Hi peeps. I am single live on my own and have no children. I have in effect no ties, so selling up everything would mean me not having an address.
I went to my bank the other day and mentioned I might be selling up and then go travelling for some time. They asked me what address I would be using. I told them I would not have one as I would be selling my home.

A postbox was mentioned and I said if I am away for very long periods I am sure as hell not coming home just to check a postbox on the chance you may have sent me something. The bank got quite shirty about this. This got me thinking about all the other problems when you are technically "homeless".

How many of you have sold everything you have including home and then become NFA (no fixed abode) and gone travelling. Did any one encounter problems such as no legal/valid address on their licence or passport. Did you have any troubles with banks saying you cant have an account without an address for them to post stuff to? What about insurance and legalities, Visas?

Most of the people I know who have gone away have had an address to come back to and one they can still use on legal documents. The three or four friends who may be able to help out are themselves moving away asap.

I seem to have spent so much time looking at the "how do I afford this" and building up equipment for the final plunge I forgot all the other everyday mundane stuff. Any answers would be appreciated.

BTW renting my house out is not an option I need to sell it to pay for the trip and a remortgage is a strict no no, been there done that never again!

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Some banks won't let you bank without an address or with a PO Box; can you use parents? You can set the account up to be paperless but getting new cards would be a hassle; can you use your local branch address? The machine sure don't like you being off the grid, that's for sure.....good luck,

Sherlock

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...y-to-usa-45606

I guess it depends on where you are going.
The topic above is about getting into the USA I don't know what other countries do.

There are companies that will rent you a post box and offer a mail forwarding service whereby they will pass on valid mail at your request to destination X when you contact them.

Rick

Funny you mention it, I am in the process of doing the exact same thing.
I have to say, personally, I have seen no reason to notify any of the 'pirates' (you know who I refer to with that catch-all) of my plans.

I have just arranged to use my parents/family home address for all official correspondence from financial services. I do all my banking online anyway, so any snail mail that comes through the door can only be replacement cards and pin numbers etc. These I trust my folks to pass on ..

Notifying the bank/credit card company of a change of address was routine and I did not feel it neccessary to volunteer any personal plans/information? Not sure why you do to be honest?

I personally don't intend to come back to the UK at any point in the near future and will only be maintaining my UK based bank and credit facilities in order to ensure a continued/unbroken chain for the future should plans change ..

I dunno about yourself, but was at first extremely philosophical about the whole adventure, and even a little anxious (to say the least!) but thus far, as D-day approaches (Feb 14th) I am growing increasingly positive and excited and feel truly in control of my life for the first time in years!

Its almost like dying and being reborn eh? An extreme analogy but even in conversation with people, I can sometimes feel almost disembodied as I hear people bitch about this or that or some aspect of their consumer whore lifestyles that they are unhappy/disattisfied with and I reflect that it is no longer relevant to me - politics, local taxation, crap jobs, bottomless credit etc. You can almost see yourself removed from the world you knew and slip into a sort of between-worlds state where this modern life (tm) is revealed for the shallow shyte it really is!

Where are you going anyway?

Years ago, a fiend of mine used his bank as his address and they collected all his mail.
He used to send cannabis to it so they would keep it safe till he returned

But that was in the days when your bank manager would give you a loan 'cos he knew you and if you phoned them, you go to speak to someone in the branch!!!

John

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Nostradamus Ate My Hamster

Tell them nothing ..just pay a small fee to the post office and have your mail redirected to someone you trust,parents,brother,sister,friend . and get them to email you if anything important comes up .
look here http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/p...mediaId=600008

I'm NFA and have encountered few problems.

When you make that jump, you find that there isn't really that much of importance anyone can send you. All banking stuff can be done online.

I've had no issues with passport or visas. I just renewed my old passport with my old address, and most visas I've just made up an address on the application. I suppose it is a little more difficult with a couple of ones I haven't tried, such as Iran, or Russia, but it's nothing that can't be surmounted with the help of a more firmly emplaced friend.

The only small issue I found is that I couldn't get a new credit card for love nor money. I got around the problem by getting my girlfriend to get one in her name and then get a second card for me.

Other than that, the world's your lobster.

Happy Christmas

Birdy

Yup, will agree with all above.
Mail re-directed to parents and I bank online.

A topic cropped up in the ex-pat bars the other day about voluntary Nationial Insurance contributions... any comments pls?

Hey Pete. I got a letter thru about his. Im an ex-student who hasnt worked since december 2007, although Im now a freelance joiner/carpenter, the letter asked if I would like to make up my NI payments for the time I was at college. I chose 'no'.

As for the main thread; as Birdy says, most stuff can be done online greenmanalishi.

Yes ... "HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHahahopoyohohohhahahahaHAHAHAHHA HA"

Ha ha, thought as much!

Seriously though, I'm an old git who has already paid over 20 years in NI so it would be a shame to lose a pension (if it ever happens).
And I heard the contributions were nominal.

Another thought.... I think it is sensible to register with the British Embassy if you plan to stay in one place for any length of time. They 'can't find you if they don't know'!

Then again, maybe that is what some people wish for....

Once you have paid 30 years NI you are paid up and do not need to pay anymore, if you have 20 you can take a break and catch up the other ten years later, But if you dont look ahead a bit it may seem super cool at the time (remember the countries circumstances may be changing a lot but so may yours change a lot quicker than you were expecting) but if you ever return to these shores and havent paid up and your getting on a bit - the state may do nothing for you - you will have little or no entitlement to anything so dont come back and expect a free ride, you may get nothing - no old age pension, no assistance with anything as you get older maybe even under the coming regime no healthcare or anything else. You may think I dont need it but make sure that your not having to eat them words in the future and suffering as a result. you may be care free now but maybe the future may not allow you to be. Its your choice, but don't leave it to someone else to carry you if it goes wrong. After all the safety net we have in UK and Europe may have a few big holes in it but its a lot better than what many people in the rest of the world have as a safety net. I would not take it for granted. As they say you pays your money and take your chances.... if you have paid now't well I don't fancy your chances at all a few years down the road.

Thanks Jake.

You're exactly right. We are fortunate in being UK citizens, best not take advantage of it.
30 years? Thanks for that, it's what I wanted to know....I've got 24 years to make up the shortfall! The voluntary contributions make sense now I think.

Pete

Talking of trying to make an escape from bureaucratic claptrap; regarding gaps in NI contributions and the potential career shortfall in payments thereof.

I received a letter (below) from HMRC's NICO earlier this month inviting me to pay some voluntary NI contributions. UNBELIEVABLE! ..



go figure ..:confused1:

and HAPPY NEW YEAR

Stanley Keith (down in Cornwall)


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Right Way Round ...