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Quality insurance top priority for expat employees

Over half of the HR directors noticed an increased demand for health and wellbeing benefits from their overseas workers since 2012, which was also reflected in the responses from the employees, with a quarter saying that they expected more from their employer in this area than they did five years ago. While the statistics show that some employers are changing to accommodate their workers, many more are not; only a third of HR directors said that they met this need by providing such improved benefits.

In particular, there was a requirement for flexible working hours and quality international private medical insurance (IPMI), and the desire for these looks like it will continue to rise. This is because a third of the HR directors responded that they anticipate the number of their employees working overseas will grow over the next five years, with most (80%) expecting their employees to travel to a European destination.

What’s more, two-thirds of those receiving IPMI viewed the insurance as absolutely essentiall when moving overseas, saying that they would not have gone to live abroad without it, and nine out of ten believe that their employer has the responsibility of looking after their health while they’re abroad.

Sheldon Kenton, the managing director of Bupa Global, summarised the report, saying that he felt businesses with overseas employers are experiencing a change in the attitude of employees. “Employees are becoming increasingly engaged with their own health and wellbeing, and are calling on their employers to take an active role in it too,” Kenton said

Of course, you don’t have to have moved overseas for work to understand the importance of quality medical insurance. All expats should have access to high-standard healthcare in their chosen destination, whether they’ve moved for business or for retirement. There are also other insurance products that, like IPMI, enable you and your loved ones to cover all your “what-if” scenarios. For instance, providing expat life insurance is one way Blacktower helps our clients safeguard their future.

Quality Life insurance for expats

A good financial adviser aims to offer clients complete peace of mind in their financial dealings. One way in which we do this at Blacktower is by offering a special life assurance product to expats in Portugal. Our Private Wealth Portfolio is an effective expat life insurance policy that provides you and your family with a range of benefits.

Reduced tax liability, exclusion from Portuguese Stamp Duty, and no inheritance or gift tax to pay are just a few of the benefits of this fantastic Portuguese expat life insurance policy.

For employers in the UK, we also offer advice on purchasing group private medical insurance, as well as a multitude of other suitable products for businesses so that they can offer their employees the most robust protection and financial security.

To discuss your options, contact a Blacktower adviser today.

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.

Other News

Final salary pensions – why now is a good time to cash in

Juicy lottery-sized sums are being offered to savers to tempt them out of gold-plated workplace pension schemes and into personal plans. We’ve explored whether you should consider taking a final salary pension, as well as the benefits and drawbacks of withdrawing.

What is a final salary pension?

A final salary pension, sometimes referred to as a gold-plated pension, is a special style of retirement fund that is based on your final or average salary.

The main difference between this and a defined contribution pension is that a final salary scheme gives you a guaranteed sum annually for the rest of your life when you retire.

To work out the value of your final salary scheme, consider a few factors: 

  1. Your final or average salary at your place of employment (confirm this with your employer)
  2. Your length of service
  3. The final salary scheme’s accrual rate (this is often 1/80th)

Your final salary pension will take each factor into account, and the resulting figure will be the guaranteed annual sum you are entitled to.

For instance, if you worked somewhere for ten years, and leave on a salary of £100,000, with an accrual rate of 1/80th, you will have a guaranteed retired annual income of £12,500.

It is possible to undertake a final salary pension transfer. Depending upon how long you expect to enjoy retirement, this could be a favourable choice. However, it’s important to consult a financial advisor to make your final salary pension transfer values work harder.

What are the benefits of transferring a final salary pension?

Assessing your final salary pension transfer value, you might consider it worthwhile to withdraw. We’ve outlined the main benefits of taking your final salary pension:

Receive the cash value of your final salary pension

Withdrawing from a final salary scheme allows you to receive a cash lump sum in return for forfeiting your guaranteed income in retirement. This final salary pension transfer value is the main reason to withdraw from a scheme, as it offers you financial freedom.

Remove ties with your employer

This is an especially important point if you’re concerned that your employer may not exist throughout your full retirement. For most, the pension protection fund (PPF) will cover your pension, but, for especially high earners, there is a PPF ceiling of £41,461 (as of April 2020).

Enjoy a flexible income in your retirement

A final salary scheme entitles you to a guaranteed annual income when you retire, but if you go down the route of transferring your final salary pension you will be able to enjoy a little more flexibility in how you receive your income. Usefully, by withdrawing from your final salary scheme, you can choose to take more out in your younger years.

Choose how you want to invest your pension

A final salary scheme is controlled tightly to accommodate all employees and their interests. When withdrawing from the scheme, however, you can take complete control over how your pension fund is invested.

The considerations you should make before transferring your final salary pension

While there are certainly benefits of going down the route of transferring final salary pension funds into various other pots, it’s important to consider what you’ll be giving up:

  • Entitlement to a fixed annual income for the rest of your life
  • A safe income that doesn’t fluctuate with volatile markets and share prices
  • Spousal and family benefits that come with a final salary scheme

 Example: Should I cash in my final salary pension?

An example is Mrs Dee (not her real name), 4 years ago she asked for her final salary transfer values, which came in at £250,000 – a nice sum, you may think. After reviewing all the facts and figures available, however, I advised Mrs Dee to leave her final salary pension where it was, which she duly did.

Towards the end of last year, because of favourable market conditions, I applied again to see the value of transferring her final salary . This one came in at just under £600,000.

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Spain support reciprocal agreement for expats

Spanish flagThe Spanish government has supported the idea of a reciprocal deal with Britain over expats during Brexit negotiations.

It has said that, in principle, it would support an agreement allowing British expats in Spain to retain all existing benefits, including access to healthcare and pensions (which has been a particular concern among the elderly expat population residing in the Costas).

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