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Bitcoins – tulip mania?

BitcoinsThe later part of the 20th century saw its fair share of financial bubbles. There was the property bubble, stock market bubbles, and then the dot com bubble of 2000, just to name a few. In each instance, people paid exorbitant amounts for things that shouldn’t have been worth anything like the going price. But this is nothing new – look back at the Dutch in the 17th century when already pricey tulip bulbs experienced a twentyfold price explosion in just a single month.

By the peak of tulipmania in February 1637, a single tulip bulb was worth about ten times a craftsman’s annual income and a single Viceroy tulip bulb was allegedly exchanged for eight fat swine, twelve fat sheep or four tuns of beer.

The importance of proper retirement planning

Recently, the Financial Conduct Authority released its Financial Lives Survey 2017, which suggests that many savers lack understanding of how their pensions work. The survey gathered responses from just under 13,000 UK consumers and aimed to gain an insight into their experiences of retail financial products and services.

The FCA was concerned by some of the responses to its survey because they illustrated a distinct lack of knowledge among savers. For instance, around 13% of UK adults did not know whether they were paying into a defined benefit pension or a defined contribution pension.

New Cayman Islands retirement planning laws

The Cayman Islands is currently experiencing an exodus of overseas workers looking to leave the autonomous British Overseas Territory before it closes a loophole which currently allows expats to convert their retirement savings to cash before they leave.

The law previously allowed expats to access pension accounts of $5,000 or more once they had been living outside Cayman for six months and had not made pension contributions for at least two years.

From 31 December, 2019, it will only be possible to receive payouts at retirement age. Those who want to take their pensions early must leave the Cayman Islands by the end of 2017.

Spectacular Tax Savings for Expats using Spanish Compliant Investments!

Hacienda, or the Spanish taxman to you and me, has granted significant tax advantages for savings & investment plans held by Spanish Tax Residents, under certain conditions.

The advantages are considerable and further compounded as the Hacienda treats non-compliant investments negatively with extra reporting and punitive taxation every year.

Are your existing investments safe from punitive tax?

Expats make property a priority before Spanish renaissance

Expat financial advisers in Spain have been helping numerous British expats arrange their financial affairs so they can take advantage of the relatively low property prices across the country. Many properties could soon be unaffordable, but are still currently within tantalising reach for those who have the means.

Experts are warning that this period of opportunity cannot continue forever, as it is expected that the Spanish economy will soon rebound from a recent period of trouble with what is anticipated to be a marked and prolonged period of prosperity.

Most British expats in Germany decide to stay

New figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have given a more accurate idea of the number of Britons living in Germany (and vice versa) and also show that many UK expats in Germany have made the decision that they will stay.

The report was compiled as part as a series and published as a response to the need for data on the British lives that will be most affected by Brexit. It included statistics on where British expats live and work, how long they've lived there, and what sort of employment they most often take on.

The Catalan Crisis in Spain

Catalonia’s push for independence after a referendum has plunged Spain into its worst political crisis since the attempted military coup in 1981.

The crisis could have huge repercussions for the Spanish economy. Catalonia itself has its own language, parliament, police force and controls some of its own public services, such as schools and healthcare.  It is one of Spain's wealthiest and most productive regions and has a distinct history dating back almost 1,000 years.

Are these factors affecting your retirement age?

Most people look forward to their retirement and see it as the time to achieve some lifelong dreams; perhaps finally being able to move to a perfect retirement destination, such as Portugal.

But the road to retirement has gradually become increasingly more difficult, as new research has found out.

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