However, since you don’t pay taxes on that money, it can impact which kinds of retirement accounts you can use based in the US, if any. Also, trying to invest as a US citizen outside the US can suck because of all the agreements with US banks. Many Japanese platforms, for instance, won’t touch me because of US reporting requirements. I also can’t functionally use the tax-advantaged retirement accounts here because many amount to what are called PFICs by the IRS which requires paperwork and are taxed punitively more than wiping out any advantage the retirement accounts would have.
You’re also going to have a rough time getting a US investment account if you don’t have one already. Then you have to figure out how to have a US phone number because two-factor auth basically requires it for any bank or anything that will touch you.
There are other “fun” things about being a US citizen living abroad.
“However, since you don’t pay taxes on that money, it can impact which kinds of retirement accounts you can use, if any”
The math works out in your favor.
wouldn’t you rather have that money earning interest now rather than receiving a few hundred later on when you probably don’t need it as much?
“Also, trying to invest as a US citizen outside the US can suck because of all the agreements with US banks.”
it can suck, and it can also be awesome.
I see you’re speaking specifically to Japanese banking standards, which I would agree are one of the more difficult countries for a US citizen to interface with.
but that’s a great thing about there being about 200 countries.
Bank somewhere else if you want to.
try Hong Kong or China or Thailand or Portugal or Sweden or you know, a lot of countries.
you don’t have to live in the country you bank in.
Yeah, some is specific to Japan, though there will be similar hurdles anywhere the US has an agreement (and that the target country’s institutions actually follow it, I suppose).
I have a couple of retirement accounts in the US that I contributed to before (I moved overseas in my early 30s) that I basically can’t touch for a number of reasons right now. Just wanted to throw it out there.
had studied Japanese in a couple of classes and then mostly on my own, but I could navigate and order food. My reading was (and still is) fairly bad
not really. Partly due to age, but I do quite like it here. It would take something huge to make me move again
no real stories that I can think of. Expect communication issues and accidental hurt feelings due to language/culture issues at first as it’s pretty unavoidable whilst learning.
However, since you don’t pay taxes on that money, it can impact which kinds of retirement accounts you can use based in the US, if any. Also, trying to invest as a US citizen outside the US can suck because of all the agreements with US banks. Many Japanese platforms, for instance, won’t touch me because of US reporting requirements. I also can’t functionally use the tax-advantaged retirement accounts here because many amount to what are called PFICs by the IRS which requires paperwork and are taxed punitively more than wiping out any advantage the retirement accounts would have.
You’re also going to have a rough time getting a US investment account if you don’t have one already. Then you have to figure out how to have a US phone number because two-factor auth basically requires it for any bank or anything that will touch you.
There are other “fun” things about being a US citizen living abroad.
“However, since you don’t pay taxes on that money, it can impact which kinds of retirement accounts you can use, if any”
The math works out in your favor.
wouldn’t you rather have that money earning interest now rather than receiving a few hundred later on when you probably don’t need it as much?
“Also, trying to invest as a US citizen outside the US can suck because of all the agreements with US banks.”
it can suck, and it can also be awesome.
I see you’re speaking specifically to Japanese banking standards, which I would agree are one of the more difficult countries for a US citizen to interface with.
but that’s a great thing about there being about 200 countries.
Bank somewhere else if you want to.
try Hong Kong or China or Thailand or Portugal or Sweden or you know, a lot of countries.
you don’t have to live in the country you bank in.
Yeah, some is specific to Japan, though there will be similar hurdles anywhere the US has an agreement (and that the target country’s institutions actually follow it, I suppose).
I have a couple of retirement accounts in the US that I contributed to before (I moved overseas in my early 30s) that I basically can’t touch for a number of reasons right now. Just wanted to throw it out there.
Do you live abroad? I’m expatting in a few weeks (long planned, not in a pure panic due to Trump) and would love ask a few questions if so!
I can try to answer. I’ve lived in Japan for almost a decade (this is my 10th year).
That’s so cool!
How old (ish) were you when you moved?
Did you speak any Japanese before?
Any consideration towards relocating again?
Any other stories you want to share?
ありがとうございます、友達