The family fish farm or piggery may be a viable business but knowing how to manage your investment and protect your capital is vital. In my book I talk about investment opportunities in the Philippines and highlight many of the dangers. I also talk about whether selling up everything is a good idea in the first place.

I always advise keeping something in reserve. Always have enough for a plane ticket home and NEVER spend it. Never. If things get so desperate you need to spend it to survive, then spend it on what it was put away for, a plane ticket back to where you can sort yourself out.

Should you invest in the Philippines or leave it invested offshore, back home? My advice is to invest offshore and play with the left over in the Philippines. Unless you are a natural businessman and have had a lot of experience running successful businesses back home, be very wary of trying your hand in a foreign country with a very different culture and a language you don’t understand.

Keeping your money offshore also keeps it safe from the relatives you will inherit when you marry. Your new wife may be a perfect companion for you but who knows what her family might do if they sense an opportunity. Remember the recent global meltdown and the dot com crashes of a few years ago eroded the value of investments and savings for many retirees. While the value will creep back over time, meanwhile they might be doing it tough. Imagine how much tougher it would be in a foreign country, with perhaps some personal health issues and an pack of inlaws you don’t trust.

Give things some serious though before committing and remember, you can get money into the Philippines a lot easier than trying to get it back out again.

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