My wife and I are preparing to move to Italy.
I have two questions.
#1 What is the best, biggest, most reliable bank in Italy (Umbria, Le Marche area)
#2 What is the best cell phone service/provider

I am sure we will have many more questions but these are the ones I need to get started with...transferring a pension and being able to keep in contact.
Thanks to all for any help
Jim & Sharon

I cannot help you with the first question but a couple comments about it. It will benefit you if you are recommended to the bank by someone known very well with whatever bank you do decide to do business with. Also, you will get a better deal if you are an Italian citizen. But as you will find out, you will pay for the privilege of having an Italian bank account -- nothing is free.

Regarding your second question, it all depends on where you live end up living in Italy and which cellular provider (TIM, Vodafone, 3, etc.) has the best service in that area. Be sure to shop around for the best deal possible for mobile/cell phone(s) and cellular service. Ask your future neighbors, people on the street and whomever you'll meet which cellular provider that they use.

BTW, there are NO simple answers in Italy.

Ciao, Ben

Thanks, Ben.
I thought as much as I could not find the answers to what I thought was a simple question or two.

I read before that an introduction to the bank by someone who knows the manager, etc. was the best way to go. Why is that?

In any event, that you very much for your input. I truly appreciate it.
Jim

I didn't have an introduction, and have never heard of anyone needing one. Maybe nice to have, but I don't think it's necessary.

The only meaningful 'introduction' I've come across is with a friend who was introduced to his Bank by someone who had a big business account at the bank, plus all his family's personal accounts. The implication of course was "I'm a big, important customer - look after my friend".

If you don't have rich, powerful friends (!), a simple personal recommendation from someone where you intend settling can be useful in judging a bank's basic efficiency/friendliness, but remember your banking needs - presumably involving some financial interaction with the US - are going to be very different from those of the average Italian bank-user.

That's true, you do not need a personal introduction to open a bank account in Italy and the person making the introduction on your behalf does not need to be rich or powerful.

The Italian bank manager will usually be more helpful to you if the person making the introduction is a known person in the community and in good standing with the bank. If you just walk in off the street, you may not get extended the same courtesies and treatment as someone who may have a personal introduction.

While Bill did not have an introduction, he probably researched which banks in his area offer the best services, rates, etc. for his situation. He has the advantage of speaking and reading Italian and being married to a dual citizen who also owns property.

BTW, I used to live in Willow Spring and work in Raleigh. While my wife is not a native, she had lived in Carolina for 20+ years.

Please feel free to ask more questions to this forum, there are many folks that have made the move, are considering one or is Italian and have been very helpful to those of us who have relocated to Italy.

Ciao, Ben

quote:

While Bill did not have an introduction, he probably researched which banks in his area offer the best services, rates, etc. for his situation. He has the advantage of speaking and reading Italian and being married to a dual citizen who also owns property

We arrived and chose our bank in 1994, knowing no Italian. My wife got dual citizenship in 2005. We bought our house long after we picked our bank. I don't follow the connection between these events.

My mistake. I apologize for any misunderstanding.

my husband works at CREDEM, maybe he can help..I'm gonna tell him to subscribe to the forum or maybe you can write to him directly:
*mcatellani[et]credem.it* (take out the *)

PD: CREDEM is one of the most important banks in Italy

I may say that Wind is the best mobile provider

Wind does not work at all in my small town in Abruzzo. Best to ask around a bit before signing up.