If you’re under 18:
- You need a parent or guardian to open it with you
- It’ll be a “joint account”—you both have access
- Look for banks with teen checking accounts (they usually have no fees)
If you’re 18+:
- You can do it yourself!
- You need: driver’s license or ID, Social Security number, address, and like $25-100 to put in as your first deposit
- Most banks let you do the whole thing online in like 15 minutes
Good banks for people our age:
- Big banks: Chase College Checking, Bank of America Student accounts
- Online banks: Ally, Marcus, Discover (better interest rates, no fees, but no physical branches)
- Credit unions: Usually have lower fees than big banks