<p>It appears the closest bank to KP is the Navy Federal Credit Union. When reviewing online it appears that you can transfer money out online but another bank cannot transfer money into your account. </p>
<p>If a parent or grandparent wanted to $ gift you some extra city money is the only way by snail mail check and walk to the bank?</p>
<p>there's always cash... but check is safer. either way, money is money. and no one here will turn down either.</p>
<p>we paypal $ to our son.</p>
<p>He set up his checking account at the NFCU, the he had to set up a paypal account, and get his checking account verified.</p>
<p>I already had my paypal account and it verified.</p>
<p>All I now do is send him cash by paypal. It really is easy, then he can spend with his visa/debit card or go ATM money out.</p>
<p>when the mids are at sea, how do they receive their pay? Currently we deposit money into our sons account at Bank of America and he uses his debit card in NY for expenses, as well as lots of access to atms around the world. I hope they will provide direct deposit of the at sea pay. Help us out with information upperclassmen or parents. Our son opened a nfcu account and never used it.</p>
<p>We do the same as Cjcatl as we use Bank of America. Its too easy to click & shoot funds to the boy's Visa/debit account. Never have used the NFCU account really. When the kids go to sea, they get paid per the ship's company policy. Some do direct deposit, others let the kids "draw" cash from their pay, & others give them a big wad of cash on pay day. I've heard many different versions of how this happens. Our son was paid monthly & given cash which kinda freaked me out. It saved time in trying to get off the ship & find a bank that would cash a check BUT they end up with a couple of grand riding around in their pocket when they return to the academy. Son deposited his cash into the NFCU the day after he got back & I said, "Whew".</p>
<p>we get paid while at sea via cash or checks. i hav only heard of 1 instance where direct deposit is available - plus, your MIDN will want to go ashore in foreign countries which requires $$$$.</p>
<p>Son received checks that had to be deposited. That was a problem.</p>
<p>Just wait until your midshipmen is sailing as a third mate or engineer and walking off a ship with over ten thousand dollars in their pocket. One ship I got off of I had a little over nine thousand dollars in cash in my coat pocket and a check for a little over ten thousand. Talk about a stressful flight home, but boy was it ever sweet to throw that down on the teller's counter when I got to the bank. To see that person's face made it all worthwhile. :)</p>
<p>She prolly thought you were Mofia. Have I told you lately how very much you help with worries? Keep up the great work Doc! :D</p>
<p>JM, </p>
<p>You worry too much. ;)</p>
<p>OMG, 10 grand is CASH???? <em>faint</em></p>
<p>I am right there with ya JM and the worrying. Thanks folks! Now I have something ELSE to worry about.</p>
<p>Could the checks not be mailed home and put into the bank by a family member. Bank cards could them be used. I am not familiar with ATM access or mail access at banks but I would think this would be a safer possibility. I know traveling abroad major credit cards are taken and I always find a ATM. What am I missing.</p>
<p>Also my father retired navy man told me that ships controlled who came on and off and there was always someplace to lock up valuables. Is this now old school?</p>
<p>Can only speak for my kid when I say that he wasn't given the option of a check. Once a month, they'd hand him 600 some odd bucks (this was his pay minus the taxes). He'd lock it up in his room & take a little of it every time they went ashore. The ships do control who goes on & off the ships. Well, except for that Fong character in Tiawan who always found his way past whoever was on watch. That guy was like Houdini. Pretty harmless guy that just wanted to make sure the crew had everything they wanted. A real live welcome wagon. LOL</p>
<p>It all depends on the shipping company's policies. Weski's son had to deal with checks which must have been a pain. I heard of one kid doing what they call a "rum run" back & forth to Puerto Rico & the ship would let him get small amounts of cash from his accumulated pay, then gave him a check for the remainder when he left the ship. I don't think I've ever heard the same story twice. </p>
<p>LFWBDad, if I don't worry, I won't have anything else to do. Its my hobby. I am going to stay completely freaked out until the year 2009.</p>
<p>So just to give background to the pay system on a ship:</p>
<p>An aside first: most companies won't put cadets on direct deposit because they aren't on the ship long enough for it to be worthwhile. By the time it gets set up it's time for them to change ships or go home.</p>
<p>Okay now: Pay for most sailors on union ships is done at the end of each voyage. While in the middle of the sea the ship's crew can get allotments of their money for port calls and for the slop chest. I will use myself as an example. Cadet aboard container ship on 35 day route to asia. I did three trips on this ship. I got paid three times. The pay came each time we got back to Los Angeles. I would take the check to the local Wells Fargo and deposit into my account. Out of my pay came any money advances I got for port calls while in Asia and also whatever I spent getting candy/cokes out of the slop chest.</p>
<p>The person with the biggest risk to life/limb is the ship's agent who is the one meeting the ship bringing all that cash aboard for crew pay-off. Imagine that guy coming aboard with cash for twenty people, some of whom make lots more than I did as a third mate.</p>
<p>Thanks KP and JM I am seeing a clearer picture.</p>
<p>Just got to say how funny this thread went from 'Support from Home' to 'Their finally making the money". Light at the end of the tunnel, right parents.</p>
<p>We love our kids and we know you will chose our nuring home.</p>
<p>they're....sorry working with too many numbers these days.</p>
<p>And they love to spend that money on their Moms & Dads at times! We have some real treasures from the boy's travels. I cringe when Dad puts on that loud Hawaiian shirt though. My gifts were way better than Dad's so proves the boy loves me more. :D My favorite? An incised pottery tea pot that looks like a gourd. Very intricate.</p>
<p>Wanted to add some info about USAA accounts. With the boy leaving in March for sea again, he wanted to set up a USAA account as they don't have those pesky ATM fees no matter where he goes. I had his NFCU account numbers along with the routing numbers so I got online yesterday & transferred funds from NFCU into a new USAA checking account for him. Also applied him for a new Master Card (for emergencies & by golly I mean it). I got online again this morning & all of it is in place. No waiting on the transer of funds from NFCU to USAA. Its in there today. His new cards should be here within 10 days so he's set. If I need to, I can go to my bank & do an "outside" bank transfer to the USAA account. However, those are more difficult to set up. I like that Paypal idea of Royce's Mom. I really like USAA. He's got insurance through them as well. If you want to mess with your kid's accounts & insurance, you'll need to have your kid sign a USAA power of attorney. The USAA rep emailed one to son & he signed it, scanned it into his computer & emailed it back. So, if you're thinking about doing something with USAA, know that its pretty easy & they are awesome folks.</p>
<p>Help me out, what is USAA?</p>
<p><a href="https://www.usaa.com/inet/ent_logon/Logon%5B/url%5D">https://www.usaa.com/inet/ent_logon/Logon</a></p>
<p>Its a federal savings bank that deal only with our military. Academy kids can use USAA for alot of things including insurances, banking, credit cards & later on for car or house loans. You might want to study up on it & you'll see they get some nice perks at USAA. They have the best customer service I have ever seen. When you go to parents week-end, they'll give you some more USAA information. And I love that they offer their customers to just scan in their pay checks & they are then deposited into their accounts.</p>