My life is a financial mess at the moment and I am working hard to get it back in order. Right now, I am broke, unemployed and looking for a job. I recently found out I'm on ChexSystems. This means I have entered the murky world of second chance checking accounts. These so-called second chance banks are basically nothing more than banks that do not use chex systems.

It's almost impossible to exist in modern society without a bank account. Most jobs even want to direct deposit your checks these days. Once you run afoul of the ChexSystems behemoth, you are in serious trouble. They can keep you on the list for up to 5 years and even after that, there is a paper trail.

So you have screwed up your checking account and you're on ChexSystems - what are you supposed to do now?

1. You can start the long and tedious process of trying to get your name removed from the Chex Systems list. Good luck.This is a very difficult process. You have to first pay what you owe - if anything- the the banks. Then you can request to have your name taken off the list. Most of the time, you are going to be stuck for 5 years.
   
2. You can start looking for banks that do not use ChexSystems. There are a few of them out there and an entire internet industry has popped up to help you find them.
   

You are probably going to have more luck with option #2. But you are about to enter a world of shady operators and predatory lenders. Once you have the Scarlet Letter of ChexSystem stamped on your financial history - the predators are going to descend on you. They can smell the blood in the air. So, if you are searching for a second chance bank account, here are a few things to keep in mind - so you don't get into an even worse situation

1. Any bank should be FDIC-insured. If it's not FDIC insured, you could lose all of your money if they bank goes out of business.
2. Any Credit Union should be NCUSIF insured. The NCUSIF is basically the FDIC of the credit union industry. It exists to protect your money should your credit union go under.
3. Do a little research. Search around the bank's website and make sure it has a legitimate address, working phone numbers etc. You can also call 411 and make sure the listed telephone number matches the street address.
4. Make sure it has a physical location. On-line banking can be really cool, but it's also fairly easy to put up an offer that looks real, then take desperate people's money and disappear. The bank should have a physical branch somewhere, even if it's not right around the corner.
5. Watch out for hidden charges. The banks shouldn't charge you for regular stuff like withdrawals, phone services and statements. These are part of the banking process and are provided for free by legitimate banks. Some second chance banks charge you for absolutely everything. Watch out.

Just because you are on the ChexSystem list doesn't mean you should give up.

I am in the same boat as you. It's easy to get discouraged, but I refuse to give up... or get ripped off just because I have to use a non Chex System bank.

From quick weight loss to get-rich-quick - we are addicted to quick fixes. Getting your financial house back in order is going to take a lot of time. You might as well be realistic about it. Be smart. Think about what you're doing. Make a little forward progress every day.  You really CAN do this.