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Changing your address isn't the hardest part of moving (at least compared to
lugging your grand piano down three flights of
stairs), but making sure everyone who needs your new address has it isn’t as
easy as you might think. Unless you fill out an official US Post Office change
of address form, your mail won't follow you to your new address. And unless you
remind yourself to mail out change of address cards to all the companies you do
business with, your magazine subscriptions will be worthless in a few months.
Of course, that's all common sense. But did you know you don't have to go down
the post office to get the change of address form? Read over the following tips
to make sure that when you move your mail will be moving with you:
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Before you've even begun your relocation, head down the post office and take a
minute to fill out the US postal service's official change of address form
(also known as PS form 3575; if you don’t see them out, just ask a clerk).
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The most important part of filling out the US postal service's change of
address card is including your old address and your new address. However, it's
also vital you remember to include the names of anyone else who is moving with
you. If you only include your name, your husband / wife's mail won't follow
you.
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If you don't feel like waiting in line at the post office you can have your
mail forwarded from the comfort of your own computer by completing a short form
at the US postal service's address
change webpage .
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Think you're done? Sorry, nothing involving official government documents is
ever that easy. Turning in your change of address form to the post office only
means that your mail will be forwarded for a limited time. First class mail –
letters and such – are forwarded for one year. Periodicals – newspapers and
magazines – are only forwarded for 60 days. After the forwarding period
expires, anything that arrives for you will either be sent to the post office's
dead-letter room or stay with whoever's moved into your old place.
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If you're a college student who is moving away from school (either for the
summer or for good) check with the campus mail service to see what their mail
forwarding policies are. Colleges and universities have their own delivery
systems, separate from the post office, and usually their own forwarding
policies.
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To keep receiving your mail after the US postal service stops forwarding it,
you need to send out change of address cards to everyone you do business with.
These change of address cards are available at the post office for free.
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Most of the bills you receive – from your utilities, your credit card company,
your insurance carrier – have a section where you can update your address
information. Take advantage of it and you’ll save yourself a little trouble
down the road.
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Keeping track of who you've given your new address to and who still needs it
can get pretty confusing pretty quickly. Make a checklist of all the companies
that need your address (don’t forget the IRS) and all the friends and relatives
you want to keep in touch with before you start mailing anything out. Keep your
change of address checklist after you've moved into your new home, so if a few
months down the road you can’t find your current phone bill, you’ll know
exactly why.
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