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Vagabond Finances

Vagabond Finances

Making Money Work for US Expat Missionaries and Limited-Income Workers

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Warnings for Expats!

Cash is King
Savings Warnings for Expats! 

Cash is King – Sort of

1 May 202029 January 2021 Michael A. Carlson Credit and Debit Cards, Crisis Lessons

Recent months have taught us to have cash, credit cards, debit cards, and even frequent flyer miles

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Church offering
Faith in Finances Warnings for Expats! 

How much should I give to my church abroad?

18 February 202029 January 2021 Mark Mason Missionary Corner, Reckless Generosity

Many Vagabond Finances readers are members, leaders, or even planters of local Christian communities. Some of us are trained, fulltime

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ACT is money
Savings Warnings for Expats! 

When is 1 point worth $22,000?

16 July 201929 January 2021 Michael A. Carlson College, Michael A. Carlson

The difference between a 33 on the ACT and a 34 on the ACT is worth $22,000.

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Questions
Taxation Warnings for Expats! 

Where’s my income tax residence?

9 January 201929 January 2021 Mark Mason Faber Tax, Foreign Tax, Thun Financial

If you are a teacher in the USA, you know where you pay income tax because it is seamlessly deducted

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Investments Warnings for Expats! 

Why Americans Should Never Own Shares in a Non-US Mutual Fund (PFIC)

4 October 201829 January 2021 David Kuenzi Thun Financial, US tax

If you are investing your savings through a non-US financial institution, you need to learn what a Passive Foreign Investment Company is very quickly. Why?

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Warnings for Expats! 

How to get around 2-step verification

19 August 201829 January 2021 Mark Mason

I fired up the computer this morning to login to my brokerage account only to discover that my username and

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Open door slowly
Investments Retirement Warnings for Expats! 

How to open a US brokerage account while abroad

27 May 201829 January 2021 Mark Mason IRA, Mark Zoril

They chuckled and hung up the phone, didn’t they? Yep, you called XYZ Brokerage of St. Louis, Missouri to open

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Oops!
Investments Retirement Taxation Warnings for Expats! Winning Financial Freedom 

10 Investment Mistakes Made By Americans Abroad

24 May 201829 January 2021 David Kuenzi 403b (401k), Foreign Tax, IRA, Thun Financial, US tax

10, 12 or 200 mistakes. Each one weighs heavily on the limited-income, US expatriate. So, while a few of these

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Rejected
Investments Savings Warnings for Expats! 

No expats allowed!

22 May 201829 January 2021 Mark Mason US tax

My US brokerage account was frozen as a result of one stray comment. As I was chatting online about a

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Tools
Earnings Investments Retirement Savings Taxation Warnings for Expats! Winning Financial Freedom 

Favorite Resources

This is a collection of freebies, low-cost and money-saving tools of particular interest to missionaries and limited-income workers. FREE or

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9 Steps 403b (401k) 529 College Account Amy Young Andrew Hallam Best in Class Budgeting College Credit and Debit Cards Crisis Lessons Debt Faber Tax Foreign Tax Foreign Tax Treaties Home-ownership HSA Insurance IRA Josh Johansen Living Like a Local Low-cost diversified funds Mark Zoril Michael A. Carlson Missionary Corner Modest Lifestyle Paul Merriman Personal Capital Reckless Generosity Ron Blue Institute Sound Mind Investing Thun Financial Travel US tax Vagabond Path Videos (Webinars) Zach Holz

Recent posts

Free Online Events
Winning Financial Freedom 

Free Online Events

4 February 20215 February 2021 Mark Mason

Noteworthy free online webinars or podcast events for US expats

Living Like a Local: Utilities
Savings 

Living Like a Local: Utilities

14 January 202129 January 2021 Michael A. Carlson
$15,000 saved on college by not settling!
Savings 

$15,000 saved on college by not settling!

6 November 202029 January 2021 Mark Mason
Are You Making Any of These Common Investing Mistakes?
Investments 

Are You Making Any of These Common Investing Mistakes?

21 August 202029 January 2021 Sound Mind Investing

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Longest Disclaimer Ever!

I am not a financial, tax or legal professional, have not taken into consideration your personal circumstances and am not offering personal advice. I’m just a US expat nonprofit worker pointing out some of the mistakes I’ve made and lessons I’ve learned. See full disclaimer for specifics. – Mark

Vagabonds Rooted in Christ

“Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.”
Proverbs 11:28 [ESV]

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