Viewing posts from: November 2000

Keeping occupied when you’re retired is not always easy

By Jeremy Ferguson
This article is published on: 21st November 2022

21.11.22

Over the years I’ve been living and working in Spain with retired expats, one of the issues that very often comes to light is finding things to do, and making new friends. For the avid golfers among you, that may not be a problem, but for many others it can be.

We have recently started supporting the Benahavis Arts Society, who not only organise Talks in Benahavis once a month, but interestingly, they are also organising regular trips to places of interest in and around Andalucia, as well as other planned social events.

If you are looking to make new friends, and explore Andalucia, then this may be for you. There are planned trips to The Malaga Christmas Lights on the 9th of December, a Christmas Lunch of the 15th of December, and a pub quiz on the 19th of January next year. Non-members are welcome, and more details can be found on their website at; www.theartssocietybenahavis.com

As can be seen from the write up below, the most recent trip to Antequera was a huge success:

“With the guidance of Miranda, our excellent tour operator, we started our day driving through stunning scenery including the extensive rich farmlands in the valleys around the city and the imposing Pena de Los Enamorados (Lovers Leap); a distinctive face-shaped mountain from a romantic legend that overlooks the town and dominates the landscape.  

On arrival at the top of the city, we started our historical walking tour with a local guide. This included the majestic Alcazaba; the centuries old Moorish fortress and the beautiful Colegiata with its superb façade. We visited the municipal museum with its many artefacts tracing Antequera’s extensive archaeological history and the splendid renaissance style church of Parroquia San Sebastian.  

We then had free time to explore the city further and take in a delicious lunch at one of the delightful tapas restaurants around the central square.  

The spectacular cultural heritage site of the Dolmens was the destination for our afternoon visit. These bronze age burial grounds built with huge megaliths are nothing short of impressive. Inside, the chambers are magnificent and clearly show the scale of the architectural and engineering feat required to build them.  

The whole day was truly delightful with something for everyone. It was very well planned and organised, with highly knowledgeable and personable guides, various pick-up locations and brief stops on the way there and back for refreshments. I would particularly like to thank Miranda, Betty and Tracey for looking after us so well but also the whole group who were so incredibly welcoming.”

Working with clients in the Costa Del Sol and helping with their financial planning and tax matters has meant I get involved in so many other areas of people’s lives, this being just one great example.

If you would like to find out more about how we can help you not only make sure your financial world is in order here, but also integrate into life here in Spain, please feel free to get in touch for a chat.

At Last, Wealth Tax is abolished in Andalucia

By Jeremy Ferguson
This article is published on: 21st September 2022

21.09.22

Monday the 19th of September 2022 will be in the history books forever. Having watched the coverage of the Queens funeral on TV, it made me think there is no other country on earth who could have put on such an impressive show for the world to see. It made me feel very proud to be British.

Moving overseas is an exciting and daunting thing to do but if you, like me, have lived overseas for many years, that homesick feeling does hit home sometimes, and the Queens funeral was certainly one such example.

It has been a tough year in many ways. Everything it seems is changing. The reopening from the pandemic has changed the way many people work. Russia’s Invasion of the Ukraine changed the idea of a peaceful Europe. The cost of living has increased due to rising inflation, and now rising interest rates are back with us. All of this has happened after years of peace, cheap energy, low interest rates and non-existent inflation. It seems the longer we live with something, the more powerful it’s passing, something that no doubt made the Queens funeral very emotional for many people.

We now have a King, and the world in which we live is without doubt going to continue to change. Any of you filling up your car will have noticed the cost has come down from the previous highs in the summer, and the general consensus is that inflation will start to slowly come down between now and the end of the year. It isn’t however expected to hit the floor, but rather fall to a much more acceptable level.

When you are retired and keeping a close eye on your savings, investments and pensions, inflation and interest rates are two critical factors to take into account when trying to work out the future. If you have a fixed pension income, it is commonplace to then substitute this with ‘income’ from investments, the spending power of which is affected by inflation. If the investment returns are all over the place, and inflation is doing the same, it’s really important to monitor things closely and on a regular basis. As an example, if things carry on as they are, we may see a return of interest on bank deposits, which has been a factor not taken into account for a long time when making plans for your money.

Contact me now if you would like to discuss your Wealth Tax situation

Tax is something I’ve not really mentioned before, but this of course has an effect on your disposable income. Pension and Investment income can be very tax efficient here if the right planning is taken, but something that has always been a difficult one to deal with is the annual Wealth Tax.

In the past many Wealthy individuals have decided against moving to Andalucia because of the punitive Wealth tax, which in real terms doesn’t actually generate that much revenue each year (estimated at €95m per annum for the Region). It is felt that by attracting more Wealthy Individuals, the increased expenditure and resultant revenues will far exceed that amount, so it does seem to make perfect sense.

Financial planning in retirement isn’t rocket science, but with so many variables effecting how things may look financially going forward, it’s never been more important to make sure your previous plans aren’t sitting gathering dust. Maybe they are not being best suited for the new environment we find ourselves in.
The news has been very negative so far this year, and although the passing of the Queen was a very sad event, it marks a line in history and just goes to show nothing lasts forever. It will be interesting to see how the new King makes his mark in history.

If you would like to find out more about how we help our clients here in Spain, please feel free to get in touch.

Are you paying too much on your investments?

By Jeremy Ferguson
This article is published on: 19th July 2022

19.07.22

Paying too much for something is never a good idea!

Unless you have been spending all your time either on the beach or playing golf, it would be almost impossible not to have seen what´s been happening in the financial world at the moment.

Stock markets have had their worst start to a year in 50 years. Almost every day all you see and hear is doom and gloom about rising inflation, rising food prices, rising fuel prices, rising interest rates, supply chain issues, falling consumer confidence. And on and on it goes.

As usual with such issues, it can affect retirees who live here the most, as their Pensions and Investments are normally exposed to the stock markets and various other investment instruments, pretty much all of which are falling at the moment. How much worse can it get? Who knows.. When will it recover? Who Knows.. How long will it take to make up for all of my losses this year? Who knows…!

Nobody does, and looking at history can give a good indication as to the likely answers, but as I keep saying, this could well be history in the making, as opposed to history repeating itself.

Looking at history can help calm the nerves and add perspective. Over the last 150 years there have been 13 major stock market crashes. In 1877 markets fell by 33%, in 1970 they fell by 25% and again in 1974 by 39%. The latest memorable events were the financial crisis of 2008 which resulted in losses of 49% and the Covid lockdown period, which again resulted in heavy losses.

Taking the median of all of these 15 events, an average fall of 33% has taken on average of around 2 years to recover. So, although I have said this may well be history in the making, what we can all be sure of is that things will eventually get better. It’s just a question of how quickly, and that again is an unknown. The speed of recoveries is always quite impressive. Many people miss the fact that if you lose 50% on something, that something has to double in value to return to where you were.

Paying too much for something is never a good idea!

One thing I do know though, is that if you have Pensions and Investments which are expensive, trying to reduce the costs incurred is one thing that will have an immediate positive effect on your returns, and can have an incredibly positive effect on the long-term returns.

Something else that is also relevant to costs, is the type of investments retirees are in. One of the first things to assess when I meet a client is what risk they are prepared to take with their investments. Typically, (as most are retired), I think being driven by caution (or fear) rather than greed is paramount, meaning a client should typically be very concerned about protecting their capital, and therefore their investments should be at the lower end of the risk scale.

Therefore, it makes perfect sense if you are looking to achieve a certain annual return that reducing the annual costs as best you can will mean you can take less risk to achieve your objectives, and therefore see better capital protection.

Many people are coming to me asking if we can take a look at their existing arrangements, and very often we are able to offer a solution to reduce the costs and achieve a more suitable strategy in view of where we find ourselves.

In these times of rising costs, every penny helps, and very often just talking through situations like this and having someone to listen to your worries can be a great help, so if you would like a quick chat in confidence about your financial situation, please get in touch.

Are you thinking of moving to Spain

By Jeremy Ferguson
This article is published on: 23rd June 2022

23.06.22

“Its so nice holidaying here, I’d love to live here all year round…’’

If you are a UK resident and here on holiday, it is very often these times that get people thinking about retiring to Spain. The attractions of the slower pace of life, a completely different climate, all those extra hours of daylight and sunshine, a lower cost of living, ( depending on lifestyle!), eating out often – on and on the list normally goes.

When the UK was part of the European Union, taking the plunge and moving to Spain was relatively straightforward, aside from the obvious challenges of the actual move. You could sell up, jump on a plane and then when you were here, apply for residency, register at the town hall etc, and that was pretty much it.

Now however, that simply isn’t the case. There is the fact that as a UK citizen, you no longer have the freedom of movement within the EU, something many people still haven’t come to terms with. You can of course still come here to live, but you will need to make an application for a Visa. If you are looking to retire, then this needs to be a non lucrative Visa.

I work closely with experts who can assist with these applications, who know the process inside out and make this part all very straightforward for you.

The financial planning side of the whole process is also essential, and that of course is where I get involved. It is important you dispose of or organize your assets in the most tax efficient way you can before you leave the UK. For example, making sure your pensions are correctly dealt with and selling your main residence at the right time to name just a couple, and of course understanding the tax system and rates applicable once you are here.

One of the most important aspects of making your Visa application, (which has to be done at one of three Spanish embassies in the UK – London, Manchester or Edinburgh), is understanding what your finances need to look like to satisfy the Spanish requirements. These are mostly focused on the fact that they want to ensure you have enough money or income to live here self sufficiently.

Download our Guide - Moving to Spain, the money part

So you need to satisfy what is known as IPREM, literally translated this means “The Public Multiple Effects Income Indicator”. As a non EU member applicant ( Third country National ), you need to demonstrate you have 4 times the IPREM requirement, plus 100% extra per beneficiary. So in simple terms, if a married couple are retiring here you will need to prove income of €2,895.10 per month, or a lump sum of €34,741.20 for each year. It is also worth noting, your Non Lucrative Visa needs renewing after a year (for the next two years) and again after three years, again for the next two years. After the end of year five you will then obtain permanent residency. This all has an effect on what money they will want to see you have, be it in the form of Pension income, savings, cash in the bank etc. This not only applies when you make your initial application, but also for the following four years.

So if you are thinking about moving to Spain? You will need to make an application for a Visa. If you are looking to retire, then this needs to be a non lucrative Visa, it is really important to have a good handle on the financial requirements, not just for the initial application but also for the subsequent few years. Most of my work has changed significantly now when working with people who are planning their move here, as it is so much more complicated than it used to be.

As we are dealing with similar situations on a regular basis, it enables us to make the process as easy as it can possibly be for individuals.

If you would like to find out more about what planning would be needed to make living in Spain a reality, then please feel free to get in touch.

Inflation in Spain

By Jeremy Ferguson
This article is published on: 26th April 2022

26.04.22

Life just seems to be getting so much more expensive nowadays.

Over the last few years we have seen a quite incredible chain of events unfold. Covid reared its ugly head, and caused a massive change in the way in which we live and travel. During this period of lockdowns and people working from home, spending habits took a massive turn. No one had the chance to go out and spend money in bars and restaurants, go to the cinema, or take weekend city breaks to name but a few.

When things started to go back to normal, we saw big supply chain issues coming to light. Microchips for cars meant new car deliveries became more and more delayed, pushing up the price of second hand cars. Demand for consumer goods for the home, having gone through the roof, also meant the cost of these items started to rise.

Many companies wound down production during the covid period, and then all of a sudden were caught short by the sudden surge in demand. You can argue this happened in the fuel industry, as we saw panic buying and massive queues in the UK at petrol stations.

Then, just as we started to look for a hint of normality, with people slipping back into their old spending habits, the war in Ukraine started, immediately hitting the price of fuel, and the one that surprised me, sunflower oil!

All of these factors have meant that the cost of living for all households is increasing at an alarming rate, inflation is with us again, having been dormant for quiet a while. The one that has really hit most people here in Spain is the increasing cost of Electricity. In December the cost rose from its lowest point by almost 500%, something I have no living memory of happening before. For many people, that is creating a huge dent in their disposable income each month.

Most people I deal with are retired or semi-retired, with their income generated by drawing down from their pensions, and then normally substituting it with drawdowns from Investment Portfolios and cash savings. At this stage of their lives, I believe in most circumstances fear tends to be the driving factor behind their Investment decisions, as protecting the money far outweighs trying to get too high a return each year. That makes perfect sense as income streams during retirement have typically ceased, so the ‘pot’ needs to be looked after carefully. Making plans for how long your funds will last is easy to a degree, when the cost of living simply increases a little each year, but now, with the way things are, the plans that previously seemed sensible will certainly need a bit of a shake up.

If interest rates rise as predicted, then maybe people will be able to look for their cash in the bank to increase in value by earning some interest, but that is something none of us can predict at the moment. If inflation continues at today’s current levels, many people will either have to change their lifestyle, or look to try and increase the annual return on their savings, but by doing that, it typically involves taking more risk, which is completely against where people normally want to be at this stage of their lives.

With the changes we are seeing with outgoings, Investment returns, interest rates and inflation, it has never been more important to spend time regularly looking at financial plans, and adjusting assumptions to make sure you have a realistic handle of how things will look going forward. It’s not rocket science, and I am here to help if you find it all a little daunting, so please free to get in touch via the form below or please email: jeremy.ferguson@spectrum-ifa.com

Back at the races in Monza

By Jeremy Ferguson
This article is published on: 19th July 2021

19.07.21

Proudly sponsored by The Spectrum IFA Group

I was proud to finally make my Racing debut this year, carrying the Spectrum colours on the Ligier LMP4 I was racing at Monza in Italy in the European Ligier series.

We received a drive through penalty in the first half of the race when running up front, and I managed to battle back from 9th to an eventual podium place in 3rd.

Attached are a few pictures from the event, and for anyone who wants to watch the TV coverage, click here for the full race on video:

Can we learn from the past?

By Jeremy Ferguson
This article is published on: 24th April 2020

24.04.20

Long periods of growth in the world, followed by a creeping in of greed, have normally caused previous stock market ‘tumbles’. This time, however, something completely unprecedented has caused it, wiping large fortunes from people’s pensions and savings, for the short term at least.

This latest situation is another great example of the fact that no one really knows what lurks around the corner. Investment managers may be clever people, but it’s simply impossible to accurately predict the timings of markets taking a tumble when events such as this take place.

‘Investing is for the medium to long term’ is something you will always hear about from people like myself. If you have a time horizon that’s very short, it’s normally fraught with danger; investments need time for you to reap their rewards. So my question is, how has the world faired on this front over the last century, and what we can learn from the past?

The first ‘event’ was the Great Depression in the US, which started in the late 1920’s. What caused it?

The early part of the decade was full of exuberance, people borrowing money to buy cars, new houses, and even borrowing to make investments in the new world of the stock market.

Everyone was doing so well, then the whole thing fell apart and nearly 13% was wiped off stock market values. For those people who had borrowed heavily to invest, it was enough to wipe them out. They lost everything, as they couldn’t repay their debts, and then followed the Great Depression. This lasted roughly 12 years until the massive manufacturing effort of WWII kick started the recovery.

Next up, after many years of growth following the end of World War II, was the famous 1987 crash. This was the largest fall in stock market values at that point in history, with a 23% fall. So what caused this? It was similar to the 1929 crash, with the addition of the speed at which people could trade shares in the modern world.

People were borrowing money, leveraging investments with the money, and then things started to go wrong. This time fear took over, with panic selling ensuing, and people lost fortunes very quickly. At that point it was the single biggest one day fall in history.

This was then followed by a 12 year recovery period, with everything being a little more controlled, until the Dot-Com bubble started to inflate. It was a frenzy of over valued companies,

people buying shares they would never have normally bought. It was all so easy to make money. Everyone was involved. Greed fevered a frenzy of madness! Then it all fell apart. The bursting of the Dot-Com bubble in 1999/2000 pushed stock markets down 23% again, but many shares fell almost 100% in value.

And off we went again… over the next 8 years, behind the scenes there was the growing greed that always seems to be lurking. Easy borrowings, people buying houses they couldn’t really afford, remortgaging the ones they had to buy more ‘things’. Banks were selling on loans to other banks.
Easy money was everywhere, seemingly fuelled by greed again. And then, you guessed it, bang! The start of the 2008 Financial crisis as it became known. The American banking system almost collapsed entirely. Never before had greed almost toppled a country. 12 years of recovery followed (sound familiar?) and 2020 is the next focal point! What more is there to say? Another large ‘tumble’ in values again.

So where am I going with this? Every time this has happened in the markets before, afterwards there ensues a protracted period of recovery and growth. The important thing is the ‘line’ keeps going up, albeit in a rather rugged manner.

The below graph is an example of 50 years growth of the 500 largest companies in the US up to the 2008 crisis. It is all over the place, but if you were invested for the medium to long term, the ‘line’ goes up and up, which is why people invest their hard earned pensions and savings. To profit!

This recovery is going to be tough, and in a new and changed world. It will come from companies that are agile, well financed with flexible long term objectives, and who are able to adapt quickly to the ever changing world.

Never has this been so obvious as it is now. If you have money invested, make sure as best you can it is exposed to investments that are most likely to be part of the recovery. A recovery that history has taught us always happened in the past.

Lockdown is a great opportunity to dig out your files to see what you are invested in, and if you need any assistance or a second opinion, I am happy to help. I can be contacted at :

Jeremy Ferguson
The Spectrum IFA Group
Sotogrande, 11310, Spain
Office: + 0034 956 794409
Mobile: + 34 670 216 229

jeremy.ferguson@spectrum-ifa.com
spectrum-ifa.com

Health before wealth

By Jeremy Ferguson
This article is published on: 27th March 2020

27.03.20

Never has this expression been more relevant

After we received the news the Lockdown here in Spain is due to be extended until the 12th of April, and my best guess is that could be extended even further if we are on a similar path to Italy. Let’s hope we are not, but I for one am building myself up to accept that’s a real possibility.

My previous articles have spoken a lot about the benefits of living here in Spain: the glorious sunshine, beaches, the associated outdoor lifestyle we all came here to enjoy and the longer life expectancy that comes with all that.

Wow, how that has all changed in such a short period of time. I have to say how impressed I have been with how the authorities here reacted, in a very timely fashion, and as is typical with the Guardia here in Spain, no messing around! People respect them, and apart from some idiotic panic shopping at the beginning, they are showing a lot of decency towards the authorities and their neighbours.
The UK has reacted in a slightly different way, and I will be intrigued as to the level of intervention the police will take and how that will be received.

My wife and I have both been bed bound for a number of days with many of the virus symptoms, so we are pretty sure we caught the dreaded thing. Considering our age and state of health, together with the difficulty of getting tested, we could see no point in seeking the help of the already stretched hospital services, so we rode it through. The temperatures and headaches, together with muscle aches and sweats were awful, but over in a matter of days. It’s not like we can do anything other than stay at home anyway, so in a strange way, every cloud has a silver lining.

Whilst we are all very worried about the potential health threat, many of us will also be worried about the potential wealth threat as well; I know we certainly are. Our pensions and savings are both taking a big hit at the moment, and I am sure there are a great many of you out there who are feeling the same pain.

A bit like the virus though, just as the human body fights back, the economies and companies of the world have an incredible ability to do the same thing. There will be casualties of course, just like with the pandemic, but the ability of the human race to fight back in the face of adversity is quiet incredible.

So rather than worrying too much about the current downturns in investment markets, maybe just trust in mankind’s ability to come back from these things and get back to ‘normal’ as quickly as possible. I cannot even imagine what things must have been like after the end of the second World War, but the human race simply rolled up its sleeves, licked its wounds and eventually got back relatively quickly to economic good health, showing an incredible doggedness and determination in its quest to achieve that.

I am sure this event is going to have a profound effect on people in the future, and how they may act when we come out of this terrible situation. Maybe a lot less will be taken for granted, maybe things will be appreciated more, maybe people will have realised the importance of helping others with selfless acts, maybe the handshake will be a thing of the past.

I do know one thing though, that this will have a profound effect on me going forward.

So my message for both your health and your wealth: stay strong, be careful, look after others around you, and please don’t panic!

Jeremy Ferguson
The Spectrum IFA Group
Sotogrande, 11310, Spain
Office: + 0034 956 794409
Mobile: + 34 670 216 229

jeremy.ferguson@spectrum-ifa.com
spectrum-ifa.com

Spanish Resident Services

By Jeremy Ferguson
This article is published on: 10th September 2019

10.09.19

I was recently with someone whom I have known for quite a while, having met him regularly at business events in and around where I live. I knew what he did for a living (chef) and he knew what I did for a living, or at least I thought he did!

Over dinner one evening, I was asked “Jeremy, I know you are a Financial Adviser, but what exactly do you do?”

It actually took me by surprise, thinking everyone would know what I did if I had told them my job title. The discussion continued; “ I would get it if you said you were a chef, you cook food; if you were a car mechanic, you repair cars; if you were a pilot, you fly planes; but what exactly do you do as a Financial Adviser?”

Wow! My answer actually took a little longer than I thought, explaining all of the different aspects I deal with. That got me thinking, I do need to explain a little more about what I do, but not bore people to death.

With that in mind, I put together a small ‘flyer’ showing the areas I deal with, which then pushed me to write this article with the objective of giving people a little more detail around all of the areas I can help with.

So this is what I do for people who live here in Spain:

Retirement Planning / Pension Management
If you haven’t got to that age yet, have you tucked enough away to get you through retirement? Is what you have saved so far suitably invested now things are changing? If you have got to that age, is what you have expensive and suitable for your current lifestyle? We can review your plans and help with managing your finances in retirement.

Pension Transfer Advice
QROPS is a complicated area. What does it even mean? Qualifying (it qualifies as a pension) Recognised (it is recognised by HMRC in the UK) Overseas (it is outside of the UK) Pension Scheme. It simply means it may make sense to move your pension away from the UK to gain more control, for example to choose Euros instead of Sterling. Quite often it makes no sense to move it. What is important is that we can provide you with all of the information you need to make an informed decision. Brexit may mean there is a limited time to do this.

Tax Efficient Investments
If you have ISA’s you will be taxed on these in Spain. Are you invested in policies you bought in the UK holding UK funds that are being taxed on the profit? We can take a look at what you have and see if there are better options out there for living in Spain from a cost, tax and administrative perspective.

General Financial Overviews
Savings in banks in the UK and here, ISA’s, personal pensions, state pensions, general investments, shares, and the list goes on. Are all of these suitable now things have changed and you have retired in Spain? Do you know where all your monies are? Have you forgotten a small pension you may have paid into when working for a company many years ago in the UK? Are you being charged too much for what you have? Is everything all kept together in one place? We can help manage all of this.

Cash Flow Planning / Long Term Plans
How long are you going to live? (I’m afraid we cannot answer that one). How long will what you have last? What effect is inflation having on everything. Can you reduce your outgoings? We can help you take some time to look at all of these things in detail and maybe tweak things to help your money go a little further.

Succession Planning
Who do you plan to leave your assets to when you pass away? (Please don’t say the Taxman!) Where are the likely beneficiaries living? Where are your assets based and is everything in place to make sure things go as smoothly as possible when the unthinkable happens? We can help you with all of this and give guidance on wills, taxes and everything associated with succession plans.

Mortgages
Are you looking to buy a property here in Spain but worried about the poor exchange rate when you have sterling to pay for it. Have you considered borrowing as much as you can in Euros so you can keep your pounds and maybe exchange in years to come if the rate has improved? Mortgages are at all time lows with regard to interest rates at the moment, so maybe now is the time to take advantage and lock those low rates in? Do you understand the mortgage offer you have from the bank? We can help expats with mortgages and all of these questions through our mortgage division.

So now you can understand why my friend needed a little more explanation about what I do. I hope this has given you an insight into all of the areas I can help people with and if all has gone to plan, next time someone asks me exactly what I do, my answer will certainly be a little more polished!

I Thought Retiring Would Be So Much Simpler Than It Is!

By Jeremy Ferguson
This article is published on: 12th July 2019

12.07.19

When he announced his remarkable UK pension reforms in 2014, the then Chancellor George Osbourne said:
“People who have worked hard and saved hard all of their lives, and done the right thing, should be trusted with their own finances”.

And that’s precisely what people now do. People are using their pension freedoms practically, paying off debts, moving into part time work, and topping up income using flexible drawdown. Some have simply retired, while others may continue working and wait before they start drawing down their pension. The need to purchase an annuity to provide an income for life is no longer there, so although there are increased freedoms, how has it affected those retiring?

People are now realising that managing your pension pot when you retire is not all that straightforward.
A recent study showed that 45% of those aged 50 to 75 are worried that their pension pot will simply not last their retirement. Before the reforms, you took you tax free lump sum, and then an income, which was often guaranteed for life for both you and your partner.

So, in view of all these choices, and with the world ever changing, what has it all meant?
Amazingly, close to 40% of upcoming retirees are still unsure when and how to access their ‘pot’, while many retirees who have accessed their tax free lump sum have paid off some kind of debt or mortgage, and 28% of non retirees who are going to take their lump sum, plan to spend it.

What are people doing with their lump sums when they reach retirement?

What is surprising is how many people simply put the money in a bank account or invest in something else. This is probably being invested with a view to producing additional income going forward.

I think many people’s pension pots are simply not looking like they will produce enough income for the lifestyle they want to lead, or had become accustomed to. Retiring to Spain, the better weather and longer days in winter typically mean people do so much more than they thought they would. Enjoying life that little bit more, however, normally correlates to greater spending!

What are people doing about the fact so much of their wealth is tied up in property when they get to retirement?
With property making up over half of self employed people’s wealth for those aged 50 to 75, this now tends to be another means that people are looking to use to help substitute their income going forward. Interestingly, their employed peers tend to have less of their wealth in property (37%) and more in their pensions (48%), with the rest of their wealth (15%) in various investments. I think this shows a marked difference between how people who ran their own businesses and people who worked for a company differ in their attitude to risk, with the employee typically being more cautious, having ‘tucked away’ more for retirement.

Equity release is much used area to top things up in the UK, but is not available here in Spain and is fraught with downsides, especially if inheritance for your children is something that concerns you.

Many people are downsizing, so for those who sell up and move to Spain, this is a great opportunity to do just that.

On average 30% of people’s retirement income is starting to come from downsizing at retirement.

It is becoming more and more important that people plan carefully when reaching retirement, particularly if that involves moving to Spain where different taxation issues also need to be considered.

On this point, many people are unaware that you can get your pension paid gross from the UK when you become tax resident here ( i.e. there is no tax deducted at source). This is done by getting an NT code (Not Taxable) and letting your pension provider know. This will mean your life will be simpler when filing your Spanish tax returns, and in some cases people are even able to reclaim any overpaid taxes here for up to 4 years.

What else are people doing in retirement?
There is an ever growing army of ‘Silver Entrepreneurs’, with retirees regularly consulting for their old employers, starting up new businesses, or simply getting back into part time work. The reasons vary, but again, it just shows how much the retirement model is changing.

I know I will inherit some money by the time I retire, so this will help.

Although this is often the case, those of us receiving inheritance nowadays has dropped from 29% to just 19%. This is almost certainly an effect of people living longer and using their property to support the increased financial strain of retirement, effectively leaving less behind.

So what does all of this mean?
Retiring nowadays and managing your finances is becoming a much more involved area. In the past you took your lump sum, looked at the income you would get, adjusted your lifestyle accordingly, and typically assumed you would leave your house to the children.

Nowadays, doctors seem to keep us going for an eternity, things are getting ever more expensive, interest rates are nothing, and the list goes on. Attention and careful planning are needed more than ever to keep an eye on how things are going financially, keeping that balance between sensible expenditure and maximising what you can leave behind to your loved ones.

Tips when hitting retirement :

1. Make sure you have a clear understanding of your outgoings. Assume they will go up every year just simply as a result of inflation. Consider increased care costs as you get older.
2. Have you forgotten a ‘small’ pension you may have had when you worked somewhere many moons ago? Look into it, I’ve had many clients who have been pleasantly surprised.
3. Make sure your UK state pension is fully funded ( you can go online and check that at www.gov.uk /check-state-pension).
4. Consider the need to take a lump sum or not. Is a higher income level going to be better?
5. What other investments do you have? Can they be used to produce additional income?
6. Are you paying too much tax on your pensions when you take them here in Spain?
7. Have you discussed inheritance with your heirs?

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