Practical questions

[Steve_Boothe]

My husband and I are starting fulltiming in late 2014. I've read some helpful suggestions but on the practical side what do you do about your mail, banking and credit cards? I assume you can just keep banking in your home state but what about an address? And when your Credit card renewals come up?

To have mail forwarded you have to know where you're gonna be in a week or so?

Thanks for information!!
Jeanette of the "Steve Boothe"

[hitchup]

We kept our main bank and a 2nd online bank we had for our investments. Just switched the address from our new home at the UPS Store.

All checks are either Direct Deposit or if our mail forwarder sends us a paper one, I can deposit it on my iPhone/iPad app. Really simple.

All Bank statements, CC and utility bills are paperless. I pay everything either automatically online or pay as we charge.

Best thing about paperless, the only mail we seem to get anymore is from charities sending us new address stickers or Greeting cards.

[SCR]

Some debit and credit card providers require an update as to where you will be using them. This mostly protects them but also you from fraudulent use.

This can be a pain at times. I forgot to tell our debit card provider that we would be traveling outside the area I gave them and it was declined while getting fuel in KY. A phone call straightened it out but it was tedious and time consuming.

Best to keep them appraised of your travel plans if they require this information.

[Executive45]

Since you're looking at full timing later this year you've plenty of time to decide what is best for you....YOUR definition of full timing may differ from someone else's. That said, there are several things to consider. As a full timer, you can decide to become residents of any state in the union regardless of whether you own property in that state or any other state. That decision could affect you financially and medically. This assumes, of course, you're 65 or older. If you're younger, some other restrictions may apply.

1. Will you be traveling a lot or staying in one spot for a month or more?
2. Will you be looking at purchasing a new RV or using the one you currently own?
3. Will you still be working while "on the road"?

There are many reasons for the above...

Taxes...SD has no State income tax, 3% sales tax and depending on county, no wheel tax. If buying a new vehicle, this could save you thousands.
Medical...Check for Medicare/Medical coverage based on which state you call your residence state.
Licensing...will your residence state require a different class of driver's license based on the type of RV you plan to use. Each state is different.
Insurance...full timer insurance is different than your present insurance. Think of it as combining your car insurance and your homeowner's policy. Many companies offer RV insurance but only a few offer full timer coverage.

Most of your banking, credit cards etc can be done on line. Use a mifi or aircard for secure access and "go green" with paperless billing.

There are many mail forwarding companies available that will forward your mail wherever and whenever you wish. Send mail C/O General Delivery to whatever postal zip you will be visiting.

Here's some other tips...your mileage may vary....

Begin by researching which State is best for YOU as far as residency is concerned. We chose South Dakota. Simple choice for us as California had 9 3/4% sales tax, SD-3%. On a $500,000 coach the savings bought a whole bunch of diesel fuel...:W

Once you've decided on a resident State, begin by locating a mail forwarding service that will give you a legal mailing address. Then begin moving ALL your records to that State, bank accounts, credit cards, voter registration etc. This establishes your "intent" to make that state your resident state. This is something the IRS will look at if you're audited. Once you've begun to move those records, you can re-title your vehicles, get a driver's license and move your insurance....we began 6 mos before I was scheduled to retire so by the time I pulled the plug, we were no longer residents of California but of South Dakota. We also purchased property in Arizona where we stay for the winter months but we are still residents of South Dakota. While in Arizona for the winter, we get our annual physicals, dental check ups etc. I also have the coach in for it's annual servicing then too...hope this helps...Dennis

[Old-Biscuit]

As a FTnr you will need an address.....one that is recognized and accepted by State/Federal and many other businesses.

A mail forwarding service can provide that legal 'physical' address.

Then you have to decide which State you are going to call home (domicile).
Lots of things to consider when choosing that domicile state. Taxes, Insurance coverage (Medical/Vehicle), Estate/Probate, Residency Requirements, Pension etc.

You can set up your new address (mail forwarding) via Websites and then will need to go to that state and met the residency requirements---get new DL's/register vehicles......change your mailing address etc.

As for getting your mail.......

We would request to have our mail forwarded on such and such date via website to be sent to such and such address via USPS Priority Mail (always got our mail within 3 days after being sent).
Many CGs accept mail..........lots of Post Offices accept 'General Delivery' (some don't so you have to check first).
We cut way down on mail by using on-line banking with e-billing (paperless) auto pay/recurring payment. Made it so much easier/less hassles.

Good luck in your new adventure. Ours was GREAT

[MTPockets1]

We use GoodSam RVNet mail address in FL, which is now our permanent legal address. Our driver license, voter registration, everything. Any banking is done on line, and direct deposit, auto bill pay etc. we use Wells Fargo Bank as they have offices most everywhere in USA in case we need one. We have mail sent once a month or so. We can check our mailbox on line to see what is held and decide whether to forward and when.

[Aridon]

Online banking AND statements

Mail forwarding if you don't have a physical address.

[2gypsies1]

Banking and credit cards can stay the same. However, you need to give them your new address. That is done by establishing a mail forwarding service and it's recommended to do it in one of the popular full-timing states such as Texas, Florida, South Dakota. You will need an actual street address not a P.O. Box. That doesn't mean you have to live there or even stay in those states. It's just an mailing address.

We've belonged to the Escapees RV Club mail forwarding service for 17+ years and would highly recommend them. They give you a street address that has been proven to be very legal via the courts.

It's a very easy process to request the mail that the forwarding service is holding for you. In our case if we know where we're traveling to we find out the nearest very small town post office address, zip. Then we ask the forwarding company to send our mail c/o General Delivery to that post office. It is then sent and we can count on receiving it within a 3-day perios via Priority Mail upon our arrival. We've never had a problem doing it this way - even on our trips to Alaska.

We stay in public parks (national, state, forest service, etc.) so we're not having it sent to an RV park but instead, General Delivery. Also, be sure to find a very small town for the General Delivery post office. Some bigger cities have multiple post offices and is not a reliable way of getting your mail.

We've never had any issues in 17 years. We pay $85/year for the service and then our postage. We can have it sent daily or whenever we request it. We usually have mail sent every 3-5 weeks - we don't get much nowdays as our bill-paying is done via automatic deductions. Newly-issued credit cards and some financial/medial documents are sent to us this way.

Have a great time in your new lifestyle!

[HappyKayakers]

Most banks offer online banking and bill pay so that shouldn't be a problem. Now you need to find a mail forwarding service in your domicile state. You should set that up soon so you can get all your address changes in before you leave.

You'll have to decide on your domicile state before people can make recommendations. I'm a FL resident and use St. Brendan's Isle for my legal address and mail forwarding.

Some services can scan all or some of your mail and forward it to you electronically. If you're constantly on the move, then yes you need to figure out where you'll be in a few days and have physical mail sent there (after checking to make sure the campground or park will accept the mail). I don't move that often so I can wait till I get someplace to have mail forwarded.