Dealing with banking issues is one of the most difficult aspects of a small digital nomad business. Finding a bank for a small business isn’t easy. Add to that dealing with international banking and things get very challenging.

Finding a bank that will accept deposits via wire, provide a credit card for your business, has good online tools and you trust isn’t easy. I ran across a very useful post recently:

The Best Offshore Banks of 2014 which includes a good deal of information on the 30 best banks according to them, for example:

Butterfield Bank

Established: 1858.
Jurisdictions: Bermuda, Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Guernsey, UK.
Minimum deposit/balance: 5,000 BMD/USD/GBP for business banking, 250 – 500,000 BMD/USD/GBP for private banking.
Personal banking: Residents preferred.
Commercial banking: Yes, international.
Private banking: Quite strong.
Remote account opening: In most cases.
Mobile app: iOS, Android.
Cards: Full coverage, available in USD and GBP.
Website: http://www.butterfieldgroup.com/

All things considered, the finest bank in the Caribbean and Bermuda. 2009 to 2010 were rough years for the bank, but they bounced back to profits by the following year. Although the share price took a massive dip, but the Butterfield signature quality was never compromised.

Card services are some of the best in the region, with two airline partnerships being available (AAirways and British Airways).

Internet banking is strong but the mobile banking app, although light-years ahead of other banks in Bermuda and the Caribbean, leaves a lot to be desired.

It provides enough information for you to screen through and find some good options for you. And then you can do more research and pick one to try out. I would definitely do more research, you shouldn’t trust 1 internet post to find a bank.

Singapore Merlion with the financial district in the backgound

Finding a bank that accepts EFT deposits from the USA makes a big difference but this can be a challenge. Many internet companies still are stuck a decade or two ago as far as banking is concerned. Many only pay via EFT or check. Some will also pay via paypal. The options are limited for people in many countries (with poor mail system and paypal is also not available to people in many countries).

Of all my efforts in creating a digital nomad existence banking has been by far the biggest negative surprise. It has just been a huge hassle. I may well look to using one of these banks if I can find a better option for me.

Some that look interesting to me for digital nomad businesses are: Butterfield Bank (Bermuda, Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Guernsey, UK), Crèdit Andorrà (Andorra, Panama), DBS Bank (Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia/Labuan, Taiwan), FirstCaribbean International Bank (Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands), Standard Bank (Isle of Man, Jersey, Mauritius, South Africa, Ghana, Angola, Singapore, South Africa, UAE)

It has been awhile since I created this blog and haven’t posted to it, but my plan is to be more active posting here in the future.

Related: International Migrants: Economics and Banking – Private Foreign Banking Deposits by Country – The Importance of Long Term Disability Insurance – Going Nomad in SE Asia