In Focus News & Insights

So, the Spanish inflation rate is currently running at – 0.9%.  Good news you might think, if things are cheaper your money will go further. Conversely, the fall in inflation reported last week in the UK (CPI) of -0.1% does not represent good news.

The vast majority of British ex-pats in Spain rely on their pensions and savings income to get by on.

So why should you care about the rate of inflation in the UK?  It might well be good for people who work there, as wages show some signs of growth but not so good for pensioners.

If you are thinking of cashing in your UK pension or have already done so, what will you be doing with the money?

An in-depth independent survey of Royal London customer behavior reveals a significant number of people, over 26%, have or plan to leave their pension savings languishing in low interest rate bank accounts. This means people run the risk of running out of money too soon and seeing their money dwindle away through poor rates of return.

For those of you who have been invested in equities and commodities, the recent few weeks will have been a stressful time. As always we are bombarded with comment after comment; opinion after opinion and ultimately who is to blame for what?

One minute it is down to Interest Rates in the US the next its China and lower growth expectations. Oil has continued to fall and Gold doesn’t seem to be doing a great deal – the normal sign of a ‘Bear’ market is a rush to Gold….which has not happened.

Many ex-pats are still suffering from the cuts in income that have taken place due to the very low interest rates they continue to endure on their savings.

Well brace yourselves for more!  Any of you who rely on dividends from shareholdings to supplement your income are about to see a whole new look to the tax regime associated with them.

Dividends are annual cash payments made to holders of certain shares, they provide a vital source of income to many pensioners who rely on savings in retirement. The way dividends are to be taxed is to change from April 2016 and will see basic-rate taxpayers subject to a new levy of up to 7.5 per cent.

Still wondering whether to leave your pension in the UK, or move it so that you benefit tax wise as an ex-pat?  Here´s the latest update on what´s happening in the pensions world.

UK:

If you Pension Fund is still held within the UK, since April 2015 most, but not all, Pension Providers have introduced flexibility, in terms of access to Pension Funds within the UK and this is certainly proving to be very popular with many.  Depending on the size of your pot you may be able to access all tax free, or alternatively access 25% tax free at the age of 55 years.

The Chinese Government´s recent decision to devalue the yuan, along with many other factors, including a multi-year price low in commodity markets; oil prices being down at an all time low, and the likelihood of Iranian oil coming back into the market, is being cited as a sign of impending global recession… is this the case, or simply that these price developments reflect a widespread condition of excess supply, rather than any general shortfall in demand? The optimists within us might well say that rather than China´s position bringing impending doom and gloom to the market, opportunity is knocking.

Readers may remember the pension freedoms announced by George Osborne in 2014.  These became effective on April the 6th this year. The fanfare accompanying the announcement and indeed subsequently is often set against the backdrop of pensioners sat in Daimlers or on Yachts having drawn all their money out and lavished it on some frivolous purchase.

The reforms promised that over 55’s would have access to their pension cash as they pleased whether it was the full amount or in small payments. Or indeed it could be left invested. The choices on offer appeared staggering, always bearing in mind that there are tax implications for taking large sums.

VACANCY – Senior Compliance Officer

Blacktower Financial Management (International) Limited is one of Europe’s leading providers of Financial Advice and Wealth Management. We continue to increase our footprint across Europe and further afield.

As a result of this we have created an additional role within our Head Office in Gibraltar. We are looking for an individual who is seeking to work in an interactive environment, both within the organisation and when interacting with key stakeholders around the business.