Before you start

Passport, with visa and I-94 where applicable
A Missouri or Illinois 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 allow a passport number and country of issuance in place of a taxpayer number for non-US persons.
In personWho: YouWeek 1
2
Mention a pending ITIN if you have no SSN
Banks may open accounts for people who have applied for but not yet received an ITIN. File IRS Form W-7 and keep the receipt.
In personWho: You
3
Consider a regional bank or a credit union
Commerce Bank and Stifel are headquartered here and the metro has a deep credit-union sector, including institutions serving BJC and Washington University staff. Both tend to be more flexible with thin files than the national banks.
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 $200–500, and get a card with a matching limit reporting to all three bureaus. Age of history matters as much as behaviour.
OnlineWho: YouMonth 1
6
Think about the car as a recurring cost, not a purchase
Missouri taxes vehicles annually at 33⅓% of assessed value, so a more expensive car costs more every single year, not just once. Financing one on no credit file compounds that. If MetroLink covers your commute for six months while your file matures, it is worth real money.
In personWho: 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 local address
Employer offer letter, accepted by some banks as supporting evidence

Things most newcomers don’t know

In Missouri, an expensive car is an annually recurring tax bill.

Personal property tax is levied every year on 33⅓% of the vehicle's value as of 1 January, at the local rate. Two people with identical incomes and different cars pay materially different tax for as long as they own them. It changes the buy-versus-finance calculation in a way that does not apply in most states.

Source: City of St. Louis Assessor

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; escalate to a manager or try a credit union rather than waiting months for an SSN.

Source: FFIEC BSA/AML Examination Manual — Customer Identification Program

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 an apartment, a car loan and a phone contract in the same week.

Source: community-reported

Carrying a balance builds interest, not credit.

Scores respond to on-time payment and low utilisation, not to interest paid. Paying in full each month builds history identically and saves a rate above 20% APR.

Source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — credit cards

Common mistakes to avoid

Waiting for an SSN before trying to open an account, when a passport is often enough.
Buying an expensive car without modelling the annual personal property tax on it.
Financing a vehicle in month one with no credit file and accepting a punitive rate.
Delaying a secured card until credit is actually needed.
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.