A bank is a financial company that allows you to deposit and use money. You should open a bank account to enjoy banking services such as sending money, receiving money, paying bills, and trading, among other financial activities. Banks allow you to open either personal or business accounts for effective management of money. You can send funds to accounts within your bank or to other banks. But how much money can I transfer between banks?
Knowing the amount of money, you can transfer between banks is essential. The ability to transfer finances from one bank to another facilitates the economy’s growth. You can quickly transfer money to a bank in a different country using various means. That makes it easy to buy commodities from other countries. The international transfer may attract higher transfer costs compared to domestic ones.
You can transfer funds online at the financial institution’s website or mobile apps. That makes it easy as it saves time you could have wasted visiting a branch for the transfers. Again, transferring at a branch is applicable for people yet to embrace digital money transfers. You may directly transfer money from one bank to another or use a third-party platform.
How to open a bank account
You can open a bank account online or visit a brick-and-mortar branch to start. The online account opening is usually fast and convenient. You only need the necessary documents and are good to go. You can fill out application forms and upload the necessary documents when the need arises.
Opening a bank account requires the following things.
- A Social security Number
- An identification documents
- Email address
- Physical address
- Phone number
Remember that there are various types of bank accounts that you can open today. However, the main ones include checking and savings accounts.
A checking account allows one to deposit money for everyday uses. You can deposit money for food, water, transport, medication, and any other that requires frequent spending. You can withdraw money from a checking account any time of the day. Also, the account comes with a debit card that allows you to withdraw cash at ATMs. The debit card allows you to make payments online and at physical stores.
A savings account allows you to keep funds for future use while earning interest. The account usually has restricted withdrawals, whereby you can withdraw finances for a limited number every month. Some savings accounts also allow you to have a debit card.
How to send money to another bank using a bank account
There are various ways you can transfer finances using your bank account. When transfering finances to an account within your bank, you require the routing number of the receiving bank account. However, when transferring money between accounts of different banks, you require routing and account numbers. There are two ways you can send money to other banks. They include the following.
1) ACH transfer
ACH means Automated Clearing House. You can use it to move finances from your bank account to another. The funds first pass through the Automated Clearing House for processing. The involved systems check the source of the funds to ensure they are genuine before releasing them to the receiving bank. The transfers can take 3-4 business days to complete.
Even though the transfers are slow, they are secure as one may cancel the transfer if they realize they made a mistake. Usually, ACH transfers are free of charge. With ACH transfers, the bank officials of the two banks do not communicate directly to facilitate the transfer. ACH transfers are suitable for both domestic and international money transfers.
2) Wire transfer
Another method you can use to move finances from your bank to another bank account is the wire transfer method. The transfer method requires the sending and receiving bank officials to communicate directly to effect the transfer. The transfers are fast and domestic ones can complete within 24 hours. Keep in mind that wire transfers are suitable for domestic and international transfers. Again, wire transfers charge fees. The sender and the recipient must part with some fees when they use the service.
The good thing with wire transfers is that you can send large amounts of money. If you are making a payment for your car or any other item that requires payment of a lot of money, then using a wire transfer can be the best option. Unfortunately, most wire transfers are irreversible, and you may lose money if you send them to the wrong person.
How much money can I transfer between banks
The amount you can transfer between one bank to the other depends on the institutions themselves. Some banks limit the amount of money you can receive from other institutions. Others limit the amount you can send to other banks. For example, the Bank of America wire transfer limits within 24 hours stand at $1,000, while the limits for Wells Fargo limit you to $5,000 per day and a maximum of $12,500 for a consecutive 30-day period.
On the other hand, Citi Bank allows $250,000 per business day for the outgoing wires. It does not have monthly limits whatsoever. Therefore, there are no specific limits that banks can allow from other banks.
Is it secure to send money through banks
Banks are secure avenues you can use to send money. That is because they use secure means when sending money online. Data is usually encrypted so that no third party can get your details while sending money. Moreover, the apps have activity alerts so that you can know if there are any unauthorized activities on the platform to take the necessary actions.
The funds are still secure even when you use third-party applications such as Zelle and Western Union. Zelle allows money transfer between banks, whereby you can instantly transfer funds from one bank or credit union to the other as long as they support the service.
Bottom line
A bank refers to a financial company that allows you to deposit and use money. You should first open a bank account to carry out activities such as sending and receiving money. A checking account allows you to access money in your account at any time of the day. You can send money to other banks using wire or ACH transfers or third parties such as Zelle and Western Union.
