Expat Services - Making Your Relocation To The U.S. Easy
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For newly arrived foreign nationals it is very frustrating not having a U.S. credit score. When it comes to car leasing and financing the company ExpatRide has solved that problem.
ExpatRide provides foreign nationals moving to or already in the U.S. with car leasing/purchasing of new/used vehicles, any make or model from any car dealership nationwide. ExpatRide does not require a U.S. credit score and in most cases not even a U.S. driver’s license to deliver cars. The expat can get a vehicle before or after arriving to the U.S.
ExpatRide offers a Personal Car Shopper Service (free service): ExpatRide offer according to the customers wishes to search, find and negotiate the price and check the condition on any type of vehicle nationwide. This ensures that the customer gets a good price and vehicle in good condition (if pre-owned).
Connect with other expats. This group is for expats in the USA or people planning to move to the U.S. In this group we will share tips & tricks on being an expat in the U.S. Ask and answer questions, share links and information that can be of help to make our life here a great successful experience.
Please write a comment on the wall and check the discussions where we discuss topics like Visas, immigration, housing, cars, school, insurance, credit cards, U.S. credit score, meet-ups, moving, taxes, salaries etc. Or start your own topic. Click here to join the group…
expats in USA |facebook |social media
10 Myths About Auto Insurance
You may think you know everything you need to know about insuring your car. You’d be wrong.
10 myths:
‘No-fault insurance means it’s not my fault’
‘The color of my car affects my insurance rate’
‘My friend borrowed my car, so he’s responsible for damage’
‘My auto insurance company can cancel my policy at any time’
‘A more expensive car costs more to insure’
‘I got a ticket, so my car insurance rates will skyrocket’
‘I don’t need comprehensive insurance for theft, because thieves don’t steal old cars’
‘The laptop in my car is covered by my auto insurance policy’
‘I recently paid my insurance premium, so I won’t need a new policy for my new car’
‘My personal auto insurance covers both my personal and business use of my car’
The video below explains very well what Credit Score is, what influence it will have on your financial life in the U.S. and how to grow your credit score.
credit history |credit report |credit score
Expat Guide To The USA: Health Care
From the Telegraph: Health care is provided by private hospitals and clinics. Most citizens have medical insurance. This is usually provided by the individual’s employer and extends to his or her immediate family. As health care costs have mounted, employers have increasingly asked workers to contribute.
Read about cost of medical insurance in the U.S. vs. Europe and other interesting facts in the complete article here..
health care
How To Improve Your U.S. Credit Score
How to improve those three little digits that help determine your financial DNA
A credit score, financial shorthand for your creditworthiness, is based on the information in your credit report. You get points added and deducted for things like payment history, credit history, loans outstanding and so on. “It’s the only way lenders can make an effective decision,” says John Ulzheimer, president of consumer education for Credit.com. How can you improve yours? It comes down to these five key things. Read the complete article here…
credit score
Expat Explorer Survey – From HSBC International
If you were moving abroad, what would you want to know? Find out the results from the largest ever global independent survey of expats. Gain a unique insight into how expat life differs across the globe.
The Expat Explorer survey, now in its third year, is the largest independent global survey of expats. Commissioned by HSBC Bank International and conducted by a third party research company, more than 4,100 expats based in 100 countries across the globe were questioned between April and June 2010. Read the survey here…
Expatriate |HSBC |Survey
Types Of Home Mortgage Loans
Good News and Bad: Fewer Mortgage Types Available
Home buyers today have fewer mortgage options than people who bought during the housing boom. Those were the days of “exotic” mortgages, when lenders were tailoring their loan products to meet the needs of unqualified borrowers. It was the start of subprime lending, stated-income mortgages, pay-option ARM loans, and other risky products.
And then came the housing crash. All of those bad loans went belly up, and so did the lenders who made them. You know the rest of the story — foreclosure crisis, bank failures, bailouts, recession, etc.
So now here we are in 2011. Most of those risky mortgage types are no longer available. New restrictions have been placed on the lending industry. We have gotten back to the basics. This is both good news and bad news for home buyers. Read the rest of the article here…
house |loan |mortgage
Most Liveable Cities in USA
The best places to live aren’t always the biggest ones. You won’t find New York City, Chicago or San Francisco on Livability.com. The website is all about the great places in between the big cities. The staff of Livability has spent more than 20 years finding the good stuff in small to mid-sized communities all across America. The result? A resource of more than 500 of America’s best places to live, work, play, explore and belong.
Is it better to lease a car or buy? Why? Which is best?
It’s a common dilemma with automotive consumers: lease versus buy — to lease a car or buy a car — which is better?
So what is the answer?
Lease versus Buy
The answer is – it depends. It’s not possible to simply say that one is always better than the other because the answer depends on the specifics of each individual situation.
Leases and purchase loans are simply two different methods of automobile financing — leasing is not renting as many people seem to think. Leasing finances the use of a vehicle; buying with a loan finances the purchase of a vehicle. Each has its own benefits and drawbacks.
Travelers frequently ask about taking their pets with them to the United States. All such importation is subject to health, quarantine, agriculture, wildlife, and US Customs requirements and prohibitions. Pets taken out of the United States and returned are subject to the same requirements as those entering for the first time.
The U.S. Public Health Service requires that pet dogs and cats brought into this country be examined at the first port of entry for evidence of diseases that can be transmitted to humans.
A recent article by USA Today* stated that one in seven drivers on the road in the US do not have auto insurance. Even scarier, in 5 states, nearly one in four drivers did not have auto insurance despite being mandatory in every state except New Hampshire. As a foreign national, what can you do to protect yourself in case of an auto accident?
Although it is not required, most insurance policies include coverage for uninsured/underinsured (UI/UIM) motor vehicle coverage but the coverage varies by policy. UI/UIM coverage pays for the injuries to you and your passengers as well as the damage to your property from an accident where the other party is legally at fault but does not have insurance or enough insurance. As you can see from the data in the USA Today article, it is critical to have ample coverage against uninsured motorists!
Having UI/UMI coverage could pay the cost of medical bills, lost wages, repair of personal belongs and pain and suffering. It is usually inexpensive to add UI/UIM coverage to your policy but just having some protection isn’t enough. It is critical when selecting an auto policy to make sure that your policy has the maximum amount of uninsured/Underinsured motor vehicle coverage. The cost for increasing your protection is minimal compared to the risk of not having the protection you need. For more information visit www.jacobstreet.com
Auto Insurance |Jacob Street
Prepare Documentation Of Driving History
If you are able to provide documentation from your home/former country, then this could help your chances of obtaining a better insurance quote. Please remember to contact your current/former auto insurance company to obtain these documents in English as soon as possible. This will save you a lot of time and money.
Expat Auto Insurance |Expatriate Car Insurance
Moving Tips: 101 Best Moving Tips
Stress-free moves ahead! We’ve collected the best tips available from over 100 books, articles and websites. All here, all for you.
Read this article about how to: Getting Organized, Finding Great Movers, General Packing Tips, Packing Electronics and much more….
moving |relocation
Getting A Driver’s License In The U.S.
Obtaining a U.S. driver’s license should be a priority when moving to the U.S. as it will be needed in many situations, and will also be more handy than carrying your passport around.
Because there is no national identity card in the United States, the driver’s license is often used as the de facto equivalent for completion of many common business and governmental transactions.
In the United States, nearly all driver’s licenses are issued by individual states (including Washington, D.C. and territories), rather than the federal government. Drivers are normally required to obtain a license from their state of residence, and all states recognize each other’s licenses for temporary visitors subject to normal age requirements. A state may also suspend an individual’s driving privilege within its borders for traffic violations.
The credit reporting agencies – TransUnion, Equifax and Experian are the three national credit reporting agencies that keep records on consumers. The reporting agencies work with lenders, creditors, insurers and employers to update and distribute your information to the appropriate institutions. Here’s an example of how the system works:
When you apply for a new credit card the creditor requests a copy of your financial history from the reporting agencies. This causes a “hard inquiry” to be recorded on your credit report.
The creditor uses your credit reports and scores along with income and debt information to determine what rates to offer.
You start to use the new credit card and the creditor reports your activities to the credit reporting agencies about every 30 days.
The credit reporting agencies update your credit report as they receive new information from creditors or lenders.
Your credit profile changes based on your financial activity. The next time you apply for a credit card or loan, the process repeats.
Finding a good lawyer is one of the most important things you can do for yourself if you’re looking for help with immigration issued. As in any other field of law, a good immigration lawyer who knows the ropes and understands every aspect of immigration law is imperative to winning your case, filing your papers, or any other action you pursue.
Credit cards can provide tremendous benefits. Unfortunately, many people make mistakes when comparing credit card offers and using credit cards, and then pay the consequences later with extra costs, excessive debt, and frustrations that could have been avoided.
Before choosing where to live, it is important to consider the school district so that you do not limit your child’s possibilities of attending the better schools in the area.
On the internet there are good sources for making a qualified decision on which school district to choose. GreatSchools is the country’s leading source of information on school performance. With listings of 200,000 public and private schools serving students from preschool through high school and more than 800,000 parent ratings and reviews, GreatSchools has become the go-to guide for parents aiming to make a smart school choice. Click here to visit their website…
Greatschools |School |School district
How do I apply for a Social Security number?
Unless you are a noncitizen who wants to work in the United States, you probably do not need a Social Security number.
Generally, only noncitizens authorized to work in the United States by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) can get a Social Security number. Social Security numbers are used to report an individual’s wages to the government and to determine a person’s eligibility for Social Security benefits. You need a Social Security number to work, collect Social Security benefits and receive some other government services.
There are numerous issues that need to be addressed when moving to a new country and it seems the more “developed” your new country of residence, the more important it is to understand and follow regulations. Below are seven topics that anyone moving to the US should consider:
1. Visa / citizenship issues
2. Reporting and taxation of non-US financial accounts
3. Obtaining loans / credit history
4. Pension transfer
5. Investment management
6. Estate tax
7. Education and retirement savings plans
credit history |financial planning |investment |pension |tax
13 Top Ways To Save On Your Renter’s Insurance
Renter’s insurance is already a good deal since it is very inexpensive, but why not save more? Just because the first renter’s insurance quote you get is inexpensive, don’t hesitate to shop around because you may be able to get a better deal. Check out the list in the link below to find the top ways you can save on your renter’s insurance quote.
24expat.com was founded by expats with many years of experience in the expat communities. From our own struggles with finding the service providers that could (wanted to) help newly arrived foreign nationals, we decided to do the hard work for you and created 24expat.com.
If you know of any other services we should add, please click the “contact us” button below. Have a wonderful stay in the U.S. — The 24expat.com Team
