Investment for young expatriate professionals
That's a broad question, but I can throw some thoughts at you from personal experience.  I'm actually an Australian who has worked in a couple of companies but across multiple countries and I've found out first hand that you have a wealth of opportunities that other people don't have, but you also have a lot of problems that other people won't have. First up, asset classes. Real estate is a popular asset class, but unless you plan on being in each of these countries for a minimum of one to two years, it would be seriously risky to invest in rental residential or commercial real estate. This is because it takes a long time to figure out each country's particular set of laws around real estate, plus it will take a long time to get credit from the local bank institutions and to understand the local markets well enough to select a good location. This leaves you with the classics of stocks and bonds. You can buy stocks and bonds in any country typically. So you could have some stocks in a German company, a bond fund in France and maybe a mutual fund in Japan. This makes for interesting diversification, so if one country tanks, you can potentially be hedged in another. You also get to both benefit and be punished by foreign exchange movements. You might have made a killing on that stock you bought in Tokyo, but it turns out the Yen just fell by 15%. Doh. And to top this off, you are almost certainly going to end up filling out tax returns in each country you have made money in. This can get horribly complicated, very quickly. As a person who has been dealing with the US tax system, I can tell you that this is painful and the US in particular tries to get a cut of your worldwide income. That said, keep in mind each country has different tax rates, so you could potentially benefit from that as well. My advice? Choose one country you suspect you'll spend most of your life in and keep most of your assets there. Make a few purchases in other places, but minimize it. Ultimately most ex-pats move back to their country of origin as friends, family and shared culture bring them home.
Make sure you have a budget, there is a pretty cool budget tracker that you can download here (it works in excel and is easy to use).  The important thing is to not only make a budget but also keep in touch and track your budget, some free ebooks and other investment ebooks too.  Just start with the budget tracker: http://www.futureassist.com.au/young-to-mid-life Focus on paying off debt first Next look at ETF's (Exchange Traded Funds) as a possible investment option - this is an Australian Government Website but ETF's all work in the same way:  https://www.moneysmart.gov.au/investing/managed-funds/exchange-traded-funds-etfs At your young age, the most of your wealth is your future labor income (unless you are already rich). Your most profitable investment at this time is most likely to be investment in your human capital (your professional skills, career opportunities).  Depending on how you plan to earn your money, invest time and effort to enable you to earn better wages in that activity. So focus on education or professional training. Also, consider that it is probably your total lifetime utility/welfare you should maximize (but you decide!). I suggest you do not focus narrowly on earning as much money as possible. Consider what sort of life you want and what you need to do to enable it. Best of luck! From http://www.taxrates.cc/html/cayman-islands-tax-rates.html: There is no income tax, corporate tax, sales tax, capital gains tax,   wealth tax, inheritance tax, property tax, gift tax or any other kind   of direct taxation in Cayman Islands. Cayman Islands government receives the majority of its income from indirect taxation. There is no income tax or capital gains tax or   corporation tax in Cayman Islands imposed on Cayman individuals and   Cayman Islands companies. An import duty of 5% to 20% is levied   against goods imported into the islands. Some items are tax exempt   like baby formula, books and cameras. Tax on automobiles depends on   the class and make of the model. Tax can reach up to 40% for expensive   car models. Financial institutions that operate in the islands are   charged a flat licensing fee by the government. A 10% government tax   is placed on all tourist accommodations in addition to the small fee   each tourist pays upon getting on the Caymans. The Cayman Islands   government charges licensing fees to financial institutions that   operate in the islands as well as work permit fees for expatriate   employees ranging from around US$ 500 for a clerk to around US$ 20,000   for a CEO. I can't give you a specific answer because I'm not a tax accountant, so you should seek advice from a tax professional with experience relevant to your situation. This could be a complicated situation. That being said, one place you could start is the Canada Revenue Agency's statement on investment income, which contains this paragraph: Interest, foreign interest and dividend income, foreign income,   foreign non-business income, and certain other income are all amounts   you report on your return. They are usually shown on the following   slips: T5, T3, T5013, T5013A To avoid double taxation, Canada and the US almost certainly have a foreign tax treaty that ensures you are only taxed in your country of residence. I'm assuming you're a resident of Canada. Also, this page states that: If you received foreign interest or dividend income, you have to   report it in Canadian dollars. Use the Bank of Canada exchange rate   that was in effect on the day you received the income. If you received   the income at different times during the year, use the average annual   exchange rate. You should consult a tax professional. I'm not a tax professional, let alone one who specializes in the Canadian tax system. A professional is the only one you should trust to answer your question with 100% accuracy. Don't invest in regular mutual funds. They are a rip-off. And, most investment professionals will not do much to help your financial future. Here's the advice: I don't know if this is exactly what you're looking for but Seedrs sorta fits what you're looking for. Private companies can raise money through funding rounds on Seedrs website. It wouldn't necessarily be local companies though. I've only recently found it myself so not sure if it has a uk or European slant to it. Personally I think it's a very interesting concept, private equity through crowd funding. Getting to know business associates, family members, and friends of your those 30 high net-worth clients would be a good way to go. I feel mid-career folks are an untapped market. Consider the present value of any younger clients before you dismiss them because they are below the threshold. A 30 year old professional with only $100k may be more valuable than a 75 year old with $250k. Good luck. "So you are off to a really good start.  Congratulations on being debt free and having a nice income. Being an IT contractor can be financially rewarding, but also have some risks to it much like investing.  With your disposable income I would not shy away from investing in further training through sites like PluralSite or CodeSchool to improve weak skills.  They are not terribly expensive for a person in your situation.  If you were loaded down with debt and payments, the story would be different. Having an emergency fund will help you be a good IT contractor as it adds stability to your life.  I would keep  £10K or so in a boring savings account.  Think of it not as an investment, but as insurance against life's woes.  Having such a fund allows you to go after a high paying job you might fail at, or invest with impunity.   I would encourage you to take an intermediary step:  Moving out on your own.  I would encourage renting before buying even if it is just a room in someone else's home.  I would try to be out of the house in less than 3 months.  Being on your own helps you mature in ways that can only be accomplished by being on your own.  It will also reduce the culture shock of buying your own home or entering into an adult relationship. I would put a minimum of £300/month in growth stock mutual funds.  Keeping this around 15% of your income is a good metric.  If available you may want to put this in tax favored retirement accounts.  (Sorry but I am woefully ignorant of UK retirement savings).  This becomes your retire at 60 fund.  (Starting now, you can retire well before 68.)  For now stick to an index fund, and once it gets to 25K, you may want to look to diversify. For the rest of your disposable income I'd invest in something safe and secure.  The amount of your disposable income will change, presumably, as you will have additional expenses for rent and food.  This will become your buy a house fund.  This is something that should be safe and secure.  Something like a bond fund, money market, dividend producing stocks, or preferred stocks.   I am currently doing something like this and have 50% in a savings account, 25% in a ""Blue chip index fund"", and 25% in a preferred stock fund.  This way you have some decent stability of principle while also having some ability to grow.   Once you have that built up to about 12K and you feel comfortable you can start shopping for a house.  You may want to be at the high end of your area, so you should try and save at least 10%; or, you may want to be really weird and save the whole thing and buy your house for cash.  If you are still single you may want to rent a room or two so your home can generate income.   Here in the US there can be other ways to generate income from your property.  One example is a home that has a separate area (and room) to park a boat.  A boat owner will pay some decent money to have a place to park their boat and there is very little impact to the owner.  Be creative and perhaps find a way where a potential property could also produce income. Good luck, check back in with progress and further questions! Edit:  After some reading, ISA seem like a really good deal."