From wcs@anchor.ho.att.com Sun Feb 28 20:56:24 1993 non-interest-paying checking accounts - remember those, from long ago ? :-) You could probably legally run a bank that didn't require SSNs for these, though most banks don't. Banks need your SSN (at least) for being able to report to the IRS anything they are required to report. This can include interest payments, but also includes things like making cash transactions of more than $10k. Bank accounts *must* be fully documented in this country. Switzerland, and certain small islands have more lax rules. The USA does not. Privacy is one thing. Money is another, at least in this country. /jordan