France Forum

bhharrison
Joined 2016
Posts: 25

5 years ago

Getting the Best Exchange Rates

5 years ago

Hello all!! Here to ask the collective's opinion again, but this time on getting the best exchange rates. We've moving from the US to Montpellier and have considered using a service to purchase Euros so that we can get a good exchange rate. In researching this, however, it looks to me that this is more useful for those expats that have a bit more of a nest egg than my husband and I.

To give a bit of context, we are in our 40's and own a small business that we'll be continuing to run from home after the move. We typically transfer enough each week from the business to our personal account to cover our bills and give us a bit of spending money for the week, but we're certainly not extravagant.

One of the services we investigated doesn't charge a fee per se, but provides us an "adjusted" exchange rate, so I know they're getting their money. Our bank charges us a flat $40 fee, but the exchange rate they gave us on our initial transfer was less than the exchange rate I pulled for the Central European Bank for that day (yes, I know it fluctuates during the day). And then lastly is Western Union. From what we can tell, they wouldn't charge a fee for the size wire we'd be doing, but it's another instance of the "adjusted" exchange rate AND a waiting period of 6 days.

Has anyone else gone through this process? If so, what did you end up settling with?

GeoBlue

Top-quality coverage for people who live, work, study and travel internationally.
Get Quote

GeoBlue

Top-quality coverage for people who live, work, study and travel internationally.
Get Quote

Living in France Guide

Guide to Living in France covering expat life, local culture, finding a home, diversity and more.

France Forum
Join our France forum to meet other expats and talk about living in France.

Contribute
Help other expats and newcomers by answering questions about the challenges and adventures of living in France.

Best Places to Live in France

If you're thinking about living in France, here are the 15 Best Places to Live in France in 2023.

Healthcare in France

Expats often ask if health insurance is free in France or if you need health insurance to go to France. Here is basic information about the French healthcare system.

Cost of Living in France

Expats offer insight into the cost of living in France.

Moving to France Guide

Expats all over the world dream of someday making France their next destination. As with other countries, there is a lot of planning involved, and a lot of decisions to be made.

Real Estate in France

Real estate listings in popular cities and towns in France.

Pros & Cons of Living in France

Take off your rose-colored glasses and learn what expats have to say about the biggest challenges and the greatest rewards of living in France.

Retiring in France

Advice for people retiring in France.

10 Tips for Living in France

If you've recently arrived in France, here are 10 tips for digital nomads living in France.

Additional Information:

Visit our France Index for a Full List

GeoBlue

Top-quality coverage for people who live, work, study and travel internationally.
Get Quote

GeoBlue

Top-quality coverage for people who live, work, study and travel internationally.
Get Quote

Contribute
Help others in France by answering questions about the challenges and adventures of living in France.