News & Insights

British people make up one of the highest percentages of expats in the world, it is estimated by the World Bank that between 4.5 million and 5.5 million Britons live abroad – around 7-8% of the UK population. Spain has become a firm favourite for people choosing to settle down overseas.

The United Nations Population Division found that over 381,025 official British expats were in Spain during 2013, with even more who are unofficially living ‘under the radar.’

The Nuffield Trust has recently unveiled some worrying predictions regarding what tens of thousands of expats returning to the UK for healthcare following Brexit could mean for the NHS.

The independent health charity has released a report warning that the NHS will face an even bigger financial strain than it is already under if expats are forced to return to Britain because they can no longer receive funded healthcare in the EU.

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.

When an expat moves from their homeland to a new destination, either for work or education, they become a potentially valuable addition to that country. Such expats may go on to become an integral part of the country, which is why the rights of EU expats living in Britain has been one of the hot topics during Brexit negotiations.

Theresa May's pre-election refusal to guarantee the rights of migrant workers appeared to have a negative impact on many UK job sectors employing top flight individuals. It's a problem the media highlighted as a Brexit 'brain drain'.

Living on the Costa del Sol comes with many benefits. But it's not just the warm weather which makes it attractive to British expats or the fact that Blacktower has a team of expert financial advisers located in Marbella. No, there's plenty more to Spain than it's Sunshine Coast.

And in order to fully enjoy your life beside the beaches of Marbella, Malaga and Fuengirola why not drop into our offices to see one of our financial advisers?

It's always crucial to have your finances in order as these are uncertain times for expats, and the full impact that Brexit will have is still not known. However, receiving professional advice about the best way to manage your finances will help prepare you for whatever the future has in store. Our financial advisers in Marbella will provide you with nothing but the best guidance on how to manage your money.

Remember saying “Ready or not here I come”?

Well, a substantial number of my generation have forgotten the rules.

I was quietly having a cappuccino in Starbucks in Cascais, minding my own business and reading the weekend Financial Times, but I couldn’t help myself from listening to the people on the table next to me, a loud elderly crowd speaking in English.

In the first quarter of 2017, Spain's Gross Domestic Product (GPD) grew by 0.8 per cent, according to preliminary figures from the Spanish Statistical Institute (INE), which was marginally higher than the previous three months' growth of 0.7 per cent.

The was a larger expansion than many had predicted, causing the Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, to update the country's economic growth forecast for 2017 from 2.5 per cent to 2.7 per cent.

"Recent data for the first quarter of the year, as well as national and international forecasts, have pushed us to revise our growth forecast," the Prime Minister said.