Term Life Insurance Conversion: What It Is and How it Works
By Zachary Zanghi You bought a term life insurance policy years ago, perhaps when you started a family, took out a mortgage, or simply wanted affordable coverage when cash flow was tight. But what happens when your circumstances change, your health changes, or your financial picture grows more complex? That’s where the term conversion option […]
Leaving the US? 10 Financial Checks to Make Before You Move
By Damien Hanly Why this matters Most international moves feel like a logistics problem: visas, schools, housing, shipping, flights. But financially, leaving the United States is rarely a simple change of address. It can quietly reshape your tax exposure, account access, investment suitability, and long-term planning—often in ways that only become obvious after you’ve already […]
When Financial Plans Assume Stability, But Life Doesn’t
By Bennett Linsky Most financial plans are built on a quiet assumption: that the future will broadly resemble the present. The same country. The same tax system. The same currency. The same set of rules. For many people, that assumption is reasonable. For internationally mobile individuals and families, it often is not. That is where […]
Why Holding Too Much Cash Could Be Costing You More Than You Think
By Matthew Hunkele Introduction Cash feels safe. It doesn’t fluctuate. It doesn’t fall sharply in a bad year. It sits there, stable and predictable. But for many investors—particularly high-net-worth individuals and US expats—holding too much cash is one of the most overlooked risks in a portfolio. Not because of what it does, but because of […]
The PFIC Trap: Why Many Investments Recommended Overseas Are Toxic for U.S. Investors
By Michael Potts For most investors, choosing a fund is straightforward. You evaluate the strategy, the costs, and the track record, then decide whether it fits your portfolio. For U.S. citizens living abroad, however, the decision can be far more complicated. Many investments that are perfectly normal in other countries can create severe tax problems […]
The Hidden Risk for Americans Retiring Abroad: Sequence-of-Returns Risk
By Adrian Flambard For many Americans living overseas, retirement planning feels straightforward on the surface. You accumulate investments during your career, eventually begin withdrawing income, and enjoy the lifestyle that living abroad can offer. But there is a hidden risk that often receives far less attention than taxes or investment returns. It’s called sequence-of-returns risk, […]
The Biggest Financial Risk for Successful Families Isn’t Investment Performance
By Damien Hanly When people think about financial risk, they usually think about markets. Volatility. Recessions. Interest rates. Inflation. These are the risks that dominate headlines and client conversations. Yet, in my experience working with internationally mobile and high-net-worth families, the biggest long-term threat to financial security is rarely investment performance. It’s disorganization. Not dramatic mistakes. […]
From Shirtsleeves to Shirtsleeves: Why Wealth Often Fades by the Third Generation — and How to Break the Cycle
By Matthew Doherty DipPSF There’s an old saying that exists in many cultures, with slightly different wording but the same message: “From shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations.” It reflects a pattern that has repeated itself for centuries. One generation builds wealth through discipline, sacrifice, and hard decisions. The next benefits from that success and […]
As Goes January, So Goes the Year? Analyzing the “January Barometer”
By Zachary Zanghi, AIF®, DipPFS | Senior Partner In the world of financial planning, we often warn against the dangers of trying to time the market. However, historical data sometimes reveals patterns that are too consistent to ignore. One of the most famous of these is the “January Barometer.” Since 1950, the market’s performance in […]
The High Price of “Waiting for the Dust to Settle”
By Bennett Scott Linsky “I’m just going to wait until things calm down.” We hear this phrase often. It usually comes during times of transition—an election year, a change in interest rates, or when the market hits a scary-sounding “all-time high.” It feels like a prudent, cautious strategy. It feels safe. But in the investment […]