‘After the decision for the UK to leave the EU was made, we could not risk any impact to our advisers’ EU passporting status. We took immediate action to Brexit-proof the business and our Cyprus office has been operational for some time. It is a testament to the work of the team on the ground that this licence has now been approved.’ says John Westwood, Founder & Group Managing Director of the Blacktower Group.
‘We remain committed to Gibraltar; we have a strong operations team working from there and are constantly seeking ways to promote the benefits of this jurisdiction. All EU resident clients though will be moved to the Cypriot entities during 2020, enabling us to continue to service our clients in Europe, while Blacktower Financial Management (International) Limited will maintain a book of non-EU clients.’ he confirms.
The development follows the launch of Blacktower Cayman Limited back in November 2019, along with the expansion of the Group’s IFA network, Nexus Global, into the US and precedes plans to expand into Australia, South Africa and UAE later this year.
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.
Over the years, the trend for South African nationals to seek out new lives and experiences in Portugal has continued to grow and grow; I myself made the move back in 1988 as a fresh-faced economics graduate from Witswatersrand University in Johannesburg, and I’ve never looked back. It’s easy to see the appeal for South Africans – the year-round sunshine and vast expanses of Atlantic coastline are a familiar part of daily life, just as they are back home – but the secure location and easy access to the rest of Europe is something really special. Being as there’s over 11,000 KM of distance between the two countries, a mere 12 hrs by plane give or take, there are going to be some big differences in the way of life, even if there are those obvious similarities. It’s probably advisable for any emigrant to arrive armed with a willingness to accept how things are done in their new home country rather than try to carry on as before and hope for the best. This is never more true than when dealing with your finances.