Changing your whereabouts can be pretty exciting. Unfamiliar surroundings where you’ll expand your views on life, make connections and perhaps advance in your career – what’s there not to love? But, amidst all that excitement, you may forget how to change your address when you move and how important it is.
The best way to go through a move, especially an interstate one, is to plan it thoroughly. Many of us completely forget who to notify when relocating and to do it on time. It’s something we take for granted or perhaps don’t deem as important as choosing between an enclosed auto transport or the cheaper open trailer auto transport for our vehicle. But skipping this task may cause some complications down the road. So, how do you change your mailing address when you move?
The US is full of people on the move, as more than 15% of our fellow citizens switch their living place each year. And they are driven by various reasons to move. Since most moves happen between the beginning of May and early September, it’s only natural that many service providers will be extremely busy during these months.
There are many things on our to-do list and a few things we forget to do when we move because we postponed them or simply forgot to put them on our checklist. Although notifying everyone of your whereabouts may seem like the least important task, it may cause different issues with government, financial and other institutions.
If you plan to move out of state, you should keep this in mind and start preparing on time. But, what is the best way to notify of an address change? It depends on the services and the institutions; some may be done through a website form, while you’ll need an in-person visit with others.
Each relocation is different, and each brings its own difficulties. We struggle to find a reliable USA auto transport company and to decide between door-to-door auto transport or terminal to terminal car shipping. We look for ways to get a job in another state before moving there so we can be financially stable as soon as we move. The next question that probably bothers you is, “when should I change my address when moving?” As with most relocation tasks, one of the best moving tips is to take care of it several weeks ahead of your move-out date.
Perhaps the best place to start with the whereabouts update is the Post Office. Although most of us have surpassed the use of traditional mail, we still receive some important things through our physical mailbox. The Post Office should be notified of your leave to avoid the future residents looking for ways to stop getting mail that is addressed to you. This also means that the mail will never reach your mailbox, but instead, it will continue to be returned to the sender.
But “how can I change my address” with the Post Office? The USPS has made it easy for you to take care of it because they have an online form on their website that you can fill out without leaving your home. You may also choose between temporary and permanent updates of whereabouts. Add any family members on the website if you are not relocating to another state alone. You will only pay a small verification fee with your debit or credit card.
You can fill out the COA form in person by visiting the Post Office and asking for a Mover’s Guide. You’ll also avoid paying the verification fee this way. It takes about five business days for the confirmation letter to arrive at your future location. After the USPS redirects your mail, it will start arriving from seven to ten Postal business days from the start date of COA.
One of the crucial relocating mistakes you should avoid is forgetting to inform the IRS of your move. The federal revenue agency and your state tax agency are among the most important institutions that should be notified of your latest location. Like with the USPS, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) provides you with an online form that you can use to update your personal information. You can also notify them in writing, which should contain your full name, current and future location, social security number, and individual taxpayer identification number. It should also contain your signature at the end. The state tax agencies will provide you with information through the website of the state’s government.
Your move to a new city is a complex process, where you have to think about which car shipping company offers the best services and what to pack in the bag of relocating essentials. It’s easy to lose track of certain tasks, such as fetching your clothes left at the dry cleaners or letting everyone know about your move. But to help yourself avoid any unpleasant situations and issues, you should inform any financial institution whose services you are using.
One of the crucial steps in organizing your move is to make sure all your statements and banking bills continue to arrive in your mailbox. That’s why it’s essential to either contact or visit your banks and investment companies, inform them that you are moving and what your future location will be.Credit card information is equally important, and the issuer will need to update your personal information . Updating your billing address is done online, in several easy steps. Other financial institutions that should be informed of your move include loan providers. You may be a student loan user or dealing with other companies that offer financial advances, so make sure you inform them you’re relocating to a new home. Last but not least, get your tax adviser or accountant updated on your future whereabouts.
You probably think utility companies are not that important to take care of, but there are several reasons why you should contact them ahead and inform them you’re relocating. If you don’t disconnect your utilities before you leave, the next residents may end up with a hefty heat bill to pay. And if you don’t agree on the connection in your future home, you may end up without electricity, gas, or water when you enter it. That’s why it’s essential to transfer utilities on time, and have a stress-free move. Call your utility companies and agree on the connection and disconnection dates, or find a new service provider in your future area.
Although utilities are essential to have, in this modern age, we’ve grown used to having our phone, cable, and internet connection at all times. If you forget to set the connection date, one of the things to do after relocating will be to run around trying to find service providers that can get you connected right away. It will probably take several weeks of waiting in line, which is especially unacceptable if you are a remote worker. This is the reason why it’s so important to notify your providers before you head out of your old home.
There are many tips that can help you move efficiently, and by sticking to them, you’ll give yourself enough time to sit back, relax, and wonder about the evolution of cars after you move. So here’s a list of additional institutions and services that you should notify of your new location:
Finding a reliable auto transport company is an important step for anyone who owns a car and wants to transport it from state to state. After you choose a moving company and move across the country, don’t skip informing the Department of Motor Vehicles. They will correct your vehicle registration and add information about your current whereabouts. If you need to get a new driver’s license, you will probably be given a deadline of several weeks.
The next stop on your notifying journey is voter registration. If you want your vote to be counted during elections, you shouldn’t forget this step. No matter if you’ve relocated to a small town or a metropolis, Inform the voting district you are in of your current location. They will give you directions to what polling location you should go to when election day comes. You should check whether your registration got updated along with the DMV information because some states allow this option.
In the end, you can’t move across the country if you haven’t said goodbye to your loved ones. However important it is to remember the car shipping requirements, one of the emotionally essential things when planning a relocation is to tell your friends and family you’re leaving. The best way to notify them is to throw a goodbye party and spend some more time together before the next chapter of your life begins.
