Getting Started

What do you need to open an account?

You can open a Bank Account by visiting any of our branches or Community Banking Centres. You will be required to present two pieces of identification, one of which bears your photograph and signature. You will also be asked to disclose your date of birth, address, occupation and employer.

You can do your daily banking with First Nations Bank at any of our branches, our Community Banking Centres or via Internet banking, telephone banking and our automated banking machines.

Need to buy a car, go on vacation or make a large purchase?

Credit can be a loan to buy a car, a line of credit or a credit card to make everyday purchases more convenient.

To evaluate whether an applicant is creditworthy, the Bank requests information on matters such as your income* and the loans you currently have, and asks for your consent to obtain, verify and use the content of your credit report to check your credit history.

Wish to buy a house?

Before you start shopping for a house, and for a mortgage, it is important for you to determine how much you can afford.

The easiest way to find out is to ask for a "pre-approval" from us. To do this, you will provide your financial information which includes proof of income and other outstanding debts which we will use to approve you for a predetermined mortgage amount. The pre-approval agreement, which normally does not involve any obligation on your part, may also guarantee the interest rate for a mortgage taken out during the 60- to 120-day pre-approval period.

Before you start shopping for a house, keep track of your monthly income and expenses to determine how long you need to save to accumulate the required down payment (minimum 5% of the borrowed amount) and whether you can afford the monthly mortgage payments. Remember, there is more to buying a home than paying the down payment and mortgage. You'll need to budget another 1.5 to 4 per cent of the price of your home to cover extra costs such as legal fees, land transfer tax and tax adjustments.

As a rule of thumb, your maximum monthly housing costs should not exceed 32 per cent of your gross monthly income, and your monthly debt payments should not exceed 40 per cent of your gross monthly income.

^{* You will need to provide two recent paystubs or a letter from your employer as proof of income.}