To avoid chaos, use this guide to help you methodically update your address across all the organizations and accounts tied to you.
Moving to a new home brings a lot of upheaval and stress. In the midst of all the packing and planning, it’s easy to forget smaller (but still crucial) tasks like informing companies, services, and contacts about your new address.
Neglecting these address change notifications can lead to missed bills, canceled services, undelivered mail, and headaches down the road.
To avoid chaos, use this guide to help you methodically update your address moving services in toronto across all the organizations and accounts tied to you. I’ll walk through who you need to notify and provide tips to streamline the process.
Start With the Postal Service
The most important vendor to notify is the US Postal Service. Submitting an official change of address form ensures your mail will be automatically forwarded to your new residence. This also notifies many other organizations tied to your address.
You can easily request the mail forwarding service online at USPS.com or visit your local post office counter. Make sure to do this at least 2 weeks before move day. Mail forwarding lasts for 12 months.
Update All Financial Companies
Make a comprehensive list of every financial institution or service tied to your address. These include:
- Banks – Update any bank accounts, loans, credit cards, or investment accounts you hold. This prevents statements and other correspondence from getting lost.
- Insurance Providers – Notify auto, health, home, and life insurance companies to continue uninterrupted coverage.
- Mortgage/Lenders – If you have an outstanding loan or mortgage, alert these companies to send billing and important notices to the right place.
- Billing Services – For any medical billing or utility billing tied to your address, provide new details to avoid missed invoices.
- Investment Firms – Change your address for retirement accounts, brokerage services, financial advisors etc. to keep receiving time-sensitive materials.
For any accounts you close, make sure to receive final statements at the new address.
Switch Over Home Services
Make a list of all the home services tied to the property you are vacating. These include:
- Electric and gas utilities – Set a final meter read date and start new service at the new address.
- Water service – Similarly, close out your old account and initiate service at the new home.
- Cable/satellite/internet – Either transfer or cancel existing services and sign up with new providers in the new area.
- Phone and cell phone – Again, switch over or close out current phone plans.
- Trash/recycling – Cancel pickup at the old address and enroll in new city or county-provided service.
Scheduling final cut-off dates and new start services ahead of time ensures no gap in vital utilities.
Update Government Offices
If you have any government-issued identification, benefits or other programs tied to your address, make sure to alert these agencies, including:
- Department of Motor Vehicles – Update your driver’s license with your new address.
- Social Security Administration – Report your address change to ensure you receive statements and other items correctly.
- IRS – Report any address change to accurately receive tax documents.
- Veterans Affairs – If you receive any VA benefits, submit an address update.
Check any other benefits you receive from federal or state programs and notify administrators. Following this comprehensive guide makes the vital task of submitting change of address notifications much more manageable amidst the chaos of relocating.
