A growing number of Americans are asking a question that used to feel unusual: What would my life look like if I lived somewhere else?
According to a 2024 Monmouth University poll, 34 percent of Americans said they would move to another country if they were free to do so, up sharply from the 1970s. Gallup has also found that about one in five Americans say they would like to move abroad permanently if given the opportunity. For many of your clients, the question may longer be so rhetorical as before.
Clients are not only asking whether they can retire, sell a home, rebalance their portfolio, or manage healthcare costs. Increasingly, they are asking whether their money could support a different kind of life in Portugal, Mexico, Spain, France, Costa Rica, Italy, or somewhere they have not even considered yet. What begins as a retirement conversation can quickly become a relocation conversation. However, what happens when your clients plan on moving to another country and out of your expertise?
The Financial Plan Is Often the Starting Point
For many Americans, moving abroad does not begin with packing boxes or applying for a visa. It begins with a spreadsheet. They’re determining their monthly expenses, liquidating assets, moving cash into other currencies, and more. They want to know whether they can keep their investments with their advisor firm and whether those investments are accessible from abroad.
These are not side questions. They are often the questions that determine whether a move abroad feels possible at all.
For financial planners, this creates a meaningful opportunity. Clients already trust them with some of the most personal parts of their lives: retirement timelines, income needs, risk tolerance, family obligations, estate planning, and long-term goals. When a client starts imagining life overseas, the financial planner may be one of the first people they tell. And that makes sense. It is a life-planning decision, not just a travel decision.
Moving Abroad Complicates the Money Conversation
The dream may be simple: lower cost of living, better healthcare access, less stress, more travel, or a slower pace of life.
The financial reality can be more complicated.
Americans living abroad may still have U.S. tax filing obligations. Foreign bank accounts can trigger reporting requirements. Some investment products that are ordinary in one country can create problems for U.S. taxpayers. Estate planning may need to account for more than one jurisdiction. Currency fluctuations can affect income and spending. Beyond this, many financial planners focus their attention on U.S. markets but still want to retain their clients.
A U.S.-based financial planner may be well positioned to help clients think through the financial side of relocation. But most planners are not immigration attorneys, tax specialists in every country, international insurance brokers, or relocation strategists. When clients begin asking about these needs, they need trusted resources beyond traditional financial planning.
The Client Conversation Is Changing
For decades, financial planning has often centered on a familiar version of the American dream: buy a home, build savings, retire comfortably, maybe travel more later. For a growing number of Americans, the dream itself is expanding beyond familiar borders.
Some want to retire abroad because their savings may go further. Some are exploring overseas life before retirement because remote work has made the idea feel more realistic. Others are motivated by healthcare, safety, politics, family concerns, or a desire for a better day-to-day quality of life. Whatever the reason, the question often lands in the same place: Can I make this work financially?
That is why financial planners are becoming important guides in the early stages of the move-abroad journey. They can help clients understand what is realistic, what needs more research, and what financial tradeoffs may come with a move. In many cases, they can earn revenue from these clients by connecting them with relevant experts in their chosen countries.
A Partner for Relocation-Minded Clients
That is one reason Expatsi created its affiliate program.
Expatsi helps Americans explore and plan a move abroad through destination matching, scouting trips, relocation education, and expert guidance. The company was built for people who are not just dreaming about life overseas, but trying to understand what it would actually take to get there.
Through the Expatsi affiliate program, financial planners can give relocation-curious clients a trusted next step while earning commissions on qualifying purchases. It allows planners to support clients beyond the financial plan without having to become experts in every visa, country, and relocation pathway.
For clients, Expatsi can help answer questions about what countries to choose, visa paths available, how to scout the country like a local, and who to trust for relocation assistance. For planners, the program creates a way to add value at a moment when clients are making major life decisions. Instead of saying, “Our firm does not handle that business,” you can say, “I know a resource that can help you explore this seriously.”
Better Planning Starts Before the Move
Your client starts thinking about moving abroad often two years or more before the move actually happens. At the time they’re discussing it with you, very little progress has been made towards their final decision.
This early stage that Expatsi calls Planning is where financial planners can be especially valuable. You can help clients understand what is flexible, what is risky, and what needs professional review. You can also encourage clients to build a relocation plan before making irreversible decisions.
Expatsi fits into all six stages of moving abroad: Ideation, Planning, Exploration, Paperwork, Logistics, and Settling In. It gives clients a structured way to explore countries, understand options, and move from vague curiosity to informed next steps.
Leveraging Expatsi’s network of expat resources, can strengthen the client relationship. A client who feels seen and supported during a major life transition is more likely to return with deeper questions, better information, and a clearer plan. You may even continue to grow this relationship with them, rather than release the client because they moved beyond your service area.
The Future of Financial Planning May Be More Global
As more Americans consider living abroad, financial planning approaches will increasingly need to account for lives that cross borders.
Not every client who asks about Portugal, Mexico, Spain, or France will move. Many of them just want to understand their options. Some will take scouting trips. Some will retire abroad part-time. Some will become full-time expats. Others will decide that staying in the U.S. is the right choice after all.
For financial planners like you, the opportunity is not to replace immigration attorneys, tax experts, or relocation specialists. It is to remain a trusted advisor as clients explore one of the biggest decisions of their lives, continuing to earn their trust by connecting them with resources that serve this growing need.
Financial planners interested in learning more about the Expatsi affiliate program can visit this link for details.
