Having a bank account generally makes life easier, but millions in the United States don’t have access to banking. In fact, many feel they can do without a bank account for good. Many studies have given credence to the theory that checking and savings accounts are not right for everyone. At the end of this article, we will give you some tips on how to find the best services for operating without a bank account.
Unbanked and Underbanked Consumers
What do the terms Unbanked and Underbanked mean? An unbanked person is someone with no bank account of any kind: no checking, savings, or credit card. Underbanked means a person who has some sort of bank account but still uses services like check cashing, money orders, and payday loans.
These unbanked and underbanked consumers represent a considerable market opportunity for financial services companies. In fact, according to a survey by the FDIC, there are over 5.9 million American households that fall into this category. The unbanked and underbanked bought upwards of $3 trillion of goods and services with cash and money orders. Too often, these consumers pay a premium to get access to their funds at fringe financial outlets.
Who is Likely to be Unbanked or Underbanked?
Generally, low-income people do not have checking accounts, while low to middle-income people are more likely to fall into the underbanked segment. Job loss, income decrease or loss, lower education, and younger Americans seem to be the demographic composition of those who fall into the unbanked or underbanked categories.
Walmart has been adding financial services designed to cinch its relationship with the unbanked by recently offering a new prepaid debit card for its “credit-challenged” customers. Walmart is providing a one percent cashback bonus for consumers who use its prepaid Visa to buy gasoline, another step in its long, concerted effort to build loyalty among lower-income consumers.
A growing number of consumers have come is revile banks and other financial institutions and consider them to be predatory and fee-hungry.
Reasons Why People are Underbanked or Unbanked in the U.S.
- Distrust of the banking system.
- Cannot maintain sufficient balances to avoid high monthly fees.
- Write too few checks or infrequently use their debit card to need a checking account.
- Have too little income to justify a savings account.
- The decline of bank branches in many lower-income and inner-city neighborhoods has made banking relationships inconvenient for many consumers.
- Have no Social Security Number. There are 20 million adults in this country who do not have a Social Security Number.
Tips for Using Un-banking Services
If you are one of the millions of Americans not tied to the banking system, you can do business using other methods. Just be careful as there are a lot of businesses willing to prey on you and others so keep these helpful tips in mind:
- Check Cashing — Walmart offers check cashing services for a $3 per check flat fee. If you compare this with checking account fees of $10 per month and you are paid twice a month, check cashing may be a cheaper alternative to banking. There are many check cashing stores around that will charge much higher fees. Make sure to know the fees upfront before you cash your checks.
- Alternatives to Credit Cards — A great alternative to a credit card is a prepaid card. Shop around online to find a card with the lowest setup fee (yes, there is a setup fee involved.) You can get one online and reload it, or buy one from a store. This way, you can use plastic instead of cash.
- Debit Cards — There are debit cards tied to non-banking financial institutions, such as PayPal. This may be a good option for those who buy and sell online.
- Secured Cards — Secured credit cards are available from various banks. Your credit limit depends on your deposit (any bank will give you a savings account as long as you have 2 IDs — it’s a checking account which is difficult to get).
- Checking Accounts — Look over our list of Non-ChexSystems banks. This just means these banks will not pull a ChexSystems report on you before giving you a checking account. That may be a good thing if you have had a rough time with another bank.
Financial technology (FinTech) companies, banks, and credit unions are rapidly addressing the problem of unbanked and underbanked households in the U.S. by developing checking and savings accounts targeted toward low-income households. These new products help these consumers and save them money in the long run by offering financial services with much lower fees.
