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Mine was consumed, how about yours?

Do What?

This week it was announced that Barclays Banks across Europe have decided that unless a customer has at least £100,000 in their account they will be asked to close it.  My thoughts are this:

• How disgusting to get you on board initially and then change the criteria so that you must leave. What a cheek and what an inconvenience !

• Who would put such a large amount of cash with one institution with such a patchy reputation, anyway?

BAD

This week I have taken on an 80 year old client who had an investment in a Spanish bank and they were told that they could release their invested funds without a charge. Not only were they investing 50% equities for a very cautious client (this is far too volatile), but that were charging Euro 3K in various forms to release it on just a Sterling 20,000 investment.  To be fair, the name of the bank does have the word “bad” in it.  The Clients are now safely under Blacktower’s wing.

by Dave Diggle, International Financial Adviser Costa Blanca

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.

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Sweden offering expats one of the best work-life balances worldwide

Stockholm WaterfrontIn the UK, the first week of October is National Work-Life Week, which encourages employers and employees to look at how they can improve their well-being at work and strike a healthier balance between family life and their job. The aim is to help reduce stress among a company’s workforce by offering more flexible ways of working, allowing workers to have time for other priorities in their life.

Of course, it’s not just in the UK where this is an important issue. Many workforces worldwide could do with a better work-life balance, and if you are soon to be moving to another country for work, it’s likely you’ll be wondering what the work culture is like. After all, spending long hours at your workplace without much else to do in your free time may mean you miss out on some of the best aspects of moving to a new country, such as forming a new circle of friends. And too much neglect of your personal life may end up affecting your emotional well-being and this is often one of the main stress factors expats have to deal with.

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NEWS WRAP – Lost Pensions Worth £37 Billion

Woman searching for documentsMany British retirement savers could retire two years earlier than they realise, according to a new piece of research from pensions advice firm Profile Pensions*.

This, says the firm, is because one in four over 55s have lost track of their pension funds, a fact that helps to account for a significant proportion of the UK’s approximately 1.6 million unclaimed pension pots. It is estimated that these funds have a combined value of around £37 billion.

The situation is even worse for younger retirement savers, with three in ten 25-34 year-olds saying they have lost track of a pension. One in ten respondents were not sure whether they would be able to account for all their pensions.

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