Connection Fee: Many cards charge at least 50¢ for connection and in some cases even more each time you make a call.
Pay Phone Surcharge: Many cards charge an additional fee of at least 50¢ per call for each call made from a pay phone.
Maintenance Fees: Some cards charge a weekly “maintenance fee” after the card is first used. If you use the card only occasionally, this fee can add up.
Rounding: Most cards round up a call to the next minute. Some cards use six minute rounding. This means a one minute call will be charged as a six minute call.

There are three types of Social Security cards:
The first shows the person’s name and number. This type allows them to work without restriction.
The next one is for people who are lawfully admitted to the USA without work authorization. On the card, it says “Not valid for employment.”
The last type is for people lawfully admitted to the U.S. for a temporary period of time with INS approval to work. On this card, it says, “Valid for work only with INS authorization.”

If you know the steps, obtaining a Social Security card is a simple process. First, you must locate the Social Security office nearest you. You can do this by entering your zip code into the Social Security branch locator. It will provide you with the address and telephone numbers nearest you.
Second, you will need to go into your local office to fill out an application or get an application online and bring it to the nearest office. The application cannot be sent by mail. However, you will need to provide an address where your card can be sent. If you do not have a permanent home address, use your work address or a friend’s address.

To get a new card, you will need to provide several documents. Most importantly, you will need to provide proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful alien status. You will also need a document that proves your age and who you are. A birth certificate or a school record is suitable. Driver’s license, Marriage or divorce record, Military records, Employer ID card, Adoption record, Insurance policy, Passport, Health Insurance card (not a Medicare card) and School ID card are all other forms that can be used for identification. They must be original documents or certified copies of the documents.
Also, there are bilateral Social Security agreements between the U.S. and 17 countries. This allows for the elimination of dual Social Security agreements and taxes for multinational and expatriate workers. The Social Security Administration can provide you with more information.

If you need more general information about obtaining a Social Security number and your rights, call 1-800-772-1213 or visit the Social Security Administration online.

Why is a Social Security Card important?

It is needed before you can obtain other things. For example, you cannot open most checking accounts or get a credit card without a social security card. Many organizations and schools use this number to identify people.

Steps:
Locate the Social Security Office in your area.

Stop by your local office to get an application or download a printable application from the Social Security Administration Web site.

Bring the application and supporting documents to your local office.

You cannot mail the application. Most importantly, you will need to provide proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful alien status, which means bringing your visa or green card. You will also need a document that proves your age and who you are. A birth certificate or a school record is suitable. Driver’s license, Marriage or divorce record, Military records, Employer ID card, Adoption record, Insurance policy , Passport , Health Insurance card (not a Medicare card) and School ID card are all other forms that can be used for identification. They must be original documents or certified copies of the documents.

Wait for your card.

You will receive the card by mail in a few weeks. Be sure to give them a correct address. If you do not have a permanent address, use the address of a friend or your business address.
More Information on getting a Social Security Card

Can’t get a Social Security Card? Get information on getting a Taxpayer ID Number.

Banking saves you from having to keep or carry around a large amount of cash, which can tempt thieves. Banking also provides convenience and most financial institutions allow you to earn interest on your money.

Banking terms can sometimes be confusing. Fortunately, New2USA has compiled a glossary of banking terms to help you out.

Types of Institutions

Banks, credit unions, and savings and loans all have the same basic services. Before choosing an institution, compare what each has to offer and pick the one that best serves your needs.

Banks in the USA are local, statewide or regional. The system may seem complicated if you are accustomed to large, national institutions. Banks are for-profit businesses and will charge a fee for services such as checking accounts, debit purchases and other conveniences. Make sure to get a listing of the fees banks charge before opening an account.

Credit unions, on the other hand, are nonprofit, cooperative financial institutions owned and controlled by the people who use its services. They exist to provide a safe, convenient place for members to save money and to get loans and credit cards at reasonable rates. They provide all the services of a bank, but usually with fewer fees. The disadvantages of belonging to a credit union are limited locations and limited conveniences, such as online banking or ATM services.

You may join a credit union only if you are part of a group that has one, such as a company, profession or school. There are also credit unions that are formed by different nationality groups, each with its own set of guidelines for membership. For example, Polish & Slavic Federal Credit in Brooklyn, N.Y., is federally chartered to serve the needs of people of Polish and Slavic origin and their relatives who are members of the Polish & Slavic Center.

Savings and loans generally offer services that help customers invest and save. They usually don’t offer the same conveniences as banks, but they sometimes offer better interest rates on loans and some interest-bearing accounts.

Choosing Bank Services

Most Americans have a checking and savings account. Checks are the most commonly used method of transferring money from one location or from one person to another. Checking accounts are used for holding money that will be spent paying bills, while savings accounts earn interest and are used for overdraft protection. Banks also provide loans, credit cards, investments and a slew of other services that vary bank to bank.

Choosing a Financial Institution

Smart consumers do some comparative shopping before selecting a financial institution. You can start by requesting information from nearby banks and credit unions. In your research, you will want to find out about a bank’s:

• Correspondent relationships – You will be able to get some services more easily from a bank that has a correspondent relationship with a bank in your home country.
• Services – Does the bank offer the services you want? If you will be transferring money to your home country, check if your branch can handle international transactions easily.
• Convenience – bank locations, hours, ability to do transactions easily — via ATM, online banking or by telephone.
• Interest – Does the bank pay interest on the balance for checking and savings accounts? How do the rates compare to other banks?
• Federally insured – Most banks are federally insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or FDIC, meaning if the bank goes bankrupt, you will get up to $100,000 of your money back.
• Check clearing – What are the policies? How long does it take to clear a check?
• Pricing – Check account charges, fees for checks and services like ATM machines.
• Overdraft protection – With this protection, your bank will pay for a check if you overdraw your account.
• The minimum balance – The least amount of money you must keep in the account before receiving a penalty payment.
• Other useful services – Services such as linkup with savings, charge cards, debit cards, financial counseling and safety deposit boxes.
• Personal relationship – Services such as support and courtesy.

Avoid being influenced by:

• Advertising campaigns and promotions
• Interest calculating methods on interest-bearing accounts (usually insignificant)
• Prestige (image is unimportant, service is what counts)

Setting up Your Banking Services

Financial institutions will need some proof of identification that you are who you say you are before opening an account. Call ahead to ask what you need, but you may need to provide:

• Your Social Security number. You can get a Social Security card for banking purposes from the Social Security Administration (1-800-772-1213) even if you don’t have a green card to work
• A photo ID such as a driver’s license, passport or student ID.
• A bill with your current address to verify your address.
• Your signature on a card or form that will be kept on file by your bank.

Ask for the new accounts department. The bank representative will walk you through the simple procedure of opening an account.

Bringing Funds into the USA

You may electronically transfer any amount of money into the country. But if you bring more than $10,000 in currency, money orders, checks, traveler’s checks, stocks or bonds, be prepared to file a Form 4790 with U.S. Customs.

Banks are also required to report all cash transactions more than $10,000 to the Internal Revenue Service, or IRS.

Most banks will now allow you to have bills and payments automatically deducted or added to your account.

You will, however, be assessed a fee if your account is overdrawn – unless you have overdraft protection. Savings accounts allow you to keep an amount of money in the bank and earn a small interest rate. They are generally completely liquid, meaning you can withdraw money at any time without a fee. A savings account is not a place to invest, as interest rates on these accounts are extremely low compared to investments in stocks or bonds.

Why are they important?

Checking and savings accounts form the backbone of personal finance. Without a checking account, it is nearly impossible to pay bills, since most companies will not accept paper currency (i.e., dollar bills) as payment. Savings accounts are usually kept as overdraft protection for checking accounts, or as holding places for emergency cash.

Steps:

Research banks and credit unions in your area to find out which one best fits your needs.
Gather the necessary documentation.
The bank will want to see your Social Security card or Tax ID, passport or other photo ID, and name, location and routing number (if you are transferring funds electronically) of your old bank.

Call or visit the financial institution you have chosen.
When you call, ask to speak with the “new accounts” department. Tell the bank representative what kind of account you want, and ask about the bank’s policies and procedures.

Give the bank representative the needed information, and arrange to have your first deposit credited to the account.
The first deposit can be made by check, electronic funds transfer, and occasionally by credit card.

Credit reporting bureaus, such as Experian and Trans Union compile data on consumers’ credit habits and sell the information to creditors. Whenever you apply for a bank loan or credit card, the lender checks with a credit bureau. Only if you have a good credit record — meaning your record shows that you pay your bills on time — will the additional credit be granted. Any negative financial information is reported for seven years, while information about bankruptcies is reported for 10 years.

Unfortunately, credit companies in the USA don’t look at payment records from other countries. So, according to credit bureaus in the USA, newcomers have no credit history.

How to Get Credit

Avoid companies that advertise “instant credit, no matter what your previous credit history.” They may not be reputable. To start building your credit history, you need to obtain credit from a reputable company or bank that reports to the major credit bureaus.

You may need to start small. You are unlikely to be accepted by a major credit card company such as Visa or Mastercard without a previous history. A good place to start is by getting a charge card at a department store or a mail order catalog; check first to see if they report to credit bureaus. After a few months of paying at least the minimum payment, your credit rating will show a good credit rating.

Some banks also give secured credit cards to people with no credit history.

Another method to build a credit rating is to buy large-purchase goods such as furniture or televisions on a secured financial basis. This means that the store sells you the items on credit, knowing they can take them back if you do not maintain payments. You build up your credit rating as you pay for these items on a month-by-month basis.

There is a danger, however. Some stores con naive people into buying low-quality products at high prices by breaking the payments up into reasonable monthly costs. Don’t neglect the bottom line figure of any purchase — it is a mistake to just look at the monthly payment. And don’t buy a product just to get credit. This method should only be used if you need the product anyway, and feel confident that you are shopping at a reputable store.

If you belong to a credit union, you may be eligible to get a credit card in just two to three weeks. A foreign American Express card may help you get a U.S. card in about two weeks. Other credit cards may require a four-to six-week wait for approval.

Checking your Credit Rating

Once you have established credit, it’s a good idea to check your own credit before you apply for loans or credit cards. You can get a credit card report online from one of the major credit bureaus: Equifax, Trans Union, and Experian.

Credit Card Terms

If you need help with credit card terms, take a look at this glossary.

How Credit Cards Work

Most credit cards operate as revolving credit. This means that you receive a line of credit that you can tap into at will and pay back as quickly or slowly as you want, as long as you pay the minimum required each month. If you pay on time each month, the lender may increase your credit line, giving you more borrowing power.

Credit cards are great for establishing credit history, making travel reservations, purchasing products or services over the telephone or over the Internet, and as a convenience so you don’t have to carry a lot of cash.

Credit Cards from Home

Using your home country credit card in the USA offers some disadvantages. For one, the bill for a foreign card goes to your bank at home and, at a cost to you, is converted to the non-American currency. Secondly, you must keep a bank account in your home country to pay the bills.

But if your bank in your home country does have a corresponding relationship with a bank in the USA, you may be able to leverage this relationship to get a credit card in this country more easily.

When to Use a Credit Card

Americans appreciate the convenience of credit cards and tend to use them liberally. But because credit cards allow consumers to buy now and pay later, and because they are so easy to use, too many people make the mistake of viewing their credit card as free money. As a general rule, the interest rate on credit cards is much higher than on bank loans, and it is easy to fall into credit card debt. Adopting an “if I can’t afford it, I don’t want it” mentality will help you avoid a great deal of stress and financial difficulty.

Credit Fraud

“Credit problems? We can erase your bad credit, 100% guaranteed. Create a new credit identity — legally.”

All over the USA, unscrupulous companies appeal every day to people with bad credit histories. They claim they can fix credit reports, for a “small” fee. Unfortunately, after consumers pay them large sums of money in upfront fees, these companies often vanish with the money.

In reality, no one can legally remove negative information from a credit report. The law does, however, allow consumers to request a reinvestigation of information in a file that is disputed as inaccurate or incomplete at no charge. Everything a credit repair clinic can do for you legally, you can do for yourself at little or no cost.

If you do run into a crooked company, file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission by contacting the Consumer Response Center. Although it cannot resolve individual problems for consumers, it can act against a company if it sees a pattern of possible law violations.

Managing Debt

If creditors are calling you to pay up, and you sense that you may be heading into deep waters, consider calling a debt counselor. A good place to start is the Consumer Credit Counseling Service, or CCCS, a nonprofit organization that provides credit counseling. They can’t make the bills go away, but they can help you carefully review all your financial information — including income, expenses and debts — to develop a plan that will help you achieve your financial goals.

At CCCS, you and your counselor develop a monthly budget for living expenses and creditor repayment. CCCS then negotiates with your creditors to attempt to defer past due amounts, and in many cases, lower or even waive interest rates. The goal is to enable you to live within your new budget and to get out of debt as quickly as possible.

Credit cards allow consumers to have access to more money than they can safely carry around, and they can provide an extra source of money to use for unexpected expenses. Additionally, goods such as airline tickets, rental cars and hotel rooms, can only be secured with credit cards since they offer protection for companies in case you don’t pay the bill.

Steps:

1. Build a credit history in the United States.This is probably the toughest and most time-consuming part of the process. One way to do this is to request a secured credit card from your bank. You must secure the card with your own money, so you don not spend more than you can pay back. Be sure to make payments faithfully on your secured card. If you can’t get a secured card, start small: ask if your landlord can vouch for your timeliness in paying your rent, or attempt to buy something you needed anyway on store credit. After a few months of staying current on your bills, your credit should look good to credit card companies.
2. Shop around for a card that best fits your purchasing habits.Do you plan to fly home often? If so, you might want a card that gives you frequent-flier miles. Do you plan to carry a balance from month to month? If so, find a card with the lowest interest rates. Be sure to read and understand the fine print.
3. Apply, once you have found the card(s) you like.You may apply over the phone, by mail or online. On the application, you must supply the following pieces of information:
   • Name: This is the name that you have on your credit report. If you put a different name, processing of your application may be delayed.
   • Social Security Number/Tax ID: You must provide this information, as it is a unique identifier. Companies use this information to access your credit report and other financial information.
   • Address: This is the address to which they will send your bills and card. The company will also ask how long you have lived at your current address and how much you pay for mortgage or rent. They may use this information to get a general figure of your debt load and disposable income.
   • Household income: This is your salary plus any other income you wish to be considered when the company figures your credit limit. Generally, the higher your reported income, the higher your credit limit will be.
   • Place of employment: Credit card companies want to know that you have a job and steady income.
   • Signature: Your signature on the application means you approve of the contract terms, which are printed somewhere on the application. It also signifies that the information you have provided is true. If you applied online or over the phone, the company will get your electronic or verbal confirmation, and they may send a contract in the mail for you to sign.
4. If the card company approves your application, they will notify you by mail.The approval notice will list your credit limit and any fees the company charges. If the actual card isn’t included with the approval notice, it will usually arrive within a few weeks. If the card company rejects your application, you are entitled by law to find out why. Call the toll-free (800) or (888) number on the card company’s mailing and request an explanation.

If so, perhaps it’s time to think about modernizing your banking habits. You may not realize that many banks have started charging fees to bank the “old-fashioned way.” For instance, some banks charge customers several dollars extra for using a teller to perform services that could be done over the telephone or at an Automatic Teller Machine, or ATM. Many banks offer discounts if you have paychecks deposited directly into your account. Most employers offer this direct deposit option, and you can also arrange for some of your bills to be paid automatically from your checking or savings account. Be sure the bill-paying service company is credible before making this arrangement, however.

You can modernize your banking habits by using the telephone, ATM or personal computer.

Telephone Banking

Most banks allow you to access account information and authorize certain transactions over the telephone. Account information is usually free, but fees sometimes apply for transactions. To bank by phone, you must have a touch-tone telephone and a code, called a Personal Identification Number, or PIN, to access your information.

When banking over the telephone, you will probably have to respond to recorded prompts, similar to voice mail prompts. The system will give you several choices from which to choose. On the telephone, you can check your account balances, find out if a check has cleared, transfer money between accounts and stop payment on a specific check, in addition to other things you would usually do at the bank. Ask your bank manager what options are available to you.

ATM Banking

Automated Teller Machines, sometimes called Money Access Centers, are quickly becoming the primary face of banking. These machines can be found in most public places ? on the street, in shopping malls, at the airport or even in your office building. An ATM gives the customer access to even more services than telephone banking. The machines offer 24-hour access to your account, but their convenient locations can make it easier for customers to overspend or engage in impulse buying.

To use an ATM, you need a debit or ATM card and your PIN. Not all debit or ATM cards can be used in all ATMs. Your bank belongs to several card networks. Match the logo on your card with logos on the machine. Common logos in the USA are Plus, Money Station, Cirrus, Honor, CashPoints and Maestro. Don’t forget that you may pay fees for each transaction, and some banks charge higher fees than others. Most banks also limit the size of ATM withdrawals.

It is important to monitor your account, especially if you use electronic services for many of your transactions. Record every deposit and withdrawal in your check registry. If you do online banking, the software usually takes care of this for you. Keep in mind that local checks take only a few days to clear, while checks from other countries may take as long as three weeks.

In addition to paying for a purchase by cash, credit card or check, you may also pay by swiping your bank’s ATM or debit card through a machine in a store and entering your PIN. The money is automatically taken from your account. Cash cards provide a safe and low-cost way to carry money that can be changed into local currency. Memorize your PIN, and never write it on your card or tell strangers the number.

Online Banking

Online banking services have many names, such as home banking, PC banking, electronic banking or Internet banking. Regardless of the name, these systems offer compelling advantages and conveniences.

Online systems allow customers to plug into a host of banking services from a personal computer that is equipped with a modem. The range of transactions available is fairly broad; customers can do everything from checking account balances to applying for a mortgage. And since online banking keeps you out of the bank’s branch, you may get a reward or discount on your bank fees by signing up. Make sure to ask your bank’s manager if the company offers a discount for using the service.

If you don’t mind spending time setting up your online accounts, you can save hours of time whenever you pay bills or attend to your accounts. But keep in mind, fees may apply, and you may face a hassle converting your data if you switch banks.

For more information about banking in the USA, check out the New2USA’s banking basics section.

*January 1, 2011 (the legal public holiday for New Year’s Day), falls on a Saturday. For most Federal employees, Friday, December 31, 2010, will be treated as a holiday for pay and leave purposes.

** This holiday is designated as “Washington’s Birthday” in section 6103(a) of title 5 of the United States Code, which is the law that specifies holidays for Federal employees. Though other institutions such as state and local governments and private businesses may use other names, it is our policy to always refer to holidays by the names designated in the law.

*** December 25, 2011 (the legal public holiday for Christmas Day), falls on a Sunday. For most Federal employees, Monday, December 26, will be treated as a holiday for pay and leave purposes.