ATM fees. It looks like their checking accounts reimburse, but their savings accounts don't. I have the High Yield Money Market account, so I'm out of luck.

I went through the first four and last four pages of this thread and didn't see a mention for HSBC Premier credit cards. As long as you qualify for HSBC Premier membership (which is $100k minimum in HSBC either through retirement, savings, CDs, etc), your credit card waives foreign transaction fees and you can access your accounts with no foreign fees as well. I found this particularly useful in Asia as there are multiple HSBC branches. They're having a promotion now too for new Premier members that open accounts with them until November 19th (at least in the US).

100k is lot to put on the table to get a cc with no fees. Any idea what the earn rate and fees are on the deposited money?

I guess it just depends on whether you want to switch your current bank to HSBC and then it may not be as harsh as it sounds. Or for those readers out there that already have Premier HSBC bank accounts (or qualify and don't have it) and didn't know about this feature of the account. The e-savings rate for HSBC is 1.10%, but I guess it depends on where you decide to deposit your money (whether in a brokerage account (retirement or personal), via insurance, munis, mortgage, etc.). I just already happened to have an HSBC e-savings account (b/c its one of the higher interest earning savings account around from a big bank) and so the no foreign transaction fees credit card just made me up my balance to get the card.

I agree that it depends

My calculation focuses on costs and benfits. $100,000 in Bank Direct earns hardly any interest but does earn 10,000 AA miles per month or 120,000 per year, tax free. No fees, money available daily. At 1 cent per mile, that matches HSBC (ignoring taxes), and as mileage value assigned increases, so does the spead.

However, the HSBC yield is cash and in my view, awarded miles should be discounted for time value of money and for risk of future program devaluation.

Yes! AAdvantage miles just have had a stealthy devaluation via the BA fuel surcharge that was not there before now it is on every BA flights on your award itinerary. A poster just said his YYZ-DXB F award used to be $132 tax in the past and now it costed him $810, thanks to the BA fuel surcharge now AA collects on the BA metal. (and per some FTers such fee does not pass thru to BA - it is the carriers who collect it get to keep it.) By giving the ability to fly BA TATL on award and earn miles on revenue tickets, AA effectively and skillfully devalues the miles because now the previously allowed BA flights are all subject to fuel surcharge, with those to India or Africa being affected the most - translates to very hefty out of pocket money. The flat $25 per segment intra-Europe BA flight YQ essentially making a once very good value OneWorld award from East Coast to Europe far less valuable due to big out of pocket money. One might as well use LCCs and not be bound by all the rules and award availability!

..... don't speak too soon. It's still to be seen whether we keep these terms or not. I spoke with FIA Card Services, and they said it was "under review". So far, so good. They did say that all new cards (when expiring, or if you lose yours) will be re-branded "FIA", and while that doesn't mean the terms change then, I'm not sure such a sweet deal (no foreign transaction fees, 2% deposited into your Schwab brokerage) will survive....

So the previously allowed non-TATL flights now have a surcharge, and TATL flights, previously not allowed, are allowed, also with a surcharge. Right?
If so, it seems each person's usage would determine whether it is a plus or minus-for those whose focus is TATL, it means more flights available.

Back on the thread topic, I was addressing the built-in uncertainty, and therefore risk, of an asset whose terms may be changed at anytime without notice, as virtually all FF miles can.

Yes. All BA flights now have YQ, some very substantial.

On top of that, not only AA miles have stealthy devalued, so as BA miles.

Previously BA awards on BA partner flights such as AA and CX, dont have YQs. Now they carry YQ as a result of the ATI.

Check out this latest development:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...advantage.html

Miles devalue over time - it is an unarguable fact.

So is there a current list of cards that can be applied for that have a zero fx fee?

CapOne and the Hyatt Visa are the only two I know of right now that are available to the general public. There is a wiki that attempts to summarize this thread, but it's had a lot of unchecked edits lately so it's hard to know how accurate it is.

HSBC has a couple of other major benefits.
First, all money transfers within HSBC anywhere are fee-free for Premier.
Second, if you're Premier anywhere your account rep can open accounts for you anywhere else in the HSBC system and get you Premier benefits as apply in the other country.

I have had to do a little juggling to ensure that I get good yields, but I have managed. In most countries HSBC brokerage also counts. Their custodial fees are never the cheapest but the overall service keeps me active with them in three countries, happily so. FX free cars everywhere and fee-free ATM withdrawal everywhere, plus no fee FX on purchases.

If I stayed in one country the onetime wonderful Schwab card would have been my choice, but it does little for more complex needs than just foreign purchases.

Also the Priority Club card.

I remember the Charles Schwab Invest first Visa signature card doesn't have foreign exchange charge. Now that Schwab broke up with FIA, does that card still offer the benefits. If positive, it is the best card for foreign charge, right?

Thanks,

Per FIA customer service who called to check-in and touchbase after the move from Schwab, no change in terms. No forex fees. I have yet to try it out though.