Bank Account for Bankrupts: An Urban Myth?

In all probability you looked at all your possible alternatives and determined that bankruptcy was the only way to go. So now, all the papers have been filed, your slate has been wiped clean and you are ready to start all over, without making the same mistakes you did the first time around. But one of the things you will very likely need is a loan and you may think that it is impossible to get a bank account after bankruptcy. Nothing could be further from the truth and it is far from impossible to get a bank account for bankrupts, although you are going to need to look beyond what you might consider to be your conventional lending sources like your bank or credit union. The primary reason for this is that your bankruptcy shows up on your credit report in the equivalent of flashing red lights and huge neon signs so that banks and other financial institutions are aware that you have filed. And the reason for that is actually quite simple - you are now considered a much bigger credit risk. The first thing you need to do is to make sure all of your debts have been fully discharged within your bankruptcy. If the proceedings are still taking place and are not complete yet, you very likely have a very poor chance of securing a bank account for bankrupts, since that is just about the highest risk factor that can be considered by any bank. Some banks require that there has been at least two years gone by since you filed and the time that you apply for bank account for bankrupts. But that policy is more passé than anything else, and not many banks follow that policy any more. The most important thing you can do and may have to prove and demonstrate is that you are making timely payments on any credit accounts you currently have opened.