# Bad Credit and Checking Accounts

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-credit-and-checking-accounts/281368>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 23, 2004, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-credit-and-checking-accounts/281368 "2004-12-23T19:29:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sugaree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@sugaree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugaree)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-credit-and-checking-accounts/281368/1 "2004-12-23T19:29:50Z")

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How bad does one’s credit have to be before the bank rejects that person for a basic no-frills checking account?

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**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-credit-and-checking-accounts/281368/2 "2004-12-23T19:53:49Z")

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I think credit is not so important as outstanding unresolved bouncy bouncy checks.

I changed banks 2 years ago in the midst of a complete multi-tiered personal finance disaster, and I had no problems at all. 'Course, I had no bad checks out there either.

Stuff might be different now, though.

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**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-credit-and-checking-accounts/281368/3 "2004-12-23T21:03:25Z")

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The answer depends entirely on the bank in question. Some banks pull a credit report before opening an account, some don’t. Some pull a FICO score, some don’t. Most run your information through a “derogatory information clearing house” like ChexSystems, but some don’t. Even among those banks that do pull a credit report or FICO score, the cutoff point will vary.

Your best bet is to ask around at several banks. You’ll probably do better at smaller, more local institutions.