US Expats - How To Get Your Money Out Of The USA (And Why You May Not Want To)

Tom Zachystal, Founder of International Asset Management, joins the Expat Focus Podcast to talk about how US citizens can manage their money when moving abroad. With 25 years of experience advising American expats, Tom breaks down the difference between physically moving money into non-US accounts and simply diversifying out of the US dollar. He covers the challenges of opening overseas investment accounts due to FATCA reporting, why US-based accounts often offer better protections and lower fees, and how currency fluctuations can act like hidden inflation on your retirement spending.

The conversation also digs into real estate tax implications, gold and precious metals, ADRs and international ETFs, private equity and interval funds, and the 4% retirement withdrawal rule. Tom shares practical advice on using local banking products to manage currency risk and warns about the pitfalls of collectibles taxation. If you're a US citizen planning a move abroad and wondering what to do with your investments, this episode will help you understand your options — and why sometimes the smartest move is no move at all.

#ExpatLife #USExpats #ExpatFinance #MoneyAbroad #InvestingAbroad

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00:00 Moving Money Abroad

01:40 Currency Risk Explained

03:10 What Getting Money Out Means

04:54 Keep Investments in US

07:11 FBAR and FATCA Basics

08:42 Real Estate and Taxes

11:43 Diversifying Beyond Dollars

14:25 Gold Crypto Collectibles

18:44 Local Bank Products

20:11 Retirement Withdrawal Rules

21:20 Private Equity Warnings

24:48 Why US Accounts Can Win

27:02 Where to Find Tom

27:37 Podcast Wrap Up

🎥 Video/Transcript – https://www.expatfocus.com/international/podcast/us-expats-how-to-get-your-money-out-of-the-usa-and-why-you-may-not-want-to

📝 Show Notes

IAM Advisors – https://services.expatfocus.com/us-citizens-financial-advice

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