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For better clarity, I provide you the following:Tips for attending an interview for selection as probationary officers in commercial banks in IndiaA mock interviewTips for Interview for recruitment as Probationary Officers in banksThe purpose of the interview:The purpose of any interview is to select one suitable individual for the concerned post. The person to be interviewed may be having higher qualifications; however, he may not be having the requisite potentials or caliber in handling the job offered namely; better communication ability, leadership quality, emotional strength and effective interpersonal relationship. Banking demands people who are willing to work hard by mingling with customers freely and friendly apart from maintaining a cordial; social and friendly relationship with the colleagues and superiors.Phases of the interview:The interview is conducted in four phases namely;·the first phase during the course of which questions are asked about the individual and his specialization in any specialized area;·the second phase wherein the questions are asked about the bank for which the interview is conducted;·the third phase wherein the questions are asked about general banking, economy, finance and latest developments and·the fourth phase is the final round for the interview.The interview committee:The interview committee consists of three to five imminent personalities who are well versed in banking matters and normally the services of retired executives of various commercial banks and executives of commercial banks are utilized for the purpose of conducting the interview. The following system is adopted by the committee members during the course of interview process:·While one member poses the questions to the candidate, the remaining members observe the body language of the individual as to how he reacts to the questions and especially in respect of difficult questions;·They also review as to how the candidate comes forward in presenting his answers in a crisp manner thereby providing the relevant points expected by the committee members at the shortest possible time.·Basing upon the answering ability, communication ability, level of confidence, willingness to accept challenges etc., the committee members select the individuals by awarding better gradation.·When the candidate is found to be inattentive on account of low level of self confidence, health factors or some other factors, the committee members pose provoking questions so that the candidate is emotionally provoked and aroused to come forward with appropriate answers.The interview process:The interview process consists of the following stages:·Signing the attendance register or marking his presence by the candidate at the reception counter and filling up the requisite details in the relevant introductory formats;·Process of verification of the certificates namely; qualification certificates, experience certificates, certificates relating to extracurricular activities, community certificate, relieving orders received by the previous employer, if any, etc., by the reception committee members and obtaining the photocopies for such certificates duly compared with the original certificates·Candidate waiting at the reception hall for his turn;·Once called by name, the candidate entering into the interview room duly seeking permission of the team members;·Candidate thanking the interview committee members for permitting him/her inside the cabin;·Candidate sitting on the seat once offered by one/more members in the interview committee;·Candidate thanking the member who had offered the seat;·Candidate shaking his hands with the members, if offered;·Candidate eagerly awaiting for the questions from the members;·Candidate mentally preparing himself to attend the interview with full concentration maintaining regular eye contact with the committee members;·Candidate answering the questions posed by the members enthusiastically, till the entire process is treated as completed;·Candidate collecting all certificates and documents once the interview is treated as completed;·Candidate thanking the committee members and·Candidate politely raising from the chair, walking towards the entrance, opening the cabin door and gently closing the door behind him;·Candidate meeting other candidates awaiting at the reception hall cheerfully.Dress code:·Dress code is an important aspect and a person is judged by the dress he wears. Dress makes half man.·For men: Please wear a neat full length trouser and one full length shirt – preferably white or light shaded; Usage of “T” shirts greatly dampens the image of the candidate and the purpose of using any ‘T” shirt is to have better comfort during the course of walking, relaxing, jogging, running, partying and relaxing. As such “T” shirts are not considered to be a fit wear during professional meetings including interviews. Do not wear highly dark colored and checked dresses. A light colored shirt preferably white colored full sleeves shirt and dark colored pant will heighten the image of the individual to a great extent. The candidate has to wear a good quality shoes neatly polished. If possible he can wear a “tie” and this is purely optional and certain organizations pay more attention to the personality of an individual which gets improved by way of better dressing.·For girls: Under any circumstances girls should not wear provoking dresses namely; “T” shirts, jeans pants, trousers, half gowns and shirts with messages and blouses with low cuts. A neat chudithar is considered to be the best option and wearing of sarees improves the image of the individual.A.Questions during the first phase:·Initially the candidates are invited to tell about their personal life and interests, their family members, their ambitions, their qualifications, their achievements in studies, sports, music and any other extracurricular activities;·The second question is about the place to which the candidate belongs. In case the candidate belongs to Chennai, he will be asked to tell about Chennai and the importance of the place. Necessarily the candidate should have a thorough knowledge about the place from which he is hailing;·The interviewers will pose “ice breaking questions” in order to shift the focus of the candidate. This is for the purpose of finding out the reaction of the candidate during such “focus change”. (Banks demand people who are able to face any challenges);·During the first two to three minutes, more than 80 percent of the questions will be on the personal details and basic information about the candidate. It has to be remembered that – “The first impression is the best impression” and accordingly the candidate has to behave politely, calmly, courageously and confidently.Sample questions during the first phase:·01. My dear friend, now tell us about yourself: The candidate has to inform in a crisp manner about himself, his family, his qualifications, achievements if any etc. Unnecessary details should be avoided altogether and the candidates at no cost should provide information to the committee members with an intention to derive sympathy from the committee members. Such an attitude will prompt the members either to reject or award poor marks.·02. I see – you are from Chennai – please tell me about Chennai: Since the candidate belongs to Chennai, he is invited to tell about Chennai and he should have pre-hand information about Chennai and should come forward to tell about important places in Chennai namely; Marina beach, High Court, Kabaleeswarar Temple, Metro train facilities, Santhome church, International airport, Asia’s biggest bus station at Koyambedu and many more.·03. I find that you had studied in Presidency college. What was the reason for your preference for this college?. How was your life in the college? The candidate has to tell about the college; the achievements of the college in academic scenario as well as in sports and in other areas;·04. I find that you had studied “EEE” - why you had chosen the course? The candidate has to tell about the purpose and the potential available for the students who had opted to pursue EEE course.·05. You are in Chennai for a long period. What is your opinion about Chennai?·06. You are having “EEE” in engineering and why you are willing to get employed in banks? (Your reply should be – In fact by working in a bank, I can develop my relationship with public in a better manner; improve my knowledge and provide better service to as many people as possible since the banks are purely service oriented organisations. I find that I can have more career prospects in future by getting employed in the banks)·07. What are your strengths and weaknesses? – Your answer should be: I am always willing to work hard under all circumstances and since I have a good communication ability, I hope that I can surely develop friendship with my colleagues, clients and others in a fast manner so that I can contribute better to the society.·08. You are a highly qualified person having one MBA degree apart from a degree in Engineering. What is the guarantee that you will be in the bank without shifting your attention to some other employment potential after some time?: Your reply should not be: On account of unemployment problem, I am joining the bank; Your reply should be – even though I have better qualifications, I wish to work in the banking industry because I can have better opportunities to serve for the welfare of the society by working in the bank than any other organisations.Responsibilities of the candidates appearing for the interview:The candidate should do a lot of home work and he should always depend upon his positive straits namely; his strength, achievements and abilities and necessarily he should believe in himself that he can face the interview committee members boldly and fearlessly and he should altogether avoid any negative reply or angry reply under any circumstances; even when provoked or tempted by the interview board members and the candidate should remain calm and wear a broad smile during the entire interview process.A smile has the power to keep the individual in better spirits at all times.The following question may provoke the candidate –·Dear friend, considering your personality, I find that you look like a film actor. How do you feel yourself ?(You had not at all expected this question and you are tempted to provide an apt reply to them: Your reply should be– In fact I am fond of wearing a neat dress and I take care of my health by doing physical exercises regularly apart from eating moderate food and getting into the bed at the appropriate time. I always believe in the following proverb – “Health is wealth”. An individual may not be in a position to discharge his duties properly without adequate health. The habit of eating quality food, regular exercise and better dressing are the factors which are responsible for my personality.B.Second phase of the interview process:During this phase, questions will be asked about the bank for which the candidate is appearing for the interview and the following are some sample questions in case the candidate is appearing for a post in Punjab National Bank:·Do you know – where is the head office of Punjab National Bank?·Who is the present chairman of the bank?·How many branches are there in Punjab National Bank as on date?·Can you tell me about the total business of the bank?·Can you tell me about some deposit schemes available in the bank?·What do you know about the logo of Punjab National Bank?·What is the punchline of Punjab National Bank?·What is the position of Punjab National Bank among the commercial banks in the country as on date?(It is the responsibility of the candidate to collect the necessary information about the bank for which he is appearing for the interview by visiting the website of the bank and by referring other material sources in order to get the required information about the bank namely; the headquarters, number of branches, total business, profit position, important schemes, tie up with other banks, achievements of the bank, if any; the present position and the ranking of the bank in terms of business, profitability, non performing assets, productivity of the employee etc., In case the candidate is appearing for a group of banks, he should have information in general about all the banks in the group)C.Third phase of the interview:During this phase, questions will be asked on general banking practices as mentioned below:The following are the questions regarding the banks in general:·Have you visited any bank branch? What was your experience?·What is the business of any bank?·What are the essential/primary functions of any bank?·What are the secondary functions of any bank?·Who can open a savings bank account?·What do you know by KYC guidelines?·Why banks insist customers in adhering to KYC guidelines?·What is the difference between Current deposit account and Savings deposit account?·What do you mean by CASA account?·Who normally opens a current account?·What do you know by a fixed deposit account?·Can a company open a savings account?·Can the director of a company open a savings account?·Who is the controlling authority for the banks in India?·What is a foreign bank?·What is meant by a public sector bank?·Which is the largest private sector bank in the country?·Which is the largest bank in the country?·You are working as an officer in savings department. The customer complains about the irritating behavior of the clerk who is working under your supervision. What will you do in this situation?·Your manager delegates some work and you are failing to complete the work within the allotted time and your manager is not happy with your performance. How will you convince your manager?·Today there is some news about annual credit policy. What do you know by that?·What do you know by reverse repo rate?·What is called as inflation?·What is rupee convertibility?·What do you know by gross domestic product?·What do you know by ASBA?·What do you know by Sensex?·What do you know by a convertible debenture?·What is an initial public offer?·What do you know by facebook and whatsapp – whether they are good or bad for any individual and what is your opinion?·What are the advantages and disadvantages of Whatsapp?·What is your opinion about currency demonetization and how far the process helps in improving the economy of the country?·Whether GST recently introduced will improve the development of nation’s economy?(The above questions are illustrative and not exhaustive and the candidate should know fairly well about many banking as well as general aspects)D.The fourth phase of the interview:Like the initial phase or first phase, this fourth phase is also important wherein tricky questions will be asked as mentioned below:·You are hailing from Coimbatore. In case you are posted to Chennai whether you will be willing to work at Chennai?. (Your answer: If I am posted at Coimbatore, I shall try my level best to bring more business to the bank since I know the place and people well and I can take care of family members who are dependent on me. Even otherwise, I shall discharge my duties to the best when I am posted at Chennai)·Suddenly on account of computer crash, you have to sit late – whether you will be willing to sit late and finish the job or leave early without informing your superiors? (Definitely I will never mind in sitting late and I shall always cooperate with my superiors in finishing the day to day functions of the branch. I am one among the team members and I have the responsibility to cooperate with other members during critical situations)·What information are you willing to tell about yourself? (If I am selected, I shall work hard and I shall discharge my duties to the entire satisfaction of my superiors. I shall always do the best from my side for the growth of my organization.)A mock interview(This is one imaginary interview session conducted with Mr. James for the purpose of guiding the candidates)Mr. James is an engineering graduate and he had completed his graduation from an engineering college situated at Chennai. Even though he wanted to get an employment in prominent companies, he could not get the job and on getting the information that banks are providing employment opportunities on large scale to all graduates in the country, he applied for IBPS officers’ examination and came out successful in the common written examination- final.He was informed about the interview process in the regional office of one prominent bank in Chennai and in order to avoid any tension and nervousness he came to the interview hall half an hour earlier to his scheduled timing.He started reading the day’s news paper and started relaxing himself so that he can answer the questions posed by the committee members calmly and confidently.Now he is called by the attending staff to enter into the interview room.Mr. James neatly dressed in white shirt with full sleeves wearing a dark colored pant walks inside the cabin after closing the door gently.-May I come in Sir?-Yes – Please come in and be seated.-Thank you sirsMr. James sits on the chair provided to him and looks at the members for their questions-Mr. James, which place do you belong?-Sir, I am from Chennai-What about your father?-My father is working as an accountant in a private firm.-How many members are there in your family?-Myself, my elder sister since married; my younger sister studying in a College; my younger brother working in a private firm and my father and my mother-I find that you are an engineering graduate and why you are willing to join in a bank?-I find that career growth is found to be better in banks nowadays. Apart from the above, I can serve more people while working in a bank.-(The details namely; better salary, job security, comfortable working hours etc., are to be kept in mind and under any circumstances should not be disclosed to the interview committee members)-Can you tell me about Chennai?-Chennai is one among the four metropolitan cities of our country. It is fast growing. Chennai is famous for automobile production and health care. There are many reputed hospitals and a large number of automobile manufacturers in the city. Apart from the above in the case of information technology, Chennai ranks number two next to Bangalore and there is a lot of scope for people who are willing to work in IT industries. The population is around 98 lakhs and by areawise, Chennai is the largest among all cities in the country. Marina beach is world’s second largest beach.-Can you tell me about Repo rate?-Commercial banks can borrow funds from RBI against government securities at Repo rate and there is an implied condition that the banks will repurchase the government securities after clearing the loans. The present repo rate is 6.25%-What is the difference between bank rate and repo rate?-When the commercial banks borrow funds from RBI against discounting bills they have to pay interest at bank rate and presently the bank rate is 6.75%. Normally Repo loans are given towards meeting short term requirements and loans at bank rate are provided towards meeting long term requirements-What do you mean by non resident Indian?-Non Resident Indian is Indian national who has gone abroad for the purpose of business, studies or employment and stayed there for more than 182 days-What do you mean by Persons of Indian Origin?-Persons of Indian Origin are people whose forefathers are/were non resident Indians at any point of time. In other words PIOs are the sons/daughters/grandsons/granddaughters of Non resident Indians who had already settled in the foreign countries and PIOs are the citizens of those countries and not of India.-What do you mean by CBS?-CBS means Core Banking Solutions. Nowadays, the entire banking functions are carried out through computers in banks and branches of all banks are connected through common network and transactions can be done from one branch of one bank with another branch of another bank comfortably using internet banking or mobile banking.-What do you mean by Moratorium?-It is the repayment holiday permitted for repayment in the case of term loans. Normally organizations generate income after some period from the date of installation of the machineries and other inventories and they may not be able to generate sufficient income towards payment of instalments due to the bank and in this connection banks permit some cushion time called as repayment holiday or moratorium. The repayment holiday may be for three months, six months or nine months depending upon the nature and size of the industry. On completion of the moratorium period, the organizations start repaying the loans.-What do you mean by EMI?-EMI means equated monthly instalments. It consists of repayment of both principal and interest payable either at monthly or quarterly intervals. Normally EMI is permitted in the case of loans like housing loans, personal loans, white goods loans etc., where the borrowers have regular income like salaries or any other remuneration.-OK Mr. James, I find that you are highly qualified having M.E. in civil engineering and MBA. Whether you will continue in the bank?-Definitely sir. I am informed that a person who joins as a clerk or an officer in any bank can get promotion upto the level of General Manager by the time he retires from the services of the bank and I hope that I can utilize the knowledge acquired by me while discharging my duties in the bank and I shall definitely aspire for promotions in case if I am selected in the bank.-OK. Mr. James – thank you:-Thank you sirs for your nice company.James gets up from his chair gently, moves towards the door, opens the door slowly and after getting out of the room closes the door gently.(The interview with Mr. James is treated as completed.)Courtesy: Tips for interview for recruitment as probationary officers in banks in India by A. Gauri Sankar.

Many answers here refer to the armed forces of the United States; Many people say no but are referring to informal occasions. If you go by correct etiquette as mentioned here even in the USA ranks are used on occasion;‘ An example of an official situation would be (1) a letter to an active-duty officer from a retired officer regarding his or her service. Another example of an official situation would be (2) a letter from a high school to the retired officer asking him to be their guest representing the armed services ... and to attend in uniform ... their Memorial Day event.In both cases active/retired status and rank are pertinent. In the first instance the officer is identifying himself as retired in a conversation where both active and retired persons are participants. In the second instance he or she is being asked to attend because of his or her rank ... to represent the Armed Services at an event in a symbolic way. Thus he or she is addressed as an officer, and the active/retired status is relevant.An example of a social situation would be you (3) sending a holiday card to a neighbor who is a retired officer or enlisted person and that person preferring to be addressed on the envelope as (Rank) + (Name) ... or (4) that person issuing a wedding invitation for his daughter's wedding and using his or her rank on the invitation .... Major Robert Wilson and Mrs. Wilson cordially invite you ... etc.In both 3 & 4 it is clear that the force and prestige of the US armed services are not related to the activity. They are social.Any retired armed service person, at his or her preference, can use their rank socially’Therefore although I have no personal experience of the US system I can assume that it is customary in situations to use rank after retirement.I can only answer for the British military institution personally. I used to work closely with military charities, ABF the Soldiers’ charity being an example. All regional offices are headed by retired officers; see their contact page and note the word (Retd) next to the names. I always would refer to the colonels by their rank; only one certain brigadier general would insist on being called by his first name, which even then I found hard to do out of custom.In the British Army it is allowed to continue to use your rank if you have passed Captain, and, in upper/middle class circles, quite common to use in formal occasions. But the UK still has a class system, and a military officer rank still is seen as a class indicator, even if you refuse a peerage.To answer question about forms, yes. I use my former rank when applying for credit cards and bank accounts, as, your credit rating seems to be rated higher and even some banks tailor executive accounts to those who hold/held rank.

Wonderment at quality of life but bewildering language and norms.Probably it is easier to move east to west (Frenchman to NY), then west to east (American to Paris).They key difference is that Frenchmen have to study a foreign language (most likely English) and have ample opportunity to visit or practice foreign languages (longer holidays, shorter distances); so most under 50 can read/write somewhat even if they lack practice in speaking and understanding spoken English. American movies and TV now are shown in France, and so, Frenchmen have at least a superficial familiarity with American lifestyles.Big city denizens and government employees are unlikely to be able to accommodate non-French speakers, much as Americans and civil servants are unlikely to deal with foreign languages save for Spanish in some States.Wonderment as there still exists “mom and pop” stores in cities and towns, with a daily ritual of shopping at the bakers, fruit vendors, delicatessens, local groceries as well as occasional trips to fishmongers, pastry makers, candy and chocolate makers, the wine merchant; weekly, often Saturday is open market day at the municipal Halles (Market Hall).With tiny homes, the French socialize daily in cafes, so don’t expect to be invited over much.On the weekend, visit the “hypermarkets” (“Walmarts”); the key difference is that the food hall is more than half the store. Shelves of dairy products stretch beyond what the eye can see. The variety of fresh produce, including local production, is astounding as well as seasonal. Did you know that there are more than a dozen types of cherries or lettuces? That cheeses go from runny at room temperature to rock hard in over a hundred varieties. That day old bread is rejected with some people going to the bakers twice a day for freshness. That your interactions with neighborhood people may be wider and more frequent than in the US where you use your car to shop, rarely hang out in cafes instead of your living room.Easiest Adaptation - Longer, more frequent holidays; more foreign travel opportunity.France has statutory minimum of about 4 weeks of vacation per year. With public holidays, another two weeks are available. Many families head off for weeks in August, leading to seasonal closures in cities’ businesses, but, usefully, lighter crowds as many French will have left town.Since France borders 6 countries and has a tunnel link to England, “foreign travel” is easy, not costly and rapid (Pre COVID, at least). Outside of the UK and Ireland, NOT studying a 2nd language since primary school is the exception.Everyday life challengesResidency PermitsUsually, a newly-arrived immigrant from outside the EU is allowed one-year, renewable permits (Carte de Séjour). After three years, the person may be offered a multi-year resident (Carte de Résident de longue durée, usually valid for 10 years)Accommodation is a BIG problem in Paris. Cost is somewhat less exorbitant than in NYC. However, it is extremely difficult to have a lease for an unfurnished apartment; residential leases terms are statutory with indexing of rent, minimum term of several years. It is very much in favor of lessees, so lessors are extremely demanding or choosy.If you are a well-paid employee of a major firm, that may be sufficient but, in many cases, one would need a payment guarantee of a year’s lease either by blocking an account (like an escrow) or by guarantee of a firm or a French resident (assuming that such practises remain available).Others costs includeOccupancy tax (taxe d’habitation; impôts locaux) are imposed on the occupant by the government. Tenants are liable for this as a cost of using city services. It may be collected monthly or quarterly.Property Ownership tax (Taxe Foncière). This is paid annually by the owners even of empty property.In the US “Property Tax” = Taxe d’habitation + Taxe foncière.So, a French lease excludes the Taxe d’habitation, whereas a US lease includes it - so US leases tend to vary widely according to property values from year to year. In France, the lease or rental amount is stably indexed but the Occupancy tax is charged to the tenant.Monthly maintenance charges (charges mensuelles). Whereas neighborhood or condo associations in the US organize common area services, and charge occupants a monthly share of expenses, in France, it is usually in the hands of commercial building maintenance firms or organization called “Syndicats immobiliers”. This pays for cleaning, repairs, common area maintenance, waste disposal and, sometimes, a live-in building supervisor (“concierge”)Upfront capital costs / Key money (la reprise d’appartement). In addition, French “unfurnished” means bare walls. Tenants install their own kitchen, cabinets and equipment. For that reason, a previous tenant could require “key money” as reimbursement for any fixtures they leave - otherwise, you could be left with a place with no cabinets, appliances, floor covering and window treatments. The more tony areas also have some “key money” that is almost a premium access fee that is strictly illegal but often practised.Healthcare Access and Medical insurance (Public Coverage usually combined with Private Insurance)If you are employed, they may offer a wrap-around complementary private insurance on top of the French public coverage, or covering travel outside of France. If you are not (freelancer, retiree, entrepreneur), you will have to get registered with the local Social Security office that also opens the door to health insurance, usually via Amélie (Assurance Maladie). Most French people (87%) have private “complementary” coverage to cover both the higher fees of non-State providers as well as for premium “hospitality” (like private rooms) and para-medical (dental, optical, hearing). Those “complémentaires” are often non-profit and low cost.Public health coverage operates like a national HMO with your “généraliste” acting as a PCP gatekeeper for access to specialists.However, your private health insurance policy may allow for directly consulting with a specialist - but it won’t be covered by the government system.You can get a list of English-speaking MDs from the US Embassy but many French MDs are accustomed to reading English medical texts, so, in extremis, write out your questions and answers.Education for childrenFrance is mostly safe for minors to travel on their own in daytime, and public transport is dense; so, unlike in the US, many children travel to school unsupervised. Nonetheless, until they are familiar with transport and the lay of the land, you may have to do as in the US, take them to school and back.French schools have a pecking order, even in the public sector. If you want your children to be only in a French curriculum, learn as much as possible about the landscape. From 5 to 12, your children would most rapidly make the linguistic transtion; they’ll soon be your daily life interpreters and get a sense of responsibility in the family.Teenagers, already disoriented by loss of familiar relationships, have a harder time both linguistically and socially. You may want to put them initially in immersion French courses to ease their transition. Bilingual schools are especially suitable for teens since they face a harder linguistic learning curve and social isolation issues. Besides those with American curricula, there are a number of schools with British equivalence or with EU equivalence. The best such schools may not be close to your residence, so you may want to consider weekday boarding, seeing your kids on weekends and holidays (all 4–6 weeks of yours, and the 12 weeks of theirs - unless you can have them join the Spring School Skiing trips or send them to their country of birth with grandparents in Summer).Higher education. While health professions are only taught at universities, other disciplines are also taught in “elite” schools with competitive entry and assessment methods, the “Grandes Ecoles”. If you wish your child to attend university or a Grande Ecole in France, the benefit would be much lower tuition costs than in the US where one usually has to make financial plans as soon as a child is born!Pensions & Workers Compensation. In France, there are public, autonomous pension funds, organized by professional group. Get ready to the land of obtuse acronyms (AGIRC, ARRCO…) These pension funds are decoupled from the solvency of employers. Ask the HR department to explain but it takes a while to understand.French Banking - Opening a French bank account. Very difficult for Americans because of FATCA.The Obama Administration slipped in FATCA into the PACA. This technical-sounding law basically has been forced upon non-US banks into becoming screeners for US taxpayers among their clients. Although the terms of FATCA contravene privacy laws in many countries, since the USD is the world reserve currency, non-compliance by a foreign bank can lead to its bankruptcy if the US Treasury blocks US dollar transactions of that bank. The work-around is that the international bank (not the foreign government) complies with FATCA and forces American account holders to give up their right to financial privacy regarding FATCA! It takes hundreds of millions of euros for a bank’s transaction systems to be compliant with the automated reporting of FATCA, so most smaller banks simply reject any client who MAY be subject to US taxation (i.e. “US Persons” in the IRS definition - not the Immigration definition).As a result, long-term expatriate American clients of foreign banks, binationals, their spouses and even children have been subject to account freezing or closures unless the clients signed away their rights to non-disclosure to the IRS/FinCen or signed affidavits that they were not subject to US taxes. Only the largest foreign banks have invested in the compliance systems of FATCA; in France, it is BNP Paribas that had been fined over $1 billion! Almost every other French bank will likely discourage your custom as a retail customer.Filing Taxes. Americans are obliged to file Income Tax for life, regardless of residence. This means double complexity - the local country and the US’ tax filing obligations, on dual timetables. Banking secrecy has gone with FATCA compliance, so it is no longer possible to simply stop filing IRS (and now, also to FinCEN) annually.France Income Tax, it is very straightforward if you are an employee without a complex estate. Taxes are higher than in the US BUT you have no financial worries for health care, no need to plan decades ahead for higher education of children, no need to worry about your employer’s pension fund disappearing… The tax forms are pre-filled with info provided by the employer and many Frenchmen don’t need a CPA. However, if you have income-producing assets and activities outside of France, you should hire an Expert Comptable (= CPA). French residents are taxed on worldwide income but, unlike in the US, that ends when you give up French residency.US Income Tax & FATCA filings. The IRS will be part of your life until you die. Unfortunately, your American government heads the only nation on earth that enforces extraterritorial taxation based on citizenship / status of Lawful Permanent Resident. You should hire an US expat tax service as tax evasion is a felony and subject to punitive penalties. You have to file taxes annually even if there is zero net tax incurred. HR Block has a virtual expat service used by servicemen stationed outside the US but you may wish to locale an IRS accredited agent from the American Embassy.Thanks to FATCA, you also have to annually file notification of all your non-US financial assets if they totaled over $10k at any point in the year. This is to FinCen - in addition to the IRS.Option 1 Scheme for US taxation - FEIE (Foreign Earned Income Exclusion) If your only income in France is wages (“earned income”) totaling under $90k (or whatever the current threshold is), US taxes are greatly simplified if the French earnings are less than a threshold pro-rated to physical presence (FEIE prorated to maximum annual thereshold x non-us physical presence days/365). You would still file US taxes but your income net of FEIE could be zero. KEEP CLOSE RECORD OF YOUR DAYS ON US TERRITORY.Option 2 Scheme for US Taxation - FTC (Foreign Tax Credit). If your income is higher than the maximum FEIE threshold, or if you have significant “non-earned income” (rental income, alimony, passive investments, trust disbursements, dividends, foreign bonds, real estate earnings, foreign capital gains, royalties etc.), it’s usually cheaper to opt for filing US taxes on world income but deducting allowed foreign taxation on such income. Since, in most cases, the foreign taxation is less than US tax, so the net US tax bill could be zero.If you are resident in a country that only taxes national income (i.e. Panama, Bermuda etc.), you would still have to pay the IRS taxes as if you were resident in the US; the only “saving” would be not being obliged to enroll in Medicare when you reach 65 years if you wish to avoid a late enrolment penalty. However, if you intend to return to the US annually beyond even if retired overseas, it may make sense to enroll in Medicare at age 65 and also subscribe to a zero premium wraparound HMO Medicare Plan - just remember that you have to have at least an annual checkup for an HMO. Choose a US residence that is convenient to your lifestyle and travel pattern. (e.g.Chicago versus Ann Arbor, Denver versus Reno, PHL versus Norristown, San Francisco versus Eureka, Miami versus Ocala, Boston versus Hartford…). I don’t know if the pandemic of 2020 would allow for continued “virtual consultation” regarding annual checkup.Some taxation treaties between the US and a foreign nation restrict categories on income etc. Don’t assume anything as each country pair treaty is different.Estate Planning & PortfoliosFrench inheritance is taxed more and the rules are more rigid and complex.For example, in France, you cannot disinherit biological or adopted children, nor can you allocate grossly inequitable assets among them; the spouse cannot be favored at the expense of children. That is the basis of Paloma Picasso’s fortune; she was born to one of Pablo’s mistresses and sued to acquire his lastname and a share of his estate.The “wicked, gold-digging step mother” or “swindler of widows” is less likely to be successful in France than in the US since estates limit what spouses inherit and children cannot be disinherited. If you hear otherwise in the French press (like Johnny Hallyday né SMET whose last wife Laetitia is accused of grabbing most of Johnny’s estate to the detriment of his children by former marriages), it because they had expatriated outside of France (to the US in the case of Johnny Hallyday).If there is an indivisible asset (like a property) and the heirs cannot arrange how to share (e.g. buyout), the contested (“indivision”) estate can go into independent disposal by sale for liquidation and disbursement. In the case of the Picasso heirs, there was a division of paintings, some of which were given to the State in lieu of estate taxes.If you have major assets around the world and there is a chance that you pass away as a French resident subject to French estate law, it is worthwhile arranging inter-generational transfers BEFORE you become a French taxpayer.Portfolio taxation on non-US instruments is dissuasively high for US Persons. The US taxes foreign source instruments at a much higher rate than US-source investments. (See PFIC) Basically, the IRS taxes capital gains from non-US financial investments as if they were ordinary income. This dissuades Americans, whether residing in the US or not, from investing in any non-US-based funds! It is a form of financial instrument protectionism by the US; if you wish to invest in non-US stocks, do so only via US instruments, or directly in individual foreign stocks. However, the French would also tax any gains from your worldwide portfolio if you restrict investment only in US instruments.If you have a non-US pension, depending upon the taxation treaty of the two countries, you may be subject to double taxation! For example, a British multinational may be able to pay into its US pension fund for an American working in London. Work this out if the foreign pension is substantial.The Cocooned Expatriate.In other words, if you are in an Anglophone cocoon for work and socializing (multinational executive, jurist, diplomat) you would simply be one of many transient “expats” in Paris. In such situations, the employer would provide or have a staff for administrative service to arrange the administrative dealings for residence, drivers license, spouse employment, child care, schooling, taxes, health insurance, home insurance, rent etc.There are some long-term expatriate Americans who NEVER integrate into French society, even after 10 years, and are destined to be forever an outsider limited to socializing with a small expatriate community, many of whom are transient.There may be some French families who are very worldly and all can socialize in English, but that’s a very thin stratum of Frenchmen.PS. Don’t expect to develop many friends among Frenchmen at work; work and private life are compartmentalized in France. People will be cordial at work but don’t expect to be invited for a weekend party or meal. There is a social firewall that allows diverse, individualistic French character to flourish without judgment and civil working relations.The On-His/Her-Own ImmigrantIf you take up residence as a long-term visitor or immigrant (student, artist, scientist, performer, model, teacher…) you would find it challenging unless you have a very generous-minded bilingual friend OR pay for bilingual facilitators. There is now on-the-fly interpretation on connected smartphones that can do if all else fails.Unless you are so well-to-do that you can hire interpreters for everyday tasks, I would suggest that your fist priority is to “invest” initially in immersion French courses, both a pleasurable and highly efficient way to learn about France and practice French. See other Quora entries about choosing a course - but essentially, go with an accredited school NOT in Paris.Even if you are learning French in order to enroll in a French University, I suggest you arrive at least a month before the start of the term and do at least 2 weeks of immersion. Although there are some exchange courses in English (e.g. at Sciences Po, HEC etc.), the general minimum requirement to attend French university is B2, a level that is hard to achieve in terms of understanding spoken French without at least a year of living in French society. Ideally, a French student who orients you would be very useful in taking the mystery out of a strange new world.Despite the yearning to socialize in English and pain of loneliness, if you want to minimize the acculturation process, seek out French interaction and avoid Anglophone conversations as much as possible. France is a very volunteer-oriented society and there are many opportunities to volunteer among French people; see at the local town hall (mairie) or its website. You can also take up some activity (horse-riding, a craft…) where you will interact in French and get accustomed to vocabulary and speech.as an in-country experience would