How to open a bank account without your parents knowing
When parents have access to or monitor an existing account, opening a new one independently creates risks of them finding out through transfers or shared information like an SSN. This prevents people from making private online payments or moving their money securely without detection.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1my brother suggests i use chime
- 2Opening an account at a completely different bank than the parents use
- 3Setting mail delivery addresses to college offices instead of family homes
- 4Switching to paperless statements
- 5Using secured credit cards or prepaid cards instead of standard checking/debit
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I need to be able to make online payments not through my existing bank account (which my parents monitor closely).”source ↗
“will they be able to tell somehow through my SSN / other info that I opened a debit card?”source ↗
“Just adding that if you plan to move money from the old account to the new your parents would be able to see the transfer. So you won’t be able to fly completely under the radar”source ↗
“i currently have a bank of america account, but i want to set up a new one because my parents have access to that account and have taken money out of it before..”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 2How to open a business bank account for a home-based business
- 2What do I do after opening a child custodial account?
- 3Why am I getting denied when opening a bank account?
- 5How do you avoid getting burned by bank sign-up bonuses?
- 4Checking account with global ATM fees and Zelle
- 2Which debit card should I get for my kids?