Financial Resolutions to Help Expats in 2024

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expat financial planning

By Chad Creveling, CFA and Peggy Creveling, CFA

The beginning of a new year is an ideal time for expats to review their personal finances and to make positive changes. Improving our financial circumstances largely requires instilling good habits, being consistent, getting started early, and possessing a basic understanding of finance and investing concepts. To help you thrive in 2024, here are financial resolutions to consider as you start a year. If you start at the beginning and aim to knock off at least one each month, by the end of the year you'll be on much firmer financial footing.

1. Set Up or Replenish Your Emergency Fund.

This should be one of your first priorities. Unexpected things happen to everyone, maybe more so to those of us who live outside the safety nets of our home countries. Job loss, forced repatriation, loss of expat benefits, illness—these are all things that can happen to expat families. An emergency fund helps insulate you from some of life's curveballs. Plan on setting aside living expenses of six months or more. Don't get clever with these funds; put them in risk-free deposit accounts in the currency you will likely need. If you’ve had to use some of your emergency funds in the past year, don’t sweat it—having funds set aside will have helped prevent an emergency from spiraling. Instead, aim to replenish the fund as soon as you can.

2. Create or Update Your Budget. 

Expats typically operate in a currency other than their home countries,’ which can cause a loss of perspective when it comes to spending. Many of us spend in foreign currency amounts we would never consider if priced in our home currency. Nevertheless, for your long-term financial well-being, it's vital that you figure out how much you're spending, and on what. For most of us, a significant amount is wasted on impulse purchases, avoidable fees, poor planning, and the inappropriate use of debt. To get a handle on what you are spending, use a multi-currency personal financial planning software program like Quicken to help you translate your finances back to a currency that has meaning to you. If needed, consider taking an online Quicken course to learn the program.

3. Set or Update Your Financial Goals. 

Where do you want to end up? What are your life's dreams? If you’ve asked yourself these questions before, you may find the answers will change over time.  Remember, this should be a fun exercise. But if you don't know where you want to go, you're not likely to get there. Toward this end, set specific, quantifiable financial goals that answer questions like who, what, when, and where. Goals don't necessarily have to be so daunting that you never get started, like save $5 million for retirement in 30 years. Set near-term goals that support longer-term desires. For example, create a family budget and save $10,000 for retirement this year, or open a 529 plan and contribute $500 a month toward your child's education. See “Expat Financial Planning: Short-Term Stepping Stones Help Achieve Long-Term Goals” for some suggestions on how to start.

4. Change Your Mindset: Learn to Enjoy Saving.

This is critical and where many well-intentioned New Year's resolutions get derailed. While forming habits such as saving may be difficult at first, once you get started, it becomes much easier. Learn to enjoy paying yourself first. For more help, see “Expat Financial Planning—Overcome Mental Roadblocks and Get Started Saving.”

5. Pay Off Debt. 

The inappropriate use of debt is one of the quickest ways to jeopardize your financial security. Use cash or a debit card for purchases, not a credit card. Pay off or consolidate consumer debt to lower your interest charges. Look into refinancing mortgage debt or swapping variable rate debt to fixed rate if you haven't already. Be careful of the amount of debt-financed consumption; you're borrowing from your future.  Remember the words of Charles Dickens in David Copperfield: “Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen and six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery.”

6. Contribute to Your Employer's Retirement Plan.

This can be one of the best deals out there, assuming you get a tax deferral and your employer matches your contribution. If you don't have a company retirement plan, look at other tax-advantaged options. In Thailand, Provident Funds and Retirement Mutual Funds can be useful. Depending on their situation, Americans may be able to contribute to individual retirement accounts (IRAs), even in some cases nondeductible ones. However, beware of many offshore investment-linked insurance schemes often billed as savings plans, pension plans, or education funds. These are not the same as company or national retirement plans. Their high fees will quickly erode any long-run investment returns you can hope to achieve and will subject Americans to complex tax and reporting requirements – or worse.

7. Read A Good Book on Investing.

There's a lot of "noise," conflicting advice, misconception, and faulty "market wisdom" surrounding investing. Investing doesn't have to be complicated, but many people lack the knowledge and context to make informed decisions. As a result, they often get drawn into the type of short-term, emotion-driven decision-making that destroys wealth. Do yourself a favor and read a book on investing. Some time-tested books to consider are:

8. Develop an Appropriate Investment Strategy.

Once you've read the book, either on your own or with the advice of a competent, unbiased financial advisor, create an appropriate long-term investment plan that is suitable for your unique situation and financial goals. Strive for consistency and do your best to avoid the classic investment mistakes that many expats make.

9. ​Review Your Insurance Coverage.

Review your need for insurance, as well as your existing insurance policies. Look at health, life, disability, homeowner or renter, auto, liability, and if you are over 55, long-term-care insurance (if available). Make sure that you have adequate coverage, but don't buy what you don't need. Also, make sure you understand your coverage—not all insurance policies are the same. Generally, it's best to buy each type of coverage separately and not lumped in with some other financial product. If you can't evaluate your insurance needs yourself, seek out an unbiased advisor to help. Ideally, that someone who is not compensated based on the insurance product sold to you.

10. Simplify Your Financial Affairs. 

Keep your financial life as simple as possible. It's easier to manage and you're more likely to keep up with it. It’s also easier to safeguard accounts from cybercriminals if you have fewer of them.  Close unneeded bank accounts, limit the number of credit cards, use an online broker, have your statements delivered online, and use multi-factor authentication. Keep good records. See “Ten Tips to Simplify Your Financial Affairs While Living Overseas” for help.

11. Get or Update Your Will and Other Estate Planning Documents. 

Most people don't have wills, and for those who do, it's unlikely to be up to date. An up-to-date will is especially important for expats who may be involved in dual-nationality marriages and have assets spread across several countries. While you're at it, review beneficiary designations on all insurance, pension, and retirement accounts. Ensure your spouse or another appropriate person has access to the financial accounts and knows where the records are kept. Consider whether a financial or health care power of attorney is required.

12. Get Competent Advice When You Need It.

Don't be penny-wise and pound-foolish. The level of complexity and financial sophistication of financial products has increased immensely in the past few decades. So has the slickness of the marketing. In today's world of specialization, it is impossible to keep up with it all. You don't have to do it all yourself. It can often be cheaper and more effective in the long run to get competent, unbiased advice when you need it rather than attempting to go it alone. Just ask any wife whose husband tried to save a bit of money by refusing to call the plumber.

This new year, resolve to bid farewell to bad financial habits, instill some good ones, and get started on creating your own financial security.

We hope you had a safe, relaxing holiday season and wish you all the best in 2024!

 

About Creveling & Creveling Private Wealth Advisory

Creveling & Creveling is a private wealth advisory firm specializing in helping expatriates living in Thailand and throughout Southeast Asia build and preserve their wealth. The firm is a Registered Investment Adviser with the U.S. SEC and is licensed and regulated by the Thai SEC. Through a unique, integrated consulting approach, Creveling & Creveling is dedicated to helping clients cut through the financial intricacies of expat life, make better decisions with their money, and take the steps necessary to provide a more secure future.

Copyright © 2024 Creveling & Creveling Private Wealth Advisory, All rights reserved. The articles and writings are not recommendations or solicitations, and guest articles express the opinion of the author; which may or may not reflect the views of Creveling & Creveling.