The 2016 GCC Asset Allocation
(Re)balancing (photo credit)
A year ago, I was evaluating moving our portfolio to 100% equities. Posterity will appreciate it.
A lot has changed since then, so I wanted to share an update.
$10,000 of Free European Travel
Cycling in Paris (photo credit)
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“You guys are going to Europe for 4 months?! That sounds wonderful, but… isn’t Europe expensive?”
“How are you going to work the higher cost of European travel into your budget?”
“Will you have to miss out on some amazing European restaurants and eat more peanut butter and jelly?”
Since sharing our big 2016 travel plans a few months ago, various forms of these questions have been sent our way.
I prefer strategic lifestyle design to tactical spending plans like a budget. We aren’t going to limit our European gastronomic experiences with an artificial spending ceiling. (Thank you United States Congress for the inspiration!)
Certainly Europe will cost more than budget destinations like Thailand or Guatemala. So how will we pay for it?
The short answer is: I don’t really intend to.
Obamacare, Expats, and Limitations on Visits Home
Welcome Home? (photo credit)
US citizens living abroad are not required to purchase health insurance as outlined in the Affordable Care Act, often affectionately referred to as Obamacare.
The definition of “living abroad” is clear; nomads such as ourselves are limited to visiting the US for no more than 35 days every 12-months, else we are required to purchase minimum essential care insurance policies on a Health Exchange.
Were we actually in the US, we would do just that. But these policies provide no coverage for routine care Internationally, let alone across multiple States, which makes them effectively useless for our lifestyle. Thus the purpose of an exemption.
But limiting visits to the US to 35 days every 12 months seems awfully restrictive. If I wanted limitations in life, I would just get a job. So what is going to happen when we visit the US later this year for 2 to 3 months?
Why Betterment Has Zero of Our Dollars
We are here to help
I’m often asked if we invest with Betterment, or if I would recommend them.
I assume this is because of their generous affiliate marketing program for personal finance bloggers, but we could generically ask, “Would I recommend using a robo-adviser?” But Betterment’s solution will make a fine reference point.
As with most things, there are pros and cons. But for the purpose of discretely foreshadowing my conclusions:
Betterment has zero of our dollars.
That isn’t going to change.
Our Cost of Living in Chiang Mai, Thailand
Wat Chedi Luang
For 2 months at the tail end of 2015, we called Chiang Mai, Thailand home.
We quickly settled into a way of life that revolved around yoga and Crossfit, afternoon swims, walking among the temples, and exploring the vast food scene.
Christmas and New Year’s Eve were special nights out on the town, as were the dual Thai festivals of Loi Krathong and Yi Ping.
As we explored the city we met a diverse and exciting group of new friends, and shared our favorite places with visiting friends and family.
We enjoyed a high quality of life with a surprisingly low cost.
