In the new state I wish to be invisible.

... Why not form a NM LLC? That way, you can hide your name and address from the very beginning, and there are no annual reports (which require a current address and a signature).

I signed up for these services between 6 months and a year ago.

First, I used Rosie Enriquez's services to obtain an alternate address in Alaska.

Second, I rented a PMB from a "UPS Store" CMRA.

Third, I purchased an AT&T GoPhone, and activated it using the Alaska address. I was a bit of a hassle, but they finally let me do it without showing a driver's license. (I posted details about this in #4916.) The AT&T GoPhone has an Alaska 907 area code.

Fourth, I purchased a NetSpend brand pre-paid debit card at a supermarket, and activated it for longer-term use on the Internet (www.netspend.com). As a U.S. resident, I had to provide my SSN. I used the Alaska address as the billing address, and my Alaska (907) cell phone number as the phone at the billing address.

Fourth, when I desired a "Jitterbug" brand phone from GreatCall, Inc., I ordered it on the Internet (or was it by phone?). Since the Jitterbug uses the Sprint and Verizon GSM networks, which do not have good coverage in Alaska, GreatCall let me have a toll-free area code for that phone, waiving the extra charge. I had it shipped to my "UPS Store" CMRA Private Mail Box. The bills for the Jitterbug phone go to my alternate address in Alaska, from which they are forwarded to my CMRA box.

I also purchased a one-way pager and a paging account from American Messaging. Because American Messaging doesn't have good coverage at my Alaska alternate address (in fact, they had *removed* some towers for lack of business from a local hospital), they let me have a toll-free area code for the pager. (I explained that the pager was to let family call me when I was working down in the "lower 48".)

I pay the bills for the pager and the two cell phones with my NetSpend prepaid debit card. I load that debit card at a local "cash connection" store not far from here, paying cash to load money in the card.

The bank that issued the NetSpend debit card knows my SSN but does not (so far as I know!) have my old apartment address in their records. (It could be learned fairly easily given the SSN, though.) None of the firms know the address of the new apartment into which I am moving.

I took these steps gradually over several months, as I thought things over and read and re-read Jack's HTBI book and his reports.

Submitted Link #1: http://www.netspend.com...

We have since worked out terms on who pays what for the Comcast bill. It will all be on hmy new landlord's Comcast account. I will reimburse him for the parts of the bill that pertain to internet broadband cable service, while he is responsible for the parts of the bill that relate to cable TV and telephone service. I will help him secure his LAN and Wi-Fi wireless LAN (WLAN).

I've notified the utility companies to close my accounts at my old address at the end of this month. At that point, the only utilities in my own name will be for cell phones and pager, and those companies's records do not (so far as I can tell!) include true residential addresses.

Thanks for your advice and for your forum, Jack. This is fun!

... FINALLY ... someone--other than me--who thinks at least some of the privacy projects are fun! (Fun in the sense of meeting a new challenge and solving it.)

If I write checks to me, I have to cash them somewhere, most likely the other banks where I have accounts. I assume that those checks would be scanned and saved, thus tied to me.

... Use the ATM card that comes with the nominee account.

1. To enhance privacy. I've been a tenant at my present apartment complex for almost 20 years, and they know altogether too much about me: (SSN, address, full name, employer, etc., etc., etc.).

2. To reduce expenses, so that I can can pay off my debts (car loan, credit cards) and so stop disclosing sensitive information to creditors.

3. To reduce my clutter. After almost twenty years as a bachelor in my present apartment, it resembles Huck Finn's pappy's cabin, as described by Mark Twain: "You almost needed to take soundings to navigate the room."

For some months, with a move in mind, I had been reading a local supermarket "shopper" flyer, where customers of the supermarket can advertise, free of charge. Among the ads for free kittens, and free manure for gardeners, and old trucks and furniture, I found an ad for an apartment, with utilities included in the $550 per month rent -- "but we need a quiet tenant." I called the phone number, spoke to the owner, and arranged to meet with him the following Saturday.

I came prepared with passport, photocopy of passport (with SSN deleted), and a photocopy of a recent check stub from my employer (again, with SSN deleted) - but he didn't ask to see any of that! As we sized each other up, I freely disclosed my name, the name of my employer - and my interest in privacy. (I can always move later, when I'm ready to increase my privacy level again.) We seemed to hit it off.

I pulled out my notebook computer to check whether its internal cellular telephone modem had good coverage at the apartment. While I did so, I pulled up the current page from the "Pogo Was Right" privacy blog, and read the day's dozen or so reports of privacy breaches. (See link below.) This seemed to impress him.

Apparently he has only been renting this apartment (a "mother-in-law flat in his home) for just a few years, and has had good experiences with the two previous tenants. He explained why he needed a quiet tenant. I discussed the possibility of paying a little more to him for broadband internet service from his Comcast account. (He already had a cable TV outlet in the room that I'll be renting.)

It seems that I can offer him expertise on protecting his home computers from the nasties on the Internet, and he can offer me ALL the utilities that I need (gas, water, electricity, and Comcast broadband Internet connection) without the need to open any accounts with the utility companies.

I already am receiving all mail and packages at a local UPS Store CMRA. And my employer has replaced that street address in its files with the mailing address at the CMRA.

So my privacy level is gradually increasing.

Thank you, Jack, for your book and your reports! It's been fun putting your recommendations into practice.

Submitted Link #1: http://www.pogowasright.org...

... You wrote, "I came prepared with passport, photocopy of passport (with SSN deleted) ..."

I assume what you actually deleted was the DOB, because passports do not contain SSNs.

There's a better way to find a bank, though. Check out Veribanc (see link below). (Be sure to spell "Veribanc" with a "c" -- there is a completely different firm named "Veribank" with a "k"!)

Some months ago I ordered Veribanc's color coded "instant ratings" report on several banks. I was prompted to switch my business from Wells Fargo (WF) on learning that WF had a Veribanc yellow "caution" alert on it at that time. (In the Veribank color code, it was rated "yellow with two stars" then.) My credit union, on the other hand, had the usual (and more desirable) "green with three stars" rating. A small local bank had Veribanc's top "blue ribbon bank" rating. I visited their office, read their privacy policy, and opened an account.

A small bank (in this case, a home office and one branch) is advantageous for privacy. Their privacy policy stated that they would NOT share any information about me with their affiliates -- because they don't have any affiliates! A small bank with few branches and few employees is, I think, more private than a large bank like WF, that has hundreds of branches and thousands of employees who can access my account information.

Check our Veribanc at the link below. They also sell a very popular "Blue Ribbon Bank" report that lists all the "blue ribbon banks" within a specified geographical region. (Veribank's region number 3 includes all the Pacific Northwest States: Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana.)

Submitted Link #1: http://www.veribanc.com...

... As long as the bank belongs to FDIC, there should be no problem for normal accounts.

(Details on how and where to open such an account are in my "Invisible Money" e-book.)

Substitute "porn" for financial information, personal phone and address books, private notes of any kind, etc.

Submitted Link #1: http://cryptome.info/0001/carino/carino-001.pdf ...

Stay compliant in your state by filing all annual reports and paying annual fees as well as any quarterly or other reports you must file, keep your nose clean by paying taxes, keeping honest and accurate corporate books and operating strictly within the law and never sign documents going to the state yourself. Get a legitimate officer of the entity (even a "nominee" officer) to sign annual reports or similar documents. I do or will do all of these things in the states where I operate entities and it keeps me off the records but in control of the entities.

Finally, make sure you have good, up-to-date corporate record books, including operating agreements for LLC or bylaws for corporation and consents (LLC) or resolutions (corp) for the acts of the entity. If you're going to be a partnership, you're going to have to file a partnership return which means getting an EIN for the entity. Use a nominee (perhaps the one you use to form the entity?) to obtain the EIN for you so your name isn't on the records. Keep the IRS records (mailing address, changes in structure, name, membership) up-to-do. Doing these things will keep attention off you and your entity and on those who don't follow these rules.

Oh, and one more thing, I'd suggest you use an NM LLC to own the property you use to conduct business so if you or your NY business get into legal trouble, your business assets and tools are not lost and you'll be able to continue to make a living.