My Story

It all began 17 years ago.

I still had two years left of my college education in Taiwan. There was some sort of a vague desire to pursue a graduate degree in the US soon after. I didn’t know what I would study, what I would do with the degree, and whether I would stay or come home. It was a time of great excitement, some anxiety, and many possibilities.

Out of the blue, a quiet voice came into my head on a normal Sunday. In the years after, I came to see it as a prophecy.

“You will go to the far side of the sea…”

At that exact moment, I knew that I would go on to live in many different places far away from the hometown I grew up in, maybe for the rest of my life. It was a strange but serene epiphany moment. It didn’t suddenly drive me to seek out what this world has to offer. I just sort of accepted it matter-of-factly, even though I wasn’t really sure what it meant.

Without really planning to do so, all these years later, I’ve called seven cities home in six countries, and expect to continue my nomad lifestyle in the foreseeable future. I’ve lived this life as a student, an employee in the local economy, a non-profit worker, a dependent, and a small business owner. I became a dual citizen with three passports, and married into a different culture. I have enjoyed the adventure and the frustration of exploring, adapting, and leaving a country, time and time again.

And I’ve learned first hand how confusing and overwhelming it is to manage your personal finances tangled with multiple countries and from afar, especially if you have any ties to the United States.

This is exactly why this blog was born – so you can find personal finance information relevant to your circumstances as a globally mobile professional, not simply a traveler. It is likely you came across this site because you are experiencing (or expecting to) some of the same issues my global community, or I, have personally encountered. As a financial planner, I hope that my knowledge and experience can be of help for those walking in my shoes, not just for my clients.

Although I called this blog Money Matters for Globetrotters, it’s not really just about “money”. It’s about growing your personal finance acumen and wealth so you can achieve the goals you set out to accomplish in life while living your globetrotting life to the fullest.

I hope you enjoy reading my blog and find what you are looking for. Please do not hesitate to reach out to let me know your thoughts and how I may be of service in the future.

If you are interested in talking to me about getting financial planning services, check out my firm’s website and set up a call to chat.

Your fellow globetrotter,

Hui-chin Chen, CFP®