To open a regular bank or credit union account, you usually need to fill out a bank account application, government-issued ID, proof of address, and other documents to prove your identity.

But my free cash never arrived -- namely, because my bank account application was never approved. And to this day, I don't really know why. A strange banking situation ...

If your score is 624, you may not be able to afford a five-point hit before submitting that mortgage application. But thankfully, opening a new bank account shouldn't change your credit score at all.