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QROPS pensions transfer rules debate

The effect of this is that expats who seek advice abroad regarding their pension must also seek advice from a UK professional authorised to do so.

Now the Association of British Insurers, together with a number of wealth management professionals, has called for the government to abolish the advice rule and instead replace it with a guidance session, saying that any such move would also reduce the fees burden on consumers.

The survey questioned nearly 300 advisors from across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa and discovered significant resistance to the new rules, which require consumers to pay an additional fee to a UK adviser, while also raising concerns that having two advisors could muddy any potential liability issues.

“A surprisingly high number of overseas advisers [69%] have already successfully linked up with UK adviser firms but the number of advisers who have faced challenges is alarming,” commented a spokesperson with Old Mutual.

“It is imperative that clients are not detrimentally impacted, so we would welcome a review by the Department for Work and Pensions.”

If you are unsure about QROPS rules, contact Blacktower for bespoke advice regarding your personal situation.

This communication is for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice, investment recommendations or investment research. You should seek advice from a professional adviser before embarking on any financial planning activity. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the information contained in this communication is correct, we are not responsible for any errors or omissions.

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I actually entered the financial services sector by chance. In 2012 I was studying my Masters in Finance when I was cold called to meet with a financial advisor (back in the days when cold calling was normal). I frankly answered that I had no funds to invest, but if they had a job for me then we could continue the conversation. Two weeks later I was employed as a junior assistant in the team and the rest, as they say, is history.

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RTC Deadline Looms

Clocks and TimepiecesTime is fast approaching for UK taxpayers and expats with UK tax obligations to ensure they meet the 30 September 2018 deadline laid down by HMRC for the declaration of all UK tax liabilities on overseas income and assets that fall under the auspices of the Requirement to Correct (RTC) legislation, Finance (No 2) Act 2017.

Non-compliance, even if it is inadvertent, has the potential to be met with uncompromising penalties, so anyone who is any doubt about their tax obligations regarding offshore investments – if you have expat regular savings or wealth management concerns outside of the UK – should contact their financial adviser immediately as a matter of urgency.

The penalty for most breaches is 200% of the tax that has been avoided. However this may be reduced to 100% depending on the taxpayer’s perceived level of compliance. That said, the minimum is 150% in cases where disclosure has been prompted by HMRC. Larger non-disclosures may be punished by further penalty of 10%

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