Expats will need to be wary of insurance agents attempting the “hard sell” because, sadly, some unscrupulous agents will use the risikolebensversicherung sales pitch as an opportunity to sell other products that may be superfluous to your individual needs – for example, education insurance, passenger accident insurance or travel luggage insurance.
Unfortunately, the unique and complex German system together with the sheer variety of products on offer, mean that it can be difficult to ascertain which policies are necessary and which are not. This is why securing local and professional insurance advice from an independent broker who has experience of the broader German insurance market can prove invaluable, particularly if the adviser can help you understand how cover fits in with a broader portfolio of potentially beneficial insurance products – for example, your health, contents, accident, legal, pensions, property and vehicles cover.
Too many insurance agents sell products on a commission basis, meaning that the client’s needs run the risk of becoming secondary to those of the salesperson, so receiving advice from Germany-based wealth management specialists can be a good way of finding out exactly which products will be best for you..
Blacktower advice for expats in Germany
For clients who come to us unsure about what they need in respect of Term Life Insurance (risikolebensversicherung), our first priority is to find a product that will provide reliable cover to their loved ones in the event of death.
Typically this means that, at the very least, the policyholder would have enough cover to settle the balance of any outstanding loans and mortgages. However, in most cases it is also prudent to provide your family or other named beneficiaries with an additional financial cushion at the time of your passing.
We can also help you decide how long you would like your cover to run because it can be difficult to know how to strike the right balance between length of cover and cost of cover.
For help finding the right life insurance cover for your needs contact Blacktower today; Germany wealth management advice from specialists with local knowledge, who understand the dilemmas faced by expats.
Some of the most confusing and complex areas for any UK expat to decipher are their tax obligations, in both their new home country, and their country of origin. Should you be paying tax on foreign income? Is there any kind of foreign residence tax exemption? How can I get a residence tax definition? It’s a labyrinthine subject, and one that merits the help of a financial professional, but it’s good to be forearmed with a basic grasp of the subject before you do so. If you are liable to pay UK tax you will be expected to file a tax return, failure to do so or not doing so in good time, can result in penalties and even interest payments on monies owed.