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Ask HN: Good resources for new immigrants on how to settle?

• smb06 10y ago
  You will realize soon that getting a phone can be very tricky. Pre-paid plans are incredibly expensive and in order to get postpaid plan you need to have a credit history which takes over a year to build. I made some friends and then joined one of their existing plans while I waited to build my own credit history. Meetup.com is a good resource to get involved in the community and make friends. Also look for local volunteering opportunities on weekends to get you started on a social circle.
  • mus1cfl0w 10y ago
    Oh okay, thank you. I didn't think about that...During a semester abroad I used to have a plan from H2O wireless which was not as expensive though. I'll definitely check out Meetup!
  • taprun 10y ago
    Phones can be cheap - I have a $30/month prepaid cell phone with 5GB, unlimited video/music. Paired with a google voice number, it's effectively unlimited everything. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Tmobile-30-Wireless-Airtime-Card/15443357 https://www.walmart.com/ip/Tmobile-30-Wireless-Airtime-Card/...
    • mus1cfl0w 10y ago
      That's a great deal! But apart of the phone story, how do I build up a credit score quickly? I do have a decent amount of cash savings and everything I own is paid off..
      • nwhybrid 10y ago
        Get a secured credit card from a credit union, not a bank, to build up your credit. That's what I did and it worked out beautifully.
• k0nsl 10y ago
  Buy a bottle of Kool-Aid and dissolve some cyanide salt in lemon juice and make lemon-ade. When life hands you a lemon...The KOOL-AID that cools you permanent. The pause that refreshes... because it puts YOU on ice.
• nwhybrid 10y ago
  1. House - get a roommate (or 3) if you're young and have no family living with you. They will be your main friend(s) 2. Get a secured credit card from a credit union to build up your credit 3. Take out a loan with said credit union after a few months (even if you don't need it) 4. Friends --- work, meetup.com, gym classes, sports leagues, random bars if you're an extrovert. Go everywhere you are invited. 5. Job - Use consulting firms here to get contracts and work your way in. Look for healthcare mainly,but a job in a decent sized city so you can connect with others (after an ok salary of course) 6. Phone - Get a cheap prepaid cell
  • mus1cfl0w 10y ago
    1. I figured that might me a good starting point, but may not be worthwhile in the long run in order to built up property right? 2. Can you recommend a specific credit union? What do I've to look out for? I'm currently in CA. 3. Okay 4. Alright 5. What do you mean by "look for healthcare"? A decent salary for a software engineer would be what? 90k? What site do you guys use for finding a job? Indeed, Glassdoor, etc. or anything special? 6. Check!
    • nwhybrid 10y ago
      1. I'm not sure I understand what you mean by built up property. Right now your goal should be to connect with others and make friends, settling down in a house on your own isn't ideal at this time unless you have a family. 2. Any credit union that'll accept you will do. On the job portion, get a job that you like (can't stress this enough) that covers your rent+utilities, food and leaves enough to go out to eat a couple days a week as well as about 1K in savings a month if possible. Not sure what that is in california, but your an engineer so I trust you can use your skills to arrive at a decent figure. Search for jobs anywhere you can get the word out, friends, indeed, LinkedIn etc.
• DeAndre222 10y ago
  My credit score was 510 and made me not to get a loan, a car, and a house few weeks later my score shot 760,i came across retrodataservices@gmail.com and i was pleased they helped me fix my report.