Hey — I’m glad you found this page.
I’m a 40-year-old Filipino-American working in banking and finance in the Bay Area. I have dual citizenship and a plan to retire at 55 and move permanently to the Philippines.
This blog — CraftYourExit — is where I document everything. The investing strategy, the real estate moves, the tax optimization, the lifestyle planning, and the honest reality of building toward early retirement while working a full time job.
I’m not a financial advisor. I’m just someone who woke up one day, looked at my numbers, realized I needed to move faster, and decided to share the whole journey publicly — the wins, the setbacks, and everything in between.
A little more background on me. I was born in the US, grew up here, and after college I spent seven years in South Korea — got my MBA there and worked there for five years. That international experience gave me a completely different perspective on lifestyle, money, and what a good life actually looks like. I’ve had family on both sides of the Pacific my whole life and I’ve always felt pulled toward the Philippines in a way that’s hard to explain.
This blog is for Filipino-Americans thinking about going back. For anyone who feels behind on retirement and needs to see that it’s fixable. For anyone chasing FIRE who wants a perspective they haven’t heard before.
Welcome. Let’s build this together.