As a recent subscriber, I'd like to ask a question or two regarding banking... 1. Such a bank would clearly need to be offshore, and in a location with no banking or taxation treaties with the US. Some of these are available, but, the record of quality accounting and regulation isn't always the best. What is the feeling about what depositors would want from such a bank before they "did business". 2. What is the minimum list of services a bank should provide? Deposit and transfer between inhouse accounts would be easy...wire transfer elsewhere would not be a problem...even handling some investments could be done. On the other hand, things like unsecured loans, credit cards, and immediate access to someone in "account services" would be a lot more difficult to implement. 3. What minimum account size would be appropriate? Domestic branches of offshore banks (i.e., Union Bank of Switzerland) generally require 100M, but the branches are subject to US record keeping requirements. Offshore, $1,000 or less is common. Would such levels, in your opinion, work? 4. Statements. Generating statements is time and accounting intensive. Generating statements on checking accounts is NOT cheap. Would accounts have to have scores of small transactions (i.e., $25 bucks for the xyz bill), or would it be possible to merely feed a domestic account from the offshore account. 5. Currency. US dollars? Swiss Franks? Other? Foreign currency is a nice option, but would up the costs for a startup bank. 6. Yield. Would depositors demand a yield? Current low rates at US banks seem to make this unimportant, but is it really unimportant? 7. Fees. What level of fees could the bank charge? A regular US checking account for a small business can cost $10 a month... 8. Any thoughts about marketing? Offshore banks, as I understand it, cannot lawfully advertise their services within the US. 9. Other thoughts? What do YOU think would be needed, unneeded, nice to have, in such an entity? What would frighten potential customers away? Thanks for any thoughts you might have.