Investing Framework for Expats Anywhere

Why is this framework ideal for expats?

Globally mobile workers face a unique challenge: every country has different account names — Kiwi Saver, superannuation, ISA, 401k, SIPP — and it's easy to feel lost each time you move. The Donegans Three-Decision Framework solves this because it works anywhere in the world. No matter where you live, you make the same three decisions: choose the Fund, choose the Account, choose the Platform. The jargon changes; the structure never does.

Every investment is three nested boxes: the Platform holds the Account, which holds the Fund. Once you see any local system through this lens, the confusion dissolves.

How do I audit investments scattered across countries?

Start with Job 1: Existing Money. List everything you own — a UK ISA, an old workplace pension, an Australian super account, a brokerage account — and map each onto the Platform → Account → Fund diagram. Fill three columns: provider, account type, and fund (with its fee).

First classify each retirement account as an Income Promise (Defined Benefit) or an Investment Pot (Defined Contribution). Income Promises are guarantees you generally shouldn't touch without care; Investment Pots run through the fund checklist. Flag any account you've lost track of as a research action, and trace it before deciding anything.

How do I choose accounts as an expat?

Your country of residence determines which tax-advantaged accounts you can use — that's your key input. Decision 2 (Account) means using the most tax-advantaged wrapper available where you live: Kiwi Saver in New Zealand, superannuation in Australia, ISAs and SIPPs in the UK, IRAs and 401ks in the US.

Always apply Free Money First — capture employer matching and government top-ups (like Kiwi Saver contributions) wherever you're tax-resident. Also watch the access-age trap: don't lock everything in a retirement account if you may relocate or want funds earlier. Where possible, keep a separately accessible account for flexibility.

How do I avoid home-country bias when I live abroad?

Home country bias is a serious risk for expats, who may feel torn between their home market and their host market. The framework's answer: go global. Apply the Growth Engine Checklist — Broad, Global, Passive, Low cost, Understandable — and choose the most global fund your platform offers. Ask how global is your global fund: prefer a Global All-Cap (like Vanguard FTSE Global All Cap or VT) covering 7,500–10,000 companies over a single-country fund.

Familiar does not equal global, and no one knows which country will outperform next. A single global index fund removes the need to bet.

How do I stay invested through international moves?

Time in the market beats timing the market. International moves tempt people to sell everything and start over — avoid this. Where you can, keep existing accounts running rather than cashing out, and never manually withdraw and reinvest, which can break tax protection and trigger tax events. When you do transfer, initiate at the new platform and request an in-specie transfer to stay invested.

Evaluate any new platform on three criteria: Trustworthy (regulated locally, client assets segregated), Has the right Account and Fund, and Fees low and usable. Note that tax residency and reporting rules differ across borders, so confirm a platform accepts investors in your current country.

Next step: Make a single list of every investment you hold across every country, with its platform, account type, and fund. That one table will instantly reveal what's scattered, what's high-cost, and where your next contribution should go.