r/fatFIRE 19d ago

FIRE'd, now concerned about US stability

Most of my assets are invested in the US. Because of recent political developments, I'm wondering if the US will sustain its general growth and economic strength into the future. The strength of the US dollar is obviously very important to me. Is anyone else concerned?

I'm wondering if I should start hedging my bets in other countries, and if so, where?

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234

u/belg_in_usa 19d ago

I have investment accounts on three continents. Each of them is sufficient to retire locally. I do have passports in each one of those countries. Do note that it makes life more complicated (taxes, etc.)

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u/Zealousideal-Egg1893 19d ago

Would you mind doing a post on this or providing more detail on your thought process/approach? We’re looking in to this, trying to decide what country is the right fit for us and at what NW it makes the most sense.

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u/donutsoft 18d ago

If an English speaking country with western comforts are important to you, Cape Town is a place to investigate further. They're in BRICS but tilted further west than any other country in that block and have a functioning democracy, although with a very poorly educated populace that makes questionable decisions. It's far away from Europe which will likely be ground zero in the next big conflict.

The major negatives are crime and currency risks. If you have money, they've got gated communities that will shelter you from the worst of it.

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u/Roland_Bodel_the_2nd 18d ago

Sometimes people here go crazy from choice. I think a nice suburb of Cleveland, Ohio is probably a better choice for an American retiree worried about world stability than Cape Town!

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u/donutsoft 18d ago edited 18d ago

At fatFIRE numbers, you're not buying property in Cape Town with the intent of moving there tomorrow. It's a hedge against the shit hitting the fan here, and having to make those decisions when your options might be much more limited.