How I Still “Live” in the U.S. While Living Abroad Full-Time

🌍 Top Tools I Personally Use for Travel, Living & Dating Abroad
💳 Travel Money (Top Pick)
Capital One Rewards Card – Cash back + travel rewards, no foreign fees
👉 https://i.capitalone.com/JKqGqgAu1
🔐 Online Security
Surfshark VPN – Protect your data on public Wi-Fi
👉 https://get.surfshark.net/aff_c?offer_id=934&aff_id=17091&url_id=1320
💸 Money & Documents
Wise – Low-fee international transfers
👉 https://wise.com/invite/dic/giovannis229
Traveling Mailbox – U.S. mail anywhere
👉 https://travelingmailbox.com/?ref=1384
Onward Ticket – Proof of onward travel
👉 https://onwardticket.com/giointhephilippines
📱 U.S. Phone Plan (Perfect for Americans Living Overseas)
Keep your U.S. number active for OTP codes, banking & apps — plus you may get a $100 bonus:
https://referral.t-mobile.com/N7dTsfa
📱 Mobile Data
Holafly eSIM – Instant data worldwide
🎟 Code: GIOINTHEPHILIPPINES
👉 https://holafly.sjv.io/POrKr6
💉 Travel Insurance
🌍 Traveling or living abroad?
Don’t skip medical coverage. I personally recommend SafetyWing for travelers and expats.
👉 https://safetywing.com/?referenceID=24748534&utm_source=24748534&utm_medium=Ambassador
🏨 Flights & Hotels
Agoda 👉 https://bit.ly/38CvDgr
Skyscanner 👉 https://skyscanner.pxf.io/EK0dVP
🎒 My Travel Essentials (What I Actually Use):
👉 https://giointhephilippines.com/shop/
💘 Dating
ThaiFriendly 👉 https://www.thaifriendly.com/?affid=3494
PinaLove 👉 https://www.pinalove.com/?ai=3494&cid=1
📞 1-on-1 Consults
👉 https://giointhephilippines.com/consultations/
📲 Follow Me
🌐 https://giointhephilippines.com
📘 https://www.facebook.com/GiointhePhilippines
📸 https://www.instagram.com/gio_on_the_go__/
🎵 https://www.tiktok.com/@gio_on_the_go

Gio, it sounds good. But what would you do if you received a summons for Federal jury service that was sent to your Moms house in your name. You can't tell them your on vac for ever.

Check, check and double check. Thanks again Gio.

Its a big help to have a US address. banks get all often expect you to type your address in on their website. And every company I work with just assumes vs US address. They font give any place to enter a country and require you to select a US state from a dropndoen. There's just no way to enter a non-US address. Likewise there's no way to enter a non-stop phone number. It must be exactly 10 digits or they reject it as an error. One web site asked if this was my actual residence. I thought, oh boy, this could be trouble. But I checked bathe box for no and … That was it. They didn't ask for my residence or anything.

I've kept my zUS bank account. I have social security and investment income direct deposited there. I pay my US bills and then transfer the rest to the Philippines with Wise. I still have US credit cards that I pay from that account. And I have a storage unit in the US where I kept some things I didn't want to sell or give away in case I ever go back. Furniture, a tv, etc.

If you don't have a reliable connection in the US to use their address for banks/taxes while living overseas, consider using a domicile service who can sort a lot of that out for you. Yes, it is a service that comes at a cost, but the headaches you'll avoid makes it worth it. Florida is a great option due to no state income taxes and the residency requirements are simple and very straight forward. Several companies offer such a service….worth looking into.

Good one sir.

Great tips. I'm a few years from moving but all of these are great ideas. I think the phone is a really important one for family, friends, banking, 2FA etc. For $5/month Tello seems like a great option. My phone supports dual eSims so I can use Tello for one and TelCel for another. Anyone else try this?

State Department Federal Credit Union doesn't require a US address, sends credit cards overseas, reimburses ATM fees, and has the WISE international remittance system integrated into their banking system. Verizon provides free Wi-Fi calling back to the US. PhysicalAddress service deposits checks, scans contents for remote viewing, etc

Good points…the key point in the tell is that you are using your mom's street address in addition to the virtual…along with a US phone…works good for younger people…unfortunately for many of us that are retired overseas…most parents are long since dead and even family member's, so you don't often have that option and left with only your overseas address, and you are likely on a fixed income, so maintaining a US residence is out…in addition, that US number needs a US address so that's not going to happen either…the last resort is having a mail service that provides a physical address, however, the powers that be have the ability to determine if that's the case…and that can cause problems…as many banks periodically cross reference addresses with commercial databases and it can get flagged because that address type doesn't meet Patriot Act requirements…and of course when you're in your 80's and not very mobile it can become even more of an issue if things go south….the final solution for many that are on US Social Security and/or a State Pension is to have the direct deposits into your banks that are overseas with branches in the US. This way you do not need to have a US bank account and physical address and can skip the Patriot Act requirements. You don't need the whole 'one foot in America' thing…not when your already retired and on your way out…keep it simple…your cash goes to your foreign banks and you spend it like Beckham…and there are many credit card options with Fintechs…WISE or REVOLUT, even HSBC, and Citibank can issue cards tied to your global profile so no need for a US address, that is if you think you really must have one…if you think u need a bunch of credit cards as an old retired person so u can max them all out if something happens…you're in the wrong place…lol

The provlem in Canada is our mobile phone service plams are very expensive. Banks in Canada often do not send OTPs to virtual numbers.

do not use t-mobile, I had them years ago, paid the bill automatically with my credit card, they had my address correct, but it wouldn't fit on the receipt they sent me for the payment made, so they kept canceling my phone, after 3 months of canceling every month and me fighting with them, I cancelled my contract with them and never went back, lost a lot of business due to T-mobile.

I’m a W-2 remote worker authorized to work in other U.S. states. If I were to move to Southeast Asia and become a tax resident of a country like Thailand or Vietnam, my company could face several risks. These may include corporate income tax exposure in that country, a requirement to register as a local entity or branch, potential back taxes and penalties, and increased scrutiny or audits (both locally and in the U.S.).

There could also be additional complications around payroll and withholding obligations, labor law compliance, immigration/work authorization issues, and data security or export control requirements. On the U.S. side, state tax residency—particularly in places like California—can add another layer of complexity.

If I were instead classified as a 1099 independent contractor, this would likely reduce the company’s exposure, although I would assume more responsibility for my own taxes and could face a higher effective tax rate depending on my situation.

Given all of this, it would be wise to consult a qualified tax professional before making any decisions.

Everyone thinking your in the US doesn't 'make sense. Banks and CCs will see you making purchases overseas, the phone carrier will see you overseas as I don't see living there year round and never taking it off airplane mode unless the US phone is simply a burner and to me that seems like a hassle. I do like the content and the link suggestions so I'll like and subscribe as we plan to move to Thailand and your knowledge could come in handy! 🤓