Keeping a US phone number via Google Voice.

[GoneOffShore]

Has anyone had an experience with porting their US cell number to Google Voice and Google Hangouts, so that they can actually drop their US cell provider.
It's presently costing us 98USD per month on T-Mobile to maintain our numbers. We're 'roaming' with them and suspect that they will soon cut us off. Unfortunately for banking and financial stuff we need to keep a number where we can receive texts.
I have searched and get contradictory answers.
Any advice will be useful.

[CurtEastPoint]

1. I use a Skype US number

I use this number when I travel to Europe so I can call home for nothing

[GoneOffShore]

2. Can you get texts to a Skype number?

That's the method that banks are increasingly using for two step authentication.

And definitely the one credit card companies use.

We have a French bank account and debit card, but we are going to maintain our US credit cards because we'll never get them here.

We have no plans to return to the US to live. We're going once next year to clear out our storage locker, and then that is that.

The bridges are burnt.