After more than five years in Switzerland and a PhD degree later, I have decided to leave Switzerland for good and return to America. My issue here is regarding the transfer the money in my Swiss banking accounts (PostFinance and Credit Suisse) back into my American account. Since carrying all of my money in cash is definitely not practical, I am wondering what the best method is.

There are a couple possible issues that might arise. I will talk to my banks in Switzerland and in the US soon, but I hope that you guys might give some answers if you have dealt with similar situations before.

(1) I know that American banks and credit unions don't use the same banking system as the rest of the world. I definitely didn't know what IBAN or SWIFT numbers were before I came to Switzerland. Will this pose problems in electronic transfers, either with high fees or delays?

(2) International transfer of more than 10,000 USD tends to raise flags with financial crime departments, and I will have to transfer multiples of this. Will dealing with these people be a hassle? Will it be as simple as emailing/giving them my salary statements from the past years to show that my money was legitimately received.

(3) I will cancel my Swiss credit card as it has a yearly fee. But since my bank accounts don't have fees, should I close them for good as well, or are there benefits to keeping them even after I leave the country?

Thanks in advance and with best regards.