Carl Richards, CFP®, spent four years living in New Zealand. He came back with a different view of money, work, and what actually matters. Carl is the New York Times Sketch Guy. He turns complex financial ideas into simple drawings. He has written multiple books, including his newest, Your Money:…
Most Americans don't realize how consumed they are by money and work culture until they leave. Carl Richards, CFP® and New York Times sketch guy, figured that out 60 days into moving his family to New Zealand with 10 days notice. Carl Richards, CFP® and New York Times sketch guy,…
See a doctor before you travel. Get the vaccines, get the checkup, make sure you're prepared. Almost nobody does the financial equivalent before they move to Europe and it costs them. Christian Gulizzi, a cross-border tax advisor licensed in the United States, Germany, and Italy, calls it seeing a tax…
4 legal tax regimes in Italy most Americans discover too late. Which one applies to you? Full breakdown below. Italy has one of the highest income tax rates in Europe. It also has four legal regimes that can bring that number down dramatically depending on who you are and what…
Most people see a doctor before they travel abroad. They get the vaccines, they get the checkup, they make sure they are prepared. Almost nobody does the financial equivalent before they move. Christian Gulizzi, a cross-border tax advisor licensed in the United States, Germany, and Italy, calls it seeing a…
Here it is — clean and ready to copy: Most Americans who spend time in Europe believe the same thing: stay under 183 days in any one country and you owe no local taxes. It sounds clean. It sounds simple. It’s also dangerously incomplete. The 183-day rule is one residency…
When a US citizen moves to Europe, their US brokerage account, IRA, and LLC do not stay separate from their new country. The moment you establish residency, your worldwide income becomes reportable and often taxable where you live. Custodian location does not matter. Currency does not matter. The 183-day rule…
The French consulate says yes, you can work remotely for a US employer on a visitor visa. The French tax office says no. No one has been prosecuted yet, but this legal gray area could change overnight. Paris immigration attorney Daniel Tostado (@TostadoAvocats) explains where things stand and why US…
If you're an American dreaming of moving to France, you've probably realized the path isn't always straightforward. Can you actually work remotely on a visitor visa? Do you get access to French healthcare? And how does the US‑France tax treaty treat your Roth IRA? In this episode, French immigration attorney…
The Franco-American tax treaty excludes US Social Security, stocks, and US-based rental income from French taxation. For American retirees, that means your most important income sources stay protected. Paris immigration attorney Daniel Tostado explains why cross-border accountants call it the bee's knees for retirees moving to France. Full episode on…
Moving to France and planning to sell your US home? There's a tax trap most Americans walk straight into: once you're a French tax resident, selling your US property can trigger capital gains tax in both countries. Paris immigration attorney Daniel Tostado (@TostadoAvocats) explains the three options Americans actually have…
If you're an American dreaming of moving to France, you've probably realized the path isn't always straightforward. Can you actually work remotely on a visitor visa? Do you get access to French healthcare? And how does the US‑France tax treaty treat your Roth IRA? In this episode, French immigration attorney…
Live in France for 3+ months as a US expat and you qualify for the, carte vitale, France's national health card. Add a mutuelle top-up and your out-of-pocket cost drops to nearly zero. Paris immigration attorney Daniel Tostado (@TostadoAvocats) breaks down exactly how the French healthcare system works for Americans,…
In the 80s, the status symbol was a Mercedes parked in the suburban driveway. Now? It's the second passport. People are being really intentional about where they can go, what's their easiest path to citizenship, what's their exit plan if they no longer want to be in this country or…
The mistake I see all the time: US expats making tax elections to save money in one year without understanding the long-term consequences. A couple lived in Dubai. Zero tax. The US spouse's advisor said "pull your non-US spouse into the tax return and save a few thousand dollars." It…
If you're married to a US citizen and they filed jointly to save a few thousand dollars in taxes, you might have accidentally pulled your entire foreign financial life into the US tax system without even knowing it.Hui-chin Chen, CFP® sees this constantly with globally mobile couples. The US spouse…
The cultural clash nobody warns you about when planning US citizenship for the next generation. I sat down with cross-border financial planner Hui-chin Chen, CFP® to talk about what happens when Asian families plan US citizenship for their kids without understanding US tax reporting requirements. In this clip, Hui-chin explains:…
Danielle thought she didn't need to file US taxes while living in Italy as a stay-at-home mom with no US income. She was wrong and it cost her $25,000 in legal fees to fix years of unfiled returns. The IRS doesn't care where you live. If you're a US citizen…
Most families pack their Europe itinerary full — every museum, every church, every city. Then wonder why the kids are miserable and the adults are burned out. Danielle Shumway learned this the hard way. She was traveling through the Czech Republic with three kids under four when a pain started…
Danielle Shumway moved to Italy in 2015 on a five-year plan. Her husband transferred internally with Amazon from Seattle to Milan. They had an 18-month-old and a four-month-old. Italy's Rientro dei Cervelli tax incentive — which reduces taxable income by 50% for qualifying residents — made the timing work financially.…
Italy created a law to stop the brain drain and Americans can use it too. Danielle Shumway moved to Italy in 2015 and spent her first five years paying taxes on only half her income. Three kids and a home later? It dropped to 5%. Full episode with Danielle drops…
Three years. That is how long it can take to get a primary care physician in parts of Canada right now. Arielle Tucker, CFP®, EA and Brian Wruk, MBA, CFP® (US), CFP® (Canada), TEP, CIM, RFP® break down what "free healthcare" actually looks like for Americans moving to Canada in…
Everyone tells Americans moving to Canada to open a TFSA. Almost nobody tells them it is fully taxable in the US. Brian Wruk, MBA, CFP® (US), CFP® (Canada), TEP, CIM, RFP® breaks down the TFSA trap and the Roth IRA strategy that could make your entire retirement account tax-free on…
Moving to Canada looks simple on paper: same continent, shared language, familiar culture. The financial system is a different story entirely, and the planning decisions you make before you leave can determine whether you're protected or paying for it for years. In this episode, cross-border financial planner Brian Wruk, MBA,…
