Many expats earn more abroad than they would at home, have lower tax liability and a range of investment options. However, despite these advantages, some fail to adequately account for one essential aspect of wealth management: expat regular savings.
Unfortunately, for those in this situation it can take a catastrophic event such as the loss of a job, ill-health, an accident or an unexpected liability or capital expense to make them realise there is an expat regular savings shaped void in their financial planning.
It is easy to understand how the oversight can be made: being an expat on a high value salary in a foreign country with all the excitement and opportunity it brings can too easily result in a short-term and blinkered approach. Yet the reality remains that everyone faces demands on their income, and if these then become compounded by extra expenses such as school fees, nursing home fees for a parent, mortgage assistance for a child or something else, the need for the backup and liquidity of regular savings can quickly become apparent.
Now is Always the Best Time to Save
However long your stay abroad, there is never any time like the present to begin putting money into an expat regular savings plan.
Regardless of your age, the sooner you start saving, the more potential there is for growth. For example, compound savings mean that if you start saving now, not only do you have more time to earn interest, you also have the power to enjoy compound gains (the interest you earn on your interest).
Where possible, it is beneficial to put away as much as 20-30% of your salary—it might curb your spending power a little in the short-term, but over the longer-term you will have more freedom and more leverage.
And the great thing about an expat regular savings plan is that it is flexible enough to accommodate just about anyone\’s financial goals: whether you are saving for a second home, a yacht, school fees or something else, you can make it work for you.
However, as with any aspect of financial planning, beginning the process of setting up your expat regular savings requires you to examine your goals, your budget and your options. This is a process best undertaken with the help of an experienced financial adviser or wealth manager.
The above article was kindly provided by Blacktower Financial Management Group and originally posted at: https://www.blacktowerfm.com/news/665-expat-regular-savings-an-overlooked-wealth-management-tool