funny you mention this, as a street hustler in detroit i used to know would /only/ try to pass counterfeit 5s/10s as "noone is ever expecting those"

Get it. I guess what I should have been more precise about is that large scale counterfeiting is going big, or not at all. But sure, every day there are guys out there making 5's and 10's on a good printer and passing them off at McDonald's.

Wait..what? Of course it adds inches to his d**k. ... boy please

Does carrying large amounts of travelers' checks have any benefit as opposed to carrying large amounts of cash (other that if you just lose it somewhere)?

We actually had 500 and 1000 dollar bills 40-50 years ago which are still technically legal tender

Good luck finding traveler checks. AFAIK no longer sold in USA. As to benefits lost isbiggest but there is an interesting scenario. If police seized the checks and then released you could you report them as lost or stolen and recover that way? We won’t find out since not sold plus finding a 20 something cashier or even supervisor who knows what they are…good luck.

Huh, I knew they weren't used as much anymore, but I didn't think they had been discontinued. About 15 years ago when I started playing a lot of poker while out of town for work I would bring travellers checks because I wasn't used to carrying hundreds of dollars in cash and it made me very nervous, but then I stopped because it started getting to be too much of a pain to cash and later rebuy.

T-checks are still available, but may not be very convenient. American Express is probably the most recognized brand that still offers them, but they limit them to no more than $1000 increments and probably charge a 1-4% fee based on your card status. Then you have to find a place that will accept them on the other end of your travels. I'm guessing that they've been filtered out of the system due the ability to 'get rid of' large amounts of cash in a relatively untrackable method.

Not sure, but the other more common methods of moving 'cash', being Cashier's Check, Money Order, Certified Check and certainly a wire transfer, require you to post the receiver on the item when you 'purchase' it from the financial institution. That again may vary from place to place and also depend on your relationship with them. GL

With inflation the way it is they'll have to make something bigger soon!

Euro has 500 which is good, although people don't like accepting it. Probably get a lot of counterfeits.

No. Larger currency denominations are not coming as it's been explained enough ITT, but US currency won't go larger than 100s any time soon, and probably never. The push is for fewer currency transactions in favor of electronic ones. 100% cashless is far more likely than introducing larger denominations. Inflation doesn't matter if you just write a number and sign. I'm no crypto evangelist, but BTC basically fills that gap where you want anonymity and/or irrevocability.

Call it a conspiracy, it doesn't really matter why, but nobody in any position of consequence wants more or larger untraceable amounts transferred more easily. Businesses don't want employees handling large amounts or verifying large incoming amounts. Counterfeiting, etc.

Cash is freedom; cash is anonymity.

If we allow the governments of the world to phase out cash in favor of central bank digital "currency," THEN WE DESERVE WHAT WE GET.

Don't spout the government line about cash. They want to be able to control EVERY SINGLE ASPECT OF YOUR LIVES and if we allow the death of cash, every single transaction will be known, taxed, and what's more, your digital currency can be TURNED OFF and you will not be able to transact as easily.

If you say things the government doesn't like, if you have opinions the gov't doesn't like - if they see that you are doing or engaging in ANY ACTIVITY they deem antithetical to whatever their ulterior motives are, your currency can be shut off.

CASH IS FREEDOM; CASH IS ANONYMITY! Please don't be taken in by the gov't line of illicit/nefarious activity. That type of thing WILL STILL EXIST whether or not we have cash. It's a complete NON-SEQUITUR; it's a lie.

Cheers, all - from Nostradumas; aka. Borgata Boy.
Nothing but love.

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but if I did a cashier check, can I use the cashier check at the casino to pay for my tournament buy-in? Or do I have to find a place to cash the check first?

It would be best to call the casino ahead of time to be sure. Even though cashier checks are pretty rock solid there may be a delay in being able to use your funds. So then you would also need to set up an account at the casino beforehand, which also takes time.

There are also e-check options these days that can be done at the casino cage, if available.

Best to just start with the casino you want to work with and if they don't have a good option then see if there's another casino/entity near by that fits the bill. GL

what about getting a cashiers check from Citi or Chase, made out to yourself, go to a branch in Vegas and cash it? I've cashed personal checks at the cage for up to $10k with a players card.

Both good methods .. other than having to take the time to get to a branch to get your cash if you don't have a vehicle. You may need to warn them of a decent sized cash transaction so they have it ready.

The #1 method is to research/call the casino to see what are their approved methods, then pick the best one for you that hopefully doesn't have an residual expense tide to it. GL

Just remember that if you are flying internationally, even a cashier's check made out to yourself or the casino counts as cash on hand. If you are flying into the US, if your cash on hand is more than $10,000, then it must be declared. So using a casher's check will help prevent your money from being stolen, but it won't help avoid these laws about traveling with cash.

Cheers, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)

Thanks, FossilMan. Interested in your perspective on the $10K declaration. IMO, people seem to make too big a deal out of that. It's not like declaring that you are carrying $25K suddenly makes it subject to taxes or confiscation, or gets you dragged into a back room or something. You just have to fill out another form, no? Thanks for your insight based on your experience.

While the 10k declaration may seem outdated, it's what's in play and thus needs to be dealt with. It will be a much bigger deal if you don't declare and then just happen to be someone that gets a more detailed look and they find it.

Make sure to note that the declaration is for international travel. You are allowed to carry 'any' amount with you in the US, but you are also more likely to be asked about the origin of and intended use of the cash when/if they spot some bricks in your carry on.

I've not heard of anyone traveling from the Midwest having issues with cash 'in hand' when traveling to Vegas .. and there's some who will regularly carry 20-25k. GL

You're welcome. And yes, it is no big deal. When I've flown home in the past, from overseas, with over 10K, it is just writing that on the form the flight attendant handed to me on the plane. Sometimes the officer asks to see the money I've declared, and even counted it. I believe that this information is given to the Treasury Dept., but there is no taxing of that money, or anything else, as a direct result. I would imagine that if I were declaring tons of cash, and my tax return said I made 25K for the year, there might be some investigation headed my way. But in the moment, at the airport when you arrive, they will see you wrote 20K on the form, they might count your money, then they say OK and you walk away.

Cheers, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)

What about a crypto wallet? Seems it might count as a monetary 'instrument'. I'd hate to have that confiscated.

Civil forfeiture (confiscation in your terms I suspect) and $10k declaration are completely unrelated. The $10k is only a form you must file upon international travel.

The civil forfeiture can be for any amount. It need not be $10k or more. Right or wrong “they” could invoke civil forfeiture for $500 if they wanted.

Yes, Fore. Thanks. The real question I should have asked is if I need to declare my crypto wallet. A piece of hardware that might contain what is considered a monetary instrument.

If the crypto wallet is a bearer form, that is simple possession is proof of ownership, then yes it likely counts. So my guess is the crypto would count.

LOL. Anybody can take your crypto hardware wallet and it doesn't mean a thing. They don't have the codes brah. It can burn in a fire. Sail away in a flood. You will still have your crypto. Do a little research to get an understanding how it works. I hope you don't actually have any meaningful amount of crypto if your that clueless.

Where did I say it wasn't retrievable? I would hate to have to deal with that particular issue. Maybe you enjoy such PITA recoveries, I don't. But, again, my main query was if it is necessary to declare such 'funds'. I believe that is answered.