{"id":9709,"date":"2023-12-09T09:23:24","date_gmt":"2023-12-09T09:23:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/?p=9709"},"modified":"2023-12-09T09:23:27","modified_gmt":"2023-12-09T09:23:27","slug":"andrew-hallam-how-are-intl-school-teachers-stacking-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/andrew-hallam-how-are-intl-school-teachers-stacking-up\/","title":{"rendered":"Andrew Hallam: How Are Int’l School Teachers Stacking Up?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Money and sex. Culturally, we don\u2019t talk about either. Some would say that\u2019s OK.\u00a0Keep our bedrooms closed and our finances locked. But wouldn\u2019t you like to see how you stack up\u2026financially speaking, that is?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Image by Arek Socha<\/a> from Pixabay<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As an international teacher, you aren\u2019t likely contributing to a defined benefit pension.  If you\u2019re American, you aren\u2019t contributing to Social Security, either. Whether the older person within you eventually sinks or swims depends on what you\u2019re doing now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How much are you investing?\u00a0 Do you have revenue-generating real estate? How much money do you have, so far?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My friend Dr. Jeff Devens and I created an anonymous survey for international teachers. Please take two minutes to access the survey here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So far, the results are eye-opening, and we\u2019re planning to share them with you once we\u2019ve broadened the database.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ll soon know, for example, what percentage of teachers have student loan debt.\u00a0 We\u2019ll have the breakdown by age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Image by Steve Buissinne<\/a> from Pixabay<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ll know how much the typical 30-year-old teacher is saving and how much money they have for retirement. We\u2019ll have figures for teachers within every age bracket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After speaking at more than 90 international schools, I\u2019ve learned that individual results will differ wildly. You might expect that, depending on how much the teachers earn. But there\u2019s much more to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, I have friends I\u2019ll call Bob and Margaret. They taught for 25 years at one of the highest-paid international schools in the world. When they \u201caged out\u201d they were forced to retire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bob and Margaret earned great salaries. While working, they didn\u2019t have to pay for housing. They received enough \u201chome leave\u201d allowance to fly home twice a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, they collect Social Security payments. But it\u2019s a fraction of what they would have earned if they had stayed in the United States. They have a small investment portfolio. But they don\u2019t earn much from that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bob and Margaret are almost broke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Image by dietcheese<\/a> from Pixabay<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Other friends of mine worked at a school that didn\u2019t pay as well. Like Bob and Margaret, they raised two children and helped them pay for college. Like Bob and Margaret, they traveled and enjoyed dining out. They also laughed and smiled with the same ease as Bob and Margaret.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But similarities end there. This second couple, also in their late 60s, has almost two million dollars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No matter what school you work at, I\u2019ve learned that there\u2019s a huge chasm between how much money your colleagues have. Some are doing well. Others are living underwater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You might not notice their lifestyle differences. It can be really subtle. For example, in my book, Balance<\/em>,<\/a> I mentioned that my wife and I enjoyed weekly massages for 12 years.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We don\u2019t regret that expense. But those massages cost our retirement portfolio about $750,000. Small costs, if they are invested instead of spent, can add up to huge amounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Image by Pexels<\/a> from Pixabay<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Now what if somebody had a weekly massage and twice-daily coffees at Starbucks? That might not sound like such a big deal. And it isn\u2019t. But over a working career, such small decisions would cost them more than $1 million\u2026if that money were invested, instead.  That\u2019s why two teachers can have vastly different wealth, even if they spent a career at the same school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No, you don\u2019t have to live like a pauper.  And yes, you could enjoy massages, weekly restaurant meals and Starbucks every day.  But when we do, we should cut back on other things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once again, our anonymous survey is live, and can be accessed here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll soon be able to see how you stack up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But more importantly, this data will provide a framework for discussion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can help each other, cheer each other on, and support our quests for financial wellness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you, in advance, for completing the survey.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We look forward to sharing the results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andrew Hallam is the international bestseller of Millionaire Teacher<\/a>, Millionaire Expat<\/a> and Balance.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Money and sex. Culturally, we don\u2019t talk about either. Some would say that\u2019s OK.\u00a0Keep our bedrooms closed and our finances locked. But wouldn\u2019t you like to see how you stack up\u2026financially speaking, that is? As an international teacher, you aren\u2019t likely contributing to a defined benefit pension.  If you\u2019re American, you aren\u2019t contributing to Social […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9710,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[9],"tags":[3115,3114,3117,3113,32,2019,2285,3116,361],"class_list":["post-9709","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-discussion-topics","tag-andrew-hallam","tag-benefit-pension","tag-broke","tag-financial-planning","tag-international-schools","tag-investing","tag-pension","tag-student-loan-debt","tag-survey"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/puzzle-2500328_1280.jpg?fit=1280%2C676&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2flVT-2wB","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":11365,"url":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/top-ten-tips-for-international-school-teachers-to-build-a-solid-retirement\/","url_meta":{"origin":9709,"position":0},"title":"Top Ten Tips For International School Teachers To Build A Solid Retirement","author":"ISCommunity","date":"April 27, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Many international school teachers don\u2019t think enough about retirement. \u00a0And that's understandable. \u00a0The whole concept can seem confusing. \u00a0Andrew Hallam, however, says it isn't. \u00a0He says that those who fail to plan are planning to fail. That could mean eating dog food instead of gourmet during your golden years. So,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Top 10 Lists"","block_context":{"text":"Top 10 Lists","link":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/category\/top-10-lists\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/8593533521_f6c29c0913_z.jpg?fit=640%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/8593533521_f6c29c0913_z.jpg?fit=640%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/8593533521_f6c29c0913_z.jpg?fit=640%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11043,"url":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/are-international-educators-saving-enough-for-retirement-results-from-the-first-global-survey\/","url_meta":{"origin":9709,"position":1},"title":"Are International Educators Saving Enough For Retirement? Results From The First Global Survey","author":"ISCommunity","date":"April 15, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"I don\u2019t join the leagues of journalists suggesting there\u2019s an upcoming retirement crisis. That sort of headline makes great copy, grabs eyeballs, and those eyeballs draw advertising dollars to the highest bidders. But I do know this:\u00a0most international educators retire with less disposable income than the teachers they left behind\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Great Resource"","block_context":{"text":"Great Resource","link":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/category\/great-resource\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/retirement-3585585_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C987&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/retirement-3585585_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C987&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/retirement-3585585_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C987&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/retirement-3585585_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C987&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/retirement-3585585_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C987&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7223,"url":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/which-popular-isc-blog-articles-are-in-the-top-10-most-viewed-list\/","url_meta":{"origin":9709,"position":2},"title":"Which Popular ISC Blog Articles Are in the Top 10 Most Viewed List?","author":"ISCommunity","date":"January 20, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Our blog gets hundreds of views every day. One time we had over 2200 views in one day! ISC writes and publishes many of the articles on our blog, but we also have a growing number of member-submitted articles. These articles are submitted by people new to international teaching, seasoned\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Information for Members"","block_context":{"text":"Information for Members","link":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/category\/information-for-members\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Screenshot-2019-01-20-12.11.22.png?fit=1200%2C668&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Screenshot-2019-01-20-12.11.22.png?fit=1200%2C668&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Screenshot-2019-01-20-12.11.22.png?fit=1200%2C668&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Screenshot-2019-01-20-12.11.22.png?fit=1200%2C668&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Screenshot-2019-01-20-12.11.22.png?fit=1200%2C668&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8280,"url":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/so-many-international-schools-without-retirement-plans\/","url_meta":{"origin":9709,"position":3},"title":"So Many International Schools WITHOUT Retirement Plans!","author":"ISCommunity","date":"February 28, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"It is on all international school teachers' minds. How am I helping to contribute to my future now (for when I retire\/stop working) as a current teacher in the international school community? Not that everything is all worry-free if you just stayed teaching and earning money in your home country,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Information for Members"","block_context":{"text":"Information for Members","link":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/category\/information-for-members\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/bills-496229_1280-1024x682.jpg?fit=1024%2C682&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/bills-496229_1280-1024x682.jpg?fit=1024%2C682&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/bills-496229_1280-1024x682.jpg?fit=1024%2C682&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/bills-496229_1280-1024x682.jpg?fit=1024%2C682&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3384,"url":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/blogs-international-school-teachers-ddsdf\/","url_meta":{"origin":9709,"position":4},"title":"Blogs for international school teachers: \u201cCliff Jumping: Risk-taking and New Beginnings\u201d (From a retired international educator)","author":"ISCommunity","date":"June 3, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Our 37th blog that we would like to highlight is called \"Cliff Jumping: Risk-taking and New Beginnings\"\u00a0 Check out the blog entries of this retired international school teacher\u00a0that currently is back living in her home country (United States). A few entries that we would like to highlight: Cracked \u201cI\u2019ve slowly\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blogs of International Teachers"","block_context":{"text":"Blogs of International Teachers","link":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/category\/blogs-of-international-teachers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Screen Shot 2014-06-03 at 9.59.04 PM","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Screen-Shot-2014-06-03-at-9.59.04-PM-300x84.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1413,"url":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/blogs-of-international-school-teachers-all-you-need-to-know-about-teaching-overseas\/","url_meta":{"origin":9709,"position":5},"title":"Blogs of international school teachers: \u201cAll you need to know about teaching overseas.\u201d","author":"ISCommunity","date":"September 30, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Are you inspired to start up a blog about your adventures living abroad? Our 23rd blog that we would like to highlight is called\u00a0\u201cAll you need to know about teaching overseas.\u201d\u00a0 Check out the wealth of information in the blog entries of this international school teacher who has worked at\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blogs of International Teachers"","block_context":{"text":"Blogs of International Teachers","link":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/category\/blogs-of-international-teachers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.files.wordpress.com\/2012\/09\/screen-shot-2012-09-30-at-5-48-30-pm.png?w=350&h=200&crop=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9709","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9709"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9709\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9710"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9709"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9709"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9709"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}