SIPP Providers – Getting it Right
Money Marketing, a UK newspaper for financial intermediaries, has published details of a Freedom of Information Request it made it in relation to complaints received by the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) regarding Self Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) products.
It revealed that over the most recent 12-month period, 22 SIPP providers made 48 complaint referrals to the Ombudsman regarding investments.*
This latest revelation follows a SIPP dispute involving financial planner Berkeley Burke and the FOS in which it was heard that the firm failed to carry out full due diligence on a £29,000 unregulated collective investment scheme for one of its clients. It also follows a high profile but as yet unresolved case against Carey Pensions.
Your Expat Pension and Exceeding the Lifetime Allowance
The pensions tax relief Lifetime Allowance (LTA), otherwise known as the pension lifetime limit, should be an area of active concern for any expat with a high-value pension.
Despite this, far too many wealth management clients have insufficient knowledge of precisely what the pension lifetime limit is and they could be affected. In fact, significant numbers of expats may be unwittingly breaching the LTA pension limit, oblivious to the possible consequences.
Abandoning the ‘Lottery Mentality’
Nearly everyone dreams of winning the lottery and sailing into their sunset years of retirement aboard a superyacht of financial freedom and security. The problem is, however, that simply buying a lottery ticket is very unlikely to result in anything other than the needless spending of your hard-earned money.
In fact, when you buy a Euromillions ticket your chances of winning the jackpot are just 1 in 139,838,160* – you are almost certainly more likely to be struck by lightning or involved in a road accident while on the way to buy your lottery ticket than of winning the jackpot.
The Need for Trusted, Holistic Financial Advice Just Keeps Growing
Gibraltar Tax Treaty Offers Clarity and Landmark Recognition
As reported in our Big Deal blog, the UK and Spain have a tax treaty agreement for Gibraltar and Spain. This 2019 treaty is designed to clarify a number of important issues, including the long-standing, contentious issues of tax disputes and tax residency.
Furthermore, the Treaty resolves the issue of Gibraltar's ongoing consistency with EU law following Brexit as the British Overseas Territory has elected to retain legislation equivalent to EU law on all matters related to financial transparency, taxation, administration and Anti-Money Laundering.
Discretionary Fund Management – The Choice of the Savvy Investor
Discretionary fund management (DFM) is an increasingly important component of the expat financial advice offering.
There are many reasons for this; from the way it frees time for the adviser to focus on wealth management, to the flexible, bespoke and client-focused level of service offered by the DFM firm. It is all about providing solutions that work for the client, and by allowing a trusted, expert third-party to make decisions related to asset allocation and fund selection, clients can have increased confidence that they will achieve their financial goals.
Tax Return Deadlines for Expats in the Netherlands
If your expat financial adviser in the Netherlands has not alerted you to the fact already, you should be aware that the deadlines for Dutch tax returns are looming. Depending on your circumstances, these are as follows:
30 April – This is the general deadline and applies to the majority of taxpayers in the Netherlands 1 July – This is the deadline for most non-residents, including those who are newly arrived in the Netherlands as well as all other parties who qualify as M Form taxpayers (those who have only spent part of the tax year in the Netherlands due to immigration or emigration)Custodial Sentence for Pensions Fraudster
An investigation by The Pensions Regulator has for the first time resulted in an immediate custodial sentence for the perpetrator of professional pensions fraud, after William Bessent, an accountant who used his position as the trustee and administrator of a pension scheme to steal his clients' savings, was sentenced to 40 months in prison. He pleaded guilty to multiple fraud charges, making prohibited employer-related investments, and separate charges of acting as a director while disqualified.
The landmark case, being heard at Preston Crown Court* will also hopefully result in the return of stolen funds. On July 5 the courts will seek to obtain a confiscation order in order to make Bessent repay the remainder of the money he owes; he has so far repaid £80,000 but owes a further £200,000.