Bank of America vs Wells Fargo for non residents

By Rohan Smith, 15 December, 2022

Bank of America review for non-residents without SSN

By Rohan Smith, 17 November, 2022
Bank
Bank of America
SSN Required?
For Residents
ITIN Required?
No
Can Apply Online?
With SSN
Summary

The Bank of America is the second-largest bank in the US and one of the top ten largest globally, Bank of America is a financial services titan that provides a wide assortment of retail, business, and investment banking services to over 66 million customers across the globe.

Features
  • Low monthly maintenance fees and minimum opening deposits.
  • Very familiar with opening accounts for foreigners.
  • Lots of international partner ATMs.
Cons
  • Monthly fee $4.95 - 3% Int'l card payment cost.
  • Relatively high foreign transaction fees.
Link
https://www.bankofamerica.com/

Wells Fargo review for non-residents without SSN

By Rohan Smith, 17 November, 2022
Bank
Wells Fargo
SSN Required?
For Residents
ITIN Required?
No
Can Apply Online?
With SSN
Summary

Wells Fargo offers a large network of branches, many ATMs, and a variety of financial products. Monthly fees on basic bank accounts can be easily waived, but savings rates tend to be low. If you have a high enough balance across eligible accounts, you could receive upgrades on interest rates (but they’re still lower than the national average). Wells Fargo may be a good fit if you’re looking for a large network of branches and ATM access is important to you.

Features
  • Account: Everyday Checking.
  • US residence required: Yes (though not necessarily primary residence).
  • SSN/ITIN required: Only for US citizens.
  • No minimum daily balance required - Outgoing int'l wire cost: $30 plus an additional 4%-10% (depending on the currency)
Cons

  • Yields on certificates of deposit and savings accounts are low, like many big banks.

  • There is an out-of-network ATM fee of $2.50 for checking account customers.

  • The money market account has a steeper monthly fee if a specified balance isn’t maintained.

  • Wells Fargo still charges a $35 fee for over-drafting your account on most of its checking accounts.

Link
https://www.wellsfargo.com/checking/everyday/