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SB
SB (@guest_2075181)
June 10, 2025 10:09

Denied by BofA with EWS pull

jack
jack (@guest_2058473)
May 9, 2025 13:49

just tried opening an account w/ BofA and First Horizon for their respective bank bonuses, both declined my applications shortly after submitting, BofA actually told me it was literally because my EWS deposit score was 646…

Gadget 🕵️‍♂️ Bank Bonus Geek 🔗
Gadget 🕵️‍♂️ Bank Bonus Geek 🔗 (@guest_2042751)
April 11, 2025 14:44

Sep 2023 – Apr 2025 Edition

Inquiries:
AMERICAN EXPRESS
BB and T & Branch Banking and Trust
CHARLES SCHWAB via GIACT SERVICES
Citibank
FIFTH THIRD BANK
JP Morgan Chase & JPMC SERVICE
Key Bank (This is Laurel Road)
Kirkpatrick Bank (OOS – Online – Application Denied)
LENDINGCLUB CORPORATION via GIACT SERVICES
PNC Bank
PNC BANK/TEXAS CAPITAL BANK via GIACT SERVICES (linking Bask Bank maybe?)
Truist
US Bank & US BANK ONDEMAND
Wells Fargo & Wells Fargo Bank

Entries with “Via” are from linking external accounts, not necessarily new deposit account openings. Also, I seem to be getting a lot of inquiries from U.S. Bank, which I theorize is because I was using USB online banking to pay my CC.

Interesting findings: (My report is down to 54 pages now – was 65 a year ago)

MORGAN STANLEY (opened Nov 2024) did NOT do an inquiry, does report account status, but not ACH transactions.

ARIZONA FEDERAL CU (opened Nov 2023) did NOT do an inquiry, does report account status, AND ACH transactions/balance.

CITIZENS BANK did NOT do an inquiry when I opened a new account in Nov 2024.

FIRST HORIZON BANK reported the status of my new account as “FIRST TENNESSEE BANK”. No inquiry, no transactions.

DISCOVER accounts that had been on my report, closed in 2017, have finally been removed. (Typically I believe accounts disappear after 3 years, not 7 years)

I have a KEYBANK account (that was actually First Niagara) which has been listed as open since 2014, that has been closed for about 10 years. I am leaving it there, to raise my average age of accts.

Probably would have been a good idea to classify EWS banks on how much info they report. Seems like there are at least 3 types. Ones that report account status only, ones that report that and balance info, and ones that report acct status, ACH, and balance info. Not sure why inquiries are hit and miss.

Techant
Techant (@guest_2014573)
March 1, 2025 15:49

I have a few old bank accounts listed on my report which were reported closed over 3 years ago and they each updated the account info with my current address which I only moved to 6 months ago. There’s no way I had these accounts open at my current address. Has this happened to anyone else?

Also Capital one is pulling my EWS at least 10 times per month for a year now which I assume is for promotional. Since all my inquiries are listed together, I’m not sure if other banks can tell the difference because there isn’t a separate section on the report for when I request to open a bank account and the bank pulls my report.

SG
SG (@guest_1993371)
January 29, 2025 08:18

What actions can one take with a low EWS score
My husband P2 I guess got denied from
1/26 Capital One 360 denied due to EWS
1/26 Wells Fargo denied due to EWS
1/29 BoA denied due to EWS

Both myself and P2 have used a credit union for the last 17 years. We have no overdrafts or derogatory banking issues whatsoever. I mean our ChexSystems is blank.
The only thing about EWS is that since we used the Credit Union it pretty much such shows nothing until recently since we started churning. I have churned a lot more than he has and so far he has only gotten a Citi bonus and now working on WF. What can we do so he doesn’t keep getting denied?

TyrannicalDuncery
TyrannicalDuncery (@guest_2070733)
June 1, 2025 17:17
  SG

I just got denied online for BoA, they mentioned in an automatic email that EWS was considered.

I called on the phone same day, they approved me easily. I was all ready to explain why my EWS might look bad, but they didn’t even ask.

SG
SG (@guest_1993365)
January 29, 2025 08:09

Bank of America and US Bank DID NOT PULL EWS for me but did Pull ChexSystems.

Gadget 🕵️‍♂️ Bank Bonus Geek 🔗
Gadget 🕵️‍♂️ Bank Bonus Geek 🔗 (@guest_1993469)
January 29, 2025 11:36
  SG

I’d assume you were a customer with these banks in the past, and that’s why you don’t see them in the EWS inquiry list. They likely still got the info they needed though their internal channels, since both are “founders” of EWS.

As of several months ago, U.S. Bank has been pulling Chex pretty consistently. That’s news to me about BofA though. I’d recommend freezing Chex before applying for those two now.

Rose
Rose (@guest_2022571)
March 14, 2025 00:48

Gadget Does USB typically pull Chex for customers with preexisting banking (checking/savings) relationships? And if so, do they typically approve with frozen Chex? TIA!

Gadget 🕵️‍♂️ Bank Bonus Geek 🔗
Gadget 🕵️‍♂️ Bank Bonus Geek 🔗 (@guest_2022583)
March 14, 2025 01:02

U.S. Bank pulling Chex is a relatively new development. There were some spurious DP’s in the distant past, and I think most were in branch.

In the last few months, DP’s have been popping up that USB is pulling Chex for online account openings. Not sure about for existing checking/savings customers though, and I did see a couple of DP’s with Chex being frozen and still getting approved, so that’s good. I would probably try it. Rose

The downside of trying with Chex frozen though, that if you are going through a portal to stack a bonus, it might not track because the account will likely not be auto approved. However, the below DP said the stack worked regardless.

https://www.doctorofcredit.com/u-s-bank-450-100-checking-bonus/#comment-1983665

Rose
Rose (@guest_2022594)
March 14, 2025 01:18

Thanks. Mostly wondering because the business checking/savings accounts are useful to churn for the Amex-inclusive CC funding. It’s not really worth it though if it’s gonna hammer one’s Chex.

I just checked, and USB did indeed pull Chex for a checking/savings duo I opened last week (which is annoying, bc I already had a Platinum Checking opened, and that pull was only a couple of months old).

I’ll try closing/opening again in a few months with Chex frozen and report back on whether it gets approved. Gadget

SG
SG (@guest_1988152)
January 19, 2025 09:53

Capital One 360 did pull EWS- was earlier this week.

Shirley
Shirley (@guest_1957834)
November 23, 2024 17:21

Live Oak Bank did not pull EWS

Melissa Walsh
Melissa Walsh (@guest_1957518)
November 23, 2024 02:20

Is there another way or easier way to pull my EWS report so I can see why I keep being denied to open a new account.

Eric 🔗
Eric 🔗 (@guest_1940341)
October 29, 2024 11:09

I pulled my EWS report for the 1st time in about 7 months. Below are FIs that pulled my EWS report that are not already noted in the article from  William Charles.

Barclays
BMO
FNBO
Flagstar
M&T
Midfirst (Monifi)
Sallie Mae