Expat Financial Advisors in Dominican Republic – that will be the topic of today’s article.
I will compare some of the options available locally, alongside more portable, online, and international options like what we offer.
It makes sense to have a portable option as an expat, as opposed to a localized one, and that is something we specialize in.
If you want to invest as an expat or high-net-worth individual, which is what I specialize in, you can email me ([email protected]) or use WhatsApp (+44-7393-450-837).
Introduction
The Dominican Republic can rightfully be called a tropical paradise, which is visited annually by thousands of tourists from all over the world. The mild, humid climate, endless beaches, and the presence of a huge number of hotels are ideal conditions for a great vacation.
However, if you look at the root, life in the Dominican Republic is far from being as rosy as it might seem at first glance.
Economic situation in the country
The Dominican Republic is located in the Caribbean Sea and occupies most of the island of Haiti, which is part of the Greater Antilles Archipelago. In addition to the main part, it includes a huge number of smaller islands, which are grouped on both sides of it. Due to its favorable geographical location and the absence of other natural resources, the tourism industry is the main source of state revenue. Every year, its beaches are filled with a huge number of people who want to visit this tropical paradise.
However, if you move a little away from the azure shores and go deeper into the island, then the standard of living of people who live on the territory of the country constantly decreases sharply. Lack of industry, natural resources, and stable population growth, which, according to the latest data, is about 10 million people, negatively affects the development of the economy. At the same time, the constant flow of refugees from the state of Haiti, which occupies the other half of the island, only exacerbates the situation.
The tourism industry somehow stimulates the economy. However, only a small percentage of the local population is involved in it, and the rest of it is forced to look for work far from sandy beaches. As a result, people are doing whatever they have to, trying to find themselves in the market trade, the service sector, or the provision of private services.
The unfavorable state of the economy leads to the formation of a shortage of jobs, a decrease in purchasing power and an increase in the unemployment rate. The average salary in the country is about $ 200-300, which is sorely lacking for a normal existence.
Work experience of 20 years makes it possible to retire. In this case, a person will be paid a social benefit, the amount of which does not exceed the minimum wage and is about $ 100-150.
Cost of living
For the inhabitants of the country, things are much worse. Low wages and steadily rising prices have driven huge numbers of people into poverty. The increase in the cost of food has played a huge role in this. Only rice, chicken and beans have a more or less acceptable price, which is regulated by the state. The cost of all other products is constantly changing depending on the dollar exchange rate.
The monthly grocery costs for one person are around $ 500-600. Such an amount does not include any delights and implies the purchase of only the essentials. For comparison, one kilogram of onions, which you can buy from us for 10-15 rubles, costs 2 dollars in the Dominican Republic. Relatively low prices in the Dominican Republic have local fruits, which are plentifully presented on the shelves of local shops. But dairy products are in short supply and not only have a high price but are practically absent in the public domain.
In addition to food, the Dominican Republic is notable for the high cost of utilities. Electricity is considered one of the main benefits of civilization along with mobile communications. Based on this, the average monthly price for their use is about $ 100.
Property rental price
The real estate situation in the Dominican Republic is pretty good, as it is oversaturated with a variety of proposals. You can rent a decent 2-3-room apartment with all the amenities for $ 250-300. At the same time, this cost does not include utilities, which are paid separately.
Real estate does not differ in liquidity, over the years the cost of old housing falls, and it is almost impossible to sell it. In addition, there are no special rules in the market, which makes scammers thrive. Therefore, the best solution for living is a lease, formalized through a contract. Many are interested in the way to go to live in the Dominican Republic for permanent residence.
Taxes in the Dominican Republic
The taxation system of the Dominican Republic is based on a territorial principle and has a rather complex structure. In general, the amount of income tax depends not only on the region and its location, but also on the amount of profit.
For example, the amount of earnings in the range of $ 8,000 per year does not require payment of a fee. In addition, most local products are subject to a value added tax of 15%.
Pros and cons of living in the Dominican Republic
Of the positive aspects:
• Warm climate.
• Endless beaches.
• Well-developed tourist infrastructure.
At the same time, there are much more negative aspects for a settled life on the islands:
• Street crime.
• Low salaries.
• Decaying economy.
• High prices for food and utilities.
All these factors significantly complicate life within the country. In addition, in order to rent a house and fully settle, you need a fairly large start-up capital, without which you cannot even try to enter the country. Otherwise, the risk of joining the ranks of the local homeless is great.
Therefore, if you are interested in moving to Dominican Republic and continuing to build your life there, you will have to solve many financial problems. For example, you can open a bank account there, send money abroad to your family or receive money, and finally, you may want to register a business in Dominican Republic or invest in any developing sector of the country.
This is why very often expats living in other countries feel the need for an expert who can give them valuable advice on how to manage their funds, where to invest and how to do it. So, in this article we will talk about the main role of this expert, whom we call financial advisors.
We will discuss their functions, what financial advisors do for their clients, what services they can offer, and compare the two most popular types of financial advisors: local and online.
Who is a financial advisor?
A financial advisor provides clients with financial advice or advice regarding compensation. Financial consultants (sometimes called consultants) can provide many different services such as investment management, tax planning, and real estate planning. Financial advisors are increasingly working as a one-stop shop, offering everything from portfolio management to insurance products.
Financial advisor is actually a term with no specific responsibilities. As a result, many different types of financial professionals can be described in this heading. Stockbrokers, insurance agents, tax preparers, investment managers, and financial planners can all be considered financial advisors. Real estate planners and bankers can also fall under this umbrella.
However, an important distinction can be made: the financial advisor must actually provide advice and guidance. A financial advisor can be distinguished from a stockbroker who simply publishes transactions for clients, or a tax accountant who simply prepares tax returns without advising on how to maximize tax breaks.
Typically, a financial advisor is an independent practitioner who acts as a trustee in which the client’s interests prevail over his own.
Some agents and brokers choose to practice in this capacity as a trustee in order to attract clients. However, the structure of their remuneration is such that they are bound by the contracts of the companies in which they work.
What does a financial advisor do?
A financial advisor helps the client plan both short-term and long-term financial goals. These goals may include saving for retirement, college education, and ensuring that the client has an appropriate insurance plan to ensure a stable financial future. Their main purpose is to advise on financial security issues.
To become a certified financial consultant, a bachelor’s degree in finance, economics, accounting, business mathematics, or law is required. The Master of Business Administration will definitely improve your career opportunities. It is highly recommended to take courses in investment and risk management along with courses in tax and estate planning.
Financial advisors assist clients in their financial planning. The client’s life can also suddenly change, so a financial adjustment will be required. For example, it can be a death in a family, marriage or divorce, a chronic illness or disability, or a person can receive a large sum of money.
A financial advisor can help plan college preparation for herself or her children. While most financial advisors work in offices, a quarter of them are self-employed. They can attend conferences and seminars to communicate and promote themselves to meet potential clients.
The heavy responsibility of investing in personal savings and helping them secure retirement requires both financial knowledge and interpersonal skills. Personal financial advisors provide advice on investment, home ownership, real estate planning and more to help people manage their finances and plan for the future. Personal financial advisors start by identifying the client’s financial needs and the degree of risk they are taking, and then help them set short- and long-term goals.
Financial advisors are experts on the benefits and limitations of many different types of investments, such as mutual funds, stocks and bonds, real estate, and related topics such as insurance and the tax implications of various investments. Marketing their services to potential clients is a constant part of the job. To expand the client base, personal financial consultants conduct seminars, participate in network thematic or law are all good preparation. Finance is a highly regulated area: certain licenses are required to sell a various investment or insurance products.
Financial advisors cannot be universal. They receive different degrees and certificates. They come from different origins and offer a wide range of services. Because of this, they can do much more than just explain the convoluted jargon and help you choose mutual funds.
Simply put, financial advisors will help you with all types of financial planning, which means that they can help you with every financial activity, from budgeting to retirement savings.
Think of the term “financial advisor” as an umbrella term for different types of financial professionals. This is similar to what we call the “doctors” of most healthcare professionals, although they specialize in different areas of medicine.
Here are several different types of financial advisors that you may encounter on your financial journey in Dominican Republic:
• Managing your funds to meet your financial goals
• Real estate planning
• Investment
Local financial advisors
Usually, local financial advisors can be from banks and individuals. Let’s see what banking consultants can do for you.
The bank’s financial advisors help their clients determine how best to manage their money through short-term and long-term investment planning.
Most of them have bachelor’s degrees in areas such as finance, accounting or business and have completed related courses such as risk management, taxes, and real estate planning. Certain positions, such as positions requiring the sale of stocks and bonds, require licensing, and professional certifications are useful for moving up the career ladder.
Bank financial advisors can work as consultants for the bank through which they work, or for individual and corporate clients of the bank. Either way, a financial advisor works closely with their clients to determine how best to manage their money and assets.
Self-financing planning is fine, but seeking professional help takes your monetary strategy to the next level. A financial advisor to a bank is a person who has ideally acquired years of study, education, and experience in everything related to finance. They can significantly affect the quality of your financial choices, other than trying to sell banking products and instruments.
The bank’s financial advisor should collect personal and financial information about you and use this data to help you plan for your current and future needs. Your financial planner should take the time to understand your goals and formulate a long-term monetary plan for you before making any recommendations.
Anyone who starts talking about a financial product before asking about your situation or financial goals is most likely a salesperson or investment advisor. Often a financial advisor can also be a financial planning and investment advisor, but not vice versa.
Online financial advisors
This is by far the best option. The concept of having a financial advisor on the Internet is a relatively new concept.
This is a model that has successfully proven itself in all developed countries. Generations X and Y are used to interacting with people on the Internet. Whether you share selfies with friends and family on Facebook and Instagram, or via Skype video calls, we are open to daily online communication with those who are important to us.
So, here’s the question: if your friends and family are online, why isn’t your financial advisor? Here are some of the benefits of an online financial advisor who will tell you about the benefits of a financial advisor who uses technology and wants to contact you.
Lowest prices on the market
One of the biggest benefits of having an online financial advisor is cost. Financial advisors and other service professionals typically own and rent trendy offices in upmarket locations.
The luxury offices you see can certainly make a good first impression, but they are also very expensive and come at a price. With an online financial advisor, your office is your own couch and laptop. They don’t need to rent fancy offices – they need a beautiful website with useful information, which can be cheaper than the services of a bank or local financial advisors!
If you are currently working with another financial planner, we highly recommend that you review and compare the commissions you pay with ours.
We can provide you with quality advice from the comfort of your own home, and we are quite confident that we can do it cheaper.
A real person in front of you
When people hear about financial advisors on the Internet, they immediately imagine robots. It doesn’t sound very good anyway, because no one wants to trust a robot with their funds.
There are also articles showing the disadvantages of having a “Robo Advisor”. The robot advisor will not be able to help you when the markets are crashing or when you need to demand your Plan B.
With us you can be sure that you are working with a real person who has real families and real qualifications in the field of financial planning.
It is important to note that you are working with people who have work experience and understand that working with money is a very emotional thing that requires a human factor.
Comfort
Today we all value comfort and time because time is money. You can talk to a financial advisor online from the comfort of your home! You don’t have to get in your car and try to find parking.
No need to board crowded public transport. We can meet you wherever you have time, in a taxi, in the kitchen while eating, in the office, on the beach in the Maldives or if you need advice. If you have a gadget that can be connected to wi-fi, we can advise you.
To conclude all this…
In case you came to Dominican Republic as an emigrant and want to move on, and you have several plans related to finances that need to be implemented, the help of a professional financial consultant will never bother you, on the contrary, he will give you valuable advice on how manage your funds, how to invest and how to send money at the lowest cost.
A financial advisor can help you with the following strategies:
• Pay off your home loan faster
• Save money and increase your assets
• Protect your income
• Create an investment portfolio
• Give your kids a head starts and help them secure their future
• When it comes to your finances, planning is key. Once you have set goals, a financial advisor will help you chart a practical path to achieving them. Financial planning also encourages you to defend your progress along the way.
So, when do you need financial advice?
The answer depends partly on the product and partly on other factors.
Cash savings products
Whether you are looking to deposit money into savings accounts, intermediaries, or fixed rate savings bonds, you can confidently evaluate your options using comparison sites and spreadsheets. Since these products are relatively easy to understand, you might think you don’t need financial advice and can easily buy them directly from suppliers.
Investments
If you are thinking about investing in stocks, mutual funds and other investments, you can be sure to buy them directly from a broker or fund without heeding the advice. However, these products are more difficult to understand than money-saving products, and without asking for advice, you won’t be able to consider all the options available to you.
There is also a risk that you will buy a product that does not suit you, because you do not understand it.
Ask yourself the following questions:
• Can you afford to lose money?
• Do you have time to research?
• Do you have a lot of experience, knowledge, or skills when it comes to investing?
• If something goes wrong, are you comfortable with taking responsibility for the wrong investment decisions?
If the answer to any of these questions is “No,” then the best option may be to seek financial advice.
When making your decision, also consider the cost of the commission versus the financial and emotional cost of making a mistake if you make a purchase without advice.
Pained by financial indecision? Want to invest with Adam?
Adam is an internationally recognised author on financial matters with over 830million answer views on Quora, a widely sold book on Amazon, and a contributor on Forbes.
