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Make These 4 Money Moves If You Want To Retire Abroad - Yahoo! Finance | June 2023

Make These 4 Money Moves If You Want To Retire Abroad - Yahoo! Finance | June 2023

“Where will you keep your money to ensure financial security? Jonathan Lachowitz, chairman of American Citizens Abroad, told The Wall Street Journal it is advised for Americans retiring abroad to keep most of their money in their U.S. bank accounts. Doing so allows them to take advantage of their 401(k)s and individual retirement accounts.”
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Retirement in Paradise Isn’t Without Financial Headaches - Wall Street Journal | May 2023

Retirement in Paradise Isn’t Without Financial Headaches - Wall Street Journal | May 2023

““Expats have to be motivated and persistent problem solvers,” said Jonathan Lachowitz, chairman of American Citizens Abroad, a nonprofit focused on tax and other issues that Americans living abroad face. 

He recommends joining expat groups and online forums to find people who have already made the move. Banking, immigration and tax policies can change frequently, so double check everything you hear, said Lachowitz, who also is the founder of White Lighthouse Investment Management of Lexington, Mass., and Lausanne, Switzerland. “

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Social Security: Do I Still Need to Make Contributions if I Work Overseas?

Social Security: Do I Still Need to Make Contributions if I Work Overseas?

“According to Jonathan Lachowitz, a certified financial planner who works in Switzerland and the US, “most American employers have overseas entities, so employees end up being locally hired. Some employees on a typical “expat” package will end up paying US social security but not local social security due to a totalization agreement, which is generally the countries that have the most Americans overseas.””

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More organizations join coalition fighting for new tax rules for US expats - Mexico News Daily | November 2021

More organizations join coalition fighting for new tax rules for US expats - Mexico News Daily | November 2021

“…Jonathon Lachowitz added that interest in reforming CBT went beyond the ACA membership. “Our advocacy efforts in Washington, D.C., tell us that congressional offices are hearing from a wide range of individuals, businesses and organizations calling for tax reform for Americans overseas,” he said.”

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Learn more about the RBT Coalition

INSIGHT: First it was FATCA, now MiFID II has US Investors in Europe Facing Nightmares - American Expat Financial News Journal | November 2019

INSIGHT: First it was FATCA, now MiFID II has US Investors in Europe Facing Nightmares - American Expat Financial News Journal | November 2019

It has now become difficult or impossible for some overseas Americans – especially those with lower incomes and savings amounts – to buy U.S.-listed exchange traded funds (ETFs).

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America's Billionaires Take Center Stage in National Politics, Colliding with Populist Democrats - Washington Post | November 2019

America's Billionaires Take Center Stage in National Politics, Colliding with Populist Democrats - Washington Post | November 2019

“You’re hearing it already,” said Jonathan Lachowitz, a financial planner at White Lighthouse Investment Management, who said he has heard discussions about leaving the country and renouncing citizenship or other legal tax planning moves due to Democrats’ tax plans from several multimillionaires. “As the frustration mounts and tax burdens rise, people will consider it, just the way you have New Yorkers moving to Florida.”

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Americans Expats Launch Residency-Based Taxation Legislation Campaign - International Investment | September 2019

Americans Expats Launch Residency-Based Taxation Legislation Campaign - International Investment | September 2019

"The Tax Fairness for Americans Abroad: An Idea Worth Fighting For! campaign reflects what the founding fathers of America fought for, and won, the battle for tax fairness. Americans overseas want the same." said Jonathan Lachowitz, ACA Chairman.

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6 Types of Niches for Financial Advisors to Differentiate Themselves - Kitces.com | July 2019

6 Types of Niches for Financial Advisors to Differentiate Themselves - Kitces.com | July 2019

It might be as straightforward as advanced tax or estate planning, or as narrow and sophisticated as what Jonathan Lachowitz, CFP, does for his clients. His firm, White Lighthouse Investment Management, specializes in cross-border financial planning. His knowledge of tax and estate planning in different countries makes him uniquely qualified for, for example, executives working abroad. “…The complexity of the work is almost beyond comprehension. Imagine doing estate planning for an American married to an Italian living and working in France with property in the United States, Italy, and France. No unlimited marital deduction for starters.”

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American Citizens Abroad: 'Address Tax Bill's Compliance Nightmare ASAP' - International Investment | March 2018

American Citizens Abroad: 'Address Tax Bill's Compliance Nightmare ASAP' - International Investment | March 2018

The ACA letter is signed by ACA executive director Marylouise Serrato; ACA chairman Jonathan Lachowitz, who is also a founder of White Lighthouse Investment Management, with offices in Massachusetts and Switzerland; and ACA’s legal counselor Charles Bruce, a lawyer with Bonnard Lawson.

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I Prefer to Fight to Change the System - SwissInfo | September 2017

I Prefer to Fight to Change the System - SwissInfo | September 2017

“I prefer to fight to change the system. Since 2006 I’ve been a volunteer for American Citizens Abroad, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization founded in 1978 in Geneva and now based in Washington, DC. I’m part of the executive team there. Our mission is very clear: “educate, advocate and inform”. Our main purpose is not only to educate Americans overseas, but also to meet with US government officials in Washington to try and improve policy as it affects Americans overseas. Our most well-known project is advocacy for residency-based taxation. Our proposal has gotten a lot of traction in the Senate Finance Committee and the Joint Committee on Taxation for its professionalism and even-keeled approach.”

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30 Million Americans Don't Have Access to A Retirement Plan (Why That's a Problem Only You Can Fix) - Inc.com | January 2017

30 Million Americans Don't Have Access to  A Retirement Plan (Why That's a Problem Only You Can Fix) - Inc.com | January 2017

“I asked my two favorite financial gurus for their help: Jonathan Lachowitz and Joe Saul-Sehy. Jonathan runs White Lighthouse, an investment management firm (and, for full disclosure, my financial advisor), and Joe is a retired financial planner who now runs the top-rated podcast, Stacking Benjamins(again, for full disclosure, I'm a frequent, but unpaid, guest on this podcast).”

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3 Factors To Consider When Using College Savings Abroad - US News | February 2016

3 Factors To Consider When Using College Savings Abroad - US News | February 2016

“Jennifer Keehl Davenport and her family moved to Zurich three years ago for her husband's job.
Despite the international address, they decided to continue investing in 529 plan college savings accounts, which they had opened for their two girls, now ages 4 and 8, before leaving the States.”

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Six Financial Mistakes People Make When Retiring Abroad - WSJ | December 2015

Six Financial Mistakes People Make When Retiring Abroad - WSJ | December 2015

“People rarely understand the complexity of cross-border moves,” says Jonathan Lachowitz, founder of White Lighthouse Investment Management of Lexington, Mass., and Lausanne, Switzerland. “You have to give planning a lot of time.”

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How to Manage Your Money If You Retire Abroad - Kiplinger | June 2015

How to Manage Your Money If You Retire Abroad - Kiplinger | June 2015

“FATCA requires foreign banks to report accounts of U.S. citizens to the U.S. government, and U.S. citizens living abroad must report their financial assets in foreign accounts if their foreign assets exceed a threshold. "Because of FATCA, a lot of banks don't want to work with Americans," Lachowitz says. Those that will may charge an extra fee.”

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