Find in Panama

Banking in Panama is very hard if you are not a native of the city, but once you are able to jump through all the hoops your accounts will stay very private.  There are multiple kinds of banks available and it is important to realize some banks only do business with offshore accounts, some banks only do business with natives, and a few banks will work with both.  Also understand that banks in Panama are not federally regulated so there is no bank insurance when you open a bank account.  However, due to the amount of paperwork that is required to open an account, and the high level of privacy that banks offer in Panama, your money is pretty safe once it is deposited.
One of the reasons it is very hard to open a bank account in Panama is because of the high drug enforcement rates.  The government and people work very hard to keep the company free of drugs and drug dealers; therefore they are very suspicious of outsiders trying to take advantage of their private banking system.  To open an account one of the very first things you will need is proof of a substantial bank account balance in your home country and documentation showing where you obtained that money from.  Panama banking authorities want to know exactly how you earned your money to ensure you are not involved in unlawful activities in another country that you may be attempting to bring into their country.  Due to this fact, do not even consider trying to open an account with a large cash deposit, it will never be allowed.
In fact to open an account you are going to need proof of salary, a wire transfer from your home banking account, proof that you own a residence here, a cell and home phone number, and a multitude of references.  Basically the natives only will open their arms to those who are choosing to call Panama a home; there is no medium for people dropping by.  If you are planning on moving to Panama permanently, it is probably either best to hire a reputable lawyer from a large firm to represent you or wait until you obtain permanent residency in Panama.
On the bright side of things, due to the high privacy rules throughout Panama banks it is very unlikely any outside government or entity to which you have a current debt with will ever be able to access your bank account and seize your money.  If there is a very good cause for an outside government to be able to cease your money and the law you violated is also part of Panama enforced law, than eventually your money could be taken away, but it would take a long time for all the necessary paperwork to be filled out by each prospective government in order for a private bank to allow the account to be accessed.
In conclusion, banking in Panama is a possibility for non-Natives, but if one is not planning to make Panama there permanent place of residency than it is not worth it to even try to transfer funds.  The Panama bank system is built around a system that is very private, so if you can jump through all the requirements of the banks and the government it is possible to receive a bank account that is very secure and safe from outside creditor collections, but absolutely need to be able to prove the source of all your monetary assets and accounts.  Finally, if you do decide to open an account in Panama hiring a lawyer will keep you safe and aid you with the long drawn out process.

While traveling or living in Panama it is wise to be aware of the basics of crime and security since they are drastically different than those in Westernized countries.  The city itself is much safer than most US cities because violent crimes and security levels are much higher in Panama as a natural evolution from the old days of United States occupation.  Petty theft however is much more likely to occur since the poor in Panama are very poor and while they are not violent, they are hungry and desperately just trying to survive.
If you are planning to live in Panama you should not have to worry about breaking many laws accidently since law is not strongly enforced here since violent crimes are so uncommon.
However, there is one element of the law that you never want to get involved with, drug law.  The Panama law authorities take drug violations very seriously so if you are a casual or even occasional recreational drug user this is not the country for you.  Most of law enforcement agents are concentrated on prosecuting those who traffic or use drugs.  If you are caught using, possessing, or trafficking drugs there will be severe consequences with no option for plea bargaining as in the United States.  You will either spend a significant amount of time in jail and/or face a massive fine and exportation.  Drugs are not something you want to be the slightest bit involved with if you plan to build a life in Panama.
As mentioned earlier, security levels are very high in Panama, higher than they really need to be given the low occurrence of non-drug related crime.  This is because when the United States was occupying Panama all Americans were required to have bars on their windows and doors and many of the buildings still have them.  It may look threatening and make Panama look like a threatening city, but it really is not.  In fact, some of the buildings that non-Panama residents tend to live in have higher security measures than the highest level of living residents in New York City which has a much, much higher crime rate.  So if you take the usual precautions as you would in any city, keep your valuables in a safe, travel with a partner after night, and be aware of your surroundings, you will be perfectly safe.
A prime reason why Panama police can be so concentrated on drug investigations is the low crime rate and because there are a few other laws here that are not highly enforced.  For example, prostitution is legal and voluntarily keeps itself off the street.  It is very unheard of to be approached by a prostitute unless you know where to look because the value system is so high.  Teenagers are not dressed in rags nor have tattoos and colored hair.  The natives enjoy quiet living and respectable appearances.    Often times they enforce the law involuntarily by taking care of scammers and thieves by isolating them from society.
One final thought on Panama law that is sure to shock new visitors for a period time is the driving patterns of the natives.  Although there are traffic laws, almost nobody follows them as traffic looks like a disaster waiting to happen.  People drive at the speeds they choose turning in and out of traffic on their own whims.  Tickets are occasionally handed out, but hardly anyone rarely follows the process as most people just give the officer the equivalent of US 10 dollars and continue on.  It takes some getting used to, but the accident rates are much lower, so although it seems erratic, mutual respect for each other seems to make it work.