Investment

Why do Americans Invest Overseas?

  • Author Written by Brandon Roe
  • Calendar Updated: April 22, 2026
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Contents

Obvious but true: When it comes to investing overseas, it’s important to start with the why long before you start choosing foreign investments or the structure to hold it in, or whether to put those structures in the US or outside.

So let’s start with what problem you’re trying to solve.

Here’s a starting list as we see it from our clients.

#1: Diversification out of the US dollar

This has become very popular over the past few years as Americans have seen the value of the dollar drop.

What’s Your Goal?

Let us know what you’re hoping to accomplish and we’ll give you some options to help you reach that, and how we can help.

Diversification Reason

Select your main reason to diversify your assets.

How Much Tax Paying

Enter the amount of tax you've paid last year in US Dollars.

Biggest Fear

Select your biggest fear which drives you to create Plan B strategy.

Where should we send your report?

Enter your name and email address where we will send your report.

We handle your data according to our Privacy Policy. By entering your email address you grant us permission to send you the report and follow up emails later.

#2: Protection against US banking and financial system risk

Our clients have woken up to the idea that maybe it’s not the most sensible thing to keep all of their money in a banking and financial system that is shockingly brittle and prone to instability.

(Admittedly, it is impressive how the system has managed to keep kicking the can down the road year after year for decades. But that doesn’t mean that substantial cracks aren’t there and getting bigger.)

#3: Asset protection

Clients are often looking to protect themselves against some threat – sometimes the threat of a lawsuit and sometimes not.

Moving assets offshore – especially using foreign structures – can offer asset protection. Sometimes it’s strongly legal (Private Placement Life Insurance policies, Cook Islands trusts), sometimes it’s practical (assets held outside the country can’t be arbitrarily frozen.)

No matter the reason, each of these needs will lead to a different solution. You don’t have to chase it, it will become obvious.

And planning doesn’t get much easier than that.

PS. One of our most popular services – International Possibilities – guides clients through a process to help clarify:

  1. What they are trying to accomplish.

  2. Understanding the different options open to them.

  3. Understanding what it will take to set up and maintain those options.

If you need help with this, please contact us for details.

About The Author

Brandon Roe started living, working, and investing offshore in 2003. In 2009, he was recruited to build International Man, a community of wealthy investors founded by well-known contrarian investor Doug Casey. He then joined The Nestmann Group under the mentorship of Mark Nestmann, LLM in 2013. It was Mark who taught him wealth protection planning, with a strong focus on tax mitigation and compliance issues. He now works with wealthy Americans who want to reduce their tax burden, protect their wealth, and move themselves and/or their money offshore.
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As Featured on
The Washington Post
Bloomberg Businessweek
abc NEWS
Barrons
The New York Times
Forbes
International Living