UK Cash ISA (Account Options)

Now we’re getting to the accounts that aren’t part of the flowchart for a “typical” American in the UK planning for retirement, but they have their purposes and might be useful in your individual plan. Synopsis A Cash ISA is a glorified savings account that’s UK tax free, US taxable. Most people don’t pay UK

The US/UK Tax Treaty

Big caveat up front: I am not a lawyer! This is 100% a layman’s reading of the tax treaty – it’s entirely up to you to confirm my interpretations. I’ve tried to call out situations where there are various interpretations so you can make your own judgment or seek out professional advice. Don’t try to

US & UK Taxable Brokerage (Account Options)

I’ve lumped US and UK taxable brokerage accounts together because they’re conceptually very similar. There are slightly different challenges, based on the available investments, but I’ll call out where they differ. For most Americans in the UK, you’re best off with a US account, if you can get somebody to let you have one! Synopsis

UK Lifetime ISA (Account Options)

Lifetime ISAs are a relatively new product, and are an interesting hybrid of a “normal” ISA and a pension, kind of like a Roth IRA. Your money is locked up until age 60 except for a first home purchase, but it’s tax advantaged. The low contribution limit means this won’t be a huge part of

Before You Move

I’ve put together this list of things you might want to do if you’re a US citizen thinking of moving to the UK, but you haven’t left the US yet. Not all of these are required, and the list can’t be 100% comprehensive for everybody’s individual situation, but it might save you some serious pain.

US Roth IRA (Account Options)

Number 2 in the series on account options – full list is at Account Options. Edit 07Jul21: I’ve changed my view on whether Roth IRAs need to be opened before leaving the US – I no longer think that’s a requirement, although it’s logistically easier. I’ve updated the post to reflect that. Edit 13Aug21: There

UK Employer Pension (Account Options)

This is the first in a series of posts, each focusing on one type of account and how it might be useful to an American living in the UK. A full list of all accounts covered is on the Account Options page. These posts will all follow the same general format, and should give you

Welcome

Thanks for finding my new site, focusing on FIRE (Financial Independence/Retire Early) for Americans who live in the UK, or want to. This site grew out of an idea that I had after helping a number of people on both Facebook and Reddit. There is lots of information out there about how to invest for