As an American full-time traveler, both inside and outside the US, you can manage your mail and meet the requirements of US financial institutions by setting up two addresses: a physical address and a mailing address. Almost all financial institutions require a physical address for both new and existing accounts, but they also allow a separate mailing address where you can receive your mail. Here is how you can set this up effectively.

The Mail Forwarding Service Solution

Mail forwarding services are designed to manage your mail efficiently, no matter where you are in the world. These services provide you with a mailing address where all your mail can be sent. Here’s how it works:

1. Mail Scanning: When mail arrives at your forwarding service, they scan the envelopes and notify you. This allows you to decide what to do next.
2. Digital Access: You can view scanned images of your mail online, and if necessary, request the service to open and scan the contents of specific letters.
3. Mail Forwarding: If you need a physical piece of mail, the service can forward it to your location anywhere in the world.
4. Shredding or Archiving: For unwanted mail, you can ask the service to shred it, or archive it for future retrieval.

If you are a resident of Texas, I recommend the Escapees Mail Service. They also serve Florida and South Dakota residents. However, if you reside in other states, you will need to do your due diligence and research carefully to choose the right company to manage your mail.

Setting Up a Physical Address

While mail forwarding services solve the problem of managing mail, a physical address is still required to comply with US financial institution requirements. Here is how you can manage this:

• Use a Family or Close Friend’s Address: Choose the home of a trusted family member or close friend as your physical address. This is usually the place you stay at when you visit home between trips. The physical address is required to satisfy the requirements of US financial institutions, but mail will not be delivered here if you set the mailing address to your mail forwarding service. Almost all financial institutions in the US offer the option to have a separate mailing address in addition to your physical address. The mailing address is where you receive your mail.
• Separate Physical and Mailing Addresses: Use your mail forwarding service’s address as your mailing address. This ensures that any important mail is routed directly to your mail forwarding service, where you can manage it digitally.

Why This Solution Works

1. Convenience: With a mail forwarding service, you do not need to worry about missing important mail while traveling.
2. Compliance: Using a family or close friend’s address as your physical address ensures compliance with the physical address requirements of US financial institutions.
3. Flexibility: The mail forwarding service’s ability to scan, forward, or archive mail gives you the flexibility to access your mail from anywhere in the world.
4. Security: Trusted mail forwarding services maintain high standards of security to protect your sensitive documents. Do your due diligence and research carefully to choose the right company to manage your mail.

Key Considerations

• Sign Up for Paperless Options: Whenever possible, enroll in paperless billing and statements to reduce the amount of physical mail you receive. This minimizes what needs to be handled by your mail forwarding service.