When judging the likelihood of a Brexit I prefer not to listen to polls as they never seem to get it right. Currently, polls are showing 50-55% to stay in and 45-50% a Brexit depending on which one you look at. I prefer to look at what the real experts are saying, the guys who put their money where their mouths are and use every resource and data available. These are the bookies! Both William Hill and Paddy Power are offering odds of 1/3 that the UK will stay in and 9/4 for a Brexit. This averaged out indicates around a 30% chance of the Brexit happening.
When investing I try to eliminate extra risks for my clients so it is best to keep things simple. If you hold Euros and live in Spain, invest in Euros. If you hold Sterling invest in Sterling and do not change for change’s sake as this will just create additional costs and risks that are not needed.
I have been a fully-qualified financial adviser for 28 years and also understand the needs of expats and the rules that apply to ex-British living and retiring in Spain. So if you need to talk through your own situation then please feel free to contact me and we can have a no obligation discussion about the best way forward for your investments. Get in touch by filling in one of our contact forms.
This communication is for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice, investment recommendations or investment research. You should seek advice from a professional adviser before embarking on any financial planning activity. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the information contained in this communication is correct, we are not responsible for any errors or omissions.
The UK has had an unprecedented period of low interest rates; 2009 saw the base rate drop to 0.5 and then last August down to 0.25. That’s eight years of extremely low interest rates. Whilst this has been great for borrowers and helps to keep the business economy afloat, it has been disastrous for those people in or approaching retirement. Annuity rates have been terrible for pension income returns and the bank rates for the people who have savings have been providing very poor returns.