In Focus News & Insights

British expats with regular savings could soon have to make applications for long-term residency visas if they wish to begin living in the European Union following Brexit, according to sources within the Home Office.

Any such move, which would represent something of a victory for hard-line EU negotiators, could see British expats having to provide proof of their regular savings, income and QROPS or QNUPS pensions arrangements.

The Government has revealed that the proposed annuity flexibility plan which was announced in April 2015 - along with all the new pension flexibility changes that are now in force - is not going to go ahead.

Those of you lucky enough (or so we thought) to have accumulated a pension pot over your working life time – with the promise  of a good pension upon reaching 60 (such as the equivalent of two thirds of your final salary) may be in for a shock. Just like endowments, when these arrangements were […]

More expats end up in France than any other country, according to MoveHub, which has recently released a report detailing global moving trends and revealing the favoured destinations of job-seeking migrants from all over the world. The international removal company analysed more than 180,000 move enquiries from April 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016 to see the most popular choices when it comes to relocating abroad.

In particular, the report looked at the moves of what it defined as 'professional migrants'. This means individuals who are motivated to leave their country of origin by better job prospects and the lure of growing economies, which could lead to a better quality of life. The countries that attracted the most movers were France (1st), the United Kingdom (2nd), and the USA (3rd).

On the 21st of October, this month, DBRS (Canadian rating agency) publishes its decision on whether it will maintain its BBB rating to Portugal. DBRS is the only rating agency - on a world scale - underpinning Portugal’s credit worthiness.  

One of the most frequently-asked questions asked by many of the 300,000 Expats living here in Spain is ‘am I resident or domicile?’ It is a good question, and one worth finding the answer to, as your residential status when living abroad affects the way in which you pay tax and how much you pay. 

John Westwood, Managing Director and founder of The Blacktower Group, has taken up the post of Chairman at FEIFA, the Federation of European Independent Financial Advisers, following the trade association’s AGM on 21st September. Following two years as an Executive Committee Member John is both pleased and proud to take on this important role.