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Expats and their investing behaviours

The 2012 Expat Explorer survey shows that even higher earning expats are using multiple vehicles when investing their money. Expats earning $200,000-250,000 per annum have moved over time from a higher proportion of cash investments to a relatively even mix of cash, real estate and equities, producing a balanced portfolio of investments, perhaps because expats see a wider spread of investment opportunities as a safer option, given wider economic uncertainty.

The trend is accentuated in Asian countries where there is a high proportion of wealthy expats. When asked about the proportion of their investments when they first relocated, the majority held the highest amount in cash (Singapore: 37%, China: 35% and Hong Kong: 31%).

However, when asked about their current investments, cash investments appear to be less popular and equities and real estate are boosted. In Singapore there was a 9% drop in cash investments (37% held cash investments upon relocation compared to 28% now) but a 5% rise in equities (14% up to 19% now). In Hong Kong, investments in cash dropped 7% over time and equities and real estate were lifted 1% and 2% respectively. Similarly in China there was a 5% drop in cash investments and a 3% boost in equities. However, going against the trend, there was a slight drop in the number of expats choosing to place their money in real estate over time (20% down to 17% now).

Graph – Investment trends for expats earning $200,000-250,000

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