Opening a Bank Account

 Photo and essay by FF

The banking system is a fabulous feature of the developed countries. In the past, people used to carry their money and precious items everywhere. Therefore, they spent money and effort to save and protect their wealth. However, nowadays we can save our money and gold in a safe place and sleep in peace without our minds being distributed by negative thoughts. It is very important for everyone to have a bank account, especially students, because they need a bank account to transfer money from their country to pay enrolment fees and living expenses. Moreover, they can pay their bills automatically or with a check, and they can have 24/7 access to their cash via ATMs and cash machines. Below, I will show you the steps of opening a checking account in the Bank of America to facilitate the process for the prospective international students.

Before going to the bank you have to be sure of some issues. First, if you are not 18 yet, you should always have your parent or guardian be a co-owner of the account. Second, you have to prepare some personal documents because in the bank they will ask you to give them some information about yourself: your name, date of birth, current address and phone number, Social Security number (in most cases) and email address. Additionally, you should provide evidence to prove your identity such as a passport or driver’s license. So prepare all your documents before going there to save time and effort. Moreover, the bank will need a minimum of $500 as a first deposit to complete the process of opening a bank account. After preparing your documents and minimum requirement money, find the nearest branch of the Bank of America by using a map or the GPS, and check their business hours. You can find information about the location and business hours online at the official website of the Bank of America. Then, go and visit them as soon as possible.

When you arrive at the bank, take a number and wait your turn. When it is your turn, the employee will ask you about the reason for your visit, and you should say: “I want to open a checking account”. Next, the employee will ask you to give him the information and the documents that I have mentioned above in the second paragraph, so be prepared. In the last step, you will have to sign some papers, and this signature must be the same for your future transactions. Then, you will get a temporary debit card to use for the next week until they send the permanent one to your house. Be sure that you are giving them the correct home address while they are taking your personal information. In addition, it is very important to order checks while you are in the bank because many daily truncations cannot be accomplished without paying in checks such as: paying your house or apartment rent and paying the fees of your children daycare. You can order checks since you have opened a bank account.

After two weeks approximately, you will receive your permanent card in the mail box. For more safety, don’t forget to destroy your temporary card, so no one else can use it the futures.

Opening a bank account is a priority for all students. Without opening a bank account, many important responsibilities will be delayed. For example, before I have arrived college station, I attempted to reserve a seat for my son in the daycare, but the principle of the daycare requested a registration fee by check! She didn’t accept any other payment methods, so this mission was delayed for 3 months until we opened an American bank account, and that was very risky. Consequently, if you don’t have a bank account yet, go to the nearest bank branch and start your process now.