Protection News & Insights

For the first time, the size and scope of the global high-net-worth (HNW) international life insurance market have been formally identified and quantified, validating industry expectations that this represents a rapidly expanding market with growing global significance. The findings come from a landmark study conducted by NMG Consulting and released by Utmost Group, a leading […]

Great news for many seniors in France: the tax allowance for those over 65 is being increased in 2025, meaning lower tax bills for many people when they file their 2024 income tax returns this spring. Here’s everything you need to know about this tax allowance, who qualifies, and how the changes affect your 2024 […]

Making contingency plans for the unexpected is an essential part of wealth management. However, this aspect of financial planning should not be confined simply to strategising for the possibility of inflation, volatility, currency exchange movement and other macro factors; it should also account for personal factors. For example, how might your circumstances and goals change over time and are your retirement financial plans flexible enough to respond to these changes?

Examples of changes in personal circumstance include long-term care and medical costs, or large one-off capital expenses. And another important question, albeit loaded, is that of divorce.

There is good reason to address this question; 2017 data from the Office for National Statistics reveals that despite overall divorce rates for opposite-sex couples being at their lowest level since 1973, divorce among older people is actually rising.*

Italy has long been a top destination for anyone seeking a charmed life. A combination of rich culture and stunning landscapes have always made settling in Italy an attractive prospect, but the allure of Bel Paese has peaked in recent years. The appeal lies in the country’s flat tax regime, an increasingly strong magnet for […]

As expatriates living in France, understanding the nuances of the local tax system is crucial to effectively manage your finances and ensure compliance. Enjoy our guide to navigating French taxes in 2024 for expats. France is renowned for its comprehensive welfare system, funded by various taxes and social charges, which in turn offers residents a […]

In a world where our financial stability impacts almost every aspect of our daily lives, it is more important than ever to preserve what we have worked so hard to achieve. Unless you're lucky enough to win the lottery, most of us have worked hard and for a very long time to achieve financial security and the lifestyle we want for ourselves and our families in retirement.

We all remember Robert Maxwell and the Mirror Group pension scandal in the early 90s when innocent working people woke up to the horror that their pension contributions had been used to subsidise his failing empire. The same happened when "Sir" Philip Green sold BHS for £1 in 2015, and this confirmed that even some of the biggest household names cannot be trusted with our retirement funds and financial future.

Effective wealth management is about many things but it can perhaps be boiled down to two essential elements: protection and (or) growth.

Whether you prefer to emphasise protection or growth will depend largely on your circumstances, goals, and attitude to risk. One part of this is determining whether you want your investments to create the security of income or the flexibility and reinvestment potential of a lump sum.

Investors are typically split around 50-50 on this question, which is why it is no surprise to learn of a recent Aegon survey of 1,300 investors which found that 58% preferred insurance plans to pay monthly income rather than a lump sum at maturity.

Portugal’s Non-Habitual Resident (NHR) tax regime has been a cornerstone of its appeal to expatriates, offering favourable tax conditions. However, recent political and legislative shifts signal an end to this scheme, albeit with some transitional provisions. The End of the NHR Scheme The 2024 State Budget Proposal officially suggests the termination of the NHR status […]