🇬🇧 English-Speaking Wealth Management in France
Grow and Protect Your Wealth in France — in Plain English
Whether you live in France, plan to move here, or invest from abroad: I'm Vincent, an independent French financial advisor (CGP). I explain how things really work — then help you build a strategy that fits your life, not a bank's targets.
OPTIMAVI is an independent French wealth management practice (Conseil en Gestion de Patrimoine) that advises expats, internationals and non-residents on investing in France — in fluent English. That covers French and Luxembourg life insurance (assurance vie), SCPI real estate funds, new-build property anywhere in France, retirement planning and cross-border inheritance strategy. Advice comes first; products only if and when they serve your goals.
Three Situations, One Promise: Clarity
Your options in France depend on where you live and your nationality. Let's start with where you are.
You live in France
You work, raise a family or run a business here — but French finance feels like a black box. Assurance vie, PEA, SCPI, property, taxes: I translate it all into plain English and build your plan step by step.
You're moving (or retiring) to France
The dream is real — and so is the paperwork. Visas aside, the financial moves you make before you arrive (impatriate tax regime, pension strategy, account structure) can save you years of tax. Timing matters.
You invest from abroad
You don't live in France — you just want a piece of it. French property, SCPI funds and Luxembourg life insurance all work for non-residents, each with its own tax logic. I help you pick the right door.
What Can You Invest In? It Depends on Your Situation
The single most useful table for any international investor in France — simplified, honest, and based on 2026 rules.
| Solution | You live in France 🇫🇷 | You live abroad 🌍 | US citizen / green card 🇺🇸 |
|---|---|---|---|
| French assurance vie | ✅ CornerstoneTax advantages after 8 years, estate planning benefits | ⚠️ Possible but limitedMany insurers decline non-residents; no French social charges on gains, though | ❌ Usually avoidPFIC classification = punishing US tax treatment |
| Luxembourg life insurance from €50,000 with OPTIMAVI (usually more) | ✅ Same French tax + more protectionTriangle of Security, wider fund universe | ✅ Built for thisTax-neutral, portable to 70+ countries | ⚠️ Case by caseSome insurers offer US-compliant contracts |
| SCPI (real estate funds) from ~€5,000 | ✅ Popular passive incomeQuarterly rental income, no landlord duties | ✅ Works well20% min. income tax; 7.5% social levy if EEA/UK/Swiss insured | ⚠️ CautionLikely PFIC — needs US tax advice first |
| Property / new-build (VEFA) | ✅ Full accessNew-build = reduced purchase fees (~2-3% vs 7-9%) | ✅ No nationality restrictionMortgage possible: 20-40% down payment | ✅ Often the cleanest optionReal estate is not a PFIC |
| Bare ownership (nue-propriété) property or SCPI, 25-40% discount | ✅ Smart timing playDiscounted entry; income starts exactly when you choose (e.g. retirement) | ✅ The stealth optionNo income = no French tax, nothing to file, outside the IFI — for 15-20 years | ✅ Direct-property version worksReal estate isn't a PFIC (the SCPI version keeps the US caution) |
| PEA (stock account) | ✅ Residents onlyTax-efficient after 5 years | ❌ Cannot openCan usually be kept if you leave France | ⚠️ Single stocks onlyFunds inside a PEA = PFIC |
| Specialized funds (FAS) & private equity from €125,000 | ✅ Via Luxembourg contractInvestor categories apply (CAA rules 2026) | ✅ Via Luxembourg contractSame framework, from abroad | ⚠️ Case by caseDepends on insurer's US policy |
Simplified overview, updated July 2026. Your nationality, residency and tax-treaty situation change the picture — that's exactly what we check together on a free call, before you commit anything.
What Would You Like to Achieve?
Grow my savings
From €100/month savings plans to diversified portfolios — with realistic returns, not promises.
Invest in French real estate
New-build property anywhere in France, rental investment or hands-off SCPI funds.
Retire with confidence
Pensions, treaties, and income strategy — in France or across borders.
Protect my family
French inheritance rules are strict. Cross-border estates need a plan — before, not after.
Luxembourg Life Insurance: the International Investor's Best-Kept Secret
Same French tax treatment as a classic assurance vie — but with a level of protection and flexibility designed for people whose life crosses borders.
- Triangle of Security — your assets are segregated at a custodian bank, supervised by the Luxembourg regulator (CAA), separate from the insurer's balance sheet
- Super-privilege — if the insurer ever failed, you rank as first-line creditor
- Portability — move country, keep your contract: it adapts to your new tax residence instead of forcing a taxable exit
- From €50,000 with OPTIMAVI (usually more) — open architecture; specialized funds (FAS) from €125,000; dedicated funds (FID) above
Four Steps, Zero Pressure
You'll leave the first call with clarity — whether we work together or not.
Free discovery call
30 minutes in English, by video or phone. You talk, I listen, then I tell you honestly what's possible.
Analysis & strategy
I map your situation (residency, nationality, goals, treaties) and design a written strategy you actually understand.
Implementation
We open the right accounts with carefully selected partners — optimized fees, full transparency, your pace.
Long-term follow-up
Life changes — new country, new job, new kids. Your strategy adapts. I stay one call away.
I've Been the Foreigner Too
I spent 12 years living abroad — Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea. Opening bank accounts in a language I didn't master, deciphering foreign tax rules, feeling that nobody would just explain things. I remember.
Back in France, I became a licensed independent financial advisor (CGP) — regulated, certified, and deliberately independent from any bank. My clients include French families, expats from a dozen countries, and investors who've never set foot in Nantes.
My rule is simple: if you don't understand it, I haven't explained it well enough. And if a solution isn't right for you, I'll tell you — even when it means no business for me.
Guides for International Investors in France
Deep, honest, sourced — the guides I wish existed when I lived abroad. All free, all in plain English.
Retiring in France: Money & Taxes
Visas, pensions, the surprisingly friendly US-France tax treaty, and healthcare costs.
AVAILABLELuxembourg Life Insurance for Expats
Triangle of Security, portability, FAS & FID explained — and who it's really for (from €50k).
AVAILABLEAssurance Vie, Explained for Expats
France's favourite investment account — how it works, taxes, and the non-resident angle.
AVAILABLEBuying Property in France as a Foreigner
No nationality restrictions — but mortgages, fees and taxes have rules. All of them, here.
AVAILABLESCPI: French Real Estate, Hands-Off
Passive rental income from €5,000 — including exactly how it's taxed for non-residents.
AVAILABLEMoving to France: Financial Checklist
What to do before and after the move — including the impatriate regime (up to 8 years of tax breaks).
AVAILABLEFrench Inheritance Law for Expats
Forced heirship, the EU succession regulation, and how assurance vie protects your family.
AVAILABLEFrench Taxes for Expats
Residency rules, the 30% flat tax, social charges, treaties — the whole map in plain English.
AVAILABLEInvesting in France as an American
PFIC, FBAR, FATCA — the traps, the clean lanes, and the treaty good news.
AVAILABLEAustralians in France: Money & Super
Superannuation, the Age Pension from abroad, CGT at departure — and your wide-open French toolbox.
AVAILABLEFinancial Advisory Services for Expats
What I do, how I'm regulated, fees, FAQ — everything about working together.
FAQ: Investing in France as an International
Yes. France places no nationality restriction on buying property, and most French investment vehicles (assurance vie, SCPI, Luxembourg life insurance) are open to foreign nationals. What changes with your nationality and tax residency is which solutions are efficient for you — that's exactly what we check before you commit a single euro.
Yes. Non-residents can buy French property, invest in SCPI funds, and open Luxembourg life insurance — which was literally designed for internationally mobile investors. French assurance vie is harder (many insurers decline non-residents). We look at your case first, then choose the door that's actually open.
Yes — with honesty about the limits. Standard French investment funds are classified as PFICs by the IRS, which creates punishing US tax treatment. So a classic assurance vie is usually a bad idea for US persons.
- Real estate is not a PFIC — often the cleanest option
- Some Luxembourg insurers offer US-compliant contracts
- Single stocks avoid PFIC status
I always coordinate with a US tax professional rather than replace one.
There's no magic number — there's a right starting point for each goal:
- €100-200/month: automatic savings plans, assurance vie
- ~€5,000: SCPI real estate funds
- €50,000: Luxembourg life insurance (open architecture)
- €125,000+: specialized funds (FAS), then dedicated funds (FID) above
Starting small and early beats starting big and late — compound interest does the heavy lifting.
Your money is never held by me. It sits with regulated insurers, banks and asset managers — my role is advice and structuring.
- CIF (investment advice) · IOBSP (credit) · MIA (insurance)
- Registered with ORIAS n°25004390, supervised within the AMF framework, member of CNCEF
- Luxembourg contracts add the Triangle of Security: assets segregated at a custodian bank under the CAA regulator's control
Transparently, and explained before we start. The first call is free. Then depending on your needs: a fixed fee for one-time advice, disclosed commissions from investment providers, or an annual fee for ongoing management. No hidden charges — ever. You'll always know what you pay and why.
Both work. I'm based near Nantes (Sautron), and I work with clients all over France — and abroad — by video call. Most international clients prefer video: it works from any time zone, and it saves everyone a train ticket.
30 minutes, in English, free, zero pressure. You explain your situation and your questions. I tell you honestly what's possible, what's not, and what I'd look at first. You leave with clarity — whether we end up working together or not. That's the deal.
For a French tax resident, both are taxed exactly the same way. The Luxembourg contract adds three things:
- Stronger protection: Triangle of Security + super-privilege (you rank as first-line creditor)
- Portability: the contract adapts to your next country of residence — no forced taxable exit when you move
- Wider investment universe from €50,000: institutional funds, then FAS/FID above €125,000
In most cases, yes — and sometimes it even improves. SCPI income keeps flowing wherever you live. Property can be rented out. A Luxembourg contract follows you across borders by design. Non-residents even stop paying French social charges (17.2%) on assurance vie gains. Planning the move before it happens is what protects those advantages.
Book Your Free Discovery Call
30 minutes, 100% in English, zero pressure. Tell me where you are — I'll tell you what's possible.
Prefer to talk right away? Call or WhatsApp me: +33 6 29 37 09 85 · contact@optimavi.fr