Some U.S. brokerages are notifying U.S. citizens residing abroad of important restrictions that may be imposed on their ability to invest further in certain U.S. securities, and to manage the money now within their accounts, including retirement accounts. Fidelity, for example, has send notices to their customers with changes effective, and restrictions imposed, as of October 9, 2015. Use of the internet to access brokerage accounts gives a tool that brokerages can use, among others, to reach a conclusion that a customer is residing abroad, and may be subject to these contractual restrictions. Being an expat gets just a little more complicated with the passage of time, and changes in the laws in the U.S.
