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Inflation – The Asset Eroding Thorn in your Low-risk Investment Strategy

Growth is key for an inflation busting investment strategy

A portfolio that overly emphasises fixed interest securities, annuities or cash savings may struggle to keep pace with inflation and could ultimately result in you needing to make unwanted adjustments to your lifestyle or, worse, could even cause you to run out of money.

With this in mind, it is unlikely that a conservative or “low-risk” expat wealth management strategy is going to provide sufficient income as you get older.

Before August this year interest rates in the UK had remained at or below 0.5% for nearly a decade. When you consider that the inflation rate in the Euro Area averaged 1.97% from 1991 until 2018, it is easy to understand how, even with the recent interest rate rise to 0.75%, relying on UK-based savings could leave you short of enjoying the expat retirement lifestyle you have always dreamed of.

The bottom line is, that while your savings are growing at one rate, the cost of living is rising at another – and if the two don’t match, or your growth rate is lower than the inflation rate, as time goes on, your savings will buy you less and less.

There is only one answer to this and other expat wealth management retirement planning problems: plan ahead and work to diversify your assets so that you can find the balance between growth and safety that is suitable for you and your goals.

Advice from Blacktower Financial Management

At Blacktower Financial Management our experts can help you develop a confident expat wealth management and retirement plan to give you the best chance of having sufficient assets to see out your retirement and any legacy plans you might have.

We are a specialist firm, with many years of experience and our team of international financial advisers understand all the important cross-jurisdictional issues affecting expats. We can help you protect and grow your wealth and provide you with the information and support to make investing choices that are right for you.

Contact us today for more information.

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

Dutch Tax Exemption Rule Change Hits Expats

Pen and checkboxOpposition to the imminent changes to the Dutch 30% tax reimbursement scheme (see the Blacktower news feed) is growing. Now, VCP, the Dutch white collar workers’ union, has joined the dissenters by calling for, at the very least, a transition period for expat workers who will suffer unwanted changes to their Netherlands wealth management plans as a result of the amendments.

It is easy to see why so many people find the timetable for the ruling so unjust; those affected could see their incomes reduced by around 20% once the ruling comes into force in under six months.

It could also result in unwanted damage to the Dutch economy, with real fears that it could deter expat workers from coming to the Netherlands in the first place.

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I Have Retired; Time To Move Abroad

 

I’ve spent the last 40 years working and saving – so what’s next? Should I remain in the UK or consider pastures new? Well someone once said, “The grass is not any greener on the other side” – but what if it was?

Expats may be able to benefit from generous tax legislation in some popular retirement destinations if they decide to make use of new flexible pension rules.

Changes from April 6 will allow those, remaining in the UK and over 55, to withdraw all the money from their scheme, with 25pc as a potentially tax-free lump sum. Alternatively, they can withdraw it in chunks with 25pc tax-free and the remainder taxed at their marginal rate. 

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