Transitioning to AT&T

[fotyc]

I am planning on breaking my Verizon contract next month and moving to AT&T. My billing period ends on the 18th of the month so I'm assuming if I do this about a week before, my number will have been transferred before the end of the period and I won't be on the hook for another month of service as well as the small ETF I'll be paying...

AT&T does not notify Verizon/take the number until I actually activate the BB - correct? So I would have to have my BB activated with AT&T before the 18th of the month to avoid straying over into the next billing period?

Will all my email be downloaded onto the phone from the email host when I first set up my mail? in other words, I don't have to back up and transfer emails from the old phone?

I am a federal employee so we get a small discount on our service, but if I go into the website via the federal portal as opposed to the main public portal, I don't get the activation fee waived. Would it be worth my calling on the phone to see if the sales people can somehow give me both?

Also, will it be fairly straightforward for me to find out how to wipe my phone of all my personal info and contacts and so on before I dispose of it? and can I transfer my contacts to the new phone via Desktop Manager?

Sorry to ask such a salad of questions, these are the things I'm trying to be prepared to handle right the first time... Thank you for any answers.