OUR FAQS

We help our clients and readers invest in the world’s fastest growing economies.

InvestAsian receives over a thousand messages and emails every month from readers who seek our help. You might be curious about exactly what InvestAsian is and how our business works.

Below are the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions we receive. Feel free to send us a message if you don’t see your question listed here.

What Does InvestAsian Do?

We help family offices and high-net worth individuals from around the world diversify their portfolio into high-growth Asian markets.

Primarily, InvestAsian advises and executes on matters related to stocks in Asia, real estate, private equity, deal sourcing, and portfolio construction.

We’re able to assist at all stages of investment in over a dozen countries in Asia, from the conception of a portfolio to the final realization of its profit.

On top of that, we produce free content to inform the public about buying property in Asia, trading stocks, and other investment topics. Learn more about InvestAsian’s history and goals on our About Page.

What Products and Services Do You Sell?

InvestAsian manages private portfolios. We specifically focus on niche Asian countries that are undergoing rapid growth.

Frontier markets have unrivaled economic potential, and are less correlated with the overall global economy. Yet they often lack infrastructure and are difficult to access. Especially as a foreigner.

We’re able to effectively break down entry barriers across developing Asian markets while giving clients allocation to property, stocks, and other uncorrelated assets.

Additionally, we offer consulting services on a limited basis. Our products are meant for high-net worth investors and institutional clients with at least $2 million worth of investible assets.

How Can I Learn More About Investing in Asia?

Since 2013, InvestAsian has published hundreds of free articles covering a diverse array of topics. See our articles page for a small sampling of our content.

Can I Ask a Specific Question?

We offer a variety of free articles on our blog that might help if you’re a smaller investor or wish to buy stocks and real estate in Asia without any direct assistance.

Because of the sheer volume of messages InvestAsian receives, we can’t offer advice to non-existing clients. You probably don’t want free advice when it comes to topics like investing, offshore real estate, or taxes anyway though!

Can I Advertise With You?

To protect the quality of InvestAsian’s content along with our ability to offer independent advice, we are 100% ad-free and do not accept any sponsored posts.

Working With InvestAsian

Who Are Your Clients?

InvestAsian works with institutional and high net-worth investors. Our clients have liquid assets of anywhere from $2 million to above $1 billion.

Our investors and clients all possess some knowledge of what a frontier market is, understand their benefits/risks, and are willing to make such an investment within an already well-diversified portfolio.

Why Should I Work With InvestAsian?

We arguably have more direct, on-the-ground experience investing in Asia’s frontier markets than any other company. Few others, including (and especially!) large financial institutions, are in the business of generating returns off of frontier market assets.

Our success depends on investor returns and our fees are based off performance. InvestAsian didn’t thrive since 2013 by shoving people into mass-market mutual funds or overpriced condo projects, and then taking a referral fee.

We built our reputation by doing what investors care about most: achieving results and making the best possible deals for our clients.

Why Do Managed Investments in Asia Outperform?

Buying into an index fund works great if you’re looking at predictable assets in developed economies.

However, working with a professional is better in emerging and frontier markets. These countries require a unique skillset that only comes with years of direct experience in some rather obscure places.

InvestAsian has local contacts, speaks the languages, and knows how to optimize returns. We’re professional investors who understand the nuances of the unique markets we focus on.

On top of that, since we operate on a larger scale and have spent years building relationships all across Asia, we get preferential discounts – whether from a realtor in Cambodia or a stock brokerage in Singapore.

Simply put, InvestAsian operates on scale. We can spend far less money, make informed decisions, enjoy greater efficiency, and achieve better results than individual buyers.

Why Must I Finish an Application to Work With You?

Frontier markets are rapidly growing countries which are largely uncorrelated with the international economy. This can provide notable diversification benefits for certain types of investors.

However, frontier market investments have inherent risks as well. Rule of law is sometimes weak while “standard practices” take priority over written rules. Neither the public or private sectors are fully mature. Developing nations are, for better or worse, going through drastic change.

Combine that with a much higher entry level needed to purchase assets in places don’t even have a stock market. You can hopefully understand the need for an application to determine a client’s investment profile and suitability.

Our services aren’t for everyone. We often recommend putting between 5%-10% of a portfolio into frontier markets as a diversification strategy. Nonetheless, we can’t in good faith suggest investments to those without a suitable risk tolerance profile, net worth, or genuine need for our products.

Why Shouldn't I Buy into an ETF for Frontier Market Investments?

Many people buy into an ETF and falsely believe they’ve diversified into frontier markets. We have a whole article about why an ETF is not suitable for those purposes.

To summarize though: not only do most frontier market ETFs have a poor history of performance, but they often don’t even invest in their namesake. The largest “frontier market fund” primarily owns emerging market stocks instead.

Why Should I Hire an Investment Consultant?

Making an investment in foreign countries is complicated and is not handled effectively by a single service. InvestAsian brings everything together.

For example, a lawyer will help you with the procedure of incorporating a business or setting up an offshore brokerage account… but they won’t offer you investment advice.

Likewise, a real estate agent is focused on the process of buying, selling, and transferring property. Yet they aren’t professional investors. Their goal is simply to close and facilitate a deal.

(Did you know that realtors in frontier markets like Cambodia and Vietnam make commission of up to 20% on the condo units they sell to foreign investors?)

Making an optimal investment in a foreign country requires a financial skillset, and ideally, many years of direct experience in a situation where returns are the primary motivation.

Even large, multinational advisory firms don’t make profit from actual investment returns like InvestAsian does. They’re general consultants, not professional investors, and don’t have any stake in the performance results.

Are You Just a Consultant, Or Can You Help Me Implement?

Yes, InvestAsian can absolutely implement, your global investment strategy, and in fact, that’s primarily what we do.

Our approach is simple: “Ready, aim, fire!”. Many people investing in emerging economies skip the “aim” part, wasting their time and money because they failed to plan.

After we’ve created your plan, we can help you fully implement it by acting as a coordinator between numerous brokerage firms, lawyers, and accountants. We’ll in the meantime advise you on investment-related matters ourselves.

Can You Help Me With Just [Insert Service Here]?

We believe strongly in the need for a diversified portfolio that addresses your own specific investment goals.

Many clients who originally thought “I only need this one thing” later come to us when they realize they missed a key piece of the puzzle and wasted time and money.

As a result, we don’t offer brokerage account openings in Asia or other services on a one-off basis. We can assist in detail once you’ve either become an investor in one of our managed portfolios, or are an existing consulting client.

About Reid Kirchenbauer

Who is Reid Kirchenbauer?

The founder of InvestAsian, Reid has invested extensively across the region’s emerging economies for over a decade.

He originally moved to Asia as a teenager, went to university in Thailand, and created a successful life overseas by investing in stocks and real estate.

Reid has purchased dozens of properties in Asia, speaks three languages, and has made thousands of international stock trades. He also founded the world’s first frontier market real estate fund. Learn more on his About page.

Can I Buy Reid a Coffee and Ask Questions?

He greatly appreciates the offer. However, Reid doesn’t meet with people he isn’t currently working with. This is due to his schedule and out of respect to investors and clients who have retained him. 

Can I Meet With Reid in Thailand, Cambodia, or Elsewhere?

While Reid and the entire InvestAsian team are thankful for the interest in meeting up, we’re primarily a for-profit business serving people who engage our services. Therefore, we aren’t able to meet non-clients in person.

Can I Interview Reid?

Please send an email to our media department if you’re a member of the press requesting an interview or comment.

READY TO GROW AND PRESERVE YOUR WEALTH?

Join 50,000+ monthly readers. Discover property, stocks, and other investments that will drive global growth in the 21st century.