Wal-Mart Money Cards

[brokenomore]

I didn't say a word about wages.

It does not involve wages at all.

I need to use my debit card to conduct business sometimes, and my bank account is subject to garnishment.

My attorney said I can cash checks and should not deposit money in my account.

I have not asked an inappropriate question, and it's not my fault that the answers were about wages, even though I did not mention wages.

My question is straight-forward enough--can the money cards purchased at wal-mart be garnished? (IT WOULD NOT BE WAGES THAT WOULD BE PUT ON THE CARD).

[AngelinaCat]

Your attorney answered your question, when he advised you to go to the Wal-Mart card. Obviously we are speculating and cannot provide better info than your attorney did. Please go with his advice.

Thank you.

[tigergem]

I would "guess" that if they can find it in an asset search, they can probably seize it. I would "guess" that if it is tied to your social security number in any way, that it can probably be located in an asset search. But that is just a guess, mind you. I have no actual knowledge of such things.

[brokenomore]

My attorney did NOT advise using the Wal-Mart card.

I just thought about that idea today, and I do not understand why I am being discouraged from asking a simple question, which is, "Can the Wal-Mart Money Card be garnished?"

I don't need any insinuations that there is "fraud." I am not intending to hide anything. I just want to pay some bills that way, but if I deposit money into my account, it could be garnished before I get to use the money. Currently I am cashing checks and using money orders. There is nothing wrong with that. It is not fraud. It is not illegal. But sometimes I need the convenience of a debit card and do not wish to put my funds at risk in my account, which is why I'm asking about the Wal-Mart card. If you can't answer my simple question, then why not allow someone else to, instead of telling me to go away. Isn't that what this forum is for--to ask questions and discuss these things?

Again, it would not be wages. I don't have any wages. I am self-employed.

Can anyone answer my question? Can the funds in a Wal-Mart money card be seized?

[tigergem]

I bet these people can answer your question.

https://www.walmartmoneycard.com/AcctMgmt/Content/Common/Support/ContactUs.aspx

[Dst1]

brokenomore. Sorry for the confusion. The nomenclature is as follows. Bank accounts are seized. Wages are garnished. You can't garnish a bank account.

Now that I understand what you mean, yes they can still seize them but again it's unlikely. First they have to track them down. Hopefully you don't make that easy for them.

[brokenomore]

brokenomore. Sorry of the confusion. The nomenclature is as follows. Bank accounts are seized. Wages are garnished.

Now that I understand what you mean, yes they can still seize them but again it's unlikely. First they have to track them down. Hopefully you don't make that easy for them.

No, the word "garnish" also applies to bank accounts and property. There is a garnishment division at my bank, btw.

I think overall I'm fairly safe, since whatever I would put in the account would be immediately withdrawn, but I just wanted to be careful, and wanted to see if anyone else knew about it or had experience with it.

[AngelinaCat]

My attorney did NOT advise using the Wal-Mart card.

I just thought about that idea today, and I do not understand why I am being discouraged from asking a simple question, which is, "Can the Wal-Mart Money Card be garnished?"

I don't need any insinuations that there is "fraud." I am not intending to hide anything. I just want to pay some bills that way, but if I deposit money into my account, it could be garnished before I get to use the money. Currently I am cashing checks and using money orders. There is nothing wrong with that. It is not fraud. It is not illegal. But sometimes I need the convenience of a debit card and do not wish to put my funds at risk in my account, which is why I'm asking about the Wal-Mart card. If you can't answer my simple question, then why not allow someone else to, instead of telling me to go away. Isn't that what this forum is for--to ask questions and discuss these things?

Again, it would not be wages. I don't have any wages. I am self-employed.

Can anyone answer my question? Can the funds in a Wal-Mart money card be seized?

I apologize if I misunderstood your message.

I will say again that if you have an attorney, a question such as this is why you are paying him/her. You need to address this question to him/her. All any of us can do, upon reading your questions, is SPECULATE.

We are not attorneys and do not pretend to be. All we can do is GUESS, and offer our experiences. I am sorry that you are not happy with that.

Thank you.

[pcn]

I think there may be a limit on how much one card can hold. I had trouble trying to load mine with $1200 or so, one time. Seems like it had an $1,100 limit. If so, maybe that's too low for a trustee to worry about (?). If you're adding to it and then using it within a couple days it would seem that shouldn't be an issue. IF someone wanted to use it to store or protect money, I think it would be easier to just keep the cash around the house. Not insinuating that you want to do that. I speak from experience because AL has HORRIBLE exemptions and I considered ways to keep some emergency money available in case it was needed. From all the "what if's" and uncertainty I found about the money cards they just didn't seem worth it for that purpose. So we buried all our money in a Folgers coffee can in the back yard. Since we didnt have much, it all fit in one of the small instant coffee cans... JUST KIDDING. REALLY.

[tigergem]

I thought it was in the mayonnaise jar under the porch lol! I kept cash like that around the house for a while and got too scared to keep doing that. Scared of being robbed, or a fire would burn it up. I used to buy walmart gift cards around $50.00 at a time because you got a discount at the Murphy gas pump if you used them to purchase gas. The stupid thing with walmart cards, in my experience, is that the little magnetic strip that reads them is only good for a couple of swipes and then they are no good. And you have to HOPE that walmart still has a record of your cash on the card. That's even scarier than keeping cash in the house.

[brokenomore]

I'm just looking for some kind of safe make-shift debit card until we file.

It wouldn't be hidden funds. They would be used up before we file.

I just want to be able to charge a few things occassionally.

I contacted the garnishment division at my bank and they said that there is a $75 fee to take the funds out, and that a court order could be that there could be daily access to the account. But they also said they would not overdraw my account, so that if there was not enough in my account to pay their fee, that there would be no garnishment. So I'm assuming I'm safe if I keep less than $75 in my account.

If I go to Wal-Mart tomorrow and charge a card for $200, and the next day spend it, I don't see how anyone could access it, but just waned to know if anyone else has had any experience with it.

I understand that all we can do is speculate if we don't know for sure, but on a board like this with so much collective experience, I figured there might be someone who has some actual experience to share about it.

[AngelinaCat]

Hi Broke: I just deleted a post I had just made. I was responding to two posts before your last one and when I posted and saw yours, mine became irrelevant.

I am not trying to 'beat you up'; I am trying to help. So far, what I just read above this post, sounds fine.

Please check with your attorney ASAP in the morning. Please? Thanks!

[tigergem]

I don't think brokenomore is trying to do anything wrong. Just trying to keep a creditor from getting hands on his income so he can eat next week. Not trying to hide wages from a trustee or anything like that. We just don't have enough experience with walmart money cards to advise him if this is the best way to do that.

[jacko]

While I was visiting my folks for the holiday, I came clean with my debt situation with them because they were receiving collection calls inquiring of my whereabouts. I do not answer the phone and ignore the dunning collection letters.

My mom signed up for the Wal-Mart Money Card student edition which allowed for a courtesy card for me. She used her SS#, but the secondary card holder did not require SS#

Also, you can sign up for a Pay Pal account to park some cash.

[AngelinaCat]

Thank you Jacko for the information.

I still think Ms/MrBroke is asking if the funds charged on the card itself can be seized in some type of garnishment.

After reading through all these posts, and some other sources I have looked at, I am now thinking that she/he has nothing to worry about.

I think we ALL, OP included, need to go to bed--watch the reruns of the Ladies Skating at the Olympics--beautiful performances given by all, and RELAX. No one is going to persecute a Wal-Mart card holder.

My best wishes go to Everyone!