Who we serve

Expats and Cross-Border Families

U.S. tax rules follow citizens and green-card holders around the world, and foreign accounts, pensions, and businesses each come with their own reporting. We plan around those rules rather than discovering them at filing time.

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Who this is for

  • Americans living abroad, or planning to
  • Families returning to the United States with foreign pensions, property, or investments
  • Foreign nationals working in Houston on visas or green cards
  • Owners of foreign business interests

Problems it solves

  • Foreign mutual funds (PFICs) and foreign pensions with punitive or unclear U.S. tax treatment
  • FBAR and Form 8938 reporting that was never filed, or filed inconsistently
  • Retirement savings split across two countries' systems with no coordinated plan

What makes it different

Ryan Firth is a CPA/PFS and a GFP Fellow of the Global Financial Planning Institute. He began his career at Ernst & Young in New York and London, so cross-border complexity is familiar ground rather than a referral.

What we help with

  • Planning across two systems. Where to save, how to think about foreign pensions and Social Security totalization, and how currency and residency affect the plan.
  • Investment structure. Avoiding PFICs, using U.S.-domiciled index exposure, and building a Personal Index Portfolio that respects both tax systems.
  • Reporting awareness. Knowing what triggers FBAR, Form 8938, and Form 5471 obligations before they become a problem.
  • Transitions. Moving abroad, coming home, or changing status, each of which changes the plan.

Start with a conversation or read about our financial planning process.

Questions about expats and cross-border families

Do you prepare expat tax returns?

No. Integrity Financial Planning is not a CPA firm. We plan with the return in mind and work alongside your preparer, and we can recommend specialists when needed.

Can you manage investments for someone living abroad?

Often, yes, depending on your country of residence and custodian rules. We will tell you early if your situation is one we cannot custody.

What is a PFIC and why does it matter?

A passive foreign investment company, which includes most non-U.S. mutual funds and ETFs. U.S. taxpayers who own them face complex reporting and often unfavorable tax treatment, so we usually plan a path out of them.

Talk with a CFA and a CPA/PFS, CFP® about your situation

A free introductory meeting, no obligation. Financial planning is included as part of the investment management fee, so there is no separate planning charge.

Schedule a meetingSee our fees