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patdan · 25-06-2022, 09:54

Hey Folks,

We made the move from land to full-time live-aboard about a year ago. For us that was not that big a change since we have have had many sailboats, and consider ourselves to be competent A to B sailors. It was more challenging getting rid of "stuff" and land based assets.

At the end of the 2022 hurricane season we plan on leaving. Where to? Well, initially the Caribbean. And from there, who knows. We have no plans on returning to the US on a permeant basses. So, here is where we are in need of some coaching.

How do other folks handle things like Banking, Mail, and having a US address for things like SS payments and the like? Also, interested in medical and boat insurance ideas.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions,

Dan & Patti

**skipmac** · 25-06-2022, 10:24

Hi Dan and Patti,

Welcome to the forum. Your question is a common one. Here are links to a few of the previous discussions.

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ce-230583.html

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ng-212146.html

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ng-104889.html

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...rds-57107.html

sailorboy1 · 25-06-2022, 10:44

I have mail sent to my daughter's house which is my address of record. I hardy get any mail.

I do all those other things electronically.

PippaB · 25-06-2022, 11:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I have mail sent to my daughter's house which is my address of record. I hardy get any mail.

I do all those other things electronically.

+1 right down to the mother's address. In five years of sailing the only physical mail she has ever had to forward was our annual USCG documentation. Now that that is available for a 5-year term even that largely goes away.

Everything else we do electronically. Find a solid solution for MFA (multi-factor authentication) that works for you.

**GordMay** · 25-06-2022, 14:00

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Dan & Patti.

toddster8 · 25-06-2022, 22:18

Well, as I am just stepping off, I’ll bite.
Mail: I’ve signed up with Dockside Mail. It’s a bit spendy but we’ll see how it goes. My bank mailed a change of address acknowledgement to both the new and old addresses which I received yesterday. Dockside Mail has yet to ping me. Maybe I misunderstand how it works yet.
Almost everything can be “paperless” nowadays. But even the paperless services seem to send me a lot of paper!
Permanent address: This has a lot of tax and legal implications, including where you vote. My family still has the ancestral farm to which all the nomadic members of the family have always registered their vehicles, drivers licenses, etc. So have I.
It seems to me that those who don’t have a clan with ancestral property ought to form one. It’s good to have a piece of dirt to where you can retreat when everything goes dark. Even if it’s just a flop-house. Although the budget form of this is probably a PMB.
Insurance is a bit tricky. I have been a long-time member of DAN and have now signed up for their travelers insurance. It’s important to work out the differences between their membership and insurance products. But they do not cover chronic illnesses like aging, disease, cancer, etc.. For USonians, that means you also need Obamacare (if it survives). But the problem with that is that it only covers services near your “residence.” Meaning you have to fly “home” for treatment. Or even a check-up. So that’s something to consider back in the “permanent residence” step.
Or just limit your cruising to locations where medical treatment isn’t controlled by criminal organizations.

Dave Lochner · 26-06-2022, 06:40

Set up all your financial business online, bills, payments, etc.

For snail mail, the little we receive, we used St. Brendan's Isle mail service. There are a few items that we receive that can only come via USPS.

We kept our dirt house, so that remains our permanent address.

neilsf · 26-06-2022, 07:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by toddster8

It’s good to have a piece of dirt to where you can retreat when everything goes dark. Even if it’s just a flop-house. Although the budget form of this is probably a PMB.

Just to chime in -- an increasing number of credit card and identity frauds are being carried out from PMBs (which don't have the same strict regulation as an old-school actual Post Office Box).

My Wells Fargo personal banker looked up the PMB I gave them when I opened an account a few years ago and said -- that's a PMB. What is your actual physical address? I fenced with her a bit and tried to explain I wanted all my mail to go to the PMB. She refused, and asked, "what address are you registered to vote with?" and then explained the fraud problem.

I wouldn't hang my hat on PMBs being an inexpensive solution for the long term, my $0.02.

Dave Lochner · 26-06-2022, 07:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by neilsf

Just to chime in -- an increasing number of credit card and identity frauds are being carried out from PMBs (which don't have the same strict regulation as an old-school actual Post Office Box).

My Wells Fargo personal banker looked up the PMB I gave them when I opened an account a few years ago and said -- that's a PMB. What is your actual physical address? I fenced with her a bit and tried to explain I wanted all my mail to go to the PMB. She refused, and asked, "what address are you registered to vote with?" and then explained the fraud problem.

I wouldn't hang my hat on PMBs being an inexpensive solution for the long term, my $0.02.

St Brendan's Isle provides an address USPS accepts as a physical address. The address form looks like an apartment. I don't know how other services deal with the issue.