📩 In Today’s Email

• The Deep Dive: What’s In Your Fanny Pack?

  A field guide to building a global money system—Schwab, Wise, Revolut, VPNs, conversion scams, and how to live like a spy with a spreadsheet.

• The Read: Die With Zero by Bill Perkins

  The one finance book that says spend now, not later. What it taught us about timing your life, giving while you’re alive, and turning memories into dividends.

• The Stream: Your Rich BFF (Vivian Tu)

  A sharp, funny take on credit cards, travel perks, and how to avoid rookie money moves abroad.

🤿 The Deep Dive — $

This isn’t just a newsletter for nomads.

It’s for anyone who’s ever looked at their calendar, their job, their location—and thought: there has to be more than this.

It’s for the travel-obsessed, the freedom-chasers, the ones who want to take life off autopilot.

Whether you’re hopping Airbnbs every few months, plotting a semi-permanent escape, or just thinking about how to design a smarter, more mobile life—ATN is your playbook.

We’re not selling you a fantasy.

We’re giving you tools.

How to move money across borders without losing 12% to invisible fees.

How to use credit cards like passports and visas like chess pieces.

How to earn more, spend smarter, and yes, second passports exist.

Not for escaping taxes, but because you’ve always dreamed of opening a drawer and choosing which nationality to wear that day—

like a spy with a good skincare routine.

We don’t teach you how to dodge taxes. We teach you how to play the global game legally, intelligently, and unapologetically.

This issue?

It’s about what you carry.

Not just physically—but mentally, financially, and systemically.

It’s what separates the digital tourists from the life architects.

Let’s open it up.

1. Fanny Pack Financial Stack: Tools that Actually Work

Charles Schwab High Yield Investor Checking

A U.S. bank account with a debit card that refunds all ATM fees worldwide and charges no foreign transaction fees—the gold standard for nomads and travelers.

• Zero foreign ATM fees

• All ATM charges reimbursed, worldwide

• No monthly minimums or surprise fees

• This is the single best travel debit card in the game. Period. It’s what I rock in ma’ pack.

Wise (formerly TransferWise)

A multi-currency account that lets you send, spend, and receive money globally with low fees and the real exchange rate.

• Hold and convert over 50 currencies

• Create local bank accounts in USD, EUR, GBP, and more

• Transfer money with better rates than most banks

• This is your global control tower.

Revolut (Backup + Boost)

A smart financial app that combines banking, currency exchange, budgeting, and travel perks—all in one sleek card.

• Sleek card, budget tracking, freeze-on-the-fly

• Optional metal card = lounge access + cashback

• Virtual cards for secure online purchases

• Your lightweight daily spend card.

Credit Card Setup for Global Flex

• Chase Sapphire Preferred/Reserve – Points + solid travel protections

• Amex Platinum – Airport lounges, Uber, hotel perks, concierge, rewards

• Capital One Venture X – Luxury perks without the big fee

  Use these for flights, hotels, and insurance. Let your debit card breathe.

2. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS DECLINE THE CONVERSION. ALWAYS!

When you use an ATM abroad (especially in places like Medellín or Bali), you’ll often see:

“Do you accept this exchange rate?” or

“Would you like to be charged in USD?”

That’s a scam in disguise—called Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC).

ALWAYS DECLINE. Always choose to be charged in the local currency.

If a store, restaurant, or hotel asks:

“Would you like to pay in USD or local currency?”

That’s the same scam—just dressed up in retail clothing.

Always choose local currency.

Here’s what to select:

• Mexico → MXN

• Portugal → EUR

• Colombia → COP

• Indonesia → IDR

• Thailand → THB

Accepting the other rate locks in a terrible exchange—often 6–12% worse than your bank’s.

You will still get your money if you decline. You’ll just keep more of it.

3. The Modern Equivalent of the Traveler’s Check

Gone are the days of Traveler’s checks—unless you are traveling through time to 1987. RIP friends. We barely knew how to use you.

What they gave us: security, backup, peace of mind.

Today’s replacements:

• Prepaid travel cards (Wise, Revolut) – Control exposure, pre-load safely

• Virtual cards (Revolut, Privacy.com) – One-time use, merchant-specific

• Apple/Google Wallet – Use without carrying the physical card

• Crypto debit cards – Optional for the Web3-minded

Modern strategy:

Carry 2 physical cards, 1 digital card, 1 emergency cash stash.

4. Digital Defense & Nomad Hygiene

Welcome to the part they forget to mention on Instagram. Here’s how to not get digitally mugged in Marrakesh.

A solid debit card won’t save you if your accounts get frozen, hacked, or flagged while you’re sipping mezcal in Oaxaca or trying to book a last-minute flight out of Bangkok.

Nomadic living requires not just flexibility—but digital armor.

This isn’t overkill. It’s how the professionals roll:

• Password Manager (1Password or Bitwarden)

  Store bank logins, card numbers, passport scans, and emergency PINs.

  Don’t trust your brain—or your Notes app—with this stuff.

• VPN (Proton or Nord)

  Before you open your banking app on café Wi-Fi, ask yourself:

  Would I ask the barista to write my routing number on my coffee cup and shout it across Starbucks?

  No? Then use a VPN.

• Offline Access Kit

  Save a PDF to your cloud with:

  • Emergency contacts

  • Copies of IDs and cards

  • Backup passwords and recovery keys

  • Your mom’s phone number. You’ll thank us. Or just be a good son/daughter and memorize that one, the old-fashioned way.

• Subscription Audit

  Use tools like Trim or Rocket Money, or just go manual:

  Kill the $7.99s that don’t travel well. If it doesn’t move with you, it doesn’t stay with you.

• Net Worth Tracker

  Use Monarch, Copilot, or a clean spreadsheet.

  Know your numbers. Control = peace of mind, especially when everything else is in motion.

5. Optimizing for Income + Lifestyle

This isn’t about being rich. It’s about being free—and elegant.

• Get paid in USD/EUR/GBP via Wise, and hold currency like a portfolio

• Withdraw with Schwab, spend via Revolut, track everything like a CFO

• Learn the systems: tax optimization, foreign residency, multi-currency banking

• Spend on memories—don’t hoard money for a future you may never claim

This is how you build a rich life: not by saving everything, but by spending right—with strategy, clarity, and style.

6. Luxury Nomad Hack (Without Flying Biz)

Don’t want to pay $2k for a business-class seat? Cool.

But you still want the lounge. The peace. The espresso. The shower.

Solution:

• Amex Platinum → Priority Pass + Centurion lounges

• Capital One Venture X → Access to Capital One + Priority Pass

• Revolut Metal → Some lounge benefits too

Pro move: Book economy, enter like a king.

7. Mini-Challenge: Upgrade One System This Week

Pick something you’ve ignored:

Your backup card. Your budget setup. Your net worth tracker.

Fix it. Elevate it. Make it global-proof.

You’re not here to scrape by.

You’re here to move money with elegance—and live like you mean it.

🤓 The Read

Die With Zero by Bill Perkins

Here’s the wildest thing a finance book has ever told me: Spend more. On purpose.

Bill Perkins—a Houston-based hedge fund guy, poker player, and experience-maximizing evangelist—wants you to stop saving like you’re going to live forever.

He argues that most people hoard money far past its usefulness, waiting for a “someday” that never comes.

Meanwhile, their bodies decline, their energy fades, and the moments they could’ve lived… vanish.

What this book really drives home is the idea that memories, when made early, compound.

Like interest. You don’t just enjoy the trip—you retell it, re-feel it, build your personality around it.

That’s what Perkins calls memory dividends.

It’s something I relate to deeply. I’ve spent recklessly, yes—but I’ve also lived ferociously.

The return on those memories? I see it every time I sit down to write. I wouldn’t trade it for a slightly larger retirement account.

There are also smart money strategies in here—don’t let the title fool you.

One standout?

Give money to your kids when it matters most—between the ages of 26 and 35.

That’s when the impact is greatest. Waiting until they’re 70 doesn’t do much beyond fund their second espresso machine.

It’s not about giving away everything. It’s about timing. Health has a shelf life. So does freedom. So does desire.

You don’t need to be reckless. But you do need to ask:

What am I saving this for?

And will it mean as much when I finally spend it?

This book won’t teach you how to die broke.

It’ll teach you how to live rich. On your own terms.

🍿 The Stream

Vivian Tu – Your Rich BFF

Vivian Tu, a former Wall Street trader, has transformed into a leading voice in personal finance education.

Her content stands out for its relatable, witty approach, making complex financial topics accessible and engaging.

She emphasizes the importance of aligning financial decisions with personal goals, a philosophy that resonates with the themes of Die With Zero.

One area where Vivian excels is in credit card optimization.

She advises selecting credit cards that match one’s lifestyle and spending habits, rather than chasing status symbols.

For instance, she recommends the Citi Double Cash card for its straightforward 2% cashback on all purchases, making it ideal for everyday use.

For those interested in travel perks, the Chase Sapphire Reserve offers benefits like airport lounge access and travel credits, aligning with the needs of frequent travelers.

Vivian also highlights the Amex Platinum for its luxury perks, including Uber credits and access to exclusive events, which can enhance the travel experience for nomads.

For those looking to delve deeper into her insights, here is an ATN Recommended Video:

• Save HUNDREDS on Travel | Travel Hacks | Your Rich BFF: She shares practical tips on saving money while traveling, perfect for nomads looking to stretch their budgets.

Vivian Tu’s approach to personal finance is both empowering and practical, making her content a valuable resource for anyone looking to make informed financial decisions while enjoying life’s experiences.

🛤️ Outtro

Reinvention isn’t just about where you go—it’s about how you create.

Every place you land is a blank page. What you write there? That’s the legacy.

If this newsletter sparked something, pass it along to a friend, a fellow explorer, or anyone rewriting their life.

This community grows through real connection—one story, one share at a time.

Enjoyed This? Share It.

See you next week. Keep moving. Keep making it rain!