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Spotlight On … Clifford Knezovich – IFA

What is your special interest or particular field of expertise in the financial services sector right now?

Tax mitigation, Spanish Compliant Investment Bonds and ESG investing.

What is the most important aspect of your work, in relation to clients, or the part of your day-to-day role which gives you the most satisfaction?

When clients nod their heads, not because they agree, because they understand. Having confidence in yourself is as important as having confidence in your financial adviser.

What’s special/unique/most interesting about the region you work in?

The weather and the people – nobody can deny the average of 320 days of sunshine a year. Helping people make the correct investment decisions and allowing them to enjoy the weather is paramount.

Right now, what is your one piece of invaluable information for expats or anyone seeking retirement planning and wealth management advice?

Due diligence and second opinions.

Blacktower already has a long and successful history in the sector, how will you and your colleagues continue to offer value to clients in the next 20 years and beyond?

By adapting to an ever-changing investment landscape and keeping clients abreast of important developments.

Tell us an interesting fact about yourself

…. I’m terrible at golf, but even a blind squirrel trips over a nut from time to time.

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

Expat Financial Advice a Must When Returning to UK

SuitcasesAs the “will they, won’t they” saga of Brexit rumbles on it is useful to look at some of the things expats can actually do to reaffirm their ties with the UK in the event that they plan to move back to Blighty at some point in the future.

The issue has taken on a new urgency for expats, particularly in regards to property, in light of the new surcharge that the government plans to introduce alongside stamp duty on second home and buy-to-let purchases in England.

Although Prime Minister Theresa May says that the surcharge is for “foreign buyers” and is being introduced with a view to assisting UK taxpayers buy a property – especially first-time buyers – it may have some unintended consequences.

This is because it is not just foreign buyers who are likely to find their pockets hit by the tax. Returning expats – who could well be a prominent demographic over the next few years – may also find themselves liable for the surcharge, potentially setting them back significantly on their way to reaching their wealth management objectives.

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News Wrap – APP Scams Guidance

Phone ScamsThe Treasury Select Committee has called on financial services providers to reimburse individuals who have lost money as a result of authorised push payment (APP) fraud, with MPs telling banks that they must implement adequate fraud measures by March 2020 or face sanctions from the regulators.

For example, UK Finance, a trade association for the banking and financial services industry, reports that during the first half of 2019 close to £616 million was stolen from banking customers during financial transactions on payment cards, remote banking and cheque transactions in the UK, with £207.5 million of this defrauded through APP scams.*

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