FDIC deposit insurance
Whether a bank account is federally insured depends on the FDIC’s explanation and that bank’s status. Coverage has a scope and a cap. This page does not restate the dollar amount.
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Source: FDIC ·
Banks and transfers
Deposit insurance, the documents a bank may ask for, and what a transfer company should show before you pay. Each bank decides whom it will accept.
NCUA share insurance
A federally insured credit union is not covered by the same insurance as a bank. Check with the NCUA whether the institution is insured before you open an account. This page does not compare yields.
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Source: NCUA ·
Each bank sets its own ID rules
The CFPB has a checklist for opening a checking or savings account. There is no nationwide rule that a missing Social Security number either guarantees an account or rules one out. Ask the bank whether it accepts a passport, an ITIN, a school letter, or something else.
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Source: CFPB ·
An ITIN is a tax number
The IRS issues an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number to someone who needs to file a U.S. tax return and is not eligible for a Social Security number. A bank can still refuse it. Follow the IRS page for the application, and ask the bank separately about opening an account.
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Source: IRS ·
Read the transfer disclosure before you pay
Before you send money abroad, the provider is generally supposed to show the total cost, the exchange rate when one applies, and how much the recipient should get. Compare those figures. Do not trust a rate screenshot from someone you do not know. This site lists no transfer companies and has no referral links.
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Source: CFPB ·
Pause if someone rushes a transfer
If someone you do not know rushes you to send money, buy gift cards, or hand over a verification code, stop. Check with the company through the phone number or site it publishes. Internet-crime reports go to the FBI’s IC3. This page does not promise the money will come back.
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Source: FBI IC3 ·
Denied an account because of banking history
A denied checking account is sometimes tied to a specialized banking-history report. The CFPB explains how to understand your options and request that report. This page does not offer a way to edit or erase a record.
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Source: CFPB ·
Family Account Check
Someone with the account holder’s consent, or with legal authority, can review a CSV or text PDF in the browser and note questions for the bank. Flags are for a person to review. They are not a fraud finding and they are not financial advice.
English and Chinese. Processed in your browser, without uploading transactions. Flags need human review; they are not fraud findings. For human review only. Does not determine fraud, block transfers, or guarantee recovery. Do not enter banking passwords or full account numbers.
Source: PainFix tool ·
Questions people ask first
Each answer starts with the useful part, then points you at the agency page. Nothing here is personal advice.
How do I open a bank account without a Social Security number?
There is no single rule for the whole country. Each bank decides which identification it will accept, so some open an account without a Social Security number and others do not. Read the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau checklist, then ask that bank which documents it wants.
How do I apply for an ITIN?
The IRS issues an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number to someone who needs to file a U.S. tax return and cannot get a Social Security number. Follow the IRS ITIN page for the current form and documents. An ITIN is not work permission, and it does not describe your immigration status.
How do I send money to family outside the United States?
Before you pay, the transfer company is generally supposed to show the total cost, the exchange rate when one applies, and how much the recipient should receive. Compare those figures on the company’s own screen. This page does not recommend a company.