Financial Tools for Living Abroad

Been hit with a foreign transaction fee that costs more than your actual purchase? I've been there.

Living in the Netherlands as an American means navigating two financial worlds simultaneously — your US credit history, your European daily life, and the gap between them that nobody warns you about before you get on the plane.

I've been living in the Netherlands for 8 years and these are some of the cards I actually carry.  These are the financial tools I actually use when I want to make the most of every purchase — whether I'm in Den Haag or travelling across Europe.

No guesswork. No generic advice. Just what works when the Netherlands is home, not a holiday.

My picks for personal credit cards

A silver american express card with an image of a man in roman numerals.
A credit card with the name of the reserve and an image of a person.
A credit card with the words " sapphire preferred ".
A close up of the front of an ihg premier card

My picks for business credit cards

A green american express business card with an image of a man.
A business preferred visa card with signature and signature mark.
A close up of the front of an ihg premier card
A business credit card with the words " business " and " warren buffett associates ".