This article is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as specific legal or tax advice. Please consult your legal or tax advisor for advice relevant to your situation. At this time of year, many Americans living overseas are collecting the various documents needed to file their 2018 U.S. taxes. This year, in addition to the sometimes obscure U.S. tax forms that U.S. citizens living overseas are required to file, expats need to...
This article is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as specific legal or tax advice. Please consult your legal or tax advisor for advice relevant to your situation. If you or someone you know has had a loved one pass away without a valid basic estate planning document such as a properly executed will, beyond the heartache of losing a loved one, you also know how difficult it was to put their...
As the new year begins, many expats have a renewed desire to evaluate their financial positions and to make positive changes. Improving our financial circumstances largely requires instilling good habits, being consistent, getting started early, and possessing a basic understanding of finance and investing concepts. To help you enjoy a more prosperous 2019, here are some financial resolutions to consider as you start the year. If you start at the beginning and aim to knock...
As you look for a holiday gift for your favorite expat or perhaps just for some interesting reading over the holidays, have a look through our annual list of highly rated books from the past year, especially selected with the expat reader in mind. All can be easily purchased on the internet, and while some are more serious, others are just for fun. For those expats who may live far away, all of these titles...
U.S. tech stocks are up one day and down sharply the next. European stocks fall on reduced profit expectations. Global stock markets warm to a thaw in the trade war. China’s muted stimulus lowers hopes of a new stock market rescue. Bond funds are hit by the biggest withdrawals in several years. Talking heads on cable financial networks argue about asset price bubbles and the likelihood of a market correction. For expatriates trying to manage...
This article is for general information purposes only and is not intended as specific tax advice. Please consult your tax advisor for advice relevant to your situation. For an expatriate, buying a home overseas can be much more than strictly a financial decision. Often, those of us living away from our country of origin are looking to recapture a sense of stability and permanence or to forge a connection with the community. Sometimes, we're also...
This article is an updated version of an installment in “The Expat Spouse as Household CFO” series. You can download an ebook of the entire series here. As an accompanying expat spouse, you’ve read the first installment in this series and you and your working partner have agreed that for the two of you to most effectively manage your family finances, you’ll take on the role of Household Chief Financial Officer (CFO). With perhaps more...
As many expat investors know, sticking to a long-term strategy can be hard to do. In general, investors tend to be seduced by the recent performance of hot stocks and asset classes, meanwhile shunning those that are out of favor. The talking heads on cable financial channels, with competing and contradictory forecasts, only add to the noise. But being drawn into following recent winners or any single idea raises the chances that you'll focus on...
This article is an updated version of an installment in “The Expat Spouse as Household CFO” series. You can download an ebook of the entire series here. If you are a part of an expat household, it may not at first seem necessary to open a local bank account in the country where you and your spouse live and work. However, there are several reasons why you might choose to do so. Simply put, having...
With increasingly global careers, weak job markets in some developed countries, and retirees looking to stretch their savings and pensions, greater numbers of people are building their lives outside their home countries. In many cases, they end up as expatriates in emerging and developing economies where growth and opportunity seem abundant and the cost of living can be cheaper. While living, working, and retiring overseas can be a rewarding experience, it is not a decision...
Creveling & Creveling protects its clients' privacy. The following is a fictitious example designed to demonstrate the type of financial decision-making required to achieve financial security and does not refer to any specific case. Many working expatriates dream of the day when they can throw in the towel and retire on their savings, enjoying the benefits that an international lifestyle can bring without the hassle of having to work. But how do you know if...
This article is for general information purposes only and is not intended as specific tax advice. Please consult your tax advisor for advice relevant to your situation. As April 15 approaches and 1099 forms from U.S. banks and brokerages roll in, many Americans living overseas are collecting the various documents needed to file their 2017 U.S. taxes. Since there's a number of sometimes obscure tax forms that U.S. citizens living overseas are required to file...