I was going through You Tube videos and came across a guy who stated he had a UPS mail box address and everyone accepted it but the banks. I'm really wondering what's what with this and if it's only his bank or all banks. Anybody have any experiance with this? I most likely will have to get a virtual address and I need to find out if the banks will accept a virtual address when they won't accept a UPS mail box address.
A Video Guy Stated Banks Won't Let Him Have A Virtual Address
- Thread starter Jim D
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UPS mailboxes are identified as a Commercial Mail Box, coded as "CMB" in address validation databases.
It would depend on how the virtual address is defined in such DB's.
It's not about financial crimes, it is about Know Your Customer (KYC) and Currency Tracking Reports (CTR) that a financial institution has to file on transactions over a certain dollar limit. No criminal activity is necessary to be tracked and recorded. The bank is covering their ass (CYA).
Surveillance Society.
It would depend on how the virtual address is defined in such DB's.
It's not about financial crimes, it is about Know Your Customer (KYC) and Currency Tracking Reports (CTR) that a financial institution has to file on transactions over a certain dollar limit. No criminal activity is necessary to be tracked and recorded. The bank is covering their ass (CYA).
Surveillance Society.
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Do you need a bank account? Anyone on social security can get your monthly check put into a debit card called Direct Express Debit MasterCard. Then simply use it as a credit card to buy stuff or pay bills, and even get cash in many places with it.
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Morgana
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When I did the paperwork for the LLC I had to get something called a "registered agent." As far as I can tell their main function is to accept legal correspondence on your behalf. I don't know if that would work for your purpose (it's set up for companies), but it might be worth checking out. I doubt they'd accept a high volume of mail, so they couldn't be a /substitute/ for a virtual mailbox, but maybe for banking and legal documents only, it would work. They're not cheap, but they might be an option.
The company I used is called ZenBusiness and so far they seem pretty decent.
Actually, if you have a trustworthy friend who's willing, I think you can designate them your registered agent. It usually just has to be an adult who's ~always reachable at a fixed address during business hours.
Again, big caveat -- there might be some legal reason why it only works for business entities and not for individuals, I don't know the law behind this, I just did it cuz had to and I shut the file as soon as I could. But maybe worth asking. Nolo and websites like that have pretty good explanations.
Also, I seem to remember that about a million years ago I once used a paralegal -- the independent kind, not someone working in a law office -- as my mail forwarder.
Final thought: I can't see the harm in asking at your credit union. You don't have to tell them WHY you want to know. You're a shareholder, you get to ask questions!
Jimmyflorida
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My advice just change your mailing address they should do that
CopperK
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This isn't that complicated. Do you have a friend or relative that would let you use their address as a physical address - assuring them that you would never get any mail there or anything? If so, use that physical address and use your post office box or mail service as your mailing address. No one will check - not a driver's license bureau, insurance, credit services - no one. You'll be in the same situation as if you rented a room with someone, but all of the utilities were in their name. Every service, every credit card, etc. accepts an alternative mailing address and a mail box is no problem at all. Your insurance is based on physical location and how many miles you drive - you think of it as a story - I live (with a friend or family member), but you travel all the time. I think the mobile community needs to quit thinking in terms of being homeless ... no one hassles families or seniors who are traveling across country in their RV's or asks them if they have a house or an apartment (seriously - think about it) ... it's nobody's business how you life. If you have permission to use a physical address then you have one - no one is going to ask how many hours you spend there per week. If you don't have any friend or family, then do you know someone who's mobile that has a physical address that they'll let you use? If you have permission, then you have a physical address.
CopperK
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If you have a mailing address I can't see why you'd need to change your physical address. Is that legal, probably not - but it's sort of in the category of "don't ask, don't tell" if that's what you're doing. I've never heard of anyone, any company, anyone at all checking on your physical address -- unless you've been very, very naughty.
CopperK
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Also, complaint to customer service and tell them you're taking time off to travel and see the US - just complain.
Bunpoh
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It is that complicated.
I don't have a friend or family in the state I need to maintain residency in that I want to use an address with. I don't want anyone to start getting my mail by accident. Even junk mail. And even the one or two I would trust, I think they would say no, for reasons. Nothing to do with me.
I agree...I've been living by "Don't Ask Don't Tell" for a while now. Just hoping that it doesn't blow up on me.
The seniors who are taking time off to travel usually still have an address, and if they don't, they are considered itinerant. We pretty much are those people, anyways, but we're planning on getting back to work on our projects/income streams and not settling down til we can make more money.
Really wondering if I can find some good people to band together with and combine income to buy a place to share, just as homebase. I feel like a lot of us might benefit from figuring out legal strategies to pool our money and make a piece of land with one inhabitable building, or a tiny home we purchase and set up to be legally inhabitable and rotate occupational needed or something. Brainstorming on it...
I don't have a friend or family in the state I need to maintain residency in that I want to use an address with. I don't want anyone to start getting my mail by accident. Even junk mail. And even the one or two I would trust, I think they would say no, for reasons. Nothing to do with me.
I agree...I've been living by "Don't Ask Don't Tell" for a while now. Just hoping that it doesn't blow up on me.
The seniors who are taking time off to travel usually still have an address, and if they don't, they are considered itinerant. We pretty much are those people, anyways, but we're planning on getting back to work on our projects/income streams and not settling down til we can make more money.
Really wondering if I can find some good people to band together with and combine income to buy a place to share, just as homebase. I feel like a lot of us might benefit from figuring out legal strategies to pool our money and make a piece of land with one inhabitable building, or a tiny home we purchase and set up to be legally inhabitable and rotate occupational needed or something. Brainstorming on it...
I have only sort of been following this thread. A physical address can be a place that does not have mail service. There are lots of of places that will not or cannot accept delivery of mail. When someone requests a physical address I give them the address. I can also give them proof I live there in the form of a rental receipt if I rent or a deed if I own it. I ask if there will be a need for correspondence. If so I ask if it can be done electronically via email and if not I give them a mailing address which is a P.O. Box. I expressly ask mail not be sent to the physical residence because it can not be received there and often gets lost or not returned. My current driver’s license has a P.O. Box listed as my address but that will change to my physical address soon with the new federal requirements. I will simply show the DMV my rental agreement, voter registration, passport as well as two photo ids which I believe will more than meet the requirements for a new requirements. My wife renewed her driver’s license and at that time changed her address to our physical address. The clerk explained she would be able to use her new license as one of the required forms of proof of residence unlike me when she gets her new improved required license next year. So it simply comes down to establishing a residence and going though the process of getting your driver’s license, voter registration, a receipt from an RV park or individual and then a P.O. Box. Doing a seasonal job for several months with an employee ID and a letter from them stating you are staying in their employee’s RV park with the address helps a lot. Many of the larger companies that hire J1 (employees from other countries) have agreements with big banks that they offer accounts to them rather than having to deal with foreign countries banks. It takes time and documentation to get a passport so do all that during the season. Make sure you get a P.O. Box somewhere you will pass by several times a year so you can check it, use a mail service for everything else. Did I miss something?
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CopperK
Active member
Well, perhaps I lucked out or something. I have a friend with an DL from Hawaii who recently got a tag for his car in Tennessee - they didn't require anything much in the way of identification to do it and asked him if he wanted the tag to go to Hawaii or Tennessee. In that state, you can use motor vehicle registration as one of the proofs of identification to get a driver's license, and an insurance policy as another - this is pretty simple to do because neither one is very particular about the stated physical address. With a driver's license and social security card you can open a bank account. I realize the requirements vary by state, but there are mail drop services that are not associated with a corporation or the post office and there are other ways to go about it. I'm really not too concerned with junk mail, as every account I have has my post office box as my mailing address. For that matter, you just get the address of vacant lot - once you're set up you may be able to change the physical address at the bank more easily. I prefer credit unions because they're a little more flexible. Good luck.
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CopperK
Active member
Then, I just found this ... they have "virtual" lease options for FL, CA, NV, DE to provide a real lease agreement for a fee. It would be worth checking it out to see if it would work for a personal bank account - which in many states a business location will suffice.
https://goremote.virtualpostmail.com/article/physical-address-to-open-business-bank-accounts/
https://goremote.virtualpostmail.com/article/physical-address-to-open-business-bank-accounts/
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It is totally legal to have a physical address and one or more mailing addresses.
Being legal or being insurable or meeting the requirement for a bank account or qualifying for state residence are different things. Important to not confuse them!
Markw
Well-known member
Just a heads up, some companies do not accept a direct express card. I found this out when I got insurance on my van (Progressive is one of those companies that doesn't accept Direct Express. However, I did a bit of a workaround with my PayPal account).
Not trying to scare anyone and really so far it's only Progressive so far that I have had issues with regarding Direct Express.
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