Americans living abroad have a hard time keeping U.S. bank accounts open.  As soon as the bank (or investment firm *cough* Merrill Lynch *cough*) finds out you are living abroad, you are apt to get your account closed.

Subterfuge is a common solution.  (Subterfuge is an $11 word that means “tell the bank a lie”.)  You simply report that you have a home address in the United States.  That address happens to be the home of a friendly friend, parent, or sibling.

Now you can do it correctly, courtesy of American Citizens Abroad.

For Americans living abroad, opening and maintaining a US bank account has been a BIG problem. ACA has heard about it from its Members thousands of times.

Now ACA is delighted to provide this simple solution—the ACA-Members/SDFCU Account, developed by ACA in cooperation with the State Department Federal Credit Union (SDFCU).

ACA has teamed up with the State Department Federal Credit Union to provide SDFCU accounts for Americans residing abroad. This is the same type of account used by Americans working at US embassies, as well as many other people around the world.  You can reside full-time or part-time abroad and still qualify. You don’t have to have an address in the US. You don’t have to be connected in any way with the Federal Government.