Financial planning and investment strategies for American citizens relocating to Europe
Global Adventures, Secure Finances:
Your Success Guide for the American expat
For American citizens living and working in Europe, the financial landscape presents unique challenges and opportunities.
This platform serves as a comprehensive resource for both expatriates and the advisors who support them, offering in-depth insights into the complex world of cross-border finance.
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Financial planning for US citizens moving to or living in Germany in 2026
This detailed report, "Investing from Germany: Financial planning and investment strategies for US persons relocating to or residing in Germany in 2026," serves as a vital guideline for navigating one of the most complex and challenging cross-border regulatory environments globally. As the 2026 fiscal landscape evolves with new German laws and revised US inflation parameters, this guide provides the "defensive financial architecture" needed to safeguard and enhance your wealth. Read more…
Ireland: Financial Planning and Investing Strategies for U.S. Citizens
Are you a U.S. citizen living in Ireland? If you are still using tax strategies from 2024 or 2025, you are likely leaving money on the table—or walking into a compliance minefield.
The fiscal landscape has shifted tectonically. The collision of the United States' new One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) and Ireland’s Budget 2026 has created a confusing new reality of conflicting tax rates, novel deductions, and dangerous investment traps. Read more…
Financial planning for US citizens moving to or living in the United Kingdom in 2026
For American citizens residing in the United Kingdom, 2026 represents a fiscal watershed. Two tectonic shifts in tax policy have collided: the United Kingdom’s historic abolition of the 200-year-old "non-dom" remittance basis, and the United States’ enactment of the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" (OBBBA), which permanently codifies the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act era.
The era of "benign neglect"—where one could rely on the remittance basis to shield foreign wealth while ignoring US tax nuances—is over. In this new landscape, passivity is not just inefficient; it is punitive. Read more…
European Investing for U.S. Citizens living in Europe
The challenges facing American citizens living or working in Europe are uniquely complex, often in ways that are not immediately obvious.
The United States' system of Citizenship-Based Taxation means U.S. citizens remain subject to IRS rules on their worldwide income, regardless of where they live. This creates an immediate conflict with their host country's residence-based tax laws. This conflict creates severe and counter-intuitive traps. For instance, the standard, sound advice to "invest in local, low-cost index funds" can be financially disastrous for an American. Read more…
Roth 401(k) and IRA Guide for US Expats
A guide to Traditional and Roth retirement accounts for American expatriates, focusing on how the choice is shaped by U.S. tax filing strategies. It emphasizes that for most expats, the Roth (post-tax) account is superior because utilizing the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE) or the Foreign Tax Credit (FTC) often reduces their current U.S. tax liability to zero, making a Traditional account's deduction worthless. A key challenge is the "IRA Trap … Read more…
The Backdoor Roth IRA
The Backdoor Roth IRA isn't a formal account type but a strategy employed by high-income earners to fund a Roth IRA.
The Issue: The IRS imposes income limits based on Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) that restrict direct contributions to a Roth IRA. If your income exceeds these limits, your ability to contribute is phased out.
The Solution: There are no income restrictions on contributing to a Traditional IRA, nor on converting a Traditional IRA into a Roth IRA. Read more...
How the Mega-Backdoor Roth 401(k) works and its specific relevance to American expats
It is different and far more powerful than the more common "Backdoor Roth IRA." Here is a detailed explanation of how the Mega-Backdoor Roth 401(k) works and its specific relevance to American expats.
French Inheritance tax for U.S. Citizens Resident in France
The cornerstone of French inheritance tax law is its residence-based approach to taxation. Under Article 750 ter of the French General Tax Code (Code Général des Impôts or CGI), if an individual is considered domiciled in France for tax purposes at the time of death, their entire worldwide estate becomes subject to French inheritance tax. This principle is absolute in its scope; it encompasses all movable assets (such as bank accounts, stocks, and bonds) and immovable assets (real estate), regardless of their physical location. Consequently, assets held in the United States—be it a brokerage account in New York, a bank account in California, or real property in Florida—are brought into the French tax base. Read more …
The Expat Investor's Playbook: A Concise Guide for Americans Living in France
Investing as a U.S. citizen or green card holder in France presents a unique set of challenges driven by the intersection of two distinct tax systems. The United States taxes its citizens on their worldwide income, regardless of where they live, while France taxes its residents on their global earnings. This guide provides a condensed overview of the essential principles, critical pitfalls, and strategic solutions for building a compliant and efficient investment portfolio while living in France. Read more …