It's likely that the forwarding of your mail might be the easiest step of your move, but it also may be one of the most important. You don't want to miss out on important mail – bills, friends, family, your bank, and any magazine subscriptions.
You will want to time the forwarding of mail so that you don't miss anything. The U.S. Post Office recommends you forward your address no less than two weeks in advance of your move. Keep in mind that the U.S. Post Office will not continue to forward your mail indefinitely, so you will need to change your address with your bills, credit cards, magazines and any other mail. Most mail would be forwarded for a period of 12 months, but mail such as magazines and certain types of mail will only be forwarded for a period of 60 days. However, this will ensure that you don't miss any of your mail, and give you a time cushion to change your address with all of your correspondents.
A few weeks proceeding your big move, work on compiling a list of companies that you are receiving mail from. Since the post office won't forward your mail forever, it is a good idea to let these companies know directly that you have moved and have them update your address in their systems. We've complied a list of a few companies you should contact shortly after your move:
Even though you can contact companies after you've moved, forwarding your mail should be one of your priorities. The last thing you'd want to do is attempt to update all your addresses before moving and forget about something crucial. We've heard horror stories about people trying to track down their W-2 during tax season!
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