City watchdog to probe pension freedom rip-offs

Since the Pensions Freedom Act came into force in the UK, in April 2015, there has been a huge outflow of money from defined benefit pension schemes and personal pensions in the UK. Many people have taken advantage of the new flexibilities by having control of their own pension pots.

However, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to transfer from some schemes now, as hurdles have been put in place by some providers.  It is true that these hurdles ensure that individuals are not transferring their pots to unauthorised schemes, but they also act as a “double check” that the advice provided about the pension transfer is from a qualified Independent Financial Adviser (IFA).

In September 2017, it was announced that the Portuguese Government, following pressure from Sweden and a number of other European countries, was looking to water down the country’s non-habitual residency (NHR) tax regime, potentially bringing to an end a programme that has worked in the interests of expats since 2009. The uncertainty this proposed move provoked certainly threatened to put a dampener on the financial plans of quite a number of expats and would-be expats as they moved into 2018.

However, the budget proposal presented by the Portuguese government in November seemed to allay these fears. There was not a single mention of the scheme, which would have seen the introduction of a flat rate of tax of either 5% or 10% on income drawn from the pensions of NHRs.

In all probability any such move would have seen the pensions of existing expat NHRs unaffected; however, it would have presented a significant stumbling block to the retirement plans of many looking to move both their wealth and their residence status to the country.