Common Financial Planning Questions:

Estate Planning and Gifting

1. What happens is my spouse or I die while we are living in a foreign country?
2. How important is wealth preservation versus capital appreciation?
3. What wealth should go to heirs or pass as gifts?
4. Is charitable giving important, what’s the best way to do this?

Insurance

5. Do I have enough Life Insurance?
6. What is Long-term care insurance and how much should I have?

Investing

7. How do I know if my portfolio is well diversified?
8. What rate of investment return should I assume over the long term?
9. What is the lowest and highest rate of return I should expect each year in my portfolio?
10. What should my investment goals be?
11. Which asset classes should be in my portfolio?
12. What is an asset class?
13. What is my reference currency (ies)?
14. My spouse does not know anything about our finances and investing, what should I do?
15. Is it possible to time the markets?

Investment Advisors, Fees and Expenses

16. What’s the best way to choose an Investment Advisor?
17. What is the normal cost for Investment Management?
18. How do investment advisors earn their fees?
19. Is it better to work with an independent investment advisor or the investment managers at my bank?
20. Why are the Swiss Banks so expensive?
21. Why don’t many foreign banks like working with Americans?

Retirement

22. Should I put my entire investment portfolio into an annuity when I retire?
23. What is the monthly income range I can expect in retirement?

Risk

24. What does risk mean in investing?
25. What is my risk capability? Over which time period?
26. What is my risk tolerance?
27. Does risk only mean losing money?

Savings

28. How much money should I save each month so I don’t run out of money in retirement?
29. How much extra should I save each month? Am I saving enough to meet my goals?
30. How much of an emergency cash reserve should I have?

Taxes

31. What is my current average and marginal tax rate?
32. I want to minimum my taxes, is that the best strategy for my investments?
33. What are withholding taxes and can I get them back?
34. Do I have to file a U.S. Tax Return while I am living and working outside of the US?
35. Will I be taxed in both the United States and in the country where I am working when I am overseas?
36. How much money can I give as a gift each year before I owe any taxes? Does it matter which country I live in?
37. What’s the difference between Capital Gains Tax and Income Tax?
38. What’s included in the wealth tax calculation?

Time

39. At what age can I afford to stop working?
40. How long should I expect to live?
41. How long is my investment horizon?
42. What happens if I run out of money when I am old?

Contact us if you would like to discuss these or other personal financial planning questions.