I just got into Navy Federal. I'm wondering what I should open with them—like a pledge loan, secured card, business account, personal account, etc. If there's an area in the classroom on this, please let me know. I could do something like a $20,000 pledge loan if that will help me.

Hi guys, I already have a every day checking account, savings account and pledge loan with Navy Federal. Is it a good idea to open a Flagship Checking account to build a relationship with Navy Federal and increase my chances of qualifying for their cash rewards credit card? I did try the prequalification but I was only prequalified For the secured cashreward

If you have filled the form as RESIDENT ALIEN, make sure to move your funds to Checking account instead of saving account. The interest income in your accounts will be reported to IRS if its more than $10 and if you have filled form as RESIDENT, it will mess up in your tax filing. - Filled as Resident, use interest-free account ( so no interest reporting ) - Filled as NRA, you can use saving account and earn interest as it will be reported accordingly. I am doing this for now: - DCU - RA - Checking Account ( Moved yesterday only , I almost missed it. Got some interest already but below $10 ) - SDFCU - NRA - Saving Account - Earning Interest 🤑

Saw the approval posts here recommending BoA online - went for it today, made it all the way to the final step, then stopped and want to share what I found before someone else clicks through without reading. If you select "Resident Alien" in the application (which is what makes the online flow work), the last screen is basically a W-9 form. You're certifying, under penalty of perjury, that you're a "U.S. citizen or other U.S. person." Resident Alien" is a tax term, not something that comes with your ITIN. To actually qualify you need one of:A Green Card, or 183+ days physically in the US or A formal first-year election If you live abroad and just have an ITIN, technically you're a Non-Resident Alien. The correct form is W-8BEN, not W-9. Stuff that can go wrong if you sign W-9 anyway: - Account closed at the next yearly KYC review - When a bank closes you for fraud/misrep, they report it to ChexSystems and Early Warning Services (EWS). EWS is owned by Chase, BofA, Wells, Cap One, US Bank, PNC, Truist — they all see each other's flags in real time. ChexSystems sticks for 5 years. Most mainstream US banks pull both before opening anything new. - Automatic 24% backup withholding on interest - IRS expects a full 1040 with worldwide income - Any future US visa or ESTA form asks if you ever made a false statement to get a benefit. Bank account counts. Just wanted folks to know what's behind that final checkbox before clicking. Not worth it in my opinion.

Most people mess up US credit before they even start. They rush. They apply everywhere, use weak addresses, and just want to “get something going.” Then a few months later they’re stuck fixing flags, inconsistencies, and shutdowns. Starting clean is way easier than fixing later. If you’re serious, your foundation matters: - Use a solid, consistent address (don’t play games here) - Keep applications minimal and intentional - Pay on time, every time - Stay consistent across everything (name, address, details) That alone puts you ahead of most people. If you don’t have that setup yet, wait. Build it properly first. Because once banks flag you, it’s a different game. You’re not building anymore — you’re repairing. And that takes months, sometimes longer. This is not about situations where something breaks and you’re forced to fix it. That happens. Nobody has a “perfect” setup. This is about people who rush in, overdo it, and create problems they didn’t need to have. Start clean. Keep it simple. Stay consistent.