Moving to US - some quick questions..

Wompa1

spideog7 wrote: »

I wouldn't say they used Europe as Guinea pigs it's just that large corporations and the majority of consumers in the US tend to be behind the times in terms of technology. This can be a surprise for a lot of people who assume everything here is so modern and much 'better' than elsewhere.

This especially true for big old corporations that suffer from 'inertia' where they've been doing something one way for decades and are reluctant to change. I find this particularly noticeable in banks and phone companies (airlines too in some ways), from what I've seen they're at least 5 or 6 years behind Europe. As a result the consumers also tend to be behind the time in adopting new technology.

They still use cheques for everything over here, even younger people... madness!

Mastercard and Visa are American companies. Every major retail outlet has the machines for chip and pin cards but only use the slide through part. I worked in IT in Ireland for an American company, largest of it's kind in the world at the time I worked there. We got the latest technology before the guys in the US did. There was less risk in the European market than the American market. Or at least that's how it was explained to me. The European branch could often spin it's wheels trying to get to grips with a new technology and then it just gets scrapped because it doesn't suit the needs.

It's great for European workers though. Because generally, they have more exposure and skills when it comes to these new technologies. It's why I'm in the US right now! I learned a technology that we rolled out for European offices of American companies. Now, they are being adopted over here, so there's a need for people with experience and skill to be onsite and help roll them out.

Also, I don't use cheques over here. I have noticed people using them. I don't think it's because they have to, it's because they choose to. I asked some people here about it. They like to use cheques for paying bills and certain purchases for taxation purposes. I guess in Ireland, we have a less complex tax returns process

Dave1442397

I heard that the US credit card companies also didn't want the expense of replacing existing cards with chip & pin cards. I notice that as my cards expire and i get new ones, the new ones have a chip in them.

Some people do still use checks, but it's been years since I saw anyone using one in a store.

I have to use them for my daughter's child care - the school system isn't set up to take electronic payments. Apart from that, everything is paid thru my bank's online billing or using Paypal.

él statutorio

Dave1442397 wrote: »

I heard that the US credit card companies also didn't want the expense of replacing existing cards with chip & pin cards. I notice that as my cards expire and i get new ones, the new ones have a chip in them.

Some people do still use checks, but it's been years since I saw anyone using one in a store.

I have to use them for my daughter's child care - the school system isn't set up to take electronic payments. Apart from that, everything is paid thru my bank's online billing or using Paypal.

The school isn't set up? All they need is a smart phone and a Square reader...

The farmers market near me does cards and every vendor there uses Square.

dave2pvd

Very few checks written by me. Just about every transaction that was formerly done by check is now done by online banking.

spideog7

There are plenty of tools to use but the majority of everyday consumers haven't embraced them. My bank does offer an online back transfer service but it links to a third party system and I haven't met many people (including people my age) who use it. A lot of their online bill pay service is just that the bank prints a cheque for you and mails it directly to the company.

Unless you seek out the electronic methods they aren't the default, and apart from tech folks most everyone I know (young and old) just do things the old fashioned way. It's starting to change now but that had already changed at home long before I left so big lag.

spideog7

Wompa1 wrote: »

We got the latest technology before the guys in the US did. There was less risk in the European market than the American market. Or at least that's how it was explained to me.

That's pretty much exactly what I'm talking about, the big corporations over here are too big to adapt so they end up lagging behind. I do think consumers have a lot to do with it also but I'm not sure why. Even when the cutting edge stuff is embraced by some there are still so many people who continue to use the legacy systems that they have to be supported on a large scale and if they're still supporting them why not continue to sell them? Then you end up with this vicious cycle where deprecated technology never gets fully removed.

Even this chip and pin introduction (about a decade late) is in response to the big news stories about Target, Home Depot etc. Which is amazing for a country where everything is paid for using plastic.

Wompa1

Dave1442397 wrote: »

I heard that the US credit card companies also didn't want the expense of replacing existing cards with chip & pin cards. I notice that as my cards expire and i get new ones, the new ones have a chip in them.

Some people do still use checks, but it's been years since I saw anyone using one in a store.

I have to use them for my daughter's child care - the school system isn't set up to take electronic payments. Apart from that, everything is paid thru my bank's online billing or using Paypal.

Spoke with American Express, they are apparently going to roll out chip and Signature which seems a little dumb. Visa and Mastercard have committed to roll it out here..

The only cheques I use are for rent..but I don't send them..My direct debit\standing order actually sends my landlord a physical cheque. But I see some benefits still to the cheques because they are very traceable. The ATMs here and online banking are miles ahead of Bank of Ireland back home. I think it's pretty cool that you get a copy of any cheque you lodge. Also, like I said, if you make a large purchase or have a recurring payment which you want to track and have ready to go documentation for your tax return, they make sense.

I still don't use them though. I don't claim anything back in my taxes.

Palmy

My Wells Fargo Credit Card has the new chip and pin on it. The only time I write a Cheque is for my Rent which I drop into our Apartment office.
I Pay $167 month on a 2005 Chrysler Pacifica and a 2006 Mustang Gt ( sorry I couldn't resist a V8 ) with Geico.
Just changed our phone plan on Sprint, two phones ( which we already had on a previous contract iphone 5 ) for $120+tax a month unlimited Calls-text-data.

Palmy

My Wells Fargo Credit Card has the new chip and pin on it. The only time I write a Cheque is for my Rent which I drop into our Apartment office.
I Pay $167 month on a 2005 Chrysler Pacifica and a 2006 Mustang Gt ( sorry I couldn't resist a V8 ) with Geico.
Just changed our phone plan on Sprint, two phones ( which we already had on a previous contract iphone 5 ) for $120+tax a month unlimited Calls-text-data.

Trippie

brinty wrote: »

I understand that a lot of things depend on your credit rating but what do you do when you're new into the country and don't have a credit rating. Do i need some guarantee's from my workplace.

Not sure if it had been answered or not. I had no credit either and my wife made all the cash so the financial adviser recommended that we got prepaid credit cards in my name. The credit system is a "what have you done for me lately" one. He told us to get 2 or 3 pre paid ones, put $1000 on each and use for random **** and my credit will be increased dramatically.

CompositeJohn

Regarding Credit Score and Building Credit. I picked up a Newcomers card 3 or so years ago that was offered by CapitalOne aimed at immigrants but doesn't look to be offered now.

It wasn't a secured card which was nice but had low credit limit so I only put some groceries and a tank of gas on it every month and paid it off in full. 6 months or so of that and I had credit card offers in the mail and that's when you know you've made it :-P

Secured cards are fine for the same purpose, and another option would be to look at cards offered to those trying to rebuild credit, interest will be high but you should be paying off balance in full anyway. Some store cards can be used for building credit also but make sure they report to all three credit bureaus.

Key points in building credit history:

1) Keep the credit utilization to around 10% (i.e. $100 statement balance on a $1000 limit card) and pay by due date.

2) Ensure you always pay the minimum payment due if nothing else. Paying the balance due in full is the way to go however as we all know! Also ensure you pay all your bills such as utilities on time, they don't report normally but will hit your score if you don't.

3) You will want to keep your first card open pretty much forever (or until the point where closing it wont effect your score much in many many years time!) so a fee free one is useful. Part of your score is determined by age of credit history and closing your oldest card will effect this.

4) Avoid applying for too many cards or lines of credit. This will have a negative effect on your score, particularly when you are first trying to build it. Get one card and leave it be for a year or so if possible.

Mortgages and Auto loans also help build credit but you need credit to get them or get them at decent rates so this comes later.

Credit Karma is a good resource for keeping track of your credit score and also any potential ID theft.

Sounds like Ausone has got you covered on Omaha but feel free to PM if you need any more info. Omaha is a nice city, I just got back from Thanksgiving there with some born an bred Omahans!

braddun

what area in America are you going,it makes a big difference,
driving license, some states will not give you one,unless you have a green card
you will only have a short term visa,if they do let you,you will either do a driving test or a written test or both
finding rentals with a dog is very hard,finding apartment with no credit is harder,your employer should set up accomadation,some places it costs 4,000 euro to rent,you also have electric and other bills,look at craigslist.com for prices,you can also find cars for sale there but 50%are scammers,most apartments come unfurnished unless you found a sublet,if you bring a sim free phone you can get cheap prepaid plans for 30 dollars month and put new sim in,
depost for apartment will be 2or 3 months,it will be hard to get a credit card or bank account,you employer should have a hr dept to help out,you need usa driving licence to get insurance,it should cost about 800 euro

braddun

make sure you have health insurance for whole family,trip to hospital can cost nearly million dollars,it should come with job,you can rent a car for a few months

ProudDUB

I hate to nit pick, but there are a lot of inaccuracies in this post. Sooooo....

braddun wrote: »

what area in America are you going,it makes a big difference,
driving license, some states will not give you one,unless you have a green card

Not true. As long as you are in the US legally & you have the necessary paperwork, visas etc to prove that you are in the country legally, you won't have a problem getting a drivers license. They don't just give them to green card holders.

you will only have a short term visa,if they do let you,you will either do a driving test or a written test or both
finding rentals with a dog is very hard,finding apartment with no credit is harder,your employer should set up accomadation,some places it costs 4,000 euro to rent,

Plenty of apartment complexes will take dogs, as long as they meet the size and breed requirements. An up front deposit (over and above what regular renters have to pay) may be required if the renter has no credit history. Saying it will be as high as $4000 is scare mongering. The OP is going to live in Nebraska, not San Francisco or Manhattan

you also have electric and other bills,look at craigslist.com for prices,you can also find cars for sale there but 50%are scammers,

50% of cars for sale are not from scammers. There are dodgy dealership out there, just like there are here. Used car sales men & their high pressure sales techniques do not have the best of reputations & deservedly so. But to say half of all transactions are liable to be a scam is more scaremongering. Like any major financial transaction, do your homework first, go to a reputable dealer, know what you can afford, stick to your budget and you'll be fine.

most apartments come unfurnished unless you found a sublet,if you bring a sim free phone you can get cheap prepaid plans for 30 dollars month and put new sim in,
depost for apartment will be 2or 3 months,it will be hard to get a credit card or bank account,

The OP won't have any problem opening a bank account, as long as he has a social security number & everything is ok with his visa/paperwork situation. If he is in the US legally, getting a SSN won't be a problem. If he follows the advice from posters on here about building his credit rating using prepaid cards, it won't be long until he qualifies for a "proper" credit card.

you employer should have a hr dept to help out,you need usa driving licence to get insurance,it should cost about 800 euro

How much the OP spends on car insurance depends on a lot of variables....his age, the type of car that he buys, the length of his daily commute, the area that he lives in, the type of coverage that he gets etc etc. There is no way to say for sure what it will cost. Only the insurance company can tell him that.

.

Watch Ryder

braddun wrote: »

what area in America are you going,it makes a big difference,
driving license, some states will not give you one,unless you have a green card
you will only have a short term visa,if they do let you,you will either do a driving test or a written test or both

Correct, some are ok with bank accounts and property references though.

depost for apartment will be 2or 3 months,it will be hard to get a credit card or bank account,you employer should have a hr dept to help out,you need usa driving licence to get insurance.

No you don't, I got vehicle insurance on my international driving permit no problem. Cost me about $400 for six months.

Watch Ryder

ProudDUB wrote: »

I hate to nit pick, but there are a lot of inaccuracies in this post. Sooooo....

He is right about some states being finicky about driving licenses. Colorado would not allow me a driving license, despite being legal and in the country on a B2 visa! They would only allow green card holders and fiancee visa types AFAIK.
I had to rely on my International Driving Permit for everything vehicular.
They had a 'program' to allow illegals and long stay people (like myself) to get a 'special' license. Yet to get that you had to go on a month long waiting list.

iusedtoknow

Watch Ryder wrote: »

He is right about some states being finicky about driving licenses. Colorado would not allow me a driving license, despite being legal and in the country on a B2 visa! They would only allow green card holders and fiancee visa types AFAIK.
I had to rely on my International Driving Permit for everything vehicular.
They had a 'program' to allow illegals and long stay people (like myself) to get a 'special' license. Yet to get that you had to go on a month long waiting list.

While you are you legal in the country, you are still on a visitors visa and as such aren't able to get drivers license or Social security card etc.

Most (if not all visa types aside from will let you get a drivers license

Watch Ryder

iusedtoknow wrote: »

While you are you legal in the country, you are still on a visitors visa and as such aren't able to get drivers license or Social security card etc.

Most (if not all visa types aside from will let you get a drivers license

Depending on what state you are living in, yes you are, you just need to maintaining a residence / bank account / car etc etc. Also if you an illegal alien you can even get them in your Cali. state.

wearyexplorer

Hi all - hope you don't mind my pulling up an older thread. I am moving to the US soon too and this thread was very helpful in answering my questions around credit history. is John's guide below the way to go? Is there any point in my getting a copy of my Irish credit record? (http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/money_and_tax/personal_finance/debt/credit_ratings.html)

Also, my wife and I will be driving over there and she has just purchased a second hand car in her name. She would like to list me as a driver too on insurance (note I will only be there on holiday visa for 90 days, then back home to await permanent residency application processing) - anyone know if this is possible? I have an international driver's permit from AA.

Thanks a mil.

CompositeJohn wrote: »

Regarding Credit Score and Building Credit. I picked up a Newcomers card 3 or so years ago that was offered by CapitalOne aimed at immigrants but doesn't look to be offered now.

It wasn't a secured card which was nice but had low credit limit so I only put some groceries and a tank of gas on it every month and paid it off in full. 6 months or so of that and I had credit card offers in the mail and that's when you know you've made it :-P

Secured cards are fine for the same purpose, and another option would be to look at cards offered to those trying to rebuild credit, interest will be high but you should be paying off balance in full anyway. Some store cards can be used for building credit also but make sure they report to all three credit bureaus.

Key points in building credit history:

1) Keep the credit utilization to around 10% (i.e. $100 statement balance on a $1000 limit card) and pay by due date.

2) Ensure you always pay the minimum payment due if nothing else. Paying the balance due in full is the way to go however as we all know! Also ensure you pay all your bills such as utilities on time, they don't report normally but will hit your score if you don't.

3) You will want to keep your first card open pretty much forever (or until the point where closing it wont effect your score much in many many years time!) so a fee free one is useful. Part of your score is determined by age of credit history and closing your oldest card will effect this.

4) Avoid applying for too many cards or lines of credit. This will have a negative effect on your score, particularly when you are first trying to build it. Get one card and leave it be for a year or so if possible.

Mortgages and Auto loans also help build credit but you need credit to get them or get them at decent rates so this comes later.

Credit Karma is a good resource for keeping track of your credit score and also any potential ID theft.

Sounds like Ausone has got you covered on Omaha but feel free to PM if you need any more info. Omaha is a nice city, I just got back from Thanksgiving there with some born an bred Omahans!

ProudDUB

Your Irish credit report is virtually worthless. Your US credit rating will be linked to your US Social Security Number. Any credit cards/debts/car loans/borrowings/mortgages etc etc that you take on in the US, will be linked to your US SSN & nothing else. It can't hurt to print it off & bring it with you. If you are involved in a one on one business transaction, maybe it will stand you in good stead. But 99.9% of the time, any one who needs to know your credit history, will just contact the main credit bureaus & go off whatever computerized score that gives them. It is a totally automated system that is done over the phone, or online & takes about 30 seconds. There is no room in the process, to offer up personal paperwork of your own.

Dunno about the car situ. You don't say what state you are moving to. They all have different rules about drivers from overseas. Check out the Dept of Transport/DMV's website of the state you are moving to.

The International Drivers License from AA is no good as a stand alone document btw. All it does (apart from make money from the AA) is translate the details of your license into other commonly spoken languages. It can come in handy if you are travelling to a part of the world, where people do not commonly speak or read the language your license is printed in. That's all. It doesn't confer any automatic driving privileges, that you don't already have with your normal Irish license.

él statutorio

You'll be fine driving on your Irish license in the short to medium term. Bring your insurance history with you as it will help (at least it did with Geico)

I drove on my Irish license for over a year until the insurance company told me they wouldn't let me use the Irish license any longer.

My premium came down as well once I updated to the US license.