Las Vegas Banks That Don’t Use ChexSystems
Updated on : December 15th, 2021
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If banks are repeatedly rejecting your efforts to get a new checking or savings account, your ChexSystems history may be to blame. With ChexSystems, banks can easily look up your past overdrafts or involuntary account closures. One banking mistake could leave you unbanked (without a checking or savings account) for a while.
While Las Vegas is known as one of the most extravagant entertainment capitals of the world, a significant chunk of its residents are unbanked. According to a 2017 FDIC national survey, 6.8% of the 882,000 households in Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise are unbanked. This comes out to almost 60,000 households.
Luckily, there is a solution for the unbanked. In Las Vegas, there are many banks that either do not use ChexSystems for screening, or are willing to overlook your ChexSystems history. Respectively, these are called non-ChexSystems banks and second chance banks.
In this article, we’ll share our list of the top 10 Las Vegas non-ChexSystems and second chance banks. Any of these are great options for rebuilding your banking history.
The Best Non-ChexSystems Banks in Las Vegas
Considering all factors such as banking features and overall convenience, three banks stand above the crowd: Chime and BBVA (now PNC Bank). All three of these are nationally-acclaimed banks that Las Vegas residents can apply for online at any time.
Chime®
Chime’s mission is to make banking helpful, easy, and free for everyone. As a result, they do not run your credit or check your ChexSystems report when you apply to any of their checking and savings accounts.
Chime is technically not a bank. Instead, they are a relatively new financial technology company that offers banking services provided through The Bancorp Bank, N.A. and Stride Bank, N.A., meaning that their products are still FDIC insured. Here’s why you should consider their Chime Checking accounts and Chime Savings accounts.
BBVA (PNC Bank)
BBVA (now PNC Bank) is one of the top 10 largest banks in the US, and a great second chance bank for Las Vegas residents with poor ChexSystems records. Over the years, they have shown to be more lenient in offering accounts to applicants that are considered higher-risk.
If you need to rebuild your banking history, we recommend that you do it with PNC Bank’s VirtualWallet. VirtualWallet allows you to set up a Spend account for checking and a Growth account for savings. With convenient online and mobile banking features, you can easily make payments and transfer funds between these two accounts.
VirtualWallet has many other useful banking features that you can use to organize your finances. For example, the Calendar feature allows you to get a quick overview of any automatic payments and deposits that you’ve set up. Also, the Low Cash Mode feature can alert you when your balance drops below a certain threshold.
Top 8 Local Las Vegas Non-ChexSystems Banks
Chime and BBVA (now PNC Bank) are three of our top recommendations for Las Vegas residents. However, there are a number of local banks and credit unions that offer excellent products and service as well. We’ll introduce 8 of our top local picks along with contact information for each.
Bank of the West
Headquartered in San Francisco, Bank of the West has locations all over the western half of the US. In Las Vegas, they have a handful of locations and ATMs.
If you’re in need of a second chance, ask them about their Fresh Start Checking account. This account offers pretty much all of the features you’d need for everyday banking, including a debit card, free ATM access, and online banking. The account does carry a $12 monthly service charge.
Contact Information:
- Address: 9021 W Sahara Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89117
- Phone: (702) 304-1050
City National Bank
City National Bank is a Los Angeles-based bank that does offer second chance accounts to Las Vegas residents. In particular, consider their Personal Savings account, which you can open an account at any one of their four branches in Las Vegas.
The Personal Savings account requires an initial deposit of $50, and you can begin earning interest right away. However, we highly recommend depositing $100 or more to start, and maintaining at least that amount every single day. This will allow you to avoid the monthly maintenance fee.
Contact Information:
- Address: 2320 E Tropicana Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89119
- Phone: (702) 968-2350
Clark County Credit Union
Clark County Credit Union is another great option, particularly if you live in North Las Vegas. Their Decatur Boulevard location has a high average rating of 4.6 out of 5 among 22 Google reviews.
Clark County Credit Union offers a specific second chance account called CheckAgain. In total, opening a CheckAgain account will require $100 ($50 for membership, which gets deposited into a savings account, and another $50 for CheckAgain). You’ll get a free debit card, online and mobile banking, and the option to upgrade your account after 12 months of positive activity.
Contact Information:
- Address: 6120 N Decatur Blvd, North Las Vegas, NV 89084
- Phone: (702) 228-2228
Navy Federal Credit Union
Navy Federal Credit Union offers great second chance bank accounts for active and retired members of the military. They have a few locations in Las Vegas, and you can also apply for their accounts online.
For currently active military members, the Free Active Duty Checking is a great account that allows you to access your military pay one day earlier. You’ll also earn dividends and interest on your balance. The Free Easy Checking account is a great option for retired military members. Both accounts come with no monthly service fees and no minimum balance requirements.
Contact Information:
- Address: 7285 Arroyo Crossing Pkwy, Las Vegas, NV 89113
- Phone: (888) 842-6328
Nevada State Bank
Nevada State Bank is a very popular local option all across the state. They have many locations and ATMs all over the Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise metropolitan area.
For those with a bad ChexSystems history, consider both the Anytime Checking and the OnBudget accounts. The OnBudget account is a simpler account, with a straightforward $5 fee and no overdraft fees. The Anytime Checking has more features, but it has a $9 fee. If you can deposit $250 per month into the account or more, the fee is waived.
Contact Information:
- Address: 750 E Warm Springs Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89119
- Phone: (702) 855-4606
UNIFY Financial Credit Union
UNIFY Financial Credit Union has a single branch in Las Vegas. Though they have a small presence in Nevada, they offer great accounts to Las Vegas residents, even to those with negative ChexSystems records.
Right Start Checking is the perfect account for those in need of a second chance. After an initial $25 minimum deposit, you’ll enjoy an account with no minimum balance requirements and no monthly fees. The account also comes with a free debit card and overdraft protection features.
Contact Information:
- Address: 7985 W Sahara Ave Suite 101, Las Vegas, NV 89117
- Phone: (877) 254-9328
US Bank
US Bank is one of the largest banks in the country. Though they do check your ChexSystems history, they offer a Safe Debit Account which is a second chance account for Las Vegas residents.
The Safe Debit Account comes with all the standard features of a normal banking account, including direct deposit, online and mobile banking, and low balance alerts. Notably, the account gives you a free look into your VantageScore so you can also focus on building up your credit in addition to your banking. The account has a $4.95 monthly service charge.
Contact Information:
- Address: 4505 S Maryland Pkwy, Las Vegas, NV 89154
- Phone: (702) 597-0483
WestStar Credit Union
WestStar Credit Union offers a variety of loans and banking accounts to their members. They are based in Las Vegas and have five highly-rated branches. Their Sunset Road location has an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 among 53 Google reviews.
WestStar Credit Union dedicates their Fresh Start Checking to those that need exactly that–a fresh start. This is a second chance account that has no minimum balance requirements, a free debit card, and free online and mobile banking. The account has a monthly fee of $16.50, but after 12 months of good standing you can upgrade to the Simple Checking account, which has no monthly fees.
Contact Information:
- Address: 8395 W Sunset Rd #100, Las Vegas, NV 89113
- Phone: (702) 791-4777
Why Do I Keep Getting Denied For a Checking Account?
Banks can reject applications for a number of reasons. However, one of the most common reasons is a bad ChexSystems record. Your ChexSystems history contains negative banking items such as the following:
- Overdrafting
- Bounced checks
- Accounts closed with an outstanding balance
- Account, card, or ATM abuse
Depending on the number of items and the severity, ChexSystems generates a score, which is similar to a credit score. Your ChexSystems score can range anywhere from 100 to 899, with a lower score indicating higher risk.
Many banks have a minimum threshold for your ChexSystems score. Thus, a low score may be the reason why you’re facing rejection.
How Do I Remove Errors on My ChexSystems Report?
It’s possible for banks or ChexSystems to mess up an entry on your report. The good news is that if you notice an error, you can dispute this with ChexSystems. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), ChexSystems must investigate any dispute in a timely fashion.
To successfully remove an item from your ChexSystems report, you should follow this general three-step process:
- Obtain your ChexSystems report. Every twelve months, you can request a free copy of your ChexSystems report. Review it carefully and note down any errors, especially the items under the Reported Information section.
- Submit a dispute. ChexSystems provides an online form to help you describe your dispute and attach supporting evidence. If you have multiple disputes, you can submit them all in the same form.
- If unable to remove, consider paying off debts. If ChexSystems cannot remove the error, consider reaching out to the bank in question. Ask if they’re willing to settle the record through a lump sum or alternative payment plan. If you can successfully pay this off, you can reach out to ChexSystems again to update the record.
While it’s certainly good practice to remove errors from your report, the dispute process can be complicated and time-consuming. If your main objective is simply to get a bank account, finding a non-ChexSystems or second chance account is definitely the way to go.
When Should I Consider a Non-ChexSystems or Second Chance Bank Account?
If you’re getting constantly rejected by banks and you don’t want to go through the process of finding and disputing errors, you should consider a non-ChexSystems or second chance bank account. This is especially true if you’re unbanked: having a bank account is always better than not having one!
Bank accounts provide a safe place to store your funds. It also makes managing your everyday finances a lot easier. For example, you can easily receive paychecks via direct deposit and make payments via a debit card.
Do Banks Require a Credit Check to Open an Account?
Typically, banks do not require a credit check for you to open an account. As we’ve seen earlier, they usually only check your ChexSystems report, since they only care about your past banking history.
However, there may be a few exceptions. Notably, if you’re working with a credit union, they’ll perform a credit pull during your membership application.
What Should I Look For in a Non-ChexSystems or Second Chance Account?
There are many non-ChexSystems and second chance accounts out there for Las Vegas residents to choose from. While we’ve narrowed down our list to the top 10 options, some accounts may be more suited for you than others. When comparing different accounts, pay attention to the following features:
- FDIC insurance. FDIC insurance covers your money in the event of a bank failure. For most accounts, you’ll want to make sure it covers at least up to $250,000.
- A debit card. Only consider accounts that offer a free debit card. This gives you access to ATMs and the ability to quickly make payments without having to bring around cash.
- Low or no monthly fees. If you can, opt for accounts with no monthly fees. However, don’t shy away from an account just because it has a monthly fee, especially if you’re getting a complete list of features. As a general rule of thumb, try to avoid accounts with monthly fees of $10 or over. In addition, look in the fine print for criteria you can satisfy to lower or waive these fees.
- Overdraft protection. The best accounts will offer some sort of protection in case you overdraft on your account. Of course, you should never intentionally withdraw more money than you have.
As an additional bonus, you might want to consider whether the account pays interest. This can give you an extra boost in your savings.
Conclusion and Next Steps
Even if you’ve struggled with banking in the past, there are many non-ChexSystems and second chance banks in Las Vegas who are willing to open an account for you. This article introduced 10 such banks that you can apply for right away knowing that your approval odds are higher.
The Chime Savings in particular is an excellent savings account for rebuilding your banking history. With no monthly fees and a high-interest yield, you’ll be well on your way to an improved financial life.
Our Top Pick for Banks that Don't Use ChexSystems is Chime.
When doing research, Credit Help Info relies on credible and authoritative sites. These research sources are provided so that you can see exactly where we get our information.
- https://www.consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/credit-reports-and-scores/consumer-reporting-companies/companies-list/chex-systems/
- https://www.fdic.gov/householdsurvey/2017/2017appendix.pdf
- https://www.fdic.gov/resources/deposit-insurance/understanding-deposit-insurance/
- https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/statutes/fair-credit-reporting-act
Disclosures:
Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC.
1. There’s no fee for the Chime Savings Account. Cash withdrawal and Third-party fees may apply to Chime Checking Accounts. You must have a Chime Checking Account to open a Account.
2. Chime SpotMe is an optional service that requires a single deposit of $200 or more in qualifying direct deposits to the Chime Checking Account each month. All qualifying members w overdraw their account up to $20 on debit card purchases and cash withdrawals initially, but may be later eligible for a higher limit of up to $200 or more based on member's Chime Ac deposit frequency and amount, spending activity and other risk-based factors. Your limit will be displayed to you within the Chime mobile app. You will receive notice of any changes to may change at any time, at Chime's discretion. Although there are no overdraft fees, there may be out-of-network or third party fees associated with ATM transactions. SpotMe won't c transactions, including ACH transfers, Pay Anyone transfers, or Chime Checkbook transactions. See Terms and Conditions.
*The Annual Percentage Yield (“APY”) for the Chime Savings Account is variable and may change at any time. The disclosed APY is accurate as of November 17, 2022. No minimum balance required. Must have $0.01 in savings to earn interest.
The average national savings account interest rate of 0.21% is determined by FDIC as of November 17, 2022 based on a simple average of rates paid (uses annual percentage yield) by all insured depository institutions and branches for which data are available. Visit National Rates and Rate Caps to learn more.
About the Author
Chris Morgan
Chris Morgan is a credit expert and founder of Credit Help Info. He has been featured in Addition Financial, GOBankingRates, MSN Money, Yahoo Finance, and many other publications. He has read hundreds of books and resources on finance and the credit industry. Because he did this, you don’t have to. As a school teacher for over 20 years, Chris enjoys taking complicated material and breaking it down into manageable information that’s easy to understand.
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