Ecuador Living

US Social Security can now make direct deposits in Ecuador.

An Ecuador Living subscriber recently asked about this and I suggested he read “Your Social Security payments while you are outside the US”  which lists 45 countries where the Social Security Administration makes direct deposit.

Ecuador is not listed and I assumed this meant that direct deposits were not possible in Ecuador.

This subscriber had the common sense to ask. He contacted the Federal Benefits Unit at the US Embassy in Quito.

The Embassy’s website says:

The Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) is part of the American Citizens Services section in the Consular section of American Embassies and Consulates. The FBU is responsible for administering programs on behalf of U.S. federal agencies that pay benefits to both American citizens and other country nationals. The FBU assists customers, who are entitled to U.S. Government benefits, in soliciting their benefits and also with post-entitlement issues. In Ecuador, benefit checks are deposit electronically, via direct deposit.

Due to the specialized nature of Federal Benefit programs, the role of the FBU is to answer routine questions and to forward more complex inquiries to the appropriate federal agency. An FBU normally assists persons in interpreting forms and letters sent to them by agencies. The assistance may include review or completion of forms, including change of address requests, and forwarding of these forms to the paying agency. Agencies normally correspond directly with the interested party, but may issue specific instructions on a case to an FBU for assistance in resolution. An FBU may also play a role in program integrity issues, such as verifying whereabouts and existence of beneficiaries.

The FBU officer replied:

Please be advised that the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) currently works with two local banks in Ecuador where your pension can be direct deposited, these banks are Produbanco and Banco de Guayaquil.

If you’re planning to move to Ecuador you should change your address with any SSA office in the U.S. before you leave the country or at the U.S. Embassy in Quito.

Should you need more information you can call the Federal Benefits Unit during the following customer service hours:

Phone inquiries: Tuesdays through Thursdays from 10:00am to 12:00pm
Phone# (02) 398-5000 – ext 5077

Daniel Arroyo
Consular Section – FBU
U.S. Embassy – Quito
Tel: 593-2-398-5077
Fax: 593-2-398-5268
IVG:  644-5077
[email protected]

Learn more about Social Security while living abroad at  Your Payments While You Are Outside The United States

Gary

Speak Spanish in just Four Days Super Thinking + Spanish

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Last modified on 2012-01-31 11:51:17 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Feb. 16-17-18 Cuenca Real Estate Tour

to beautiful places from mountains to…

the sea with hidden…

charms like this thermal spa near our hotel in Cotacachi. The people are…

friendly and…

wonderful from many…

cultures. Ecuador real estate is good value.

Condos here in Cuenca for example are just $42,000.

See spectacular beach properties  near this beach for as low as low as $6,000.

An extra benefit in these Ecuador real estate tours is that the staff does not sell real estate, and does not allow staff to accept commissions on the sale of real estate.

We ask those whose property we show on the tour to give discounts to our delegates (as we are known to bring many buyers and do not charge commissions).

We make sure that sellers show up.  (A bad habit Ecuadorians have is often to not have the property open on time.) We avoid showing property that in our experience is out of line price wise or quality wise. We provide efficiency. There are few road signs in Ecuador… no organized brokers… no multiple listings… not many English speaking.  We plan routes so our delegates can see the most in the shortest time and have English speaking staff with the tours. We provide contacts with brokers, attorneys architects etc who have shown to be trustworthy. We share 41 years of experience investing globally and 14 years in Ecuador.

Otherwise chances are you’ll drive around… be lost… see little…  and have no basis on which to compare and when and if you plan to buy not know if the people you are dealing with are trustworthy. We feel that our $499 fee is a bargain.  If you hire a car with driver for four days… you’ll have spent almost as much just on transportation.

Our Ecuador real estate tours help you learn the ropes in Ecuador.

We also provide a very personal service that helps you save money and makes your trip to Ecuador more comfortable and secure.

We hope to help you in Ecuador soon. See details for each of our Ecuador real estate tours here.

Cotacachi, Otavalo & Ibarra real estate tour

Cuenca real estate tour

Save with Multi tours. Learn more on how to save with multiple tours to Cotacachi Imbabura, Ecuador’s coast and Cuenca.