Question 1

As an NRI moving back to India, should I use a financial advisor, do it myself, rely on family, or figure it out slowly?

Accepted Answer

Family helps with local context; advisors handle tax, legal, and investment complexity; your own spreadsheet keeps you in control of irreversible calls like property, tax residency, and retirement timing. Outsource execution, not judgment.

Question 2

Do you trust a bank RM?

Accepted Answer

Trust the process, not the title. A bank RM may be useful for paperwork, but incentives often favor products. Returnees should ask for written fee/commission disclosure, compare independent advice, and separate banking execution from investment planning.

Question 3

How to invest money if I plan to move back to india in 5-7 years?

Accepted Answer

Invest for optionality, tax clarity, and currency need. Avoid locking all money into one country, one currency, or illiquid property before city and timeline are clear. In the 5-7 year window, build a plan for foreign brokerage, retirement accounts, Indian accounts, emergency liquidity, and future RNOR restructuring.

Question 4

I've already moved. Is it too late?

Accepted Answer

Often not. If you're still in your RNOR years, several of the biggest decisions are still open, and the course shows which ones close first. If you're already a full resident, the compliance chapters cover what to file and what to fix.

Question 5

Will the course give advice on my exact numbers?

Accepted Answer

No. It teaches you the decisions and the questions to ask, so your conversation with a CA starts in the right place. For advice on your own numbers today, a quick call is the faster route.

Question 6

I'm a U.S. citizen or green card holder. Is it still useful?

Accepted Answer

Yes, though some rules work differently for you. The lessons point out where citizenship or a green card changes the answer, for example on estate tax and U.S. filing.

Question 7

How long do I have access, and how does payment work?

Accepted Answer

Lifetime access for a one-time payment. Payment is handled securely by Pensight, and checkout opens on this page so you don't leave the site.

Question 8

What should I do with my 401(k) when I leave the U.S.?

Accepted Answer

You don't have to cash it out. There are five realistic paths, from leaving it alone to withdrawing it while India isn't taxing it. The cheapest one depends on your age, your RNOR years and whether you might go back. In the course (Chapter 4): Which path fits you, with the tax on each side worked out.

Question 9

Can I keep my 401(k) or IRA and manage it from India?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Many returnees keep U.S. retirement accounts, and some custodians accept an Indian address. Keeping them has estate-tax and Indian reporting consequences you'll want to plan for. In the course (Chapter 4): Where to hold it, and the filing that keeps India from taxing it every year.

Question 10

Should I keep contributing if I'm moving back in a few years?

Accepted Answer

Usually, at least up to the employer match. The match alone tends to outweigh the penalty and tax you'd pay to take it out later. In the course (Chapter 4): The free lesson walks through the math. Watch it above, at no cost.

Question 11

How do I avoid the 10% early withdrawal penalty?

Accepted Answer

There are penalty-free routes, including the Rule of 55 and 72(t). Each has strict rules, and breaking one can bring the penalty back on past withdrawals. In the course (Chapter 4): Who qualifies for each, and when they're worth it.

Question 12

What's the real deal on Roth IRA taxes in India?

Accepted Answer

It's a grey area. Tax-free in the U.S. doesn't mean tax-free in India once you're a full resident. What you do during RNOR matters most. In the course (Chapter 4): Three scenarios: do nothing, withdraw in RNOR, or a clean reset.

Question 13

What is RNOR, and how long does it last?

Accepted Answer

A transition status where India doesn't tax your foreign income. How many years you get depends on how long you were away and how many days you spent in India. In the course (Chapter 3): How to work out your own years, and what to do in each.

Question 14

Do I need to apply for RNOR status?

Accepted Answer

No application. You claim it in your Indian tax return, and keep proof of your travel days in case you're asked. In the course (Chapter 3): The records to keep from day one.

Question 15

Does RNOR cover 401(k) withdrawals?

Accepted Answer

On the Indian side, yes. India doesn't tax them during RNOR. The U.S. still taxes them, and the penalty still applies if you're under 59½. In the course (Chapter 3): How to split withdrawals across the window to pay less.

Question 16

When should I land to make the most of it?

Accepted Answer

The month matters. India's tax year runs April to March, and staying under 182 days in your move year can add a year before India taxes your foreign income. In the course (Chapter 3): Try the arrival-month tool on this page.

Question 17

Can I get Social Security in India if I'm not a U.S. citizen?

Accepted Answer

Yes, with 40 credits, roughly 10 years of work. Spouses and survivors who aren't citizens have an extra U.S. residence rule. In the course (Chapter 5): Retirement, spousal and survivor benefits, and who qualifies.

Question 18

Does India have a totalization agreement with the U.S.?

Accepted Answer

Not today. So your U.S. benefits rest on your own U.S. work credits. In the course (Chapter 5): What counts toward your 40 credits, and how to check yours.

Question 19

Do I have to travel to the U.S. to keep receiving it?

Accepted Answer

No. There's an annual form, not a trip. In the course (Chapter 5): Setting it up from India, including the account to do before you leave.

Question 20

Is Social Security taxed in India?

Accepted Answer

Under the treaty, it's taxed only in the U.S., as long as it's paid the right way. In the course (Chapter 5): The one deposit mistake that makes it taxable in India.

Question 21

Can I keep holding U.S. stocks after I move?

Accepted Answer

Yes, what you bought while abroad. Sending new money from India has limits, and options and margin are stricter still. In the course (Chapter 6): What you can trade, and the cheapest time to sell or reset.

Question 22

How are people handling U.S. estate tax on their stocks?

Accepted Answer

Carefully. Non-residents get just a $60,000 exemption, and the tax can reach 40%. There are a few standard ways to plan around it. In the course (Chapter 6): See the estate tax calculator on this page, then the options in the course.

Question 23

What do I do with my HSA?

Accepted Answer

You can still use it for eligible medical costs in India. But India doesn't treat it as tax-free once you're a full resident. In the course (Chapter 6): Spend it, keep it or close it, and the cost of each.

Question 24

What should I do with crypto before moving?

Accepted Answer

Timing matters. India taxes crypto gains at a flat 30% with no deductions, so where and when you sell makes a real difference. In the course (Chapter 6): The options, and the reporting India expects.

Question 25

Should I sell my house or rent it out?

Accepted Answer

Run the real numbers. In the course's example, renting earned about $0 a year once vacancy, management, turnover and repairs were counted. In the course (Chapter 7): Try the rent-or-sell calculator on this page. The course adds the tax side.

Question 26

Can I sell it from India later?

Accepted Answer

Yes, with a power of attorney. But 15% of the sale price can be held back, and the tax-free home exemption can run out. In the course (Chapter 7): The timeline, the paperwork, and how to get the held-back money sooner.

Question 27

Will I be taxed twice on the same income?

Accepted Answer

Not if you file it right. The India-U.S. treaty prevents double tax, but only when you claim the credit with the right forms. In the course (Chapters 8 and 9): How the credit works, with a worked example.

Question 28

What happens to my NRE account after I return?

Accepted Answer

It has to be converted to a resident account, or the money moved to an RFC account, once you're back for good. In the course (Chapters 8 and 9): Every account to convert, keep or close, in order.

Question 29

When should I file a W-8BEN?

Accepted Answer

As soon as you're no longer a U.S. tax resident, before income is paid. It's renewed every 3 years. In the course (Chapters 8 and 9): Filling it in correctly for each type of income.

Question 30

How do I keep my U.S. bank access and phone number?

Accepted Answer

Keep one or two accounts and a number that still gets one-time passwords. Not every bank accepts internet phone numbers. In the course (Chapter 2): The full before-you-leave checklist.

Question 31

Can I get health insurance in India as an NRI or OCI?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Buying before the move helps you get through waiting periods sooner. In the course (Chapter 2): When to buy, and what to check in the policy.

Question 32

I'm a U.S. citizen or OCI. Does this still apply?

Accepted Answer

Much of it does. Some rules change, especially estate tax and U.S. filing. The lessons flag where. In the course (Chapter 2): Where citizenship changes the answer.

Question 33

How much money do I need to retire in India?

Accepted Answer

There isn't one number. It depends on your city, housing, healthcare, children's education and the buffer you want. In the course (Chapter 1): Your own corpus number, for working or retiring.

Question 34

Am I financially ready to move back?

Accepted Answer

Readiness is more than the corpus. It's also which accounts, taxes and deadlines come with you. In the course (Chapter 1): The readiness check that opens the course.

Compare	This course	Piecing it together yourself	Relying on a bank RM
U.S. and Indian rules together	Every lesson covers both sides	Usually one country per article	Usually the Indian side only
In the order you need it	9 chapters, from "am I ready?" to the exit paperwork	You work out the order yourself	Driven by what's on offer
Whose interest it serves	Education only, nothing to sell you	Yours, if the source is reliable	Incentives often favor products
Your time	21 lessons at your own pace	Weeks of research tabs	A few meetings
What you walk away with	Decisions made, and the right questions for your CA	Notes, and open questions	A product recommendation

Move to India without a costly financial mistake.

An example move plan

Your move, mapped year by year.

Before the moveStill in the U.S.

Move yearLand in November

RNOR yearsForeign income not taxed

ResidentWorldwide income taxed

Hear it from Avinash first.

Is investing in a 401(k) worth it if you are moving back to India?

The difference is the order you decide in.

Your tax clock starts the day you land.

Does your arrival month matter?

Four calculations from the course.

Does “rent covers the mortgage” hold up?

Nine chapters, in the order the decisions come up.

Big picture awareness: are you financially ready?

The must-do checklist before leaving

Understanding RNOR: the hidden tax advantage

401(k) and IRA decisions: avoiding penalties

Social Security strategy for returnees

What to do with your stocks, HSA and other assets

Real estate: sell or rent?

Taxes and other items to consider

Final U.S. exit: wrap up the paperwork properly

Three ways returning NRIs figure this out.

Is this course right for you?

This course is for you if

It's not for you if

Hear it from them, not just us.

Rated 4.8 out of 5 by returning families

Hey, I'm Avinash

Financial Transition Blueprint

Questions people ask.

The course gets your plan right on paper.

Make the money decisions before you land.