Before you start

Passport, with visa and I-94 if applicable
A Baton Rouge-area residential address
An SSN or ITIN if you have one; a passport number if not
An opening deposit, which varies by institution

Step-by-step

1
Open a checking account in branch
Bring your passport, local address and SSN or ITIN if issued. Federal Customer Identification Program rules explicitly allow a passport number and country of issuance instead of a taxpayer number for non-US persons.
In personWho: YouWeek 1
2
Mention a pending ITIN if you have no SSN
Institutions may open accounts for people who have applied for but not yet received an ITIN. File IRS Form W-7 and bring the receipt to the counter.
In personWho: You
3
Try a Louisiana credit union
The Capital Region has a strong credit union sector with community charters covering the parish, and several grew out of the state workforce, LSU and the refineries. They read a thin file the way a human does, which a national bank's underwriting model cannot.
In personWho: You
4
Set up direct deposit
Give payroll your routing and account numbers. Direct deposit waives the monthly maintenance fee on most US checking accounts.
Via employerWho: You and your employer
5
Open a secured credit card in month one
Post a deposit, typically around $500, and get a card with a matching limit that reports to the credit bureaus. Age of history counts as much as behaviour, so start immediately rather than when you need credit.
OnlineWho: YouMonth 1
6
If you are buying, price flood and hazard cover before the offer
A federally regulated lender must require flood insurance on a building in a special flood hazard area, and Louisiana property premiums are among the highest in the country regardless. Under FEMA's Risk Rating 2.0 the flood premium is set for the individual building, so the only reliable number is a quote for that exact address. Look at the Department of Insurance's Fortify Homes grant programme, which helps fund a fortified roof and can reduce the premium.
OnlineWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Passport, with country of issuance serving as the identifying number if you have no SSN or ITIN
Visa and I-94, where applicable
SSN card or ITIN letter, if issued
Proof of a Baton Rouge-area address
Employer offer letter, accepted by some institutions as supporting evidence

Things most newcomers don’t know

In Louisiana the insurance decides what you can afford, not the mortgage.

Property premiums here are among the highest in the country and the market has been under real strain. Add a flood policy — required by a lender inside a special flood hazard area and priced per building under Risk Rating 2.0 — and the monthly escrow can move the answer to 'what can I afford' by a wide margin. Buyers who work out principal and interest first and insurance afterwards get an unpleasant surprise at underwriting.

Source: Louisiana Department of Insurance

Federal rules let a bank take your passport instead of an SSN.

The Customer Identification Program rule accepts a passport number and country of issuance for non-US persons. Branch staff frequently do not know this and will send you away for a Social Security card. Escalate, or try a credit union.

Source: FDIC — Customer Identification Program requirements

No credit history is treated worse than bad credit history.

US underwriting scores a file, and a file that does not exist cannot be scored. A well-paid newcomer can be declined for a flat and a car loan in the same week, and building one takes months rather than days.

Source: CFPB — bank accounts and services

A fortified roof is a financeable, subsidised way to cut the premium.

The Louisiana Department of Insurance runs a Fortify Homes grant programme that helps fund an upgrade to a fortified roof standard, and insurers must give a discount for it. In a state where the premium is the binding constraint on affordability, that is a rare lever a homeowner actually controls — and grant rounds open and close, so find out the schedule before you buy rather than after.

Source: Louisiana Department of Insurance — Fortify Homes

Common mistakes to avoid

Budgeting a purchase on principal and interest without pricing Louisiana property and flood cover.
Waiting for an SSN before trying to open an account, when a passport is often enough.
Never trying a credit union, where a human reads a thin file.
Financing a car in month one with no credit file and accepting a punitive rate.
Paying an avoidable monthly maintenance fee by never setting up direct deposit.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.

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