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Good news on pension exit fees

There is already the facility in place for the FCA to cap excessive penalties, but following the recent announcement commentators are suggesting that the rate could be set to zero which is excellent news for ex-pats considering taking advantage of transferring to a QROPS.

Some providers are moving to scrap the fees before the FCA intervenes, preferring a form of self-regulation rather than official intervention.  An interesting side effect of this is that, potentially, the net could be widened to halt exit penalties on life insurance and endowment products.  Such exit penalties were written into millions of pension and other policies sold in the 70s, 80s and 90s.

Meanwhile, evidence is also mounting that insurers’ record-keeping is so poor that savers’ exit charges will have to be wiped because they cannot be calculated accurately. Experts are now warning pension savers in their 50s and early 60s to check the value of their pensions as widespread erroneous records mean there is a high chance of miscalculation.

If any of the above strikes a note with you, given that you will be relying on your pension for long term provision, you should seek advice from a reputable Independent Financial Adviser before taking any action.  An hour’s discussion could significantly alter your future lifestyle for the better. Fill in a contact form to get in touch with Blacktower today.

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.

Other News

Tax and Benefits Across Borders – Don’t Get Caught Out

Calculator with Euro buttonLiving as an expat in Spain, or indeed in any other country, brings particular and sometimes very complex wealth management requirements because managing personal finances across multiple jurisdictions is inherently complex and invariably requires specialist advice.

This goes some way to explain why thousands of British expats have recently been caught and penalised for either failing to pay taxes or unlawfully claiming British pension and other social security benefits while living and, in some cases, working abroad.

Cross-border taxation for expats is a notoriously confusing area of wealth management and can seem especially onerous with new data sharing and enforcement rules in place. Unfortunately, not all asset managers are as familiar with tax reporting requirements as they should be. This may seem inconceivable, but wealth management professionals in Spain, across Europe and indeed the globe have an obligation to clients to ensure that they understand and follow all the rules.

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