Welcome

The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) has had many consequences, including some that have been both profound and unintended.

One legacy of FATCA – although positive factors such as tightened anti-money laundering regulations should also be taken into account – is the difficulty that many Americans abroad have faced in relation to their IRA accounts, with many being closed as the saver becomes US non-resident.

As a result, an increasing number of non-residents are finding themselves in an unenviable position when it comes to their retirement and IRA planning.

Retirement planning for ourselves is not always straightforward, so, is planning for the retirements of our offspring something we should be concerned about or is it something they should take care of for themselves?

According to a recent CNBC article, “the idea isn’t so farfetched” and on reflection it is not difficult to understand why.

For start, we really don’t know what the future will hold. For example, in 10, 20 or 30 years what will an IRA, Roth IRA or 401k look like and what will the terms be? Can we be sure our children will be able to access these accounts. And for those with cross-border wealth management concerns, we cannot confidently predict the future of QROPS, SIPPs and other private pensions and pension transfer vehicles. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, against the background of ageing populations in the west, who knows whether state and federal social security systems will still be viable.