US Bank account

I have an account from a very small bank in SD and whilst that was fine when I lived there and they had very convienient branches, it is now a pain in the bum. I moved back to the UK a few years ago.

I really need a US account that is easy to open i.e online, has internet banking or emails statements to me. This small bank I use can't do that.

 I really only use it pay the ocassional bill and send checks for gifts, so i don't want to be paying any sort of fees if possible.

Who would you guys suggest? I realise this is the reverse of the usual requests for British accounts.

Jeez - I need this too! My crappy bank in the States has been charging me $5 a month each for my checking and savings. Now I'm overdrawn, having once had over $200 in each.

Is wanting to keep a small pot of money for US emergencies too much to ask?

Well, I've had a look around and WAMU are doing what looks like a good package.

Free checking with free cheques, free wire transfers abroad and emailed statements and cheque images, it also comes with a savings account paying 3.3% which is OK and it's only $1 to open when lots seem to need $100.

That might be an option for you too. The free wire transfers is pretty good. It also coms with a matercard debit card which is free to use around the world!

keep your eye open for deals/offers, too.  In August 2006 right before I moved to go to school in the UK I signed up for another Bank of America account solely because they had an offer going for a free checking account without direct deposit.  Now that I'm staying in the UK, I'm so glad I took advantage of it!

hmm... unfortunately it says:

For security reasons we cannot accept you application. Please drop into a branch of WAMU with the following:

lists ID.

Oh well.

common problem. It seems unless you can prove you're in the US, they won't accept online applications. I suggest popping in while on vacation in the States at some point.... but you'd still need some bills or something trying to show you have residency...
good luck

Yeah, annoying. I guess i'll have to wait. Ive still got a driver's license etc.. so it won't be a problem. Or i can just continue with my exisiting accounts.

Just a note, I was just working for a bank before moving here a month ago.  Make sure you have an ID with your address or an address they can mail to.  The hard part is they usually want address verification some how and I'm not sure what they would do if you gave them an address from abroad.  You might have to explain the whole thing and hope they don't care, but for us it was a credit check, the ID and the address that mattered most.  You might want to take something with your address in the UK??  Wow, I guess we haven't really encountered that before at my bank.  *most* banks do a virtually checkless account or something close that pretty much deals all online anymore.  Good luck in your search and make sure you know what you need to take with so there isn't a hassle when you get there. 

Have you looked at HSBC in the US?  You may need an addres where they can send the debit card, but you may want to consider trying them.   

I hear Citibank is pretty good -- but then again I've not had them so I couldn't really tell you first hand about them.

I have a bank account in Connecticut with People's United.  Rather than wasting time and money wiring money into my Natwest account, my mom puts funds and money I might get in the US into the People's account.  The card is registered to my mom's address in the US.  I use the debit card to withdraw money and put into my NatWest account, as well as to just take money out.  I get charged a fee for doing so, but I don't get charted for the upkeep of the bank account and I get interest.  It's worth the £2.50 withdrawal fee at ATMs here.

I also should point out that the bank account is a joint account with my mother, which facilitates her depositing money into the bank.  She has her own People's account as well, which might have made it easier.

I think 3.3% on savings is pretty good as well, as interest rates have really dropped over the last few months.

Hi,

This web site probonanza.com contains information about opening an US bank account for non-us resident.

I hope this help 

Regards.