Ultimate checklist for returning U.S. expats

Mon, 02/20/2012 - 23:28 — Anonymous by Jordan BurchetteDepending on how
long you've been abroad, your transition back to the U.S. could be as
stressful -- perhaps even more so -- as your initial expatriation.When you
arrived in your foreign home, you likely had to undergo an understandable
period of culture adjustment. What you may not expect is the inverse upon
your return; the expectation of the familiar derailed by the degree to which
things have changed.Change isn't a bad thing, it's just something
you'll want to prepare for. After consulting with a number of repats,
here's our checklist for re-Americanization. Setting up the basics You'll
have to satisfy fundamental necessities quickly in order to function as an
adult. Here are the major items to take care of.The show is over for
Blackberry. Cell phones/plansBlackberry is dead. The company can no longer
compete with its chief rivals, the iPhone and Android-based handsets, and it
doesn't even do well anymore what it used to; a new Blackberry works worse
than one from two years ago.Three of the four major carriers -- Sprint,
Verizon, AT&T -- carry the iPhone, and all service providers offer some form
of Android-based phone. Check BillShrink for the plan that best suits you.You
may be able to use your existing phone on the AT&T and T-Mobile networks,
which operate on the GSM standard.FinanceThere are four U.S. banks now:
Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America and Citi. And they're looking for any
and every way to disgorge you of the money you keep with them, including a
recent failed attempt to charge monthly for debit card use. So you might want
to check the Internet for places to store your war chest, find where rates
are most favorable and fees are fewer.High-yield savings, which, before the
financial collapse, reached annual rates upwards of five percent, is now
defined as anything above zero. But check Fat Wallet.com for the best of what
still passes for interest.Housing: Buy or rent?It's bottoms up in the housing
market. Interest rates are at their lowest in modern history. Couple that
with a weakened housing market and, if you're returning permanently, you have
good credit and anything together for a down payment, this is a good time to
consider purchasing a new property. Especially since the paradoxically
crowded housing market is driving up rents in many major cities."Even
though in many cities there are very fewer (housing) listings now than in
previous years, it's still a buyer's market," says Brian Brink of Brink
Appraisal in Portland, Ore. "Although some people still believe we
haven't seen the bottom of the real estate market, there are signs
nationally that the market is stabilizing and has seen its low point."
Everyone has less money now, but everything costs more Economic experts
insist that inflationary pressure in the United States is low, but you
wouldn't know it by looking at the prices of some of the most common items.
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