This page will deal with topics like
1 Applying for social security number
You can find the number and location of SOCIAL SECURITY( SSN ) office from local yellow pages.
some offices open early
around 8 am and you can go there without appoinment.
You may need to take copy of your passport, immigration document like
I797 etc
They may fill some paperwork on your behalf or sometimes may ask you to fill. Once done it may take upto 4-10
weeks to get the SSN which comes in the post
you can use this number to open bank accounts, apply for driving licence,
credit cards and opening membership of various organisations.
This number is also used to put your credit history( financial
history) on the national database which is used as a reference of your background
If you have good financial history you
will get good interest rates and obtain loans etc easily
If your spouse is dependent on you they may not be eligible for
SSN but the rejection letter after application helps to obtain driving licence etc
You will be paid your wages even if
are waiting for the SSN though some adjustments may be made after that
Here wages are paid every 14 days.
2. BANKING
Most of the banks here in USA may ask you for your social security number but some may not need . You can show
the
letter that you have applied. Be careful when you open and operate your account. Make sure you get good deal ie good interest
rates, free bills payment, commission free transfers etc
Most of the banks will issue a credit card along with your checking
account
major banks in USA can be found at this website
http://www.usabanks.org/some of them are
etc
There may be banks which are mainly in some states and offer good banking services
You can check this from
your colleagues
some banks will even pay you for opening an account
You can bank everything over the internet here and
pay your bills
Its better to open an account with a bank which has branches in your country as this helps
to remit money
easily if you wish to
There are different types of accounts here LIKE
CHECKING ACCOUNT -- WHICH ESSENTIALLY OFFERS NO INTEREST RATES BUT YOU CAN USE IT FOR PAYING BILLS
ETS
SAVINGS ACCOUNT -- WHICH DOES OFFER SOME INTEREST RATES
ONLINE SAVINGS -- THIS IS THE BEST AS IT OFFERS GOOD SAVING
ETC
Some banks do offer convenent account transfer from you country to USA after you get a job hence do check with individual
banks
Other option is to open account with credit unions which offer better interest rates . They are not major palyers in
banking but have good service. You check locally as each state has numerous credit unions
3 Shopping during first few days
Shoppping in first few days can be fun or nightmare
Make sure you think carefully before you buy. Here you can return
any item if you are not satisfied witin first four weeks or more
Make sure you keep the recieps carefully . If you lose
reciepts you may be in trouble
There are lots of sale days thru out the year. Major shops include
walmart-- which sells everything from Gasoline to shoes to groceries
kmart---- like walmart sells everything
sears--- furniture clothes, appliances etc
Target --- sells everything from clothes to groceries
Tops-- mainly groceries
Trader Joe -- Groceries
albertsons --- Groceries
Kohls-- sells clothes
Dollar Stores -- They are cheap you can get some useful stuff for less than a dollar
Homedepot-- sells harware and home stuff
lowes-- similar to Home depot
Jo Annes -- sells Home furnishings
Dick Ide sports-- Sells sports goods etc
Toysrus -- Sells baby stuff
Circuit City/Fry's electronics -- Sells electronics
Office depot or Staples -- Sells office stuff, desks, stationery etc
you can take a membership card for these shops which offer some discount
if you have a big family or are shopping
freak you could shop at
Costco --- which is a superstore which sells in bulk and takes cash only either from ur checning account
or dollar bills
useful if you have family or live with friends
good quality items in bulk
Samsclub --- similar to Costco sells everything
BJ's --- similar to Costco and Sams club
My best bet would be to open mebership in these though
they may charge you mebership fee which could range from 30 - to 100 dollars
Two of you could split and take mebrship or
share membership.
remeber you can return anything if you dont like even the food items if you are not satisfied or not
in good condition
Keep the reciepts carefully
If you are shopping online there are numerous stores which offer discounts
but know their credentals well
Good shopping sources online include
www.amazon.com sells books electronics , DVD'e etc
www.walmart.com its online store of walmart wells everything
www.sears.com sells virtually everything
www.tigerdirect.com which sells electronics
clothes are cheap in walmart. Kohls or Targets. you can shop around and look for good sale ( ie cheap deals)
Buying a mobile phone--- Before buying a mobile phone please check which network is good in your area and most of them
make you sign a contract hence be careful before signing a contract though
you can cancel your contract within 2-4 weeks
if the network is not clear
Major providers include
T MOBILE-- HAS GOOD COVERAGE IN SOME PARTS AND POOR TO VERY POOR IN SOME AREAS
VERIZON WIRELESS-- I USE THIS AND RECOMMEND THIS IN NEWYORK
NEXTEL-- HAS BETTER DEALS BUT I AM NOT SURE IF THE COVERAGE IS THE SAME AS OTHER
CINGULAIR--I HEARD COVERAGE IS GOOD
SPRINT-- HAS POOR COVERAGE IN SOME AREAS
AT&T -- Sells the iPhone .. reasonably good as I own couple of them
they may charge monthly from 40 dollars to 100 dollars depending on the plan . most of them offer free minutes at night
and on weekends
So before buying and signing up please check which network works best in your area with your seniors or colleagues
If you wish to buy used quality stuff some websites offer free classifieds and you can call the person selling
they
include
www.craigslist.com -- this is an excellent website and you can click on you local area for free classifieds or advertisements. sells
everything used and sometimes new . beware of frauds and stolen stuff.
You can find virtually everything on this website
www.ebay.com -- You can find virtually everything you wish to buy. You have to register
on this website. Most of the transactions are safe
You may need to have a valid credit card or checking account
www.postaroo.com -- this is a newly emerging free advertisements site
www.sulekha.com -- mainly for the Indian subcontinent and offers free adverts
You can also look at the local newspapers classifieds section
4 BUYING A CAR
Buying a car is one of the biggest challenges/dilemma an overseas doctors faces in USA
I believe many of them
dream to buy the best car possible
Here in USA the choice is immense
There are different brands
Most popular include
TOYOTA
HONDA
NISSAN
FORD
CHRYSLER
HYUNDAI
KIA
CHEVROLET
GMC,
Mercedes Benz, BMW, AUDI
ETC
Being an Indian myself I believe that Japanese cars are definitely better than others in quality and durability though
I feel other manufacturers have caught up with them in quality
if you need good family car go for a midsize car like
HONDA CIVIC/TOYOTA COROLLA/NISSAN SENTRA/FORD FOCUS/HYUNDAI ELANTRA ETC
These cars also give good mileage
If you love a bit of luxury, go for
Honda Accord/Toyota Camry/Nissan maxima/Chrysler 300/Mercedes Benz/BMW/Volvo etc
If you like Sport Utility Vehicles theres is a large choice from
Chevrolet/Ford/Chrysler/Honda/Nissan/Toyota/Hyundai etc
They give low mileage but are fun for long distance driving
The best way to look for cars if you are new in this country is thru
www.cars.com It is online source for used and new cars. you can also do research on used and new models
www.autotrader.com It is similar to the above mentioned website
www.edmunds.com This website also offers cars and you can do research on the car you wish to purchase
www.kbb.com --- This is an excellent website which can tell you the value of your car and you could also do research on your car
BEFORE YOU BUY MAKE SURE YOU CHECK THE HISTORY OF YOUR CAR WHICH IS CALLED CARFAX REPORT . DEALERS
PROVIDE THIS FREELY IF YOU ARE BUYING A USED CAR FROM THEM www.carfax.com
CERTIFIED USED CARS --- Are cars which are 1-4 years old and the dealers include warranty on them. They
have quality, durability and can be bought from the dealers
Other ways to buy cars include
Buying from auctions
Buying on lease-- Lease means you pay a down payment and fised sum . You may pay upto 3-5 years and then
have to pay a balance if you wish to keep the vehicle or may have to return the car
This is good if you wish to change
your vehicle frequently
Buying from private sellers-- You could look at
Local newspaper ads
Local magazines
websites like
www.cars.com
www.ebay.com/motors
www.craigslist.com
www.autotrader.com
You can also buy cars which are frequently sold by the rental agencies
like
www.enterprise.com, www.hertz.com, www.dollar.com
5 BUYING A DVD PLAYER
Most DVD's will not paly overseas DVD's hence go for brands like cyberhome DVD's which run nboth NTSE amd PAL variants
6 Buying a PDA for work
Go wither for palm/HP IPAC or other palm PC's. Palm is the best bet as it is compatible with most of the medical software
you can buy online from www.palm.com or from local electronics stores like www.circuitcity.com
7. Best Credit card
The best bet would be take a money back credit card with no annual charges. You could shop online for these
8 Where would you buy your computer
Best bet would be to buy from online stores
Like Dell/Tosphiba/HP etc. Make sure you get some rebate from this
Keep your reciepts safely. Dell Desktops are cheap
Regarding laptops try to shop around and buy the brand and specifications you like
Good websites to see deals( discount
sales)
www.tigerdirect.com
www.amazon.com
www.deals2buy.com
www.newegg.com
www.dealsofamerica.com
www.walmart.com
