American Expat Investing - Walkner Condon Financial Advisors

10/26/2026

Moving to Germany? Your Roth IRA might not be as tax-free as you think. 🇩🇪

In the U.S., qualified Roth withdrawals are tax-free. Germany may not see it that way. Distributions taken while you're a German tax resident will likely be taxed at your German income tax rate.

The good news is that your traditional IRA keeps its tax-deferred treatment. You can rebalance inside the account without triggering German capital gains tax, and you're taxed on withdrawals instead.

Tahlia Micoley from our international team also covers:
✅ Why your brokerage account follows FIFO rules, with gains calculated in euros
✅ The flat capital gains rate, including the solidarity surcharge and church tax
✅ The Vorabpauschale tax on accumulating funds
✅ How Germany splits capital losses into separate "pots"

Read the full guide before you move 👇
https://usexpatinvesting.com/blog/us-expats-germany-tax-ira-roth-capital-gains/

Moving to Germany? Discover how your US IRAs, Roth accounts, brokerage funds, and capital gains are taxed under German tax law.

10/05/2026

Most American investors don't realize their brokerage relationship often "breaks" the moment they move overseas.

We break down why U.S. retail brokerages are closing expat accounts and how to choose the right custodian before you relocate:

✅ The FATCA factor: why foreign banks don't want US clients, and US banks don't want foreign addresses
✅ Account freezes & 30-day "liquidation-only" notices
✅ The dangers of using a "fake" U.S. address to keep your account open
✅ Retail vs. advisor-led institutional accounts
✅ Why the "best" brokerage abroad depends on the country you're in

If you're planning a move abroad — or already living there — this one could save you a serious headache.

📺 Watch now: https://youtu.be/c5dz9_5gtMA

Read the blog -
https://usexpatinvesting.com/blog/what-is-the-best-brokerage-for-expats/

Most American investors don't realize that their brokerage relation...

09/30/2026

🌍 US expat taxes get complicated fast — Part 2 of our International Tax Guide dives into some of the trickiest areas.

✅ Functional currency: why every transaction has to be converted to USD, even income you never touch in dollars
✅ PFIC rules — why owning a foreign mutual fund can quietly wreck your US tax return
✅ FBAR & FATCA: two different filings, two different agencies, two different sets of penalties
✅ The Section 877A exit tax — and the new 40% tax on gifts/bequests from expatriated Americans to US persons

If you're an American living abroad, these are exactly the kind of "unknown unknowns" that catch people off guard.

📖 Read Part 2: https://usexpatinvesting.com/blog/international-taxation-us-expats-part-2/

From accidental PFIC ownership to the complexities of the Section 877A exit tax, international taxation in 2026 is more than just math, it’s a compliance minefield. In Part 2 of our series, Ian Beardsley, CPA, breaks down the essential reporting rules every US expat needs to know to protect their ...

09/25/2026

Direct indexing is one of the fastest-growing strategies in investing — but for Americans living abroad, it comes with an extra layer of complexity.

Nate, Keith & Stan break down:

✅ What direct indexing is (the cereal box analogy — buying the box vs. the individual pieces)
✅ Tax-loss harvesting basics & the $3,000 ordinary income deduction
✅ Why it gets complicated abroad — many countries don't allow carrying forward capital losses
✅ Currency exposure: gains in USD, losses in euros (and vice versa)
✅ Country-specific restrictions on offshore funds (Austria, Denmark, UK, Ireland & more)
✅ Managing concentrated positions & building custom, values-based portfolios

If you're a US expat trying to invest tax-efficiently across borders, this one's for you.

📺 Watch now: https://youtu.be/_-X2zCQOXck

Direct indexing is one of the fastest-growing strategies in investi...

09/21/2026

✈️ Moving abroad? Don't forget about your STATE taxes.

Most Americans planning an international move focus on federal expat tax rules — but your old state may keep taxing you long after you've left, sometimes on your entire worldwide income.

Part 1 of our new series covers:

✅ Domicile vs. statutory residency — and why "I moved" isn't enough
✅ Why states like New York can tax you even without domicile (183-day rule)
✅ The double taxation trap: no state credit for foreign taxes paid
✅ Stock options, RSUs & deferred comp that stay taxable for years after you leave
✅ How to actually sever residency cleanly

If you're a Californian, New Yorker, or resident of any high-tax state eyeing a move overseas, this is required reading before you pack.

📖 Read Part 1: https://usexpatinvesting.com/blog/state-tax-residency-international-relocation/

Moving overseas doesn't mean escaping state income tax. Learn how states define domicile and statutory residency in this guide from Walkner Condon.

09/17/2026

🌍 2026 has been a huge year for IPOs — and for employees sitting on newly vested stock, that success brings a real question: what do you do with a concentrated position, especially if you're living (or planning to live) abroad?

Our latest blog covers 5 strategies to consider:

✅ Trimming the position over time (watch out for NIIT — foreign tax credits can't offset it)
✅ 351 ETF exchange — tax-deferred in the US, but maybe not abroad
✅ Tax-loss harvesting via direct indexing
✅ Gifting & charitable giving (rules vary widely by country)
✅ Options hedging with protective puts & collars

The big mistake to avoid: assuming a strategy that works in the US works the same way once you've moved.

📖 Read the blog: https://usexpatinvesting.com/blog/managing-ipo-concentrated-stock-us-expats/

Vested RSUs or IPO stock creating portfolio risk? Learn how Walkner Condon helps U.S. expats trim, hedge, and diversify concentrated stock across jurisdictions

09/15/2026

Thinking about moving to the UK, Ireland, or Spain? The UK is reconsidering major tax reforms that could seriously affect American business owners, LLC holders, and law firm partners relocating overseas.

Nate, Keith & Syl break down:

✅ The UK's shift away from remittance-based taxation
✅ The new 4-year rule & increased double taxation risk
✅ Why US LLCs and trusts often "don't travel" well internationally
✅ The return of golden visa programs for high-net-worth investors
✅ Real examples of costly assumptions Americans make when moving abroad

If you're a US citizen considering a move overseas, this one covers the cross-border tax pitfalls you need to know before you leap.

📺 Watch now: https://youtu.be/ukAO4NY6Z84

Thinking about moving to the UK, Ireland, or Spain? The UK is recon...

08/30/2026

Big news as we head into the last weekend of August. 👀

Our Managing Partners, Clint Walkner and Nate Condon, sat down to record the first episode in our brand-new podcast studio — a special episode of Gimme Some Truth looking back at some major milestones shaping the future of Walkner Condon:

➡️ One Roof — Unifying four offices into a single, state-of-the-art headquarters
➡️ $1.25 Billion — A major milestone in assets under management
➡️ Team Growth — Alicia's promotion to Partner, Evan's promotion, and Andy King's upcoming retirement
➡️ Our Approach — How we build redundant, collaborative advisory teams so clients are always supported for the long haul

None of this happens without the trust our clients have placed in us. Every milestone here traces back to relationships — and a team built to take care of people for the long term.

👇

Walkner Condon's Managing Partners, Clint Walkner and Nate Condon s...

07/29/2026

📈 Q2 2026 in the books: from crisis to comeback.

If Q1 was the shock, Q2 was the exhale. Markets staged one of the strongest quarters in recent memory, and it's worth looking back at how quickly things turned around:

✅ The S&P 500 gained ~15% for the quarter, hitting new all-time highs near 7,500
✅ Small caps led the charge — the Russell 2000 jumped ~21%, up over 22% YTD
✅ Oil made a full round trip: from over $100/barrel during the Strait of Hormuz crisis down to ~$70 by quarter's end
✅ The Fed held steady at 3.50%–3.75%, juggling sticky inflation against a shaky geopolitical backdrop
✅ The SpaceX IPO (~$2.3 trillion valuation!) headlined a wild quarter for capital markets

Here's the real takeaway though: investors who stayed the course through the Q1 selloff were rewarded. Those who sold during the dip likely missed a 15%+ rebound. 📊

Volatility isn't fun in the moment, but it's often the price of admission for long-term returns.

📖 Get our full Q2 breakdown — plus what we're watching next — on the blog: https://usexpatinvesting.com/blog/2026-q2-market-performance-summary/

Stocks recovered the Q1 decline and then some — small caps up 21%, oil back to $70, and new highs for the S&P 500. The Walkner Condon team on why the valuation reset thesis played out.

07/27/2026

⚽ The World Cup is over... but we've got one more bracket for you. 😉

While Spain celebrates their World Cup win, we couldn't help but notice something: they also came out on top in our own "expat bracket" — a ranking of the best Round of 16 countries to retire in! 🏆

We looked at cost of living, safety, healthcare, weather, and happiness across all 16 countries and crowned a winner (turns out we finished the ranking before Spain even won the real thing 👀).

We also took a closer look at the 5 countries our clients most often choose to retire to: 🇪🇸 Spain, 🇫🇷 France, 🇵🇹 Portugal, 🇬🇧 England, and 🇧🇪 Belgium — breaking down what U.S. expats should actually expect in terms of taxes and financial planning in each one.

Spoiler: almost everywhere you go, you'll likely pay higher taxes than in the U.S. — but with the right planning, that doesn't mean the move isn't worth it. 🌍

Oh, and one important question first: if you were moving abroad, what's the one thing you'd pack that reminds you of home? (For thousands of European fans this summer, apparently... it was ranch dressing. 🤷)

📖 Check out the full breakdown, rankings, and expat bracket on our blog: https://usexpatinvesting.com/blog/world-cup-expat-retirement-destination-ranking/