Before you start

Passport, with visa and I-94 if applicable
A Texas 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, Texas 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 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.
In personWho: You
3
Consider a credit union rather than a national bank
The metroplex has a deep credit union sector, several grown out of the aerospace, rail and airline employers, with membership routes far broader than the names suggest. They are frequently the cheapest car finance available to someone with no credit file — which in a car-dependent metro is the loan that matters.
In personWho: You
4
Choose your electricity retailer deliberately
Fort Worth is in the deregulated ERCOT retail market. Oncor delivers the power whoever you buy from; you choose the retail electric provider. Use the Public Utility Commission's Power to Choose site, read each plan's Electricity Facts Label, and check the average price at the usage level you will actually consume rather than at the single figure advertised. Watch the early-termination fee and diary the contract end date.
OnlineWho: YouBefore your move-in date
5
Expect a utility deposit without a credit file, and shop it
Retail electric providers assess a deposit where there is no credit history, and the amount varies materially between providers — so this is another reason to compare rather than take the first offer. It is refundable after a period of on-time payment. Fort Worth Water is municipal and will also want a deposit.
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 the thing you are buying.
OnlineWho: YouMonth 1
8
Budget the car loan, the insurance, the tolls and the covered parking together
Fort Worth is car-dependent, comprehensive cover matters because of hail, North Texas tolls are a real monthly line, and a newcomer with no credit file will be quoted a punitive finance rate. Model all four as one decision rather than four.
In personWho: 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 a Texas address
Employer offer letter, accepted by some institutions as supporting evidence

Things most newcomers don’t know

Nobody will assign you an electricity supplier. That is the biggest practical difference from San Antonio.

In San Antonio, CPS Energy is a municipal monopoly and there is nothing to choose. In Fort Worth you must pick a retail provider from dozens, and the difference between a well-chosen plan and a default one is several hundred dollars a year on a Texas summer bill. Use the Public Utility Commission's own comparison site — the commercial comparison sites are paid by the providers.

Source: Public Utility Commission of Texas — Power to Choose

Read the Electricity Facts Label at YOUR usage, not the headline rate.

Texas plans advertise an average price at a specific monthly usage — often 1,000 kWh — and the rate at 500 or 2,000 kWh can be dramatically worse. Some plans include bill credits that only trigger in a narrow usage band. The label is a regulated disclosure and it shows the price at three usage levels; that is the number to compare.

Source: Public Utility Commission of Texas

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. Branch staff often do not know this. Escalate politely, or try a credit union, before concluding you must wait for the SSN.

Source: FFIEC BSA/AML Examination Manual — Customer Identification Program

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 — credit cards

Common mistakes to avoid

Taking whatever electricity plan a comparison ad puts first, or letting a fixed contract roll onto the variable rate.
Comparing plans at 1,000 kWh when your flat uses 500.
Waiting for an SSN before trying to open an account, when a passport is often enough.
Financing a car in month one with no credit file at a punitive rate.
Being surprised by electricity and water deposits in the same week as the rental deposit.

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