Despite the message seen when you visit the national Get Checking website, the program continues to operate in the Los Angeles area.

Get Checking is a 6 hour educational program designed to help individuals who do not have a banking relationship to gain access to financial services. This program is particularly useful to people who are unable to open a new bank account due to bad credit or a failed ChexSystems verification.

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If you’ve recently been denied a new checking account due to bad credit or a failed ChexSystems or Telecheck verification, you are not alone. Thousands of Americans are in the same boat and are desperately looking for an alternative. These days its difficult to imagine living without a bank account.  Everything in our modern day lives is made easier with access to a bank account. Think about it… from getting paid, to paying practically every bill imaginable.

So what does one do when denied an account? Well, some people simply go without a bank account. These are the folks labeled as the “unbanked”. They frequent check cashing outlets to cash their paychecks and pay bills.  There are other options.  So if you are stuck having to use a check casher, listen up.

We just published a page with  a list of 2 FDIC insured banks that will provide guaranteed checking accounts to anyone who has 1) a U.S. government issued ID and 2)money to make the initial deposit ($30 will suffice)  Note:These banks will NOT charge you to open your account! Read the rest of this entry »

Are you one millions of Americans living with bad credit? If so, you’ve probably felt the frustration of trying to go about your life with limited choices. It really is a tough position to be in, especially if you have a family.  What’s most frustrating is for most people, having bad credit is a result of financial difficulty or challenging life circumstances. True, some people are irresponsible and cannot be trusted to pay anyone back. There are those who have a good source of income but just choose not to pay their bills.  This is a small minority of those who have bad credit.

The majority of folks with bad credit have had a rough time. Either they don’t make that much money and end up making lousy financial decisions out of stress and desperation or they’ve gone through a divorce, lost a job or have been too sick or disabled to work.

To add insult to injury, once you have bad credit, you can expect to pay MORE for most everything. Here is a list of what you can expect when you have bad credit…

The Cost of Having Bad Credit

1) Higher car insurance premiums –assuming you get approved.

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The Get Checking Program is a nonprofit program that offers consumers the opportunity to open checking accounts with participating financial institutions. The program requires participants to enroll and attend a 6-hour class designed to educated individuals who have been locked out of bank accounts due to NSF (Non-Sufficient Funds) reported to ChexSystems by their former bank.

Many individuals find it impossible to open a new bank account once they are reported to ChexSystems. This program offered consumers a legitimate second chance, an opportunity make things right and have access to a much needed banking account. All that was required was to order a ChexSysems report, pay back any funds owed to the former bank, and attend the class.  Those who successfully completed the class were given diplomas that can be used at participating banks to open new accounts.

This was truly an innovative program that was doing a lot of good in communities.  But something is wrong… I recently visited the site and it says that the organization has closed for business as of January1, 2009.  How sad. I can only assume that they lost funding from the banks that previously sponsored them.

My only consolation is this, I really don’t like banks.  I think they take advantage of people, especially those who don’t have much money.  The fees charged are outrageous.  I often recommend that people consider getting AccountNow rather than opening up a new bank account.

With AccountNow you can do most everything you can do with a bank account (i.e. paycheck direct deposit, write checks online, online bill pay, have a Mastercard that works just like a checkcard,  access to cheap transfers and your money is FDIC insured).

The only thing you WON’T be able to do with AccountNow is rack up those nasty insufficient fund fees banks like to charge for going over by even one penny.  I once got hit by three $35 insufficient fund fees (also known as overdraft fees) because my bank decided to pay three charges that were each under $1.  Here’s what I don’t get, how do they know when to cut off a credit card that has reached it’s limit, but can’t cut off a check card that has spent more than the account balance? Seems to me like this is done on purpose.  What do you think?

(PS – The Get Checking website says that the organization plans to reorganize as the Checking Network USA.  I will monitor this and try to get some information directly from the board of directors.  Do stay tuned.)

EZAutoLending.com is your online source for information on how to live and survive with bad credit.