moNYC

Hello peeps,

we have made it! We moved just before Christmas and so far so good!

We have a home, big boys have High and Middle schools, toddler has a lovely park down the road and baby is just happy to be with everyone. We have our SSN, husband has bank account but I am stuck with the proof of address thing to open mine as all the utilities are on my husband's name. Just wondering if anyone had a similar issue and what the options are?

I will write another post later with all the updates.

Thanks!

Hotscot

err....haven't you asked the bank what they will accept? Like proof of marriage, a letter mailed to yourself for example?

moNYC

yep, haven't heard back yet but I thought I'd check here as everyone is so helpful

Hotscot

Just call and ask them..

Bob

Send yourself a post card will be the quickest way.

Letter, goes through the federal system and with your name on it, will be proof of address.

moNYC

Thank you!

Pulaski

Have your husband add you to his account, temporarily. Then the bank already has "your" address. Then open your own account, and your husband can then remove you from his account. Maybe.

Hotscot

What does the bank say when you called them?

augigi

I'd add your name to the utilities - you will probably need those to get a driver license anyhow.

RICH

Isn't your name on the mortgage, or rental agreement?

BunnyGirl

This.

Took 10 minutes to add me to my husband's bank account, I just needed my passport and our marriage certificate. No proof of address needed.

Pulaski

The problem is that they haven't been through the US postal service, and both rental agreements and mortgage documents are often printed on plain paper, so pretty much anyone with a computer, internet connection, and printer can download proforma documents add a few details and print out documents the validity of which can be rather hard, if not impossible, for a bank to disprove. So those documents may not be accepted, and personally I would recommend that a bank not use them as evidence of an address, with the possible exception of when the bank originated the mortgage and so could verify the validity of the mortgage documentation.

RICH

Rental agreement is a bit tenuous, but mortgage is recorded with the county, for reasons of validity, and is avilable online here anyway. I imagine the utilities use that when issuing accounts.

The Deed thingy I got, came in the mail, after it was recorded.

The question is, is OP listed on these docs already, or not?

Pulaski

Agreed, but I doubt most banks could be ärsëd to check up on the validity of such things when they can just demand a utility bill and DL or passport.

OnwardandUpward

I think as a wife in this situation you should do everything to get finance status in your own name, because if something goes wrong with your marriage ( and it all sounds delightful in your case and I am sure it won't, but- ) it's starting over ( yet again ) with zero credit and after being at home with kids and out of the workplace even more difficult. Then-in another country with poor social support and no family/long-term friends...if the friends you have made since being here are from husband's work- they will none of them support you if he is more influential than you are, they will support him where they get further work, references etc. You'll be lucky if you hear from them again.

Many states there's no alimony either- though there's nothing to stop you arguing for it.

Transfer as many things as you can to your own name asap. Buy something in your name then pay it off.

It was a hurdle for me to overcome when I realized I was on my own with a child and zero credit history- one relatively expensive car loan and apartment/utilities in my name and a couple of years later I was okay...but I do have specialist talents...if I'd known I would not have let myself get in a position of weakness financially in the first place.

I think it's one reason I never use credit any more, I see it as exploitation now!

Once you have a big credit score and some cash saved up- you have more choices.

Hope all goes well for you!