Category: Personal Finance
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Picking up pennies, in front of a steamroller?
The easy way to explain the risks of some investment strategies is ‘picking up pennies, in front of a steamroller’. Things where you see comfortable uniform returns, quarter by quarter, or even year by year. But then one day ‘bang’ all your money is gone – you get steamrolled. Investors get lured in, with promises… Read more
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35 Reasons investors should ignore the news.
Investing is a long-term game – but the media is focused on short-term noise that sells headlines. The news industry idiom ‘if it bleeds, it leads’ should tell us everything about how they choose what to publish… …(whatever causes the most panic). The constant barrage of speculation, means it’s easy for investors to get caught… Read more
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Should you rent out your UK property, or sell it, when you move overseas?
Most British expats I speak to owned a house in the UK before moving overseas. The default option for many is to rent this out. But will that be the easiest option? Does it make sense to your personally? And will it make you the most money? We’ll talk through 6 key questions to help… Read more
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Most expats end up financially worse off – here’s how to make sure you don’t.
Did you ever wonder why the British Government decided to automatically opt-in all UK employees into a private pension scheme? No I didn’t think you did either… but it’s actually quite important. When you move overseas retirement planning is up to you, there’s rarely a good default option. You have to figure it out yourself.… Read more
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What does exchanging currency really cost?
When talking about foreign exchange, most people ask where has ‘the best rate?’ But because currencies fluctuate all the time, you might be comparing apples to oranges. A better way to find the best value for your money, is to understand how foreign exchange brokers make their money. You’ll notice these days most exchange houses… Read more
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5 things British expats need to know about ISAs
Are you living overseas with a UK ISA? I’m going to explain 5 key things you need to know (to avoid an unpleasant visit from the tax man). 1. If you move abroad, you can keep your ISA, but you can’t add to it. ISAs allow you to save and invest, in an account where… Read more
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Should British expats pay Class 2 or Class 3 National Insurance?
Did you know paying the wrong class of NICs could cost you £728 more each year?! Most expats I speak to log on to the government gateway, see that it says they should pay Class 3 NICs, and fail to ask the right questions. You see, unless you’ve sent HMRC the right paperwork, it will… Read more