Barriers to saving..

Aside from the most obvious barrier to saving which is spending to much, I have encountered another bump along the road to financial security which i would like to share with you, these are barriers to saving in a bank.

In my search for a checking account it has just dawned on me that accessibility to the bank should have been included as a priority. Having an 8am to 5pm desk job 5 days a week limits my depositing of funds over-the-counter (heck, even applying for the account) to my lunch-break time frame. This is one of the reasons I chose to open my savings account at Manila bank. Aside from bank location and banking hours, here are some other barriers I think I should bring to light:

I don't need a savings account! I need a checking account!
To open a checking account you need a six month year-old savings account in that particular bank. This is a unwanted hassle especially if you just need a checking account in bank where you don't have a savings account and six months is a pretty long hassle.

On the other side of the coin, I guess these banks are just taking a cautionary stance against those who might sign up for a checking account only to have it bounce around. And I think banks have already had enough of bad debt.

Isn't that me?!
In opening an account at most banks, identification just has too many requirements. Nowadays, your company ID is considered a secondary ID and most of the primary identification materials should have been issued by the government (i.e. Driver's license, NBI clearance, passport, SSS ID, etc.)

In most cases, the average working Juan dela Cruz, has his company ID and maybe his driver's license (and maybe his expired NBI clearance, which doesn't really count), and unfortunately this isn't enough for the banks! Although there are cases where the bank would still let you open an account, the banks will place a restriction (or a red flag) on your account until you provide another identification material to their liking.

I have found a few solutions to the barriers above:
In getting a checking account without a savings account -

• Open a joint account with a close relative or friend that you can trust not to touch your money that has a pre-existing savings account in a bank.
• Choose to open a savings account product that doubles as a checking account, but prepare for the higher initial deposit and the higher maintaining balance.

In opening an account -

• Don't forget to get your SSS ID
• Get a driver's license even if you don't plan on driving much
• Get a postal ID! its an easy-to-get government issued identification material
  

Know of any other barriers to saving in a bank? or want to rant about the barriers you have encountered? Share it in the comments!