Before you start

Passport, with visa and I-94 if applicable
An Alabama residential address
An SSN or ITIN if you have one; a passport number if not
An opening deposit, which varies by institution

Step-by-step

1
Open a checking account in branch
Bring your passport, Alabama address and SSN or ITIN if issued. Federal Customer Identification Program rules explicitly permit a passport number and country of issuance instead of a taxpayer identification number for non-US persons.
In personWho: YouWeek 1
2
Mention a pending ITIN if you have no SSN
Banks may open accounts for people who have applied for but not yet received an ITIN. File IRS Form W-7 and keep the receipt to show at the counter.
In personWho: You
3
Use a local bank or credit union as well as a national one
Birmingham has a regional banking headquarters and a deep community bank and credit union layer, several with membership open far more widely than the names suggest. They are frequently better than a national bank on a car loan with no credit file and — because house prices here are low — on a first mortgage sooner than you would expect.
In personWho: You
4
Set up Alabama Power — there is nothing to choose
Electricity is a regulated monopoly here, so there is no retailer to compare and no contract end date to diary, unlike Texas. Expect a refundable deposit if you have no US credit file, returned after a period of on-time payment.
OnlineWho: YouBefore your move-in date
5
Ask what the actual water and sewer bill has been
Jefferson County sewer rates are among the highest in the United States, servicing debt restructured out of the county's 2011 bankruptcy, and they have risen on a published schedule since. Do not budget from a national average. Ask the landlord or the outgoing tenant for the actual combined bill, and note that a property outside the sewer district on a septic system is in a completely different position.
OnlineWho: You
6
Set up direct deposit
Give payroll your routing and account numbers. Direct deposit waives the monthly maintenance fee on most US checking accounts.
Via employerWho: You and your employer
7
Open a secured credit card in month one
Post a deposit, typically around $500, and get a card with a matching limit that reports to the credit bureaus. Age of history matters as much as behaviour, so the clock is what you are buying — and in Birmingham that clock plausibly runs towards a mortgage rather than a better flat, because buying is realistic here within a couple of years.
OnlineWho: YouMonth 1
8
Check your payslip for the occupational tax
If your workplace is inside the Birmingham city limits, the employer withholds the city's 1% occupational tax on wages regardless of where you live. It appears as a separate line and it is easy to miss when reconciling a first payslip against an offer letter.
Via employerWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Passport, with country of issuance serving as the identifying number if you have no SSN or ITIN
Visa and I-94, where applicable
SSN card or ITIN letter, if issued
Proof of an Alabama address
Employer offer letter, accepted by many local institutions as supporting evidence

Things most newcomers don’t know

Federal rules let a bank take your passport instead of an SSN.

The Customer Identification Program rule accepts a passport number and country of issuance for non-US persons, and the FDIC's own guidance says so. Branch staff often do not know this. Escalate politely, or try a credit union, before concluding you must wait for the Social Security card.

Source: FDIC — Customer Identification Program requirements

The sewer bill is a bankruptcy bill.

Jefferson County's sewer financing collapsed into what was then the largest municipal bankruptcy in United States history, and the restructured debt is serviced by ratepayers rather than written off. That is why sewer rates here are among the highest in the country and why they rise on a schedule. It is a real recurring cost, it is invisible in any cost-of-living index, and it varies enormously between a property in the sewer district and one on septic.

Source: community-reported

Nobody chooses an electricity supplier in Alabama.

Alabama Power is a regulated monopoly, so there is no Power to Choose equivalent, no plan to compare and no contract end date to diary — the opposite of Dallas or Plano, where picking the wrong plan costs hundreds a year. What you do need to watch is the deposit a new customer with no credit file is asked for.

Source: community-reported

Carrying a balance builds interest, not credit.

Scores respond to on-time payment and low utilisation, not to interest paid. Paying in full each month builds history identically and saves a rate above 20% APR.

Source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Common mistakes to avoid

Waiting for an SSN before trying to open an account, when a passport is often enough.
Budgeting a national-average water bill in a county with among the highest sewer rates in the US.
Defaulting to a national bank and never asking a local credit union about car finance.
Reconciling a payslip against an offer letter and not noticing the 1% occupational tax line.
Financing a car in month one with no credit file at a punitive rate.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.