The U.S. banking industry, specifically Bank of America Corp., has begun offering credit cards to customers without Social Security numbers. These are typically illegal immigrants.

Banks, in recent years have begun offering checking accounts to the nation's fast-growing ranks of undocumented immigrants, most of whom are Hispanic. There are cases where even mortgages were made.

This untapped market is well help Hispanics to develop a credit history and expand their purchasing power in years to come. To qualify, one has to have held a personal checking account with the bank for three months without an overdraft.