I am an incoming international PhD Student in a US university, and will be receiving a decent stipend from which I expect to save some amount every month after all expenses. I will be in F1 student visa status.
I will be really grateful if any of you could please recommend what banking option can I avail right now, satisfying as many of the following requirements as possible (I understand getting all of them in the same account will be near impossible, so I would be happy to receive an assortment of suggestions):
* MUST: FDIC insured
* BONUS: High Yield Savings, interest rate over 3.8%
* BONUS: Checking like facilities: easy and cheap to receive and send money, minimal restrictions on number of transactions
* No account opening fee, No account maintenance fee, No annual charges
* Minimum balance required on account should be less than $100
* Zelle linked
* Ability to receive Direct Deposit for stipend from University
* Ability to setup recurring utility bill payments (PG&E, Internet, etc.)
* Zero/Minimal ATM charges, or ATM fee reimbursements
* Mobile App facility
* Minimal charges to transfer money between bank accounts (wire and other methods)
* Minimal charges on Cheque Book
* Free account closing
* Transaction reversal on scammy/fraud transactions
* Minimal charges bank statement
* Minimal charges Debit card facility
* Good customer service
* BONUS: Creating an account helps in gaining a credit card (Amex for example)
Since I am currently not in the US (moving in 2 months later), it would be really useful to me if the bank can provide facility to open an account online, without physically visiting the branch, and without SSN. I am able to provide documentary evidence for my university offer, lease agreement for my apartment, visa status, government issues IDs, etc. But this is not a necessity, and I can wait till I reach US to open the account.
Submitted July 10, 2024 at 04:09AM by BurnerGreatPhDStuden https://ift.tt/NhwM61Y
