Life in the US
Your first year in the US, money and paperwork made simple.
A practical map for newcomers, international students, and H-1B or green-card households. Seven sections link to the agency that publishes the rule: credit, banking, taxes, insurance, everyday costs, government paperwork, and the economy.
The pages are here so you can check the official source yourself. They do not tell you which account to open, what you owe, or whether you qualify.
Entries checked . Disclaimer
Credit cards and scores
Where to read about credit reports, scores, secured cards, and freezes. No card is recommended, and no rate or sign-up bonus is listed.
8 entries
Banks and transfers
Deposit insurance, the documents a bank may ask for, and what a transfer company should show before you pay. Each bank decides whom it will accept.
8 entries
Taxes
IRS pages for filing, Form W-2, Form 1099-NEC, an ITIN, and foreign students. This section does not decide your tax status.
11 entries
Insurance
The marketplace, Medicare open enrollment, 2027 Part D drug-cost parameters, HSA contribution limits, student health plans, and state insurance regulators. No premiums are compared, and no plan or insurer is recommended.
12 entries
Spending less
Official labels for internet and appliances, plus a local way to review charges. No cash-back apps and no referral links.
7 entries
IDs, benefits, and paperwork
Official pages for a Social Security number, your state DMV, REAL ID, an address change, an EAD automatic extension, the 2027–28 FAFSA, and benefit screens. Nothing here decides whether you qualify.
10 entries
Economy & Policy
Official pages for the debt, interest expense, the budget, jobs, prices, the September 2026 CPI and employment release, GDP, the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment, and the 2027 retirement earnings test, SSI federal payment standard, and substantial gainful activity amounts. This is not investment or tax advice.
11 entries
Questions people ask first
Each answer starts with the useful part, then points you at the agency page. Nothing here is personal advice.
How do I open a bank account without a Social Security number?
There is no single rule for the whole country. Each bank decides which identification it will accept, so some open an account without a Social Security number and others do not. Read the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau checklist, then ask that bank which documents it wants.
How do I get a first credit card with no credit history?
If you have little or no U.S. credit file, start with the CFPB explanation of how a credit history begins. It describes product types such as secured cards. This page does not name a bank, quote a rate, or tell you which card to open.
How do F-1 students handle U.S. taxes?
F-1 students start with the IRS pages for foreign students and scholars, and with Publication 519. Those pages explain the federal rules, including when Form 8843 comes up. This guide does not decide if you are a resident for tax purposes or if you must file.
How do I apply for an ITIN?
The IRS issues an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number to someone who needs to file a U.S. tax return and cannot get a Social Security number. Follow the IRS ITIN page for the current form and documents. An ITIN is not work permission, and it does not describe your immigration status.
How do I apply for a Social Security number?
A Social Security number is not something every newcomer can get on arrival. The Social Security Administration explains who may apply for a first number and how to replace a card. Use the SSA page, and do not mail your papers to a site that is not SSA.
How should international students choose health insurance?
A student health plan from your school is not automatically the same thing as a plan on HealthCare.gov. Read the school’s notice and the CMS page on student health plans, then use HealthCare.gov if you are checking marketplace rules for your status. This page does not compare prices or tell you which plan to buy.
How do I get a driver’s license?
A driver’s license comes from the state where you live, not from a national DMV. USA.gov links to each state’s motor-vehicle office. Use that office’s list of documents and tests. There is no checklist that works in every state.
How do I send money to family outside the United States?
Before you pay, the transfer company is generally supposed to show the total cost, the exchange rate when one applies, and how much the recipient should receive. Compare those figures on the company’s own screen. This page does not recommend a company.
How do I get my free credit reports?
The Federal Trade Commission says the free credit reports required by law are ordered at AnnualCreditReport.com. Other sites that advertise a free score may attach extra conditions. How often you can order a report is stated on those official pages, not here.
How do I get a REAL ID?
TSA publishes the federal identification rules that go by the name REAL ID. The card itself is issued by your state motor-vehicle office. Whether you need one for a given trip is whatever the TSA page says today. This guide does not copy a deadline.