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Investments

  • An investment that makes sense on one side of the Atlantic can be a costly mistake on the other. That is the recurring theme in everything on this page.
  • Almost every American who moves to Spain opens a Spanish bank account in the first month. Somewhere in the first year, someone suggests moving the idle balance into a fondo de inversión. From a Spanish point of view that is sensible. From a US point of view it can create a filing obligation and a tax treatment that gets worse the longer it sits.
  • The reverse happens too. Accounts that worked perfectly well from a US address start generating letters once the address of record changes, and the tax cost of an unplanned liquidation is usually worse than the closure itself.
  • These articles cover what to hold, where to hold it, and what to do when a custodian decides for you. If your Spanish bank has recommended a fund, read The PFIC Trap first. If you have had a letter from your brokerage, start here.
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Cross Border Wealth Advisors is a California state-registered investment adviser (CRD 309890). Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. See full Disclaimer and Privacy Policy.

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