Users model

Users belongs_to :account

and account has_many :users

  if self.account_id.nil?
      #This Works
      newaccount=Account.create(:name=>self.name)
      self.account_id=newaccount.id
      self.save

      # This fails with a reference to a nil object
      #raise self.inspect
      #self.account.create(:name=>self.name)
    end

I checked self and name is set
so why the crash