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The ‘wheres’ and the whys of UK expats in Europe

Among the most surprisingly popular destinations are Czech Republic, Slovakia and Finland (each of these countries is home to 5,000 or more UK expats).

Why do expats become expats?

You could be forgiven for thinking that migration is only a recent trend – one that reflects the “increasingly globalised world we live in”. However, although you would be right in assuming that the rate of migration has increased in recent years, the fact remains that humans have been migrating ever since our ancestors left the savannahs of Africa around two million years ago.

In reality, it is just much easier to achieve nowadays – the benefits of modern transport, the internet and expert expat financial advice are all pretty obvious.

And yet, it still takes imagination, as well as no small amount of gumption, to move from one’s country of birth to a place which may have only been visited for a few annual holidays. After all, it is so often easier to simply stick with the environment and lifestyle you know. MoveHub, a company specialising in helping expats make the move, analysed more than 180,000 of their customers’ experiences and discovered that the following were the major reasons people cite for deciding to embrace the expat life:

  • Better quality of life
  • Career progression
  • Economic pressure
  • Family ties
  • Lifestyle change
  • Politics
  • Wanderlust

Making the most of your brave new world

Whatever your motives, if you’re in it for the long-term and want to be assured of the best possible chance of future financial security for both you and your loved ones, the best way to achieve this is to receive expert expat financial advice.

So whatever the next few weeks, months and years bring in terms of whether the UK stays in the EU, Blacktower will remain by your side with all the most pertinent international financial advice that is right for you.

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

NEWS WRAP – Lost Pensions Worth £37 Billion

Woman searching for documentsMany British retirement savers could retire two years earlier than they realise, according to a new piece of research from pensions advice firm Profile Pensions*.

This, says the firm, is because one in four over 55s have lost track of their pension funds, a fact that helps to account for a significant proportion of the UK’s approximately 1.6 million unclaimed pension pots. It is estimated that these funds have a combined value of around £37 billion.

The situation is even worse for younger retirement savers, with three in ten 25-34 year-olds saying they have lost track of a pension. One in ten respondents were not sure whether they would be able to account for all their pensions.

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Income tax rise for British expats

moneyUnder new plans proposed by the Government, and included in Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond’s first Autumn Statement, British expatriates with offshore pensions will face a higher income tax rate.

The plans say that those with QROPS (qualifying registered overseas pension schemes) will be subject to the same tax treatment as those with UK pensions, meaning that they will pay 100 per cent instead of their current 90 per cent. There will also be further measures taken to make setting up a QROPS more complex in the future.

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