French social charges on worldwide investment income
By Spectrum IFA
This article is published on: 1st April 2015
On 26th February 2015, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) made a very important ruling concerning the application of French social charges (prélèvement sociaux). These charges are levied to fund certain social security benefits in France, as well as the compulsory sickness insurance schemes.
If you are resident in France, you are required to pay the social charges on all your worldwide investment income and gains and the current rate is 15.5%. However, the payment of these social charges does not actually give you any automatic right to French social security benefits and health cover.
In fact, many early retirees have been refused health cover when their Certificate S1, issued by the UK, has expired, if they have not been resident in France for at least five years. Since having adequate health cover is a condition of French residency, such people have either had to work in France – perhaps even setting up their own business – or they have been obliged to take out private health cover.
It is clear that France considers social charges on investment income and gains as an additional tax, rather than a social security contribution, since the payment does not provide any automatic rights to social security benefits and health cover. However, it is the French Code de Sécurité Sociale, rather than the Code Générale des Impôts, which lays down the conditions under which these social charges are payable in France.
Thankfully, the ECJ has reached a different conclusion. In its determination, the ECJ decided that France’s social charges have a sufficient link with the financing of the country’s social security system and benefits. In addition, there should be no distinction made between those charges payable on earnings and those payable on investment income and gains.
EU Regulation 1408/71 deals with the application of social security schemes to people moving within the European Union. The Regulation provides that people should be subject to the social security legislation of only one Member State (except for very limited situations). To have anything different could lead to unequal treatment between Members States and their citizens, which would be contrary to EU principles.
Therefore, for any French resident who is the holder of a Certificate S1 that has been issued by another Member State, this means that he/she is subject to the social security legislation of the issuing State. As such, the ECJ has ruled that France cannot impose an obligation on the person to pay social charges to France, as this would result in them being subject to the social security legislation of more than one Member State. The ECJ has also ruled that this principle applies whether or not the insured person actually pays social security contributions on the income/gains concerned in the Member State that insures the person.
Since 2012, non-residents have also had to pay the social charges on any French property rental income and on any gains arising when they have sold the French property. There is general opinion now that the ECJ ruling should also bring this to an end, at least for residents who are insured in another EU State.
EU legislation overrides the internal legislation of Member States. Notwithstanding this, we will still need to wait for the French government’s response to this ECJ ruling. Arising out of this, if France accepts the ruling, it will need to amend its own internal codes to ensure compliance with the ruling.
In the meantime, taxpayers can make an application for a refund of social charges paid in 2013 and 2014, by filing a claim with their local tax office before 31st December 2015. In addition, taxpayers may also wish to refer to the ECJ ruling when submitting their French tax returns for this year, if they believe that they are affected.
On the subject of French tax returns, these are due by 19th May 2015, if submitting a paper return or if submitting on-line by 26th May 2015 for departments 01 to 19, by 2nd June 2015 for departments 20 to 49 and by 9th June 2015 for other departments. According to the ECB website, the average exchange rate of Sterling to Euros for 2014 is 0.80612.
For those of you who came to live in France during 2014, then you will need to make your first French tax declaration and declare all your worldwide income and gains. This includes income and gains that might be tax-free in another country, for example, UK ISAs, premium bond winnings and Pension Commencement Lump Sums, which are all taxable in France.
Even if the income is taxable in another country, for example a UK government pension and/or UK property rental income, the amount must still be reported in France and it will be taken into account in calculating your French income tax. You will then be given a tax reduction to take into account the fact that the income is taxable elsewhere.
It is also very important to declare the existence of all foreign bank accounts (whatever the amount in the account) and life assurance policies taken out with companies outside of France. Failure to do so can result in a penalty of €1,500 for each undisclosed bank account. However, if the total value of all unreported accounts is €50,000 or more, then the penalty is increased to 5% of the total value of the accounts, if this results in a greater amount. The same penalties also apply for undeclared foreign life assurance contracts.
Pensions – I cannot pass by without saying something on this. I have personally become so fed up with all of the UK changes that I have now taken the decision to transfer all of my own UK pension benefits into a QROPS. I have chosen the well-regulated jurisdiction of Malta and I feel that I am in control of my own retirement planning again. In short, I feel that I will now have a pension for life and not just for Christmas or for the next session of the UK parliament.
With days to go before the reform takes place in the UK, if you are affected, do you understand what this means for you? If not, would you like to have a confidential discussion with me about your situation?
Pensions is one of the major subjects that we are also covering at our client seminars this year, as well as EU Succession Regulations, French taxation, health insurance and currency exchange. We are already taking bookings for Le Tour de Finance 2015 and this is a perfect opportunity to come along and meet industry experts on a broad range of financial matters that are of interest to expatriates. The local events are taking place at:
Perpignan – 19th May
Bize-Minervois – 20th May
Montagnac – 21st May
Le Tour de Finance is an increasingly popular event and early booking is recommended. So if you would like to attend one of these events, please contact me to reserve your places.
Whether or not you are able to come to one of our events, if you would like to have a confidential discussion about pensions, investments and/or inheritance planning, using tax-efficient solutions, please contact me either by telephone on 04 68 20 30 17 or by e-mail at daphne.foulkes@spectrum-ifa.com.
Sterling or euro?
By Spectrum IFA
This article is published on: 31st March 2015
My monthly articles appear principally in the Flyer and on the Spectrum website, although I have seen them crop up in all sorts on unlikely places on the internet. Thankfully, they create a steady stream of calls or emails from readers who have many and varied financial issues to address. Quite often these issues can be well beyond my capabilities as a financial adviser to address, but I will always try to help as much as I can. I do hope for example that my assertion that French motorway petrol stations open on Christmas day was correct; and I would love to know whether the gentleman planning to start selling ice cream from a van outside the Old Cité gates in Carcassonne succeeded in his venture. I also felt truly sorry that I was unable to lend one gentleman €30,000 to buy a plot of land to enable him to fish from the river Aude.
Last month I ended my article with the following paragraph: Clients who have Sterling assets do not need to convert them to Euro to make use of the products available to them outside the UK. Those clients who have transferred their assets in Sterling are most probably quite pleased that they did not convert, but what about now? What if we hit 1.40, or 1.45? For my money the only way is down from there, back to my preferred levels. If we do get to 1.40, I will certainly be looking long and hard at my Sterling funds, with my finger hovering over the deal button.
Well, it did indeed happen, and as I write this sterling is worth over 1.40 Euro. Did my finger hover over the ‘deal’ button? Yes it did. Did I press that button? No I didn’t. I need to make two things perfectly clear here. Firstly, what I’m about to type must not be regarded as advice. I’m just telling you what thought process I went through. Secondly, we’re not talking mega bucks (or pounds) here, certainly not for the meagre amount that is lurking in our one and only UK bank account anyway.
It’s quite difficult to express the reason for not changing that sterling into Euro, but I’ll give it a go, at the risk of sounding somewhat deranged. Every one of my pounds somehow feels to me to be worth more than €1.40. That is of course irrational. Anyone who thinks the true rate should be in the region of 1.25 should bite the hand off anyone who offers him 1.40 or better. Yet I didn’t want to do it; I just couldn’t bring myself to sell my shiny £1 coins in exchange for what looks like a bunch of supermarket trolley tokens. Immediate apologies to ‘le Tresorie’ at this point. I suspect that part of me is being a bit greedy looking for a Euro collapse, but would that necessarily persuade me? Potentially not. The weaker a currency becomes, the less inclined I might be to buy it. In essence, I think I’m more likely to buy Euros at 1.40 when the rate is on its way down than when it’s on the way up. I did tell you that I used to be a foreign exchange dealer; funny bunch they are.
The other hot topic at the moment is of course pensions. I know that there is a risk that you might be getting fed up of hearing this, but I am largely opposed to the ‘pension freedom’ that is just around the corner for the UK pension market. I am opposed to virtually all kinds of tax grabs, and I see this as just another example, albeit dressed up as a fabulous opportunity for the over 55’s Or maybe that opportunity is for anyone who can take advantage of the over 55’s, including conmen, salesmen, and taxmen.
For me, the writing is on the wall regarding UK based pensions. They are ‘in play’. Shedding all access restrictions is designed to provide a huge tax income boost for the UK coffers. If it doesn’t work, they will look for another way to get their hands on our savings. Even if it does work there will come a time when more cash is needed to bale out the UK economy. Pensions will then come under more fire, and more ways will be found to raid the coffers.
I will not be a part of either process. My pension funds are safely housed away from the UK jurisdiction. They will be used as pension funds should be used; to provide an income when I retire, whenever that might be. Hopefully that won’t be any time too soon as I’m enjoying myself too much to stop, but when the time comes I won’t be relying on a UK state pension alone. That would not be an attractive proposition.
QROPS is an extremely welcome result of the European freedom of movement of capital. We should all grasp the concept and use it to ring-fence our future incomes.
UK Pension Reforms
By Spectrum IFA
This article is published on: 30th March 2015
With just a few days to go until the ‘over 55s’ can flexibly access their UK defined contribution pension pots, the explosion of information already available via the internet looks to me as if this is in danger of turning into ‘information overload’.
Now of course, this is just my opinion – and please don’t misunderstand my feelings about this – because I am in total favour of people having free access to accurate information, providing that it is understandable and definitely not misleading. However, my concern comes from the volume of information that is being made available, almost in an attempt to condense the multiple choices that people will have into a sort of ‘Dummy’s Guide to Flexibility & Choice in Pensions’.
In February, “Pension Wise” was launched and this is the “free and impartial government service that helps you understand your new pension options”, that the government promised us. My first impression from the opening page of the website was favourable – a good clear design with a simple list of six steps to help us understand how to turn our pension pots into income for our retirement.
The first step seemed simple enough – “check the value of your pension pot” – nothing contentious there. It told me that I could combine multiple pension pots into one, by transferring my pension and so I clicked on that link. Whoops, now I’m out of the Pension Wise website and I’m in the Gov.UK website, which provides me with links to such things as “deferred annuity contract”, “unauthorised payment” and “fixed or enhanced protection”. Already confused? OK fine, so let me get back to Pension Wise …..
Step number 2 is all about understanding what we can do with our pension pots. Good, I thought, until I clicked through to the page and this was the first taste of ‘information overload.
There were lots of links to things that are pretty important and these took me through to “Gov.UK”,” FSCS” and the “FCA” and actually out of the Pension Wise website. There was also a link to the Money Advisory Service, so that I could compare annuities, but it didn’t like my French postcode, so that was a dead end. Being curious though, I entered my old UK postcode and proceeded through the 6-page questionnaire, including having to answer detailed lifestyle and health questions, only to find at the end that it could not retrieve my quotes!
In fact, every one of the six step pages had links that took me into other websites and for me, that’s where Pension Wise failed. In what is clearly a brave effort to try to provide comprehensive guidance (which amazingly, even includes how to calculate the UK income tax on the retirement income), I think this has the potential for disaster. There is simply too much and by the time you get through one lot of information, you have forgotten how you got there and on which part of the website you found other information that might be useful.
According to its website, “Pension Wise won’t recommend any products or tell you what to do with your money”. Hmm, I wonder what the annuity quotes would have looked like, but there again, these would have been through the Money Advisory Service and so I guess that’s how Pension Wise gets around that one!
They also say …. “We explain how to avoid pension scams and the importance of taking your time to make sure your money lasts as long as you do”. Good, I’m all for these things, but do they really mean what they say and don’t they see any risk that people might just outlive their flexibly accessed pension pot?
Even more alarming, is some of the information being produced by other companies. For example, one company writes in its literature on defined contribution pensions after April 2015: “….. You will be able to take out as much as what’s there as you want, when you want. So it’s going to feel a bit like a bank account ….” Another company writes: “…… There will no longer be an annual limit on how much you can draw and you will be able to use your pension fund like a bank account”…….
OK, maybe I’m taking these comments out of context but nevertheless, bank accounts are short-term financial products and pensions are long-term and it’s dangerous to mix the purpose of the two.
Guidance is not a substitute for professional advice and when people are faced with such a range of choices, advice is needed more now than ever.
For anyone living outside of the UK, potentially the risks of making a ‘misinformed’ choice are increased. Even if you could find a UK adviser who would be prepared to provide advice to someone who is not resident in the UK, a UK adviser is highly unlikely to have the knowledge of local tax rules in the jurisdiction where you live. In France, it is not just income tax that we have to think about, there is also wealth tax and inheritance tax, both of which might become an issue if the pension pot is cashed-in and the monies are sitting in your bank account. Therefore, it is essential to obtain advice from an appropriately qualified adviser in the country where you live.
Pensions is one of the major subjects that we are covering in our client seminars this year. We are already taking bookings for Le Tour de Finance 2015 and more information can be found on our website at https://spectrum-ifa.com/seminars/. This is a perfect opportunity to come along and meet industry experts on a broad range of financial matters that are of interest to expatriates. The local events are taking place at:
- Perpignan – 19th May
- Bize-Minervois – 20th May
- Montagnac – 21st May
Le Tour de Finance is an increasingly popular event and early booking is recommended. So if you would like to attend one of these events, please contact me to reserve your places.
Whether or not you are able to come to one of our events, if you would like to have a confidential discussion about pensions, investments and/or inheritance planning, using tax-efficient solutions, please contact me using the form below.
Le Tour de Finance 2015
By Spectrum IFA
This article is published on: 26th March 2015
After a very successful string of events during 2014, Le Tour de Finance is back and has started its spring series.
The events in 2014 were a huge success, with large numbers attending all the events with fact filled sessions followed by an opportunity for an informal questions and answers session over complimentary refreshments and a buffet. The initial events in 2015 have been even better! The first events have been held in truly spectacular surroundings in Les caves, de la Maison Ackerman, near Saumur, the Château Colbert in Maulevrier, Pays de la Loire.and at the Chateau de Javarzay, Chef Boutonne, Deux Sevres
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The relaxed and open forums are a chance to expand your knowledge of personal finance as an expat resident in France. The panel of speakers are experts in their respective fields and are on-hand to answer questions you may have about protecting and strengthening your personal financial situation while a resident in France.
The spring events are continuing throughout April in Spain and Italy:
Spain:
- Barcelona – 14th April
- Sitges – 15th April
- Denia – 16th April
Italy:
- Castiglione del Lago – 20th April
- San Gineso – 21st April
The Spectrum IFA Group is an European leader in professional personal financial advice and will be covering subjects such as; QROPS, pensions, tax advice, investments and wealth management, healthcare, and mortgages.
Le Tour de Finance is an excellent and relaxed forum in which you can get those important questions answered, plus mingle in a pleasant and relaxed atmosphere with other expat residents whilst enjoying a buffet lunch.
All of Le Tour de Finance events are very popular so we therefore recommend you to book well in advance using the form below:
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Living in France with assets in Sterling
By Spectrum IFA
This article is published on: 19th March 2015
Last month I ended my article with the following paragraph: Clients who have Sterling assets do not need to convert them to Euro to make use of the products available to them outside the UK. Those clients who have transferred their assets in Sterling are most probably quite pleased that they did not convert, but what about now? What if we hit 1.40, or 1.45? For my money the only way is down from there, back to my preferred levels. If we do get to 1.40, I will certainly be looking long and hard at my Sterling funds, with my finger hovering over the deal button.
Well, it did indeed happen, and as I write this sterling is worth over 1.40 Euro. Did my finger hover over the ‘deal’ button? Yes it did. Did I press that button? No I didn’t. I need to make two things perfectly clear here. Firstly, what I’m about to type must not be regarded as advice. I’m just telling you what thought process I went through. Secondly, we’re not talking mega bucks (or pounds) here, certainly not for the meagre amount that is lurking in our one and only UK bank account anyway.
It’s quite difficult to express the reason for not changing that sterling into Euro, but I’ll give it a go, at the risk of sounding somewhat deranged. Every one of my pounds somehow feels to me to be worth more than €1.40. That is of course irrational. Anyone who thinks the true rate should be in the region of 1.25 should bite the hand off anyone who offers him 1.40 or better. Yet I didn’t want to do it; I just couldn’t bring myself to sell my shiny £1 coins in exchange for what looks like a bunch of supermarket trolley tokens. Immediate apologies to ‘le Tresorie’ at this point. I suspect that part of me is being a bit greedy looking for a Euro collapse, but would that necessarily persuade me? Potentially not. The weaker a currency becomes, the less inclined I might be to buy it. In essence, I think I’m more likely to buy Euros at 1.40 when the rate is on its way down than when it’s on the way up. I did tell you that I used to be a foreign exchange dealer; funny bunch they are.
The other hot topic at the moment is of course pensions. I know that there is a risk that you might be getting fed up of hearing this, but I am largely opposed to the ‘pension freedom’ that is just around the corner for the UK pension market. I am opposed to virtually all kinds of tax grabs, and I see this as just another example, albeit dressed up as a fabulous opportunity for the over 55’s Or maybe that opportunity is for anyone who can take advantage of the over 55’s, including conmen; salesmen, and taxmen.
For me, the writing is on the wall regarding UK based pensions. They are ‘in play’. Shedding all access restrictions is designed to provide a huge tax income boost for the UK coffers. If it doesn’t work, they will look for another way to get their hands on our savings. Even if it does work, there will come a time when more cash is needed to bale out the UK economy. Pensions will then come under more fire, and more ways will be found to raid the coffers.
I will not be a part of either process. My pension funds are safely housed away from the UK jurisdiction. They will be used as pension funds should be used; to provide an income when I retire, whenever that might be. Hopefully that won’t be any time too soon as I’m enjoying myself too much to stop, but when the time comes I won’t be relying on a UK state pension alone. That would not be an attractive proposition.
QROPS is an extremely welcome result of the European freedom of movement of capital. We should all grasp the concept and use it to ring-fence our future incomes.
Are you thinking of moving to France?
By Amanda Johnson
This article is published on: 10th March 2015
Question:
I am planning to move permanently to France but am not sure where to go for information on the differences in regulations regarding tax, inheritance and pensions between France and my current country of residence?
Answer:
Whilst there are a number of forums and websites offering opinion and suggestions regarding the differences in French taxation from where you currently live, it is worth considering the following points before you make any decisions:
What experience does the person/site/forum have in this field?
- Ensuring that the information you want is accurate, relevant to the country you will be living in and free of any personal bias and opinion, is vital in enabling you to make the right choices going forward.
Is the information you will receive regulated in the country you will be living?
- Rules and regulations in the country you are leaving will most likely be different to France. Making sure the recommendations you receive are based on what is best for you as a French resident is very important.
Has the person providing you the information personal experience of your questions?
- It is always a comfort to speak to someone who has ‘walked the walk’ and not just a casual or second hand grasp of your questions. Personal experiences can often assist people getting used to new legislations and bureaucracy.
Whether you want to register for our newsletter, attend one of our road shows, Le Tour de Finance or speak to me directly, please call or email me on the contacts below & I will be glad to help you. We do not charge for reviews, reports or recommendations we provide.
Producing income from your investments
By Peter Brooke
This article is published on: 9th March 2015
Restructure your investments before you need the money. This gives you time to ride out any difficult market years before you retire or move ashore. Crises in stock markets always affect stocks in pre-retirement worse, so protect the value of your funds in the few years running up to taking an income, but keep one eye on inflation as this will reduce the buying power of the “pot” of money you’ve built up.
Consider the total value of your retirement assets — shares, pensions, funds, investment properties, cash and bonds — as one entity. Then ask yourself, “If I had all of this as cash today, what assets would I buy to give me the income I need?” This question helps you reassess all your assets and bypass any loyalty to a certain asset type, such as property. If Dave bought an apartment nine years ago for €180,000, rented it out and paid off the mortgage, and the apartment is now worth €280,000 with rent at €1,000 per month, after management
charges, this works out as a 3.8 percent yield. Dave may do better using the money from the property elsewhere, perhaps by reinvesting in bonds.
Once the income starts, look at each asset class in terms of income stream and cash flow rather than capital appreciation. It’s important to try and grow the “pot” to beat inflation, but
the income is paramount. Yields on equities today are outstripping most government bonds; the capital may fluctuate but the income will remain. To draw an income of €3,500 per month, you need an asset pot of approximately €900,000. With €42,000 per year, a proportion of the cash can be put in longer term assets (property, equities, etc.) to help grow and replace the funds you withdraw.
Many yacht crew have a large proportion of their assets inside insurance bonds, as they offer tax-advantageous growth and income. However, some don’t offer a way to take a “natural income,” as the funds are all accumulating-type funds. The income that you draw down by cashing in fund units affects the underlying balance and needs to be rebalanced with a steady internal income stream.
The currency exchange rate
By Spectrum IFA
This article is published on: 17th February 2015
Time to revisit an old friend this week, the exchange rate. Long term sufferers of my monthly missives will possibly recall that in my dim and distant past I used to be an international banker, and for part of that time a foreign exchange dealer. It was so long ago that we used to have exotic currencies such as the French Franc; Italian Lire, and even the Deutschmark. Heady days indeed! By the time I escaped from the banking world in 2002 these currencies were dead or, perhaps more accurately, held in a cryogenic state, ready to be reheated if need be. The exchange rate between Sterling and the new super-currency, the Euro, was in the mid 1.60s in 2002, and had declined to the mid 1.50s when I finally got to France in 2003. By the time I bought property here in 2004, I averaged 1.45.
The trend was set, but few people were prepared for it. During the financial meltdown in 2007 and 2008 ‘la merde a vraiment frappé le ventilateur’, and the pound plummeted almost to parity with the Euro by the end of 2008. In 2009 I stupidly agreed to start a weekly column for an internet magazine, giving my predictions for the week to come. I struggled with this millstone for nearly three years. My basic message was that large F/X movements like this are always exaggerated. Parity was plainly nonsense, and the pound ought to recover to between 1.25 and 1.30. It takes some ingenuity to deliver this basic message 130 times, and in 2012, with the pound at 1.25, I called it a day. I still remember the sense of relief when I realised I wouldn’t have to sit down at 4pm on any more Fridays to write about why the previous week’s forecast had been so wrong.
It was a good time to stop, as the rate fell again during the second half of 2012 to 1.15 before slowly resuming its upward trend. Interested parties, and by that I mean all expats, probably didn’t take too much notice as we clawed our way back up through 1.20s and on to 1.25 once more. Then, at the start of November last year, a big market move started, and people began to sit up and take notice. Two months later, and as I write, we are at a shade under 1.35. So what is going on?
Politics and economics are of course the answers. They govern supply and demand, which is the final arbiter of the exchange rate. Germany, the powerhouse of Europe, now has a stagnating economy, and Greece, not the powerhouse of Europe, is stirring up political trouble. None of this bodes well for the Euro. So we can all sit back and relax. The pound is heading back to 1.60. Hundreds of thousands of Brits will be pouring into France waving their new cheap wads of Euro, buying up all the property in sight and sending up the values of our houses at the same time.
Does anyone really think that? I certainly don’t. There is no such thing as a safe bet in the currency markets. You must never forget Murphy’s law. Whenever you really want something to happen, Murphy’s law dictates that the opposite will occur.
I think that we are approaching the time when we need to think about selling Sterling. I don’t think we’re there yet, but we need to be careful. We live, after all, in the Euro zone, and thus most of the money we spend is Euros. We may have pensions or indeed other income in Sterling, but that won’t buy your morning croissant. Until you change it into Euro; it is largely useless while you live here. Of course there is nothing you can do about your UK State pension, if you are in receipt of that princely sum. You will just have to be savvy about when and how you convert it. You can however do a great deal with an occupational pension, and you can do a great deal with your savings and investments. There is no better time than now to take a long hard look at your UK pension pot. Savings and investments held in non-French tax efficient bonds are a nonsense. Come and talk to me about them now!
For years now The Spectrum IFA Group have been advising clients on pensions and investments and I have been keen to point out that clients who have Sterling assets do not need to convert them to Euro to make use of the products available to them outside the UK. Those clients who have transferred their assets in Sterling are most probably quite pleased that they did not convert, but what about now? What if we hit 1.40, or 1.45? For my money the only way is down from there, back to my preferred levels. If we do get to 1.40, I will certainly be looking long and hard at my Sterling funds, with my finger hovering over the deal button.
The Spectrum IFA Group Economic Forum
By Spectrum IFA
This article is published on: 2nd February 2015
We have just had our annual conference, The Spectrum Economic Forum. We had presentations from leading investment managers including BlackRock (the world’s largest investment house), J P Morgan Asset Management, Rathbones, Kames Capital, Jupiter Asset Management and Henderson Global Investors.
The conference is a great opportunity for us to hear directly from some of the investment management companies, which we recommend for the investment of our clients’ financial assets. Their collective forward-looking views on markets and key issues for 2015 provided us with a valuable insight, so that we are better able to advise our clients.
We also had presentations from several product providers, including Prudential International, Old Mutual International (formerly Skandia International), SEB Life International and Tilney Best Invest (who also provide discretionary asset management services). All companies gave interesting presentations on developments in their products, which are focused upon the needs of expatriates.
The conference is always a good opportunity to get together with colleagues from the six countries in which we operate. It’s a chance for us to exchange views and discuss issues that are common to all our clients, wherever they live.
There was agreement amongst us that one of the biggest potential ‘issues’ that the financial services industry is facing this year is the subject of pensions, as a result of the forthcoming UK pensions reform. Many Spectrum advisers expressed concern about predatory companies that are already operating, which could result in people unwisely cashing in their UK pension pots. The importance of obtaining professional advice from qualified advisers, who are regulated by the authorities in the country where the pension scheme member is living, was highlighted.
We were fortunate to have Momentum Pensions present to us, which is the first company to be able to offer a truly multi-jurisdictional pension solution for clients. Like us, Momentum has their clients’ best interests at heart and they understand that expatriates can move from one country to another. Therefore, Momentum has now added a UK Self Invested Pension Plan to their range of international pension solutions, which means that even if the client moves back to the UK, they can have a smooth transfer of the pension benefits from the overseas pension scheme back to the UK.
As can be seen from the above, we are constantly working closely with investment managers and product providers to find the best solutions for our clients, whether this is for the investment of financial capital, using tax-efficient solutions, pensions or inheritance planning. This forms an important part of our Client Charter
Planning for Le Tour de Finance 2015 is also now underway. As many people reading this know, this event is a perfect opportunity to come along and meet industry experts on financial matters that are of interest to expatriates.
We are now taking bookings for May 2015 events, please contact us here:
- Perpignan – 19th May
- Bize-Minervois – 20th May
- Montagnac – 21st May
Le Tour de Finance is an increasingly popular event and early booking is recommended. So if you would like to attend one of these events, please contact me to reserve your places.
The France Show, 23-25 January 2015
By Spectrum IFA
This article is published on: 21st January 2015
Visit the Riviera Alliance stand (P268) at The France Show, The Olympia Exhibition Centre, 23-25 January 2015 10am-5pm
The Spectrum IFA Group is one of the founding members of the Riviera Alliance, an established network of professionals based in the south of France. Spectrum will be represented by Lorraine Chekir, one of the advisers in the Cote d’Azur region. The Riviera Alliance covers every step in the process of buying, owning, renovating, or selling real estate. Each member is a specialist in their field and will make your life in the Riviera easier.
“We are here to help you”