There aren't any fees to open the account or keep it running. You use the card to buy stuff online, pull cash from an ATM, or pay at the grocery store—as long as you've got the funds, obviously.

It’s impossible. You can’t use any Maestro card from America for online shopping.
You're stuck using a Visa Electron from Erste Bank, ZAG Bank, Hajduk Split, or Citigroup, or just sticking to credit cards like American Express, Visa, or Mastercard (plus Diners Club if you're buying on Amazon).

I wouldn't dream of suggesting you stop making your loan payments. Seriously, try everything you can to stay on top of those installments. If you fall behind, you’re just asking for trouble—you'll get hit with late notices, skyrocketing interest rates, and eventually, heavy collection fees. Worst case scenario? After enough missed payments, the bank calls the whole thing in, demanding the full balance immediately. Then you're really in a bind... 😢
That's why I'm telling you: hang in there and pay what you can. You just need to manage to sell the condo at some point. 🙂

What happens if someone is already dealing with an administrative garnishment where a third of their paycheck is being diverted directly at their company's payroll office? In that scenario, the rest of the money hits their bank account, and neither the banks nor FIFA have any clue that the initial third was already taken. Is it actually possible to slap another garnishment on that remaining balance?

Section 149 of the Enforcement Act

(1) Wage garnishments—including salary, sick pay, part-time adjustments, or disability benefits—can be taken up to one-half of the total amount when collecting court-ordered child support, alimony, or damages related to health issues and loss of earning capacity due to death. For any other type of debt, the garnishment is capped at one-third of the paycheck or pension.

Basically, that second category covers things like utility bills, credit card debt, and loans...
That means they aren't allowed to take more than that. Even though banks have been pulling this off pretty consistently until now.

Take Angela Merkel, for example; she also has a "protected" account where her salary gets deposited. 😁

If things play out the way I said they would, we’re looking at a much better situation than before. Back then, if Chase blocked your account, you were basically screwed because trying to negotiate with those guys is a total nightmare.

You need to hit up the IRS to let them know you’ve got regular deposits hitting a frozen account—specifically the 2/3 portion that's legally protected from garnishment. Once they process that, they should notify your bank, and then your bank can set up a "protected" account where your untouchable paychecks will land.
Now, here’s how it actually plays out in the real world... 🤷

Looks like this is the form you need.

That's a seriously nice place. 🙂
Fingers crossed you close the sale soon and get this weight off your shoulders.

Yeah, that’s basically how it goes.

I didn't have to make any calls myself either. 🤷

When I was looking into this, I just shot an email over to American Express. They’re the ones who should really have the inside scoop.

I put the application in at a JPMorgan Chase branch back on November 10th. My card showed up at my house this past Friday, even though they originally told me I'd have to pick it up in Prague. So, yeah, one month total.