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Chicken and Egg - Credit Card, Bank Account, Address, everything

Chicken and Egg - Credit Card, Bank Account, Address, everything

Old Apr 13th 2017, 6:30 pm
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Default Chicken and Egg - Credit Card, Bank Account, Address, everything

Six weeks until we go!

...And we are starting to become embroiled in the chicken and egg problem

Amex have advised us to apply for new Amexs once we arrive in California (rather than transferring our existing cards), so that we have both US and UK Amexs.

But to do that, we need a US bank account.

To get the bank account, we need proof of address.

Due to a lack of credit rating we've gone down the sublet route (for the first two months), so no lease or utilities in our name...

... and to get utilities (well, a cellphone plan), you need a bank account!

Anyone else experience this?

This is my second time living in the US (2 years in NYC, 8 years ago), so I am sure I have experienced this before but I can't remember what I did!
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Old Apr 13th 2017, 7:13 pm
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Default Re: Chicken and Egg - Credit Card, Bank Account, Address, everything

Use your UK card for a month or so before applying. Once you have your bank account open, use the sublet address, the address can be changed when you have a permanent place, apply for the US card.

Utilities, cable, deposits, etc. should all be payable by check. Which bank does the employer use? My last employer used Citibank and it afforded us free checking when we did direct deposit of our pay. Your employer will probably prefer you to have direct deposit and it should be far easier to open an account with the same bank they use. Remember you can always change banks later on.
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Old Apr 13th 2017, 7:24 pm
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Default Re: Chicken and Egg - Credit Card, Bank Account, Address, everything

Register with the local library using your new address, or mail yourself a post card, which is usually accepted as sufficient evidence that you live at the address. .... Messing with the US Postal Service can be a serious offence in the US, so anything sent through the USPS has more credibility than you might initially expect.
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Old Apr 13th 2017, 9:20 pm
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Default Re: Chicken and Egg - Credit Card, Bank Account, Address, everything

You may want to look at the Amex global transfer site. You can get a US phone number by switching to toggle mobile while still in the UK.

https://www.americanexpress.com/global-card-transfers/
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Old Apr 14th 2017, 5:39 pm
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Default Re: Chicken and Egg - Credit Card, Bank Account, Address, everything

We opened bank accounts while still in temporary accommodation using hubby's work address. The bank was very helpful and flexible and used some combination of passports, visas, job offer letter etc, to get the accounts open and get the cards/ checks mailed out. We then switched address to our residential one a few weeks later.
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Old Apr 14th 2017, 7:04 pm
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Default Re: Chicken and Egg - Credit Card, Bank Account, Address, everything

Originally Posted by mrken30
You may want to look at the Amex global transfer site. You can get a US phone number by switching to toggle mobile while still in the UK.

https://www.americanexpress.com/global-card-transfers/
I thought Amex was the key too, but you need the bank account first - you cant make payments from a UK account. Is toggle just a case of buying a sim card and putting it in?
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Old Apr 14th 2017, 7:05 pm
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Default Re: Chicken and Egg - Credit Card, Bank Account, Address, everything

Originally Posted by Pulaski
Register with the local library using your new address, or mail yourself a post card, which is usually accepted as sufficient evidence that you live at the address. .... Messing with the US Postal Service can be a serious offence in the US, so anything sent through the USPS has more credibility than you might initially expect.

Very smart - I will try it. Thanks!
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Old Apr 14th 2017, 7:06 pm
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Default Re: Chicken and Egg - Credit Card, Bank Account, Address, everything

Originally Posted by kodokan
We opened bank accounts while still in temporary accommodation using hubby's work address. The bank was very helpful and flexible and used some combination of passports, visas, job offer letter etc, to get the accounts open and get the cards/ checks mailed out. We then switched address to our residential one a few weeks later.
We are both freelancers so no employer! I should have mentioned that
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Old Apr 14th 2017, 7:09 pm
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Default Re: Chicken and Egg - Credit Card, Bank Account, Address, everything

Originally Posted by Rete
Use your UK card for a month or so before applying. Once you have your bank account open, use the sublet address, the address can be changed when you have a permanent place, apply for the US card.
We can't open the account without the address, but you have got me thinking.... maybe we have UK Amex statement forwarded to the sublet address. Thanks !
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Old Apr 14th 2017, 7:15 pm
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Default Re: Chicken and Egg - Credit Card, Bank Account, Address, everything

Originally Posted by catlover3
I thought Amex was the key too, but you need the bank account first - you cant make payments from a UK account. Is toggle just a case of buying a sim card and putting it in?
Yes, toggle is PAYG , but will enable you to have a your UK and US number on one phone while you get organized. All incoming calls are "free".
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Old Apr 26th 2017, 9:38 am
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Default Re: Chicken and Egg - Credit Card, Bank Account, Address, everything

I'm still trying to work out how I do this when I move to Portland next year. I am basically going to be without work / no bank account / living in hotel or some kind of temp accommodation until I get sorted. But how can I get an account without an address? Will a bank / credit union accept a hotel address?

Good info on the toggle sim for mobile - will use that when I visit in June to look around.
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Old Apr 26th 2017, 10:45 am
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Default Re: Chicken and Egg - Credit Card, Bank Account, Address, everything

Originally Posted by nickjs247
I'm still trying to work out how I do this when I move to Portland next year. I am basically going to be without work / no bank account / living in hotel or some kind of temp accommodation until I get sorted. But how can I get an account without an address? Will a bank / credit union accept a hotel address?.
Strangely I don't recall my bank being picky about proof of address. I may even have self reported it or shown something from the landord (it was corporate housing and the agreement wasn't in my name, no utilities etc).

The only difficulty i know I had was with the DMV for my driving license who needed 2 recently dated proofs of address. I couldn't comply. I used a letter from the bank (they sent out welcome stuff v promptly) and filled out an affidavit to say I didn't have further proofs. (I also had to do a SSN affidavit as I don't have a SSN).
My experience is these chicken and egg scenarios do occur at the beginning but there are usually work arounds in place.

Last edited by Chesten; Apr 26th 2017 at 10:49 am.
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Old Apr 26th 2017, 12:33 pm
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Default Re: Chicken and Egg - Credit Card, Bank Account, Address, everything

Originally Posted by nickjs247
I'm still trying to work out how I do this when I move to Portland next year.
On what basis are you moving? You can't just up sticks and move to the US without a visa that allows you to do that.

Ian
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Old Apr 26th 2017, 1:33 pm
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Default Re: Chicken and Egg - Credit Card, Bank Account, Address, everything

Originally Posted by ian-mstm
On what basis are you moving? You can't just up sticks and move to the US without a visa that allows you to do that.

Ian
Wife is US Citizen. Applying for Green Card later this year and moving over late next year. Just seeing out my contract in the military to get my pension at the moment. Spouse visa seems fairly straight forward from what I have read so far and I already have a SSN as I lived in Vegas for three years from 2012 (really should have kept that bank account open!).
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Old Apr 26th 2017, 2:13 pm
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Default Re: Chicken and Egg - Credit Card, Bank Account, Address, everything

Originally Posted by Chesten
Strangely I don't recall my bank being picky about proof of address. I may even have self reported it or shown something from the landlord .....
You must have provided something that proved address to the bank's satisfaction because the USA PATRIOT Act requires banks to obtain four pieces of information, with suffice supporting evidence, before an account is allowed to be opened - Name, address, date of birth, and a "government issued identity number".

Your passport will satisfy everything but the address, and while the government issued identity number is commonly interpreted as a SSN, a passport number is (should be) perfectly acceptable.
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