So I live in California. I moved from Canada about 10 years ago but I have a bank account with cibc. (Canadian bank) I have lots of money in the account that my grandparents put in and it's under my name. I'm 20 and my parents won't let me transfer the money even though It's mine. How can I get access to the money? I've tried making an online account trough cibc but you need a bank card which I do not have. What can I do, to access the money?

Well..since your parents seemed to be able to stop you from transferring it this suggests they were named as "trustees" when your grandparents set up the account-usually though "trust accounts" can only be administered by others up until the child ( you ) reach the age-of-majority in the province it was set up in.However-if conditions were placed on the account when it was set up that MAY not be the case. The age of majority is either 18 or 19 depending on which province we're talking about- so you should be able to "access" the money provided no additional restrictions are on the account...but..you may not be able to directly transfer the money (to another bank) or withdraw it directly from that account-rather you might be required to transfer it to another CIBC account-if you don't have one this could present a problem- under Canadian law you the only way you can open a bank account is to do so IN PERSON at an actual bank.

You should really be sure you understand the potential implications of moving this money-there may be tax implications with the CRA (Canada Revenue Agency) on any capital gains (interest)-and how the IRS in the USA might interpret it I have no idea-(though I believe they are not taxable as "foreign gifts" but still must be reported if they are a certain amount)

Assuming that the bank account is in your name... which may not be the case...

You need to visit a branch office of the bank, show ID, and have some basic information for the account. CIBC has a number of locations outside of Canada. Call, let them know you are coming and ask them what ID/information they need. They will not give you information over the phone or in writing. At the bank, you could presumably look at moving the money into bank in your country.

Offshore banking is often associated with a high level of financial sophistication. However, the reality is that the average person can open an offshore bank account with just a few hours of work

Your parents have no say in this, you are an adult. I'm not familiar with Canadian banking, but I think you should call the bank and inquire what you have to do to transfer the money. Maybe your grandparents can help you.