Blog

By Peggy Creveling, CFA, and Chad Creveling, CFA

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.

It’s that time of year when many Americans living overseas are collecting the various documents needed to file their 2020 U.S. taxes.

By Chad Creveling, CFA, and Peggy Creveling, CFA

Many expats tend to lead event-filled lives driven by travel, new opportunities, increased social obligations, and managing the challenges of everyday expat life. This leaves little time and energy for the more mundane chores of everyday life, like managing an investment portfolio. Unfortunately, the complications of cross-border finances, multiple tax jurisdictions, currency choices, and planning for a retirement overseas require even more attention and involvement than they would back home.

By Chad Creveling, CFA, and Peggy Creveling, CFA

As the new year begins, it’s a great time for expats to re-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 thrive in 2021, here are some financial resolutions to consider as you start the year. If you start at the beginning and aim to knock off at least one each month, by the end of the year you'll be on much firmer financial footing.

By Peggy Creveling, CFA, and Chad Creveling, CFA

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 good books. Although we’ve selected these with the expat reader in mind, in a year as challenging as 2020, we hope everyone can enjoy them. 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, most of these titles have digital and audio versions available, which makes getting them to your friend or loved one that much easier.

By Peggy Creveling, CFA, and Chad Creveling, CFA

As the end of the year approaches, expats working in Thailand may wish to consider sheltering some of their income from Thai tax by contributing to Thailand’s Retirement Mutual Funds (RMFs) or the new Super Saver Funds (SSFs). With a bit of planning, you may be able to save up to THB 175,000 (or about USD 5,700) this year in Thai taxes by contributing to these types of tax-advantaged funds.

By Chad Creveling, CFA, and Peggy Creveling, CFA

When you’re living overseas, you may at some point consider the question “Should I buy or should I rent?” If you consult with local real estate agents, property developers, or mortgage brokers, you may hear advice similar to the following that appeared in the property section of an expat-oriented newspaper: “Owning your home has great objective and subjective merits. Savvy investors take full advantage of the tremendous investment upside over time.” Later comes the sales pitch: “Many advisory firms have specialist property arms … which can assist you with the acquisition and ongoing management of your property.” Contact details to such a firm are conveniently provided.

By Peggy Creveling, CFA, and Chad Creveling, CFA

As an expat investor, how much of your portfolio should you allocate to less risky or less volatile investments (such as bonds) versus riskier or more volatile equity investments (such as stocks)? It's a fundamental consideration, but the best allocation is not always obvious. Complicating the decision, market noise tends to focus on the most recent best-performing investments, creating a “fear of missing out” (FOMO) response in inexperienced investors. Rather than choosing and sticking to an appropriate allocation, many get caught up in a greed-fear cycle—forever buying high and selling low—the exact opposite of what they were trying to achieve.

By Chad Creveling, CFA, and Peggy Creveling, CFA

One of the biggest financial challenges that expat retirees can face is how to generate a reliable stream of income when they no longer have a regular paycheck coming in. During working years, people tend to focus on saving and reaching a particular dollar target or trying to maximize investment returns. Less thought may be given to how to turn a lump sum portfolio into a sustainable income stream that does not expire before they do.

By Peggy Creveling, CFA and Chad Creveling, CFA

Investing is a full-time profession for many people. Countless books have been written on the hows and whys of making smart investment decisions. If you’re an expatriate, you must also consider the role that different currencies and tax jurisdictions play in your portfolio. These issues are complex, and our goal today is to simply introduce you to some of the concepts behind successful investing. We will also provide you with additional resources and book recommendations to help you design an investment strategy that will work for you.

By Chad Creveling, CFA, and Peggy Creveling, CFA​

When it comes to losing weight, most agree that short-term fads don’t work. The only permanent solution is to maintain a sensible diet and exercise plan over time. And it's the same with investing. Get-rich-quick schemes or investments won’t work.