Financial Planning Without Borders
On the list of the newest class of CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ recipients in the U.S. is a name which is unlikely to stand out: Peter Dougherty. Peter is a financial planner at BISSAN Wealth Management who helps expats living in Spain with estate, investing and wealth planning.
Curiously, his new CFP® certificate is not the first financial planning credential that Mr. Dougherty has earned. Since 2021, he has held the equivalent accreditation in Spain, as a European Financial Planner (EFP) of the European Financial Planning Association of Spain (EFPA España). When he was awarded that credential his name stood out. In fact, although only 1,042 EFPs are accredited in Spain, only a tiny handful of these have just two names: Milenka Ivanova, Zhanna Fenenko, and Peter Dougherty. The rest have three or more Spanish names, beginning with Francisco or María or Javier and continuing across the page.
Why did Mr. Dougherty go to the effort of acquiring the gold standard for financial planning available in the United States when he already had the most prestigious credential for financial planning in Spain? The answer is that his advice needs to incorporate the financial and tax strategies of both the United States and Spain.
As Dougherty says: “Because they typically file a tax return in both the U.S. and Spain and must adhere to the financial regulations of both countries, American expats need a financial advisor with training and experience in both countries. It isn’t as if Spain intentionally creates financial hurdles for Americans who live there. It’s simply that Spain’s regulatory environment aligns much better for residents of the European Union who move there than for Americans who do so. At the same time, it’s simpler and easier for Americans to comply with IRS and other U.S. regulations if they live inside the United States, rather than as expats outside of it. Language and cultural differences further complicate the financial picture. Moreover, there are restrictions imposed by both the U.S. and Europe on investments that American expats in Spain can make.”
Peter Dougherty’s name stands out in Spain for another reason as well: being an American who holds a master’s degree in Spanish taxation and has written a book in Spanish. In 2024, Peter earned a Máster en Fiscalidad y Tributación from Nebrija University. Also in 2024, Mr. Dougherty wrote “La Hoja de Ruta Fiscal y Financiera para los Españoles en España”. It was granted the Literary Titan Book Award. Recipients of this award “are commended for their ability to transform complex topics into accessible and compelling narratives that captivate readers and enhance our understanding.”
If you are an American living in Spain, you now have a name to remember.
For more information about Peter Dougherty:
https://www.financial-planning-in-spain.com
