How To Build Wealth as an NRI (CFP Reveals Secrets) - w/ Vrishin

In this episode, my guest is Vrishin Subramaniam. Vrishin is a CFP (Certified Financial Planner) who is on a mission to help NRIs achieve financial freedom - by helping them be millionaires. Vrishin helps provide a blueprint that can be followed by anyone in the US in the capacity of a student or a working professional. 

We discuss:

• How to build wealth as a student, best practices and some common pitfalls

• How to build wealth as a salaried employee on OPT (and STEM OPT)

• How to deal with student loans

• Investing in India vs the US

• When sending remittances to home country is a good plan

• How to optimize investments including 401ks

• What to do with investments when one has to head back to home country

• When becoming a home-owner is a good idea

• Anecdotes/success stories of helping clients 

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Resources:

Vrishin’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vrishin/

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro and Background

(03:01) Journey from Electrical Engineer to CFP

(07:37) Why focus on Financial Planning for NRIs 

(10:16) Establishing a CFP practice 

(13:37) Best practices to build wealth as students

(17:29) Best practices to build wealth as a full-time employee (OPT)

(21:22) Investment and student loans - recommendations and playbook

(26:09) Remittances to home country and why

(29:06) What to do with investments while leaving US forever

(35:08) Best practices to build wealth on an H1B

(38:54) Home ownership - yay or nay?

(42:45) Anecdotal client case-studies from Vrishin’s experience 

(46:50) Outro + gratitude