ANother Newbie

Hello there everyone!

I just discovered this site recently - what a relief to know that I am not the only person insane enough to try and live in this somtimes bizarre place!  I moved from Long Island to Coventry back in October on a work permit for what is supposed to be a six-month stay (I work for a US-based company with a chain of retall stores here in the UK).  I figured since I am still relatively young and hopelessly single, what did I have to lose!  Well, now they have asked me to stay permanently, and I am finding it to be one of the toughest decisions I have ever had to make.  

Here are just a sampling of the 1,000 questiosn I have:

1)  What should I be looking for in terms of pay?  I have been geting paid from the states, which was working out well until the dollar decided to fall off of a cliff.  Plus, they agreed to pay for my flat for the first 6 months.  Assuming I stay, I will get paid from here.  What should I be looking for, say, if I was making $30,000 a year?  What conversion rate would I expect them to use?  What type of cost of living increase is it fair to expect?  What about some of the US benefits I had that I will lose (stock options, christmas bonuses)?  

2)  How exactly does this pension scheme work?  Since the company HQ is in the states, will I be able to contribute to my 401k?  If not, what type of retirement benefits would I be eligible for, say I stayed here for 5 years, then moved back to the states.  I am in my mid-thirties, and I would hate to lose 5 years of 401k contributions that could end up costing me tens or hundreds of thousands when I retire.

3)  What should I do with my car?  If I sell it now, I will take a loss as I put no $$$ down on it (0% financing).  Should I expect the company to help me with this?  Should I just keep paying for a car not even being driven?  I took the car off the road, so I only pay about $50 a month for US insurance. I get a company car here, but once I start getting paid from here I heard I will get taxed up the wazoo for it.

4) Is there anyplace in the West Midlands where I can get good Buffalo Wings?

I hate to ask soooo many questions, but I have been given about two weeks to make a decision, as it will take about 6 weeks to get the working papers renewed.  This site is great, but there is so much info to sift through I am afraid I won't be able to get the answers I need.

If it's easier, pelase let me know which boards I can post these questions on to get the best answers.

Thansk so much for your help....I have a feeling this is not the last time I'll be saying thanks!

Ed
Ed

Boy what a big decision to make!  I'd say go for it, but that is me.

I can tell you that if you don't get the answers you need here (some people don't read this board that much) go ahead and post in Expat life.

I can tell you two things that I know.  First one good thing is that the US and UK have reciprocity with Social Security so the years you work will not be wasted as far as that is concerned.  I know you did not ask but I thought I'd share in case you did not know.

As for 401K issues some companies do different things.  Your company may choose to let you continue with the scheme in which case you should be fine.  Another alternative is what I did and that is rolling your 401K into an IRA..Roth or traditional...granted to don't get matching funds from an employer in this case, but at lease you don't get penalized and you can even set up to have automatic deductions made every month so you can continue to grow your retirement.

I will defer to others knowledge on the other questions you have. Just make sure you get all the details from them as to what they are going to cover or not cover.  Also make sure they give you a British holiday package!  That is definately better than the paltry two weeks we usually get in the USA.

Lots of luck and post away...That's what we are here for.

Oh and on the wing front...I make killer wings but won't be there until Sept or even two years later so.....

Hey Ed.  Welcome to the site.  I'm not sure I can really help you with your questions but on the good side, you are in the right place.  Actually I think if you ask your questions specifically no one will mind answering them to you here or directly in a message for you alone.  There are lots of posts to go thru when you are on a short leash.  

I am also wondering what to do with my rather small 401K.  I was told I could not roll it over into anything in the UK.  So I am thinking of cashing it in before I move over in April.  So I would be interested in your answer to that question.

Basically I am part of the welcome wagon for today.  I am so glad you found us and I'm sure you'll have loads of support and better yet the answers you need.  Best of luck to you in your decision.  

Sorry one more thing, can you tell me a bit about how you find living there?  What you like or don't like.  Does your ability to fit in or not have any bearing on your decision?  Thanks Ed.  Take care.

 Hiya Ed

Welcome to UKY,as others I cannot help you with your questions,but there are PLENTY people here that can.
   So ask away!

 Rhia

Hi Ed!
Wow - All I can say is keep in mind that the cost of living is higher here (no duh eh?) so remember to ask for more than what you were earning in the states - a lot more! Today's US news paper says that the conversion rate is roughly 1.83, so you are so right about the dollar jumping off a cliff!
As far as the car . . . How long are you planning to stay in the UK? If it will only be a year, maybe you can keep it off the road - if it's longer, you may want to take the "hit". You know, Helen the tax lady may be in a better position to answer these questions from a financial/tax perspective.
As far as Buffalo Wings, well I don't eat buffalo, so I wouldn't know. JUST KIDDING!!!  
Welcome to UKY Ed!!!

AH... Buffalo Wings.
Sniff sniff.

I've only been able to find them at Chili's, and there's only 4 of them in England - mine is in Cambridge, I don't know where the rest are. Also there's a chair restaurant called Old Orleans (not many again, but you never know) that sell Buffalo wings that are different from the US version, but really, really tasty anyway.

Welcome to the site!

Hi Ed...welcome to UKY.

Thanks all for the words of advice and encoragement.

In regatrds to Kismet's question, Coventry is nothing like what I expected England to be like.  When they told me I would be in the country 2 hrs outside of London, I expected soemthing like Upstate New York, or maybe central Wisconsin.  Instead, I am it what is the UK equivalent of either Pittsburgh, or even Gary, Indiana on it's bad days.  I remember the first week here, I saw a police helicopter hovering near my flat for about an hour, and I thought, "what the hell have I gotten myself into?"  But, it is slowly started to feel like home.

The hardest part about this move has nothing to do with the work - work is work no matter where you are.  It has to do with leaving friends and family behind and stating off all over again all by myself.  I went to Grad school in Minnesota, which was 1300 miles away from home, but that transition wasn't that rough b/c there were so many others around me who were in the same boat.  But they're ain't too many Americans in Coventry.  And I was really dissapointed that my company did so little to make me feel at home.  Other than my Boss taking me out for a pint one night after work, they did nothing for me the first month I was here.

That first month was the hardest and loneliest, especially when I wasn't in work.  I tried to do some traveling around (Birmingham, Warwick, Kenilworth, Leicester) on my own, but I always found myself thinking "What would so-and-so think of this?".  I tried going to pubs on my own, but that it just not my thing.  Then started dating a girl at work, not because I was attracted to her, but because I was bored out of my skull.  Meedless to say, it did not work.

After I went home for Xmas, I thought for sure I would go back to the states once my six months was up.  But since then, I have started to make friends, and now I am wondering if all I needed was some time before I could call this place home.  Now, some days I can't wait to go, and others I don't want to leave.  Maybe I am just schitzo, I don't know...

OK - enogh blabbering for today.  Talk to you all soon!

and now I am wondering if all I needed was some time before I could call this place home.  Now, some days I can't wait to go, and others I don't want to leave.  Maybe I am just schitzo, I don't know...

Well if you're schizo, then welcome to the club! You're saying and feeling things that LOADS of us have said and felt... it really *does* take time, as much as that stinks... sometimes it takes a lot of time too. :/ Hopefully you'll find this site is useful in your adapting process though, you've certainly got a lot of people here who know exactly what you're going through.

Hello Ed...Wow!, you sure have some things to consider don't ya... but I am sure when the time comes...you will follow what your heart feels and decide where you wish to be...

As far as your questions are concerned...I can not be of much help...  I use to have a web sight that actually did the comparisons and conversions for what you would need in pay to be equivilent to your starting point...really was great... I was making about 35,000 a few years back in the states...and when I tried a conversion for England...it stated that I would need to make £23,000 to be in the same range...  If I find that site anywhere, I will send it on to you...but you might wish to try a search under payroll conversions or living conversions.

good luck in which ever you decide.

Shel

Hey Ed...I agree with everyone in telling you that you are not crazy.  It takes a long time to get used to someplace.  Sometimes you wind up feeling that you don't fit really anywhere, but you do.  You fit with all the other expats in the world.  The following link reinforces that you are not alone!  Best of luck!

Limboland

Try going to CopyKat.com and searching on Buffalo Wings then experiment at home....