Replay du webinar — Janvier 2026 | Alexandre Quantin, MBA, RICP® & Olivier Sureau, CPA® — USAFrance Financial Group™
The middle of the year is the perfect time to take stock of your financial situation. But when you're Franco-American — or when you manage a heritage between France and the United States — good resolutions take on another dimension. Between tax obligations on both sides, retirement planning, family protection and investment strategy, there are many topics to be addressed. Here are the priorities to be implemented for 2026.
Priority n°1: protect yourself above all
Before talking about savings or investment, there is one essential step: making sure you are properly protected. That's the basics. Without it, a single unforeseen event can erase years of heritage construction.
There are three major risks to cover.
Against lawsuits, the umbrella policy (excess liability insurance) is essential in the United States — unlike in France, it is not included in standard coverage. The rule is simple: the amount of the umbrella must be at least equal to your net worth.
Against health hazards, two types of protection are often underestimated. Long-term disability insurance guarantees a continuous income if you lose your ability to work — employers usually only cover 50-60% of salary, which may be insufficient.
Against the risk of death, two dimensions must be treated simultaneously. On the one hand, the legal documents: will, living will, power of attorney, trust, and if you have minor children, the guardianshipdocuments to appoint guardians. On the other hand, life insurance — term life to cover a defined period of time, or permanent life for lifetime protection that is also a usable asset during your lifetime.
Priority n°2: building a solid credit
A highcredit score is the key to accessing the best mortgage rates and strategic lines of credit. The rules are simple but require discipline:
Zero late payments: automate everything.
Rate of use of your cards below 20%: this is the signal of a responsible borrower.
Seniority of accounts: Keep your cards open, even if they have an annual fee.
Diversification of credit types: card, car loan, home loan — the more varied and well-managed the lines, the higher the score.
A good score is not just a comfort: it is a wealth lever, in particular to create velocity on your investments (see below).
Priority n°3: preparing the education of children
Several tools exist, each with its advantages. Plan 529 offers state-level tax benefits and can be used as early as elementary school — including a French school. Permanent life insurance is tool that in addition to the death benefit may have great flexibility: you can borrow on it to finance your studies while letting the capital grow. Roth IRA plans can also be used as a complement.
The best approach is to combine several tools depending on the age of the child and your investment horizon, integrating instruments that offer both market exposure and capital protection as soon as possible.
Priority n°4: understanding the Franco-American retreat
This is often the most complex topic — and the most important to anticipate.
The Franco-American tax treaty provides a general framework under which pension income is often taxable primarily in the country where contributions were made, though the application of this principle depends on the type of pension, your tax residency, and other specifics of your situation. Broadly speaking, pension income sourced from contributions made in France may not be subject to U.S. federal tax, and U.S.-sourced retirement income for a France-based retiree may not be subject to French tax (aside from its potential effect on the effective rate calculation) — but treaty interpretation is technical, and the actual outcome should be confirmed with a cross-border tax professional rather than assumed.
For your American retirement accounts (401k, 403b, IRA), you have several options in case you leave or return to France:
Leaving them in place with the former employer
Transfer them to the new employer's plan
Perform an individualrollover to access more investment options (funds, structured products, annuities)
Gradually withdraw funds after age 59 and a half, spreading withdrawals to stay in low tax brackets
The objective is to maximize the tax deferral, not to get everything out at once.
Priority 5: Rethinking retirement strategy
The traditional approach — accumulating wealth and living off the income generated — remains valid, but it exposes you to five major risks that many underestimate:
Longevity: living 30 or 40 years in retirement multiplies all the other risks.
Inflation: it is silently eating away at purchasing power.
Taxation: marginal tax rates are set by current law and can change significantly over time — historically, top U.S. marginal rates have varied widely across different periods, sometimes dramatically. There is no guarantee that today's rates will remain in effect throughout a multi-decade retirement.
The order of returns: a fall in the market within 5 years of the retirement date can have a lasting effect on the capital.
The return: generating 6 to 8% consistently each year is difficult.
The answer is a two-layered approach.
Flooring: securing a guaranteed income to cover your basic expenses — no matter what happens in the markets or in real estate. Possible sources: French social security, American Social Security, defined benefit pensions, and guaranteed lifetime income solutions (annuities).
Bucketing: Tailoring wealth allocation to the three phases of retirement — the working years when spending is high, the middle years are quieter, and the later years with growing health needs. Allocating 20% of the capital to needs after the age of 80, for example, frees up the remaining 80% to take full advantage of the first few years.
Priority n°6: put your tax system in order
Two points are often overlooked — sometimes with serious consequences.
Tax compliance review: check that your past declarations are complete. French life insurance, retirement savings plans, foreign accounts — these generally must be reported to the U.S. via FBAR, FATCA, and, if applicable, PFIC rules. Penalties for failure to report can be severe and vary by case. If irregularities exist, IRS disclosure programs may allow for regularization, though eligibility, terms, and outcomes depend on individual circumstances and current program rules — a qualified tax attorney or CPA should be consulted before pursuing any disclosure.
Updating inheritance documents: a move, buying a property in France, a change in family situation — all of this can make your existing wills and trusts obsolete. Review them every year.
Deadlines to keep in mind generally include April 15 for the American individual declaration (with a possible extension to October 15), March 15 for S-Corp, and April 15 for C-Corp — though exact dates can shift slightly year to year and should be confirmed with a CPA. The annual gift tax exclusion amount is also adjusted periodically by the IRS; using it consistently each year, where appropriate for your situation, is generally advisable, but the current figure should be verified before making any gift.
Priority n°7: Intelligently structure your assets
A good wealth structure is based on a balance between defensive and growth assets, calibrated according to your risk profile.
Defensive assets include cash (6 to 12 months of expenses) and whole life insurance, which is often discussed for offering several functions in a single instrument: death protection, a cash value component with contractual guarantees that vary by carrier, returns that are generally less correlated to market volatility than direct market investments (though no specific return can be promised), potential access to dividends depending on the policy, and wealth velocity (see below). Actual guarantees, costs, and performance depend entirely on the specific contract and issuing carrier.
Growth assets are divided into two main families: ownership (shares of listed or unlisted companies, private equity) and real estate (direct, SCPI in France or REIT in the United States).
Wealth velocity is a key concept: the same dollar can potentially serve multiple purposes. For example, permanent life insurance cash value can sometimes be used as collateral to secure a line of credit, help finance a down payment, or help pay for tuition, while the underlying policy continues to be managed according to its terms. This approach involves borrowing against the policy, which carries costs and risks — including potential impact on the death benefit and cash value, and the possibility of lapsing the policy if loans are not managed carefully — and should be evaluated with a licensed insurance professional.
What you need to remember
Good financial resolutions are above all a coherent overall plan:
Protect yourself first. Build credit. Preparing for children's education and retirement. Putting its bilateral tax system in order. And finally, structure a portfolio with the right tools — defensive for security, growth for performance, and arranged to create velocity.
Every situation is unique. The right strategy is the one that is calibrated for your profile, your family situation and your long-term goals — not the one that applies to everyone.
Would you like to take stock of your financial and asset situation? USAFrance Financial Group offers personalized support integrating the dual expertise of France and the United States. Contact us to learn more — and find our content on our YouTube channel.
Future written communications may. For educational purposes only. This information does not constitute tax, legal, accounting, estate planning, insurance, investment, or financial planning advice. U.S. and French laws and regulations are subject to change and may affect the strategies discussed. Consult qualified professional advisers regarding your individual circumstances. Life insurance policy loans and withdrawals will reduce available cash values and death benefits and may have tax consequences. Excessive loans or withdrawals may cause a policy to lapse. Guarantees, costs, expenses, and policy features vary by carrier and contract. Annuities are long-term insurance products that may be subject to fees, expenses, charges, holding periods, and surrender penalties. Guarantees are subject to the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company. 8960666.1