Joint Bank Account Advice and Insight

[anka 1]

Hi everyone!

My husband, Vasya, and I must open a joint bank account ASAP since we have our AOS interview on doomsday September 11 (they just had to schedule us for that date, go figure ). We shouldn't have left this 'til the last minute...

To start off, we just need a simple, easy to open, minimal-cost joint savings and/or checking account (or similar).

- So

, which banking institution (FDIC insured, of course) do

you

think would be the best fit for us?

- Given todays slew of economic problems, which banks are actually the safest and most secure?

- Which ones should we avoid?

- Any thoughts on credit unions?

- The "online banks" are a bad idea, right?

- Are there any "perks" a bank may offer married couple when opening a joint account? (dumb question)

- Any other ideas/advice/thoughts/advice you deem necessary to add?

Ok, thanks for whatever help anyone has to give!

Since

[BluesTraveler 0]

- Which ones should we avoid?

Any bank where AKDiver's wife works.

- Any thoughts on credit unions?

Credit Unions by their nature are non-profits. Personally I have had much better experience with my credit union then I have ever had with a bank. I get better customer service, i.e. a real live person picks up the phone when I call, lower fees, and like that they are not concerned with share holders and maximizing profits. YMMV

[akdiver 3]

- Given todays slew of economic problems, which banks are actually the safest and most secure?

It really doesn't matter - unless maybe you're going to deposit more than $250,000.

- Which ones should we avoid?

All of them. But if you have to open an account, it doesn't matter which one.

- Any thoughts on credit unions?

If you're just opening a checking account, it doesn't really matter.

- The "online banks" are a bad idea, right?

Not really any different from other banks.

- Are there any "perks" a bank may offer married couple when opening a joint account? (dumb question)

Banks really don't care about your marital status.

- Any other ideas/advice/thoughts/advice you deem necessary to add?

It seems obvious your motivation is USCIS and their policies of treating people like criminals until proven otherwise. To that end - they're not really stupid. If you open an account just before your AOS interview and you go in there with one bank statement that is recently dated, you run the risk of being asked for additional, older statements - to prove that you have a long-standing financial relationship. If you can't present those, your application may be nicked. Maybe not likely, but possible. Just something to consider. I wouldn't #### around shopping around for banks - go out and do it today (and it really doesn't matter which one) and hope for the best. Edited August 19, 2009 by akdiver

[anka 1]

It seems obvious your motivation is USCIS and their policies of treating people like criminals until proven otherwise. To that end - they're not really stupid. If you open an account just before your AOS interview and you go in there with one bank statement that is recently dated, you run the risk of being asked for additional, older statements - to prove that you have a long-standing financial relationship. If you can't present those, your application may be nicked. Maybe not likely, but possible. Just something to consider.

Yeah, this is exactly what we're worried about. Although we have a fairly good explanation as to why it's taken us this long, they probably could care less. *sigh*

[Rob_Lesya 4]

Yeah, this is exactly what we're worried about. Although we have a fairly good explanation as to why it's taken us this long, they probably could care less. *sigh*

So stop focusing on what you DON'T have... and focus on what you DO have in the way of evidence of a valid relationship. There are lots of married couples who don't have joint bank accounts for one reason or another. This isn't something that will cause you to be rejected.

What evidence DO you have?? Are you listed together on auto insurance? Medical insurance? As beneficieries on each others life insurance, 401(k), IRA, etc? You're listed together on leases or mortgage agreements? You both have the same address on your driver's licenses? You have photos (as well as boarding passes, hotel receipts, etc) of the two of you on vacations together? Photos of the two of you with other family members? etc, etc, etc,......

If you have evidence of a valid relationship, the lack of a joint bank account isn't going to matter.

[akdiver 3]

So stop focusing on what you DON'T have... and focus on what you DO have in the way of evidence of a valid relationship.

That's a good point. We didn't have any evidence that we were actually living together. No rental agreements, no mortgage documents - just some common name bills sent to our PO Box. The whole way through the process, I keep thinking it would be a problem, but no one ever flagged it as noteworthy (I had a ton of other evidence). Passport expected in the mail any day now.

[Brian&Naty 0]

Hi everyone!

My husband, Vasya, and I must open a joint bank account ASAP since we have our AOS interview on doomsday September 11 (they just had to schedule us for that date, go figure ). We shouldn't have left this 'til the last minute...

To start off, we just need a simple, easy to open, minimal-cost joint savings and/or checking account (or similar).

- So

, which banking institution (FDIC insured, of course) do

you

think would be the best fit for us?

- Given todays slew of economic problems, which banks are actually the safest and most secure?

- Which ones should we avoid?

- Any thoughts on credit unions?

- The "online banks" are a bad idea, right?

- Are there any "perks" a bank may offer married couple when opening a joint account? (dumb question)

- Any other ideas/advice/thoughts/advice you deem necessary to add?

Ok, thanks for whatever help anyone has to give!

CREDIT UNION. Nuff said.

Since

[slim 1,525]

I would NOT get a joint account this close to the interview date just for the purpose of the interview. If you've been handling finances a certain way for a while now, continue to do so and if they ask why then tell them the truth!

There's absolutely no reason to have a joint account anyway. We opened one pretty early on (for the purpose of having one to show as "proof") and truth be told, it took my wife about two-and-a-half years to even deposit any money in it. She's only now to the point where she's starting to "get it" when it comes to how finances work here in the U.S. When we went to the interview we had maby about $28 in the account and USCIS could've cared less. They were much more interested in looking at pictures and "proof" that we lived together - things like the rental agreement and joint loan on our car and insurance, etc.

If you really wanna "prove" your love to the interviewing officer, just have a genuine argument in the office. Nothing shows true love like a pissed off wife!

[workin4somethin 0]

My wife and I had been married for more than three years and she had lived here in the States for more than two years when we had the AOS interview. At that time, we had nothing jointly in our names except for our marriage certificate. She didn't even have her SSN yet. The interviewer asked one question about it, and I told him that I just hadn't done it yet because I didn't see any necessity. She was approved for her 10-year green card that day.

By the way, she now has her SSN, bank accounts, driver's license, etc. But, evidently, all that stuff wasn't too important for the AOS interviewer.

[anka 1]

I would NOT get a joint account this close to the interview date just for the purpose of the interview. If you've been handling finances a certain way for a while now, continue to do so and if they ask why then tell them the truth!

There's absolutely no reason to have a joint account anyway. We opened one pretty early on (for the purpose of having one to show as "proof") and truth be told, it took my wife about two-and-a-half years to even deposit any money in it. She's only now to the point where she's starting to "get it" when it comes to how finances work here in the U.S. When we went to the interview we had maby about $28 in the account and USCIS could've cared less. They were much more interested in looking at pictures and "proof" that we lived together - things like the rental agreement and joint loan on our car and insurance, etc.

If you really wanna "prove" your love to the interviewing officer, just have a genuine argument in the office. Nothing shows true love like a pissed off wife!

Thanks for your advice, Slim, and everyone else too!

We've wanted to open a joint bank account all along - just haven't gotten there yet, among other reasons - one being his unfamiliarity with our banking system and not wanting to put a bunch of $$ into something he felt a little ignorant about. Besides, who doesn't have some distrust towards the banks these days? Multiply that distrust by 5 and you get an idea of how a Russian feels about banks in general... As you touched upon, the American financial system differs greatly from the one Vasya is accustomed to, so he's been educating himself tirelessly on the subject. Now that he feels comfortable enough with his "American financial knowledge", we decided it was time to open that savings account

Our purpose for having a joint account has never been solely based on the upcoming AOS interview, despite what USCIS may think otherwise. It is based upon us wanting to plan our future together - to show our loyalty and love of one another, esp. in the long haul, for the rest of our lives. Since that is what the real purpose is, we will just go ahead start our savings account tomorrow, even though the proximity to the interview date is so close. We won't make a big deal of it at the interview, though. If they begin questioning our intentions behind having opened the account so close to the interview date, we'll simply tell them the truth, of course, and, believe me, I am prepared to put up a good argument if they appear in doubt!

Plus, we have massive amounts of pictures together, he's on the lease, we have a pool membership together, AT&T family account together, utility bills, etc. We plan on getting our parents and mutual friends to state on paper that our marriage is bonafide and so forth...

Edited August 20, 2009 by anka

[anka 1]

My wife and I had been married for more than three years and she had lived here in the States for more than two years when we had the AOS interview. At that time, we had nothing jointly in our names except for our marriage certificate. She didn't even have her SSN yet. The interviewer asked one question about it, and I told him that I just hadn't done it yet because I didn't see any necessity. She was approved for her 10-year green card that day.

By the way, she now has her SSN, bank accounts, driver's license, etc. But, evidently, all that stuff wasn't too important for the AOS interviewer.

Good to know!

Vasya has his SSN, is getting his state ID tomorrow, and we already have a bunch of other materials that should prove our bonafide marriage. I think just being completely honest about everything, like you were, is the most important factor.

Do you think because your wife had already lived in the US for 2+ years, could've played an important role in her GC approval? Maybe this is entirely baseless, though - just curious as to what your thoughts are on this.

Edited August 20, 2009 by anka

[workin4somethin 0]

Vasya has his SSN, is getting his state ID tomorrow, and we already have a bunch of other materials that should prove our bonafide marriage. I think just being completely honest about everything, like you were, is the most important factor.

Do you think because your wife had already lived in the US for 2+ years, could've played an important role in her GC approval? Maybe this is entirely baseless, though - just curious as to what your thoughts are on this.

Probably her being here 2+ years was key, but I don't really know how important it was. Our interviewer called us back together, not separately as I have heard that some interviewers do. My wife and I hold hands alot, and we openly communicate alot. Maybe our posture and communication was important. In any event, it sounds to me as if you your spouse have enough proof available. I suggest you take what information you have, and try not to sweat it too much.

[slim 1,525]

She didn't even have her SSN yet.

You didn't claim her on your taxes?

We plan on getting our parents and mutual friends to state on paper that our marriage is bonafide and so forth...

That shouldn't be necessary. Sounds like you have more than enough stuff already and getting your parents to sign off is akin to "my mom said he could stay" and as much as we all like your mom, she has no bearing on USCIS and the whole immigration process. Stick with what you have, it should be plenty.

[groovlstk 0]

Don't sweat it, too often people get consumed with accumulating a sheer mass of evidence - if your marriage is bonafide you'll have nothing to worry about. FWIW, my wife and I didn't get around to putting her name on our checking account until after AOS, the only thing our AOS interviewer asked was the date of our marriage and if she had an EAD card (which he confiscated since it was no longer necessary). We were one of only a few couples who didn't have a lawyer with us (and listening to the lawyers coaching their clients 5 minutes before their scheduled interviews to be sure they had their stories/names/dates in synch was sad but comforting). It will be over before you even know it.

[anka 1]

Vasya has his SSN, is getting his state ID tomorrow, and we already have a bunch of other materials that should prove our bonafide marriage. I think just being completely honest about everything, like you were, is the most important factor.

Do you think because your wife had already lived in the US for 2+ years, could've played an important role in her GC approval? Maybe this is entirely baseless, though - just curious as to what your thoughts are on this.

Probably her being here 2+ years was key, but I don't really know how important it was. Our interviewer called us back together, not separately as I have heard that some interviewers do. My wife and I hold hands alot, and we openly communicate alot. Maybe our posture and communication was important. In any event, it sounds to me as if you your spouse have enough proof available. I suggest you take what information you have, and try not to sweat it too much.

Cool, thanks. I'll work on not sweating it too much.

Hopefully our interviewer will be like yours and see that we communicate with one another extremely well and are ultimately in love - afterall, these qualities should be the most important deciding-factor as to whether one's marriage is bonafide or not, you know? And, of course, the marriage certificate...

Edited August 21, 2009 by anka