The Name Game

OK, not that I want to add any more stress to your day or another task to your to-do list, but do you realize that when you change your name there are a gazillion places that need to be notified? Let’s see, you have to inform Social Security, the IRS, the U.S. Postal Service, banks, medical institutions, insurance companies, mortgage companies, voter registration as well as get your driver’s license and passport changed. I don’t know about you, but I hate filling out forms and just renewing my license or passport is an ordeal, so imagine the time and effort you’ll need to invest in order to fulfill all these name-changing requirements. Not fun.

Until, that is, MissNowMrs.com was created to do all the legwork for you. I recently received a press kit from Founder/President Danielle Tate who started this site two years ago after she herself went through hours and hours of researching and completing all the proper forms. “I got married in 2005 and took one day off from work thinking I could take care of all the name-changing obligations,” Danielle told me. “Well, after three trips to the Department of Motor Vehicles and lots of frustration I asked my fiancé why there wasn’t one website devoted to everything needed for a name change? He said, ‘Why don’t you start one?’ And so I did!” (Isn’t it amazing how genius ideas happen?)

The site is easy to navigate, answers any questions you may have and promises to save you about 13 or more hours worth of work and frustration. The best part? It’s only $29.95 and you have six months of unlimited access so you can fill out the forms at your own pace. Nice! Danielle also told me that the hyphenated last name is passé (so 1980s) and a trend she’s now seeing is brides taking their maiden names as their middle names or adding their maiden names on to their middle names (Only the states of New York, California, Pennsylvania and Washington don’t allow this.) So check out MissNowMrs.com and you’ll not only save valuable time but also give yourself some much-needed peace of mind. After all, who wouldn’t want a few extra hours to relax, take in a movie, have lunch with friends, go shopping, hang with your fiancé or maybe just catch up on some zzzzzzs?

Posted by Diane at 2:42 p.m.