Includes bibliographical references and index.

Foreword Scott Burns xiii Acknowledgments xvii Introduction xix Chapter 1: Setting Your Bull's-Eye 1 What's This Ailment Expatitis? 3 Cheating Conventional Retirement Rules 3 Cooking Up the Road Less Traveled 5 The Earthquake and the Epiphany 6 Jujitsu Junkie Taps Out for Home 8 Now It's Your Turn 9 Notes 10 Chapter 2: Building Your Pension 13 How to Never Run Out of Money 14 The Man with Nothing But a Backpack 16 The Couple with Swedish-American Dreams 18 A Front-End-Loaded Tale of Success 22 Notes 24 Chapter 3: The Truth about Stocks and Bonds 25 Halloween Grab Bag Treats Investors 26 Why Average Returns Aren't Normal 29 Stocks Pound Inflation 29 What Has the Stock Market Done for You Lately? 31 Undressing Stocks with 50 Shades of Gray 32 The Stock Market Stars as the Great Humiliator 35 Fast-Growing Economies Can Produce Weak Returns 37 Bonds Are Protective Nets for Jumpers 38 Can You Lose Money With Bonds? 41 Notes 43 Chapter 4: Don't Start a Fight with an Escalator 45 Yes, the Financial District Loves You! 46 Global Investors Getting Fleeced 47 Notes 50 Chapter 5: Where Are the Customers' Yachts? 51 Global Investors Bleed by the Same Sword 52 American Expatriates Run Naked 53 Why Brokers Want to Muzzle Warren Buff ett 54 Financial Advisors Touting "The World Is Flat!" 56 Hedge Fund Money Spanked for Its Con 58 Why Most Investors Underperform Their Funds 62 Notes 65 Chapter 6: Don't Climb into Bed with a Silver-Tongued Player 69 Featuring the Rip-Offers 71 The Ten Habits of Successful Financial Advisors . . . Really? 72 When Your Advisor Is a Sales Commando 73 Welcoming Sharks into the Seal Pool 74 Misled Investors Pay the Price 75 A Canadian Investor Gets Bled 75 Would You Like a Band-Aid for That Bleeding Gash? 77 Masters of the Insured Death Benefi t Illusion 77 Free Fund Switching Isn't a Perk 78 Making Millions off the General Public 79 Fooling the Masses with Numbers 79 Regulators Making an Effort 80 Can Squeaky Wheels Gain Redemption? 83 If Investors Can't Reclaim Their Losses 84 When High Fees Meet Gunslingers 86 A Son's Inheritance Gets Plundered 86 British Teacher Learns a Costly Lesson 90 Playing Soccer Like Wasps around Honey 90 Most Investors Are Crazy 92 Notes 93 Chapter 7: Self-Appointed Gurus and Neanderthal Brains 95 Why Most Investors Should Hope for Falling Markets 96 It's Not Timing the Market That Matters; It's Time in the Market 97 High Unemployment and High Stock Returns 98 What Can You Miss by Guessing Wrong? 100 When Investors and Advisors Sabotage Their Rides 102 Popular Stocks Underperform 104 How About the Next Big Thing? 105 When Genius Fails 107 Notes 107 Chapter 8: An Employer's Greatest Challenge 111 Fees How Much Is Too Much? 113 So What's the Solution for Global Employers? 115 Notes 118 Chapter 9: Couch Potato Investing 119 Don't Bonds Tie You Down? 120 Is It More of a Fling Than a Real Relationship? 120 Potatoes Growing Globally 122 Bonds Relative to Age and Risk 124 What If You're Falling Behind? 125 Profi ting from Panic Stock Market Crash 2008-2009 125 Owning the World 126 Where Do You Plan to Retire? 127 Are You Retiring in an Emerging Market Country? 129 Does This Sound Too Good to Be True? 130 Chapter 10: The Permanent Portfolio: Growth without Risk 131 Gold in Isolation Is a Total Loser 132 A Disco-Era Brainchild from a Twentieth-Century Socrates 132 This Great Portfolio Will Never Be Popular (But It Should Be!) 133 Why Does It Work? 137 What Has It Done for Me Lately? 138 Notes 139 Chapter 11: Fundamental Indexing: Can We Build a Better Index Portfolio? 141 Like Top Basketball Players Getting the Most Court Time 142 Index Funds That Appear to Beat the Market 144 Investment Legend Likens Them to Witchcraft 144 Global Fundamental Indexes Might Shelter Us from Bubbles 146 Emerging Markets Show the Greatest Diff erence 146 Aren't These Just Actively Managed Products? 147 Notes 148 Chapter 12: Capable Investment Advisors with a Conscience 149 Do You Have a Ninja's Discipline? 151 Qualities of a Great Financial Advisor 151 Investment Professionals worth Considering 153 Notes 170 Chapter 13: Choosing Your Off shore Brokerage For Non?]Americans 173 DBS Vickers Securities Opens the Door to Everyone 174 Why You Should Avoid Eâ Trade Financial 176 TD Direct Investing International 176 Saxo Capital Markets A Jewel with Distractions 177 Comparing Fees with International Brokerages 179 Is Interactive Brokers the Dark Horse Winner? 184 Notes 184 Chapter 14: The 16 Questions Do-It-Yourself Investors Ask 187 What's the Diff erence between an Exchange-Traded Index Fund (ETF) and an Index Fund? 187 Do Non-Americans Have to Pay U.S. Estate Taxes upon Death If They Own U.S. Index Shares? 188 What's a Sector-Specific ETF? 188 Should I Buy an Index That's Currency Hedged? 189 What's the Scoop on Withholding Taxes? (For Non-Americans) 191 Will You Have to Pay Currency Conversions? 192 Should I Be Concerned about Currency Risks? 193 Do the Unit Prices of ETFs Show Which Are Expensive or Cheap? 194 If I Have a Lump Sum, Should I Invest It All at Once? 194 I'm in Some Expensive Products, but They're Currently Down in Value. Should I Sell Now or Wait? 195 How Do I Open a Brokerage Account and Make Purchases? (For Non-Americans) 195 What If I Find a Higher-Performing Bond Index? 200 What If I Find a Cheaper ETF? 201 Should I Be Most Concerned about Commissions, Annual Account Fees, Fund Costs or Exchange Rate Fees? 201 How Little Can I Invest Each Month? 201 Stock Markets Are High. Should I Really Start Investing? 202 Let's Go! 203 Notes 203 Chapter 15: Investing for American Expatsâ 205 Do You Currently Invest with Vanguard? 206 Couch Potato Investing with Vanguard 207 Couch Potato Investing with a Vanguard Stick Shift 209 When Investors Binge on Speculation 210 Charles Schwab Off ers a Great Deal 212 Doing the Couch Potato with Schwab 212 Permanent Portfolio Investing with Schwab 214 Fundamental Indexing Magic in the Works 214 Don't Contribute Illegally to Your IRA 215 What Exactly Is an IRA? 216 Roth IRAs Are Diff erent 216 Notes 217 Chapter 16: Investing for Canadian Expats 219 Canadian Funds Earn an "F" for Costs 220 Brokerage Options for Expatriate Canadians 221 Brokerages for Canadians in Capital-Gains-Free Jurisdictions 222 Building a Canadian Couch Potato Portfolio 223 ETF Canadian Price War 227 The Permanent Portfolio, Canadian Style 227 Fundamental Indexing Portfolios 229 What About RRSPs and TFSAs? 230 Swap-Based ETFs, the Ultimate Legal Tax Dodge 231 Notes 232 Chapter 17: Investing for British Expats 235 Expensive Firms Performing Like a Virgin 236 Couch Potato Investing for British Expatriates 237 British Investors and the Permanent Portfolio 240 Fundamental Indexing for the British 241 Notes 243 Chapter 18: Investing for Australian Expats 245 Fancy an Australian Couch Potato? 247 How About an Australian Permanent Portfolio? 248 Fundamental Indexing for Australians 249 Notes 251 Chapter 19: Investing for New Zealand Expats 253 Kiwis Chilling Out With The Couch Potato 254 Permanent Portfolio for Kiwis 255 Fundamental Indexing for New Zealanders 255 Notes 257 Chapter 20: Investing for South African and South American Expats 259 South African Investors 259 South Africans Fry Up the Couch Potato 260 South African Writer Likes the Permanent Portfolio 261 South Africans Preferring Fundamental Platforms 263 South American Investors 263 Brazilian Investing Models 264 Notes 267 Chapter 21: Investing for European Expats 269 Country-Specifi c European ETFs 269 European Indexes That Investors Will Like 271 Why Not Choose the Simpler Option? 274 Calling Italians and the Swiss 275 The European's Permanent Portfolio 276 Fundamental Indexing for Europeans 277 So What's It Going to Be Couch Potato, Permanent, or Fundamentally Indexed? 279 Notes 279 Chapter 22: Investing for Asian Expats 281 An Indian National Divulges Her Plan 282 Asians Embracing the Couch Potato 284 Asians Choosing the Permanent Portfolio 287 Fundamental Portfolio for Asians 288 Notes 289 Conclusion 291 About the Author 293 Index 295.

Exploit your offshore status to build a robust investment portfolio Most of the world's 200 million expats float in stormy seas. Few can contribute to their home country social programs. They're often forced to fend for themselves when they retire.