Do you suffer from “expatitis”? Many living in the UAE do.
The allure of tax-free income, luxurious lifestyles and financial opportunities is undeniable.
But beware of the common trap: high incomes don’t always translate to real wealth.
Many fall into the “smoke and mirrors” show, living lavishly but investing little.
But you can avoid “expatitis” by adopting the habits of the truly wealthy.
Are you building lasting wealth, or just playing the part?
Click to read the rest of my article at AES International
Wondering how the markets would react to another term for either of Trump or Biden?
As we get closer to the US election, plenty of investors will position their portfolios based on who they think will win. Experts will give their opinions, and suggest what you should do.
In this article, I weigh in with my suggestion.
Click to read the rest of my article at AES International
What country is a cheaper retirement destination, Spain or Portugal? Many people get this wrong.
Spain is cheaper.
How about taxes? Spain gets a bad rap. The reality, in fact, might be better than you think. In this story, I give a lively primer on Spanish capital gains taxes. Don't let misinformation lead you to crossing Spain off your list of great retirement destinations.
Click below to read the rest of my article at Swissquote.
Would it surprise you to learn that people with children build more wealth?
Kids are expensive. You have to clothe them, feed them, entertain and educate them. You live in a larger home because they’re too big to sleep in drawers. This all costs money.
But… do children make us more financially responsible?
Have a look at the data based on a study of 1,200 international educators.
Click to read the rest of my article at AES International
Are you afraid to invest with stocks near an all time high? This story might help. I’ve been investing in the markets for 35 years. I didn’t have a high income. I was a schoolteacher. By the time I was 37, I had a million dollars. Now here’s the kicker: I added most of my money to the stock market when markets were at, or near, all time highs.
Click to read the rest of my article at AES International
I was in contact with a woman on a financial FB group. She read Millionaire Expat and employed the services of Mark Zoril. But she didn’t begin investing. Several mental hurdles were getting in her way: the timing, the perfect allocation, the perfect ETFs. When she connected with me, she really was labouring over her choice of ETFs. I don’t think I was able to help her. She had done all the training for her investment marathon, but no matter what I said, she couldn’t unglue her feet from the start line. I wrote this for her. I hope it helps a few others, too. In a nutshell, I prove that the longer you procrastinate, the more you’ll need to invest. The mathematics on this is shocking. I used portfolio returns over very specific and very different time periods. Unlike the linear, uninterrupted growth of some charts, this was real, and not a hypothetical, rosy model of compounding growth.
Click below to read the rest of my article at AES International
In 2011, I owned plenty of Berkshire Hathaway shares. Today, if I didn't sell them, they would be worth about $2 million. If you were me, would you regret that? This story outlines the details.
Click below to read the rest of my article at Swissquote.
With the upcoming US election, coupled with soaring US government debts, people are worried about the strength of the dollar. Companies like iShares and Vanguard, in response to those fears, offer currency hedged ETFs. You can invest in US stocks, for example, while hedging to a different currency.
Should you do it?
Click below to read the rest of my article at Swissquote.
For a guy who spends most of his life smiling, images of me speaking make me laugh. It often looks like I’m ready to fight someone or, as in the picture above, break into my best John Travolta move. 🤭
This was from my talk on Friday, at Swissquote Investment Day 2024 in Luxembourg. It was such a pleasure to meet so many of the attendees, as well as speakers Candi Carrera, Tim Harford and Linda Yueh. It was also great listening to one of my academic heroes, Shlomo Benartzi.
I just missed him at breakfast this morning before leaving our hotel! Shlomo, my wife said she saw you after I had left for a shower. You are lucky. I would have hounded you over your breakfast.
Thank you, Jeremy Lauret, Dave Sparvell and the entire team at Swissquote Bank Europe for bringing us all together.
Finally, thank you Dina Jaber, at Delano News, for this fabulous article.
Click belwo to read or listen to the Delano News article
How much do you need to retire? Everyone has different goals. There’s no single number that fits everyone.
And what does it means to be truly rich?
One definition: “Being rich is feeling that you have more than you need. It’s not a particular amount of money.”
Here’s a story of one retiree and the wisdom he shares.
Click to read the rest of my AES International article
Discover why comparing your investment results to others can be misleading.
When people talk about money, it’s like social media posts. They rarely share the bumps and bruises.
I think you'll find the following data fascinating. This is the world's first article that compiles the performance of hedge funds from January 2003 to December 31st, 2023 and compares them to portfolios of index funds.
A couple of years ago, my friend Kyle Prevost and I were trying to figure out the best place in the world to become residents. It wasn’t a hypothetical discussion. As a fellow global wanderer, he had kicked around plenty of ideas. And he liked the country of Georgia.
That piqued my curiosity.
My friend, Adrian Juric is an avid hiker, film maker and photographer. When he first began posting pictures of Georgia, I remember thinking, “What is this magical place?”
I soon learned how easy it would be to become a resident. I learned that Georgia is cheaper than Portugal, Spain and Panama. Georgia doesn’t tax expats on their investment portfolios. The country doesn’t tax digital nomads on their foreign-earned income. I learned that entrepreneurs pay just 1% in tax. I learned that people love Georgian food, culture, wine and hospitality.
In my new article, we hear from some of the people who moved there.
John’s employer gave him $20,000 USD worth of company stock. They also said he could buy additional shares at a discount. Should he hang on to them or sell them? What would you do? This article shares a new perspective and questions that might help you make informed decisions.
Click to read the rest of my article at AES International
The average person requires far less of their income to sustain themselves today than at any time in history. Unfortunately, many people have confused "wants" with "needs" and said, "Oh, life has never been tougher...especially for young people." Yes, housing is more expensive. But look at the cars on a university parking lot. Notice how few young people drive beaters (compared to years ago). Notice how many really young people drink at Starbucks, enjoy regular take-out food, have fancy clothes, eyelash extensions, and live lives that (once upon a time) only the rich could afford. That's lifestyle inflation, and a confusion of wants and needs.
But what about those who haven't fallen for that trap...who see life in a different way? This story is about them. Discover how the FIRE movement (Financial Independence, Retire Early) has shaped our spending habits and priorities.
Click to read the rest of my article at AES International
New York attorney general, Leticia James, successfully wrestled former US President, Donald Trump, back into the courtroom. She’s accusing him of fraud for inflating his assets to receive preferential loan treatments.
The former Teflon-like president might have been doing that for, oh, about 40 years.
Over the years, Donald Trump has invested in casinos, golf courses, apartments, hotels, an airline, a magazine and even premier vodka. Add to this countless TV appearances and a book.
But, when you pull the blond curtain back, you might find that you’re a better investor than Donald Trump himself. And you could have done better…without working a single day.
Click to read the rest of my article at AES International