How to Choose a Bank?

• Consider the location of branch offices and automatic teller machines (ATM) locations
• Ask about monthly fees, fees for writing checks, minimum required balance, etc.
• Banking hours typically are Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
• Some banks are open for a few hours on Saturday mornings or one or two evenings a week until 6:00 pm.

How to Open a Bank Account?

• Speak to someone in customer service.
• Show two forms of identification, a visa document (Forms I-20, DS-2019 or I-797) and a passport.
• A local address is required.

Checking and Savings Accounts

• Checking accounts are for writing checks to pay bills.
• Most banks offer online banking, allowing you to pay bills and to monitor your bank account over the Internet.
• Keep an accurate record of every check so that you know you have sufficient funds in your account for every check you write. If not, your account will be considered overdrawn, and you will incur additional charges.
• Every month your bank will send you a statement that lists all account activities during the previous month and a photocopy of all the checks you wrote in the previous month.
• You cannot write checks using a savings account.
• How to Write a Check

Debit Cards

• Most banks issue a debit card with the opening of a bank account.
• A debit card looks like, and for the most part, functions like a credit card. The main difference is that money is directly taken from your bank account when using a debit card.
• Most businesses accept debit cards. You may be limited to a certain amount of daily withdrawals.

Credit Cards

• Most banks offer credit cards. Please take some time to research and compare your options before deciding on a credit card.
• In most cases students may be required to have a Social Security Number (SSN) in order to apply for a credit card.
• For your protection sometimes banks and credit card companies temporarily freeze your account when they notice unusual activities such as withdrawals being made in another country. It would be to your benefit to notify your bank and/or credit card company before you travel outside the United States so you could have regular access to your account.

If your checks, debit cards, or credit cards are lost or stolen, notify your bank and/or the appropriate credit card company immediately.