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Spotlight on Antonio Rosa – Joint Country Manager Portugal

Blacktower Lisbon

Antonio Rosa, Blacktower’s Joint Country Manager in Portugal, brings broad practical expertise and awareness to the Lisbon team. Not only does Antonio have experience of running his own businesses in both the UK and Portugal – including financial software start-ups and upmarket restaurants – he has also managed his own cross-border financial portfolios.

These individual experiences contributed to Antonio’s decision to bring his knowledge to the financial services sector so that he could provide skill and clarity directly to the client; he knows he can add value and enjoys the process of doing this for each client.

Antonio in a nutshell

If you had to capture the essence of what Antonio does, you might say that he provides clients with specialist cross-border retirement planning and wealth management advice to help them secure and grow their existing assets. He is also key in helping clients initiate succession planning and assisting in the mitigation of Inheritance Tax, both in the UK and Portugal.

Handling change in the financial services sector

One thing that Antonio’s varied experience and background has afforded him is the ability to perceive and respond to change – invaluable qualities in a financial services sector that is continually subject to regulatory, economic and political shifts.

Over the past six years he has welcomed the majority of the regulatory changes as they have helped make the industry “more accountable and professional”. He is particularly proud to work for a firm that places accountability and transparency at the heart of everything it does. “Blacktower is the proof that times have changed for the better,” he says.

Loving life in Blacktower’s Lisbon office

Lisbon is one of the most exciting and thriving cities in Europe and, in recent years, has seen a continued influx of international UHNWI (Ultra High Net Worth Individuals). It is the forever changing financial landscape in Portugal which excites Antonio about his day-to-day work and he has particularly enjoyed providing the specialist financial services that are required by UHNWIs in the city and surrounding areas.

Blacktower’s reputation for looking after both its clients and its team members enables it to recruit and retain some of the world’s top talent to its Lisbon office, and Antonio certainly falls into this category.

Some, less experienced, advisers may struggle with the pressure of being responsible for a client’s financial future, however, Antonio relishes the responsibility of being “fundamental to ensuring their quality of life”. In fact, his commitment to client interests means that he is proud to be regarded by many of his clients as a friend; a feeling he reciprocates wholeheartedly.

What does the future hold?

Awareness of the ever-changing laws and policies pertaining to the financial industry and to clients is a major part of Blacktower’s service provision, and team members regularly provide thoughtleader contributions to aid policy makers with their planning and proposals. With this in mind, Antonio says he would welcome policy shifts in relation to inheritance tax on the family home and that it is high time the UK reduces the tax burden on all other assets. Furthermore, he hopes that Portugal will soon provide clarification on the Non Habitual Residency tax situation.

Regardless of what happens at policy level, Antonio has every confidence that the team in Portugal will continue adding to its already long and successful history in the sector. Just like Blacktower, Antonio works hard to remain relevant and hopes that he will continue to advance the interests of clients for many years to come.

To find out more about Antonio and the team, please contact us.

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

Final salary pensions – why now is a good time to cash in

Juicy lottery-sized sums are being offered to savers to tempt them out of gold-plated workplace pension schemes and into personal plans. We’ve explored whether you should consider taking a final salary pension, as well as the benefits and drawbacks of withdrawing.

What is a final salary pension?

A final salary pension, sometimes referred to as a gold-plated pension, is a special style of retirement fund that is based on your final or average salary.

The main difference between this and a defined contribution pension is that a final salary scheme gives you a guaranteed sum annually for the rest of your life when you retire.

To work out the value of your final salary scheme, consider a few factors: 

  1. Your final or average salary at your place of employment (confirm this with your employer)
  2. Your length of service
  3. The final salary scheme’s accrual rate (this is often 1/80th)

Your final salary pension will take each factor into account, and the resulting figure will be the guaranteed annual sum you are entitled to.

For instance, if you worked somewhere for ten years, and leave on a salary of £100,000, with an accrual rate of 1/80th, you will have a guaranteed retired annual income of £12,500.

It is possible to undertake a final salary pension transfer. Depending upon how long you expect to enjoy retirement, this could be a favourable choice. However, it’s important to consult a financial advisor to make your final salary pension transfer values work harder.

What are the benefits of transferring a final salary pension?

Assessing your final salary pension transfer value, you might consider it worthwhile to withdraw. We’ve outlined the main benefits of taking your final salary pension:

Receive the cash value of your final salary pension

Withdrawing from a final salary scheme allows you to receive a cash lump sum in return for forfeiting your guaranteed income in retirement. This final salary pension transfer value is the main reason to withdraw from a scheme, as it offers you financial freedom.

Remove ties with your employer

This is an especially important point if you’re concerned that your employer may not exist throughout your full retirement. For most, the pension protection fund (PPF) will cover your pension, but, for especially high earners, there is a PPF ceiling of £41,461 (as of April 2020).

Enjoy a flexible income in your retirement

A final salary scheme entitles you to a guaranteed annual income when you retire, but if you go down the route of transferring your final salary pension you will be able to enjoy a little more flexibility in how you receive your income. Usefully, by withdrawing from your final salary scheme, you can choose to take more out in your younger years.

Choose how you want to invest your pension

A final salary scheme is controlled tightly to accommodate all employees and their interests. When withdrawing from the scheme, however, you can take complete control over how your pension fund is invested.

The considerations you should make before transferring your final salary pension

While there are certainly benefits of going down the route of transferring final salary pension funds into various other pots, it’s important to consider what you’ll be giving up:

  • Entitlement to a fixed annual income for the rest of your life
  • A safe income that doesn’t fluctuate with volatile markets and share prices
  • Spousal and family benefits that come with a final salary scheme

 Example: Should I cash in my final salary pension?

An example is Mrs Dee (not her real name), 4 years ago she asked for her final salary transfer values, which came in at £250,000 – a nice sum, you may think. After reviewing all the facts and figures available, however, I advised Mrs Dee to leave her final salary pension where it was, which she duly did.

Towards the end of last year, because of favourable market conditions, I applied again to see the value of transferring her final salary . This one came in at just under £600,000.

Read More

MiFid II – What’s Next for Regulations?

FinanceAfter the announcement in January 2018 from the Malta Financial Services Authority, stating the significant pending changes to Maltese pension and MiFid regulations, both companies and advisers alike felt the net tighten around their daily practices.

The statement started one of the most significant shifts for the industry and sparked apprehension around those ill-equipped to provide fully compliant financial advice in light of the revised regulatory standards.

Read More

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