To most banks, foreign entity and foreign resident accounts are headaches nobody likes to deal with. It seems like every day there are fewer US banks that will open accounts for non-US structures and non-US residents.
Even in a best case scenario, it takes forever to open an account, with bureaucrats who seem like they’re still living in the Dark Ages drowning you and your clients in paperwork without bothering to ever understand their business… or get to know their prospective customer.
And then they charge opening fees, monthly fees, and exorbitant wire fees for the privilege of putting up with it.
We don’t believe that is right.
Protect your clients assets with a reliable US dollar bank account that they can control from anywhere in the world.
We are entrepreneurs who understand how business is done in the 21st Century. We understand that your clients might live in one place, have employees, a supply chain, investors, and corporate structure in several other countries.
As an independent bank, we are here to serve our global customers with dignity and respect.
We’re flexible, fast, and nimble in tailoring services and in structuring deals that do not ordinarily fit into the conventions of banking institutions.
We are doing banking the way it was SUPPOSED to be:
Protect your clients’ assets with a reliable US dollar bank account that they can control from all over the world.
We understand first-hand how exhausting it is to deal with bureaucrats when opening a US bank account for foreign entities.
The countless hours and resources spent on cumbersome account opening paperwork, jumping through hoops just to get a perfectly legitimate transaction approved, the unnecessarily bureaucratic account maintenance work.
You are constantly dealing with inflexible bankers whose top priority seems to be squeezing as much profits as possible by pushing cookie-cutter products that are irrelevant in the real business world.
On top of that, your clients are charged exorbitant fees for the privilege of putting up with this.
We think this outdated model is in dire need of an improvement.
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ZERO
Account Opening Fees
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100% Remote Account Opening
Open the account from almost anywhere in the world
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Unparalleled Efficiency
New corporate accounts are generally opened in 1 week or less
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Save Time and Sanity
From time-consuming, printed, and scanned paperwork
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Lower Account Minimums
Than traditional private banks - served with a bespoke, private bank experience
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Yes, We Can
Open US accounts for corporations , IBCs, trusts and other entities in most jurisdictions
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Available to Global Customers
We are open to US and Non-US citizens from around the world. US address or residency not required
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We ensure the safety of your funds through exceptionally high liquidity, capitalization, and strict lending policies
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Strict security policies and asset protection strategies designed to safeguard your client's assets in a risk filled world
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US Account
Ensure a smooth facilitation of deals which would be far more difficult and expensive with non-US banks
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World-Class Service
Tailored solutions that fit your clients' specific needs like a glove
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We Understand Offshore Banking
Work with professionals who have boots-on-the-ground experience in offshore structures
Opening a US-based bank account with us will not only provide unparalleled safety for your clients’ funds, but also benefit the profitability of your business.
With our 100% digital and remote account opening system, your team will be able to save countless hours and valuable resources. We believe physical paperwork and queueing up for 2 hours in a branch is a relic of the past and a productivity-killer any business cannot afford.
At Strategic Bank, we understand International Financial Centers. We are professionals with boots-on-the-ground experience investing and doing business in over 120 countries.
This is why our solutions are tailored to the 21st Century businessperson.
While we follow strict compliance regulations, we don’t do things just for bureaucracy’s sake. You will not be drowning in pointless paperwork and required to jump through hoops, instead, you will significantly decrease time sunk in paperwork.
With our zero account opening fees, you will be able to offer more attractive banking packages for your clients and enjoy a lower customer acquisition cost.
We take pride in our truly safe and transparent bank accounts, and your clients will too.
Enhance your customer experience by offering reliable bank accounts with shorter processing time, zero account opening fee, and lower minimum required account balances.
With happier customers, comes more business opportunities. Being in the diversification business, you are likely to be familiar with the importance of hedging risks. Minimize your risks by working with an independent bank which prioritizes safe, conservative, and responsible banking practices, unlike the big institutions.
Our policies are designed to safeguard your assets even in financial crisis. Our number one priority is to keep your money safe and do what’s in your best interest.
The US is not party to Common Reporting Standard (CRS).
than traditional private banks
All loans must be backed by collateral with ≤70% Loan-to-value and meet our strict criteria
$35 within the US, $45 to/from US
ZERO
No fluff. Just simple, honest banking
ZERO
– as long as account balance is above agreed minimum on the last day of the month
100%
You can open an account from anywhere in the world
We are fanatic about your privacy and information security
We open accounts for both US, Non-US citizens & legal structures around the world
When our depositors entrust us with their savings, we view this relationship as a sacred bond. We treat our customers, and their savings, with the utmost care and respect.
And our approach is based on three fundamental pillars:
Banks typically make money by taking risks with their depositor’s funds and investing them in shaky financial instruments to generate profit– black box financial derivatives, and complex, risky instruments like Collateralized Loan Obligations.
They seem to have forgotten, however, that they’re taking these risks with other people’s money. It’s a strange system indeed that banks make risky bets with your money, pocket the profit for themselves, and then charge you additional fees on top of it all.
The world saw firsthand back in 2008 how risky this can actually be. One day everything is fine. And the next– years of risk-taking causes a bank balance sheet to collapse overnight.
We think this model is unacceptable.
At Strategic Bank, we prioritize safety above all else. And we do so by maintaining exceptionally high levels of liquidity, and capital, that vastly exceed typical levels at major banks, as well as minimum regulatory requirements.
We keep at least 40% of your deposits in high-quality liquid assets, so that your savings can be easily withdrawn even in times of a financial crisis.
Many large banks have reserves below 10%, and some even below 2%. This means that up to 98% of your savings has been loaned out and gambled away somewhere without your knowledge.
Strategic Bank often maintains a Tier 1 Capital Ratio in excess of 100%, vs. around 10% for a major bank.
We only invest in conservative, low-risk assets. We only make loans backed by marketable, liquid collateral that vastly exceeds the loan value with a substantial margin of safety.
And unlike most banks, we will never own any mortgage-backed securities, risky derivatives, or any other high-risk asset that puts depositor funds at risk.
We maintain strict adherence to value investing principles and ensure that any investment will be acquired with
To put it simply, your funds will be maintained primarily in High Quality Liquid Assets.
To ensure maximum safety for your deposit, the balance (if any) will be placed in the safest loans we can find which conform to ultra-conservative lending standards.
While most banks in the world exchange customer information and your economic activities through the Common Reporting Standard (CRS), the US banking industry is not bound by the CRS and is not obligated to report your account balances to non-US governments.
Enjoy a peace of mind and confidentiality while having your international financial activities protected outside the US.
Modern banking is a black box with extremely limited transparency. Financial statements only provide scant information about what a bank is actually doing with your money.
For example, a large bank may show $100 billion in loans on its balance sheet. But what loans? How creditworthy are the borrowers? How much collateral is there? What’s the quality and value of that collateral?
Remember, every investment carries risk. And they’re taking these risks with YOUR money. The least they could do is be transparent with you about it.
We believe you have a right to know where every penny of your money is at all times.
It is not enough for us to merely state that we will be prudent, conservative, and responsible with your savings. We can prove it.
This is why we strive to provide maximum transparency and have made our daily balance sheet available to the public, so you know EXACTLY where your money is — down to the penny.
If we have invested our depositors’ savings in US Treasury Bills, you would know the precise CUSIP numbers of the T-bills, their maturity dates, and the amount.
If we make a short-term loan backed by real estate, you’ll be able to see the exact loan terms and the characteristics of the collateral, so you know how much it’s worth relative to the loan amount.
There is very little ‘relationship’ remaining in the modern banking relationship today. To most banks, you are just a number– at best, your account number; at worst, the amount of profit they can make from you.
Amazingly, many large banks tend to treat their customers like criminal suspects. And they’re closed to any out-of-the-box thinking.
We have an entrepreneurial culture and understand business in the 21st century. We can customize solutions to fit our customers’ needs. And we strive to treat all our customers, and their money, with dignity and respect.
And we strive to build real, personal relationships with our customers.
We have an experienced and involved board – a Board Member who is a former government minister, a reputable and capable CEO, a highly competent COO and highly qualified staff.
We are a team experienced in finance, legal, administration, customer service, technology, and value creation.
James J. Hickman, Founder and Managing Director
Global entrepreneur, investor, and leader with over 20 years of investing and business experience on several continents.
James is an experienced entrepreneur and investor. He has launched or invested in dozens of businesses internationally across numerous industries from financial services to, real estate, publishing, manufacturing, retail, eCommerce, technology, agriculture, advertising, and more.
He has founded numerous global businesses including a publishing company, which brings actionable insights and information to hundreds of thousands of readers; Agricultural Land Corporation, one of the largest blueberry and walnut growers in the Southern Hemisphere with over 5,000 acres of farmland; and Strategic Bank.
James is a former US Army Intelligence officer. He graduated from the United States Military Academy (West Point) in 2000 with a degree in Mathematics, and he holds a Masters Degree in Accounting and Information Management from the University of Texas at Dallas.
Julia Whippo, President and Chief Operating Officer
Ex Goldman Sachs – over 10 years entrepreneurial experience and 8 years experience in financial and investment services.
Julia formerly served as a risk manager at Goldman Sachs in New York in the firm’s Risk Management department, where she also served as secretary of the department’s Career Development Committee and the Society of Women Engineers Recruitment Committee.
She has founded or invested in a number of private businesses internationally.
Julia attended the University of Colorado and graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Applied Mathematics, a Quantitative Finance Certificate, and Minor in Economics.
At Strategic Bank we have few hard and fast rules, and we do make exceptions on a case-by-case basis. But typical account minimums are currently as follows:
This will likely be revised higher in the future.
We can open US dollar Demand Deposit accounts for any of the following:
We can open accounts for citizens, or companies registered, in nearly every country around the world.
The only exceptions include North Korea, Cuba, Iran, Venezuela, and Puerto Rico.
As we have designed Strategic Bank to be a private bank– a safe repository for our customers’ savings– and not a retail bank for day-to-day transactions, we do not presently offer checks or ATM cards.
Our customers can send and receive domestic and international wire transfers directly from our online banking portal.
Global interest rates at this time worldwide are essentially zero. And rather than offer a near-zero interest rate on deposits (like 0.02%), which creates far more of a tax burden and reporting hassle for our customers than it provides any financial benefit, we’d rather devote our energy to providing you the best possible service.
Once the interest rate environment changes, however, we will absolutely offer this.
We’ve designed the onboarding process to be straightforward and as simple as possible while still complying with our regulatory requirements.
The process can be completed remotely from anywhere in the world. After submitting your online application, we’ll review the information and see if we’ll need anything further.
For company accounts, we’ll collect information about the company, its owners, and controlling parties.
Once everything is in order, your account will be opened immediately, and we’ll reach out to you with account details.
You can open an account anywhere in the world; you do not need to come to see us in person.
We do have offices in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and invite customers to visit us there. But it’s absolutely not required.
Strategic Bank is a US domestic bank and has an ABA Routing Number just like any other US bank.
We model ourself on traditional, private banks. Unlike modern banks that maintain millions of accounts, our intent is to provide tailored, private services to a small number of customers with whom we can maintain a close relationship.
Strategic Bank is part of the US banking industry, which is not bound by the Common Reporting Standards (CRS). We are not obligated to report your account balances to non-US governments and will never share your information without your permission unless it’s required by law.
Strategic Bank International Corp. is a privately-owned bank servicing individuals and commercial entities and is licensed and regulated by the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions of Puerto Rico (OCIF) as an International Financial Entity (License No IFE-038). Strategic Bank International Corp. is authorized to do business as Strategic Bank.
Banking products offered by Strategic Bank International Corp. are subject to approval and are not available to Puerto Rican registered companies or individuals that are residents of Puerto Rico. Terms and conditions apply.
For foreign currency transactions, an exchange fee of 0.7% will be applied on the total transaction amount. The final currency exchange rate is subject to change, based on the market rate on the date of transaction executed.
Deposits are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).
