Financial Advices for Expatriates
A key concern for expatriates living abroad is the subject of
money - where to put it and how to manage it. Previously, the
expatriate had to entrust someone back in his home country to
take care of his money for him (a scary thought in this day and
age) due to a draconian banking system which did not allow for
him to access his finances from abroad.
Fortunately, international banking companies, parallel to how
world economy has developed, have re-structured and globalized
themselves. This phenomenon has been amplified by an ubiquitous
Internet which has considerably reduced the distance between a
man and his money; it is now possible to access accounts and
manage assets in real time via the Net, regardless of location.
This 'new' proximity between customers and their bank can be
found in both traditional and non-traditional offerings. An
example of the latter would be insurance. The more traditional
offerings encompass product ranges that include deposits, bank
cards, placements and loans. These offerings also include
services such as transfers, counsel, online or telephone access,
all of which also help in bridging continental divides.
The bank account question is an essential priority for an
expatriate. Having an account that is flexible and versatile is
ideal so he can easily access and manage his money under the
best conditions. As a result, most expatriates use two bank
accounts, sometimes three:
An account in Malaysia where most of their salary is deposited
and which is also used as an everyday account. This account is
usually in Ringgit
An account in the expatriate's homeland which is provisioned by
the other part of the salary and which enables him to pay the
expenses in his homeland. This account is in his homeland
currency.
A third option for expatriates is to set up an off-shore bank
account, which can be arranged in different currencies.
>From there, an expatriate has different opportunities to handle,
save and improve his financial portfolio:
Financial advisor: A licensed professional who can help
with a variety of issues such as retirement planning, investing
and, if qualified to do so, insurance.
Financial planner: A professional who analyzes personal
financial circumstances and prepares a program to meet financial
needs and objectives.
Portfolio Management advisor: A professional who helps
you combine your assets into a portfolio that fits the
investor's preferences (level of risk) and needs (regular
dividends and coupon payments).
Offshore analyst: A professional who can provide
tax-efficient solutions to complement and simplify the future
administration of a family's assets, or an individual's
investment portfolio.
The question being who to entrust with your lifesavings, your
investments and your future? First and foremost is to check the
validity of the company within Malaysia via an Offshore
Insurance Brokers Licence issued by Labuan Offshore Financial
Services Authority (LOFSA); And from there, to seek a referral
of recommendation from somebody you know who is using one of
these approved companies.
For further information, please log on to
www.malaysia.alloexpat.com