Relocation Readiness Scorecard

What the Relocation Readiness Scorecard Measures

Moving from the US back to India is not a single decision. It is a sequence of tax, financial, and compliance moves that have to happen in the right order, often months before you actually relocate. The Relocation Readiness Scorecard turns that complexity into a single number you can act on.

The scorecard asks 10 short questions and scores each answer from 0 to 3, for a total out of 30. Every question maps to one of five readiness dimensions. Instead of a vague sense of whether you are ready, you get a measured view of exactly where you stand and which area is holding you back.

The Five Readiness Dimensions

Your answers roll up into five dimensions, each scored independently so you can see your strengths and gaps clearly.

• Tax Readiness looks at whether your US tax returns, FBAR, and FATCA filings are current, and whether you hold Indian mutual funds that count as PFICs. Unfiled returns or unreported PFICs are among the most expensive problems to carry into a relocation.
• Financial Readiness covers the big-money decisions: whether you have a plan for your 401(k) and IRA, whether you understand your US estate tax exposure as a non-resident (the $60,000 exemption is far smaller than most people expect), and whether your NRE and NRO accounts are ready for transfers.
• Compliance checks whether you know if you will qualify for RNOR status and whether you have a Chartered Accountant in India with genuine cross-border experience.
• Timeline measures how your move date lines up with the work that needs to happen first. A 6 to 18 month runway scores highest because it gives you room to act before deadlines force your hand.
• Knowledge assesses whether you understand transition-year taxation in both countries and whether you have planned the non-financial logistics: health insurance, Social Security, and the practical side of the move.

How to Read Your Score

Your total score places you in one of four readiness levels:

• 25-30, Well Prepared: Strong foundations across the board. A professional review should now focus on catching edge-case gaps rather than building from scratch.
• 18-24, Good Start: You are directionally ready. Targeted work in your weakest dimension can meaningfully improve your outcome.
• 10-17, Needs Work: Important gaps remain. Closing them before you relocate reduces risk and avoids costly, hard-to-reverse mistakes.
• 1-9, Early Stage: You are early in planning. This is actually a good place to be, because you can build a structured roadmap before taking any irreversible action.

The scorecard also identifies your weakest dimension on a proportional basis, not just your lowest raw score. A dimension worth fewer points can still be your biggest gap if you scored poorly relative to its maximum. That weakest dimension is where closing the gap will move your overall score the most.

Why Measuring Readiness Matters

Most relocation mistakes are not caused by bad intent. They are caused by blind spots: a PFIC nobody flagged, an estate tax exposure nobody mentioned, a 401(k) decision made after the RNOR window had already closed. By the time these surface, the cheapest fixes are usually off the table.

A readiness score forces those blind spots into the open early, while you still have time and options. It also gives you and your spouse or advisor a shared, objective starting point instead of a vague debate about whether you are ready.

How to Use the Scorecard

Answer all 10 questions honestly. There is no benefit to optimistic answers; the score is only useful if it reflects reality. Each question takes seconds, and most people finish in about two minutes.

Once you complete the assessment, you see your total score, your readiness level, and a dimension-by-dimension breakdown showing exactly where you are strong and where you are exposed. Your weakest dimension is highlighted as your first priority.

You can then unlock three personalized recommendations targeted at that weakest dimension — concrete next steps rather than generic advice. You can retake the scorecard at any time as you complete tasks, so it doubles as a progress tracker in the months leading up to your move.

Turning Your Score into an Action Plan

A score on its own changes nothing. The value is in what you do next.

Start with your weakest dimension and work through its recommendations before touching anything else. Sequence matters: some relocation actions, such as withdrawing from a 401(k) or selling PFIC holdings, are far more efficient if done before a specific status change and effectively irreversible afterward. Run the math before you act.

Convert your recommendations into a dated checklist with clear owners, then re-score yourself periodically. When your weakest dimension is no longer the one dragging your score down, you will know your preparation is genuinely on track. Use the related calculators — RNOR eligibility, residential status, estate tax exposure, and the 401(k) withdrawal comparison — to put real numbers behind each readiness gap.

Important Disclaimer

This scorecard is a qualitative assessment and not tax, legal, or investment advice.

Use the score as a planning signal, then consult with our qualified financial advisor for personalised advice before execution.