Nomad life7 min
A Mail Plan for a Long Trip, in the Order You Should Do It
Six weeks out to the day you leave: what to set up, what to cancel, and the three pieces of post that genuinely cannot wait until you are back.
Guides
Guides
Original writing on the parts of this subject that are genuinely confusing: what a CMRA is and why it matters, what Form 1583 is for, how forwarding is priced, why a bank rejected your address, and what happens to your mail when you leave for a year.
Nomad life8 min
Voting, Licences and Jury Duty With a Mailbox Address
State agencies distinguish between where you live and where your mail goes, but not consistently, and not in the same way as each other. What each one wants, and what to do when you have no residential address at all.
Mailbox basics7 min
Receiving Packages at a Mailbox Center Without Getting Stung
Parcel acceptance is the main reason to rent a private mailbox and the main source of unexpected fees. The rules that govern it, and the four questions to ask before your first delivery.
Privacy8 min
Mail Scanning and Privacy: What the Service Can See
Somebody is opening your post and photographing it. Here is what that means in practice, what protections exist, and the questions worth asking before you hand over the authority.
Nomad life10 min
Choosing a Domicile State When You Do Not Live Anywhere
Full-time travellers pick a state from a list of the ones with no income tax and then discover the parts that actually govern the year: inspections, insurance, health cover and evidence.
Banking7 min
Why Banks Reject CMRA Addresses, and What Actually Works
It is not arbitrary and it is not about you. Here is the rule the bank is following, why a mailbox address trips it, and the approach that gets an account opened.
Business8 min
Using a Mailbox Address for Your Business, and the Part It Cannot Do
A private mailbox will serve as your business mailing address in most situations. It will not serve as your registered agent, and confusing the two is how companies quietly fall out of good standing.
Forwarding8 min
How Mail Forwarding Actually Works, and What Makes It Expensive
There are three completely different things called mail forwarding, they cost different amounts, and picking the wrong one is why people end up paying forty dollars to receive a stack of junk mail.
Mailbox basics9 min
PO Box, Private Mailbox or Virtual Mailbox: Which One You Actually Need
Three products that all end with your mail somewhere other than your front door, and three completely different sets of consequences. Here is how to tell which one your situation calls for.
Paperwork9 min
USPS Form 1583, Explained Line by Line
The one-page form standing between you and a mailbox key, what each section is actually asking for, and the four reasons applications get sent back.
Mailbox basics8 min
What a CMRA Is, and Why It Decides Almost Everything Else
Three letters explain most of the confusing behaviour around private mailboxes: why one store can sign for your UPS parcel and another cannot, why a bank rejected your address, and why the paperwork is what it is.