Opening a bank account is straightforward for most people and frustrating for anyone with a banking record behind them. This page covers both: choosing the right account and opening it, and what to do if a bank has already turned you down.

What kind of account you need

What Is a Checking Account and How Does It Work? — How checking works, what it costs, and the terms worth understanding before you sign anything.

What Is a Savings Account and How Does It Work? — Interest, withdrawal limits, and whether you want savings alongside checking or instead of it.

The 8 Things Every Checking Account Must Have — A checklist to compare accounts on, so a low monthly fee does not hide worse terms elsewhere.

4 Reasons to Have a Checking Account — If you have been getting by without one, what an account actually changes day to day.

How to Open a Checking Account — The paperwork, the ID, the opening deposit, and how long it takes start to finish.

Where to open one

The Best Online Checking Accounts — Online banks generally charge less and screen more loosely than branch banks.

Credit Unions: How They Work and How to Join — Membership is far easier to qualify for than most people assume, and approval is often easier too.

The Complete Guide to Banks and Credit Unions — What actually differs between the two, and which suits your situation.

Are Chase and Citibank FDIC Insured? — What deposit insurance covers and the limits that apply per account holder.

If you have been turned down

A declined application is usually not a credit decision. Banks screen new accounts through a banking report rather than your credit report, and there are four of these services in circulation. Find out which one flagged you before applying anywhere else.

What Is ChexSystems? — The largest of the four. Holds closed accounts, unpaid overdrafts and suspected fraud for five years.

Everything You Need to Know About Early Warning Services — Owned by seven large banks and increasingly used in place of ChexSystems, so check it separately.

Everything You Need to Know About TeleCheck — Tracks bounced checks, and is what stops a store accepting yours at the register.

What Is Certegy? — The other check-verification service, and the one most often mistaken for ChexSystems.

Find out what is on your banking report

Your ChexSystems Report and Score — How to request your file for free, what the score means, and how to read what is on it.

How to Dispute Information on ChexSystems — The dispute process, with the letters, for entries that are wrong or should have aged off.

Accounts that will approve you anyway

You do not have to clear your record before you can bank. These accounts exist for people the big banks have declined.

22 Banks That Don’t Use ChexSystems — The main list, updated for 2026 — national and regional banks that do not screen through ChexSystems.

Top 20 Bank Accounts for Bad Credit — Accounts that run no credit check at all, with the fees and minimums for each.

Denied a Bank Account? These Banks Want Your Business — Second chance accounts available nationwide, so your state does not limit your options.

Top 15 Second Chance Bank Accounts — A shorter ranked list if you would rather compare fifteen than scan a longer one.

The Best Second Chance Banks and Credit Unions — Includes credit unions, which tend to be more forgiving than banks on screening.

Get the Banking You Deserve — No Deposit Required — For when the obstacle is the opening deposit rather than the screening report.

Find one near you

Second chance banking is largely regional, so the account that takes you may be a local bank or credit union rather than a national name.

The Second Chance Banks Near Me — Covers all 50 states and Washington DC — pick your state for the banks operating there.

If you need business checking

Opening a No ChexSystems Business Checking Account — Business accounts get screened too, and a personal record can follow you into one.

Why Small Businesses Need to Separate Personal and Business Finances — Why one account for both creates problems well beyond bookkeeping.

Clearing your record

How to Get Out of ChexSystems — What actually clears an entry, what only waits it out, and how long five years really takes.

Remove Negative Information From Your Checking Account History — Paying a settled balance does not remove the record. Here is what does.

Banking without a traditional account

What Are Prepaid Cards and How Do They Work? — A workable stopgap while you sort out the screening report, with the fees to watch for.

Prepaid and Debit Cards Can Rebuild Credit — Which of these products report to the bureaus, and which quietly do nothing for your file.

Bank Debit Card or Prepaid Debit Card: Which Is Better? — The fee and protection differences that matter once you have a choice between them.

All About Check-Cashing Stores — What they cost you per check, and why they are the most expensive option here.

How to Survive Without Using a Bank — Paying bills, cashing a paycheck and keeping money safe when no account is open to you.

Keeping the fees down

7 Ways to Avoid Expensive Overdraft Fees — Overdrafts are what put most people into ChexSystems in the first place.

If You Pay to Bank, Here Are Ways to Bank for Free — Second chance accounts often carry a monthly fee. These are the ways around it.

How Much Money Should I Keep In My Checking Account? — Balance minimums, and the cushion that stops an overdraft becoming a closed account.

Does Your Bank Charge a Fee for Savings Withdrawals? — The limit most people do not know exists until they cross it.

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