Investing Beyond Borders: A Beginner's Guide to Global Investing (Intl. Edition 2026)

Investing Beyond Borders: A beginner's guide to global investing. Build long-term wealth wherever you live.

International Edition 2026 · 112 pages · Updated October 2026

✨ Why buy this? One wrong fund, broker or fee decision can cost you thousands over the years. This guide gives you one clear, simple plan: work out your freedom number, buy one low-cost global fund, and automate the rest. It's the same plan I use myself, written so you can skip years of trial and error.

🆕 New in the 2026 International Edition

• Rewritten for readers in any country (outside the US), with the Philippines as a worked example
• New: your freedom number, including how cheaper cities can cut it in half
• New: Maria's plan, a complete worked example from first dollar to freedom number
• New: taxes across borders, the nomad money checklist, and a "Questions people ask me" chapter
• New: country notes for 12 countries: the Philippines, Australia, the UK, the EU, Singapore, Japan, Thailand, the UAE, Portugal, Spain, Malaysia and Indonesia
• New: a printable one-page plan worksheet
• Updated IBKR screenshots and fees (October 2026), and ten years of market data in redrawn charts

📚 What you will learn

• Your freedom number: how much you need invested to make work optional, and how long your money should last
• Why invest globally: ten years of data on the US, Japan, the UK, China and the Philippines
• Strategy: simple, diversified, low-cost. Why one global fund beats picking stocks or countries
• Choosing an ETF: what to compare, and why Ireland-based funds like VALL, VWRA and ACWD suit most non-US investors
• Opening and funding an IBKR account, step by step with screenshots, including how to send money in for about 30 cents per $1,000
• Costs that matter: why I now use the Fixed plan with USD-amount recurring buys, and how fees add up over time
• Taxes: residency, dividend withholding, and US estate tax
• Your timeline: how your savings rate decides when you get there

📖 What's inside

1. Your freedom number
2. Why invest in foreign stocks?
3. Strategy: simple, diversified, low-cost
4. Opening and funding an IBKR account
5. How to compare and choose ETFs
6. Tax considerations
7. Your timeline
8. The nomad money checklist
9. Putting it together: Maria's plan
10. Questions people ask me
11. Your one-page plan

Plus: market data tables, a glossary, country notes and full sources.

👤 Who this is for

• Beginners who want one clear plan instead of a hundred opinions
• Remote workers, freelancers, nomads, expats and OFWs
• Anyone tax resident outside the United States

🚫 Who this is not for

• US citizens and green card holders (the funds in this guide are taxed harshly in the US)
• Traders looking for stock tips or quick wins

Is this guide only for Filipinos? No. The 2026 edition is written for anyone investing from outside the US. Philippine examples are clearly labelled, and there are notes for 12 countries.

❓ FAQs

Do I need prior investing experience? No. It starts from zero and explains every term. There's a glossary at the back.

I'm not in the Philippines. Will it still work for me? Yes. The steps work from most countries, and the country notes cover tax accounts, tax IDs and withholding for 12 of them.

Does it tell me exactly what to buy? It shows you the one fund I use and why, and how to compare the alternatives so you can choose for yourself.

How do I keep my fees low? Chapter 4 compares every route for moving money in, and shows the IBKR plan and order type that cost the least for regular monthly investing.

I'm in the Philippines. Can I still use IBKR? The guide includes a note on the Philippine SEC's January 2026 advisory about IBKR, and the regulated local options (PERA, bank funds and SEC-registered brokers). Read it before you decide.

What format is it? A PDF with clickable contents and bookmarks. It reads well on a phone, tablet or laptop.

⚠️ Important notes

• Education only, not financial, tax or legal advice. Investing involves risk, including loss of money.
• Fees, rules and screenshots were checked in October 2026 and can change.
• The guide contains referral links, disclosed inside.
• Sent as a PDF download right after purchase.