Viewing posts categorised under: Saving

How are my savings and investments taxed as a Portuguese resident?

By Mark Quinn
This article is published on: 9th February 2022

09.02.22

You are probably quite au fait with your home country’s investment structures, options, and practices, but what happens when you move abroad?

The first step in ensuring you are doing the right thing is getting a good understanding of the basic principles in your new country. Here I briefly run through the tax treatment of the most common income sources, and this should help you make a decision as to whether you should look more seriously at restructuring your wealth.

Bank accounts
Any interest must be declared in Portugal, irrespective of where the account is located or if you use it or not.

If you have Non Habitual Residence (NHR) status, interest earned on foreign accounts is generally tax-exempt in Portugal, unless the account is held in a blacklisted jurisdiction such as Guernsey, Jersey, or the Isle of Man, in which case it is taxed at 35%. So, if you are still holding large sums in these ‘tax-havens’ you should certainly be looking to restructure this.

If you are a non-NHR, all bank interest earned on foreign accounts is taxed at 28% or 35% for blacklisted jurisdictions. It is possible to opt for this to be taxed at scale rates instead, but this will have an impact on the taxation of other assets, so it is best to discuss this with your accountant when making your annual return.

Interest from Portuguese bank accounts is always taxed at 28%%, irrespective of your NHR status.

Dividends
We usually see individuals with dividends paid from their own companies, directly held shares, or investment portfolios. This is a great source of income if you are a NHR as these are generally tax-free in Portugal during the 10-year period.

It is worth thinking about what you are doing with the income once received. If you are not spending it all and it is accumulating in a bank account earning little or no interest, you should consider investing this in a tax-efficient manner to get your money working for you.

For normal residents, dividends are taxed at 28% (or 35% if from a blacklisted jurisdiction) but there is potential for tax savings if you can restructure.

Rental income
For NHRs, rental income from non-Portuguese property is possibly exempt with progression. This means that although it is not taxed, the income is added to your other income sources for the year and counted when running through the tax bands.

It is also likely that this type of income will be taxable in the country that the property is located and in Portugal. Taking UK property as an example, you will declare and pay the relevant tax in the UK and also declare this income in Portugal. Whilst with NHR, there is no further tax to pay in Portugal, you could be paying tax in the UK if the income exceeds your annual allowance.

For those with large property portfolios, it might be worth restructuring during the NHR period to take advantage of the capital gains tax break and reinvest the proceeds in a more tax-efficient way, because post NHR this income is taxable at scale rates in Portugal.

Rent from Portuguese property is fully taxable at scale rates, so is not a very tax-efficient source of income and you could generate a more tax-efficient income from other sources.

Pension income
Those with pre-April 2020 NHR have tax-free pension income and those who applied later still enjoy a flat 10% rate.

How your pension is taxed as a normal resident is dependent on the type of pension and its source. Generally, they can either be taxed at the scale rates of income tax, treated as long-term savings or an annuity. This taxation can eat heavily into your spending power, so it might be worth rearranging your pensions for better tax efficiency.

Feel free to contact us if you would like to better understand how you can position yourself for your new life in Portugal.

Financial and Retirement Planning – Cash flow Modelling

By Chris Burke
This article is published on: 2nd February 2021

02.02.21

Many people seek financial advice, or financial planning, but if you asked them what they would like to get out of it, most people would probably say clarity on their finances, planning how to make their monies work and to have what they need in retirement, or partial retirement. Only 45% of people in Spain save into private pensions, and now with the government reducing the amount you can save that way tax efficiently, retirement planning is even more important.

Most financial advisers will look at your assets, see what you are doing, talk through why, then recommend a product to improve what you are doing. There is nothing wrong with that, in fact that is part of what we do, however this isn’t really giving people what they hoped to get out of the meetings/talks.

A key part of helping people with their finances, as well as making their monies work, is real life planning of what they have now, what their goals are and showing them how to get there. People take in and understand much more visually, as most of us know; in fact 65% of us are visual learners. That’s why it’s important that when planning your finances you consider using a visual modelling system that shows your monies, what they are doing, future monies potentially coming in, and if you save ‘X’ amount into a pension/property/investment this will be the outcome. For example, which of the below would you prefer to see as your advice?

‘We recommend you place your €50,000 with ‘X’ company, and over the years achieving ‘X’ % return. Also, save ‘X’ a month in a savings program and both of these at retirement will give you ‘X’

OR TRY THIS…

What it really comes down to is the expertise of the planning, the knowledge of the financial adviser with whom you are working, and how much is actually put into planning your finances, rather than just making what monies you have work.

This is just one example why I/we at Spectrum stand out as excellent professional financial advisers and planners, if you would like to seriously start planning your retirement and investments or review what you are doing now, don’t hesitate to get in touch, or sign up to my Newsletter below to keep well informed.

Savings Bank Account Comparison in Spain

By Chris Burke
This article is published on: 5th March 2019

05.03.19

The most efficient way of losing money is to keep it in a current account. Many years ago offset mortgages were introduced, which were a great way of saving interest being paid on your mortgage. Effectively, any interest on savings you had in an account that was linked to your mortgage account, reduced the mortgage payments by that amount, more or less (most simplified explanation). So, if you had a mortgage of €250,000 and savings on a linked account of €50,000, each month it’s almost as if the mortgage was only €200,000 and you would only pay interest on that amount.

To understand why current accounts are the main way to lose money, let’s suppose,for example, you have €50,000 sitting in a current account for a rainy day. Inflation has been running at around 3% lately (that’s the increase in the regular items we buy). Therefore, just for your money to KEEP UP with that, it needs to grow by €1,500 per year. Over a period of 4 years that’s €6,000.

Therefore, it is very important that you have this money working for you, especially after the hard work it took you to earn it, both to keep up with inflation so it keeps its purchasing power and to grow to build your wealth.

The very least you should do is have the money in a savings account, or similar. So what are the current bank savings rates in Spain? Well, they will guarantee to lose you money every year, but they are better than having money sitting in your current account:

1.5% ING – interest rate per annum, deposit term 1 month
0.5% WeZink (Banco Popular) – interest rate per annum, paid given monthly
0.3% BNP Paribas – interest paid quarterly

Another way of keeping your money safe and perhaps earning a larger return if you are lucky, in sterling, is having UK Government backed Premium Bonds (annual prize fund interest rate of 1.4%). Did you know that you don’t need to be British OR live in the UK to have these?

If you would like to explore other options, then feel free to get in touch and we can discuss what will work for you AND your money, giving you flexibility along the way. Knowledge and advice will help you plan your finances.

We are all living longer, and it’s not all good news

By Jeremy Ferguson
This article is published on: 5th February 2019

05.02.19

When it comes to the way in which we are leading our lives, the world in which we live has changed significantly over not that many years.

Do you remember starting the day off with a bowl of cornflakes smothered in processed sugar and full fat milk, followed by a couple of slices of white processed bread smothered in butter and marmalade (laden with sugar), then washing that down with a couple of cups of strong coffee before we rushed off to work? Then at work the stresses of the day were broken by coffee to keep you going, with a packet of sandwiches and a bag of crisps at lunch time. A sneaky stop off on the way home for a couple of pints for some, then dinner followed by bed. Sound familiar?

Through a combination of increased awareness of the dangers of processed food and sugars, non-stop articles and TV programmes warning us of health issues; people are becoming increasingly health conscious. Add to that the mass of personal trainers and nutritionists out there, and people nowadays are more active and much more aware when it comes to healthy eating and lifestyle.

If you are reading this, you probably made the decision to move to the south of Spain some years ago, and boy, how things have changed as a result. Longer days, constant sunshine, lovely salads, a relaxed life, and probably a lot more time spent outside walking, or for many, playing golf or tennis. Oh yes, and the big one, much less stress!

This is all resulting in something that is causing massive issues around the Globe for all sorts of reasons. People are living longer and needing more medical help along the way, because, despite being generally healthier now, older people still have more health issues than younger people. With that comes an ever increasing stress on healthcare systems. The ageing population also means that the ratio between retirees and workers is swinging in a way that means less taxable income is there to help fund the ever increasing medical needs.

So, while it is great we are all living longer, and therefore having a longer and healthier retirement, how much attention are we paying to this fact with regards to financial health? The pension pot and savings pot we hope you have accumulated now has to last for an ever increasing length of time. Have you considered the need for adequate medical insurance before it is too late to be accepted as a client (because you are too old)? Inheritances may be left to you at a much later stage of your life, and when they are, they could also be smaller due to the fact your parents lived so much longer.

In summary, it is really very important to spend time considering all of these factors. How many of us actually look at this in detail, with an honest reality check regarding the years ahead?

One of the things I like to do with my clients is to make sure we look at the big picture, assessing what you have and how long it is likely to last. Should you be putting the brakes on the lifestyle just a bit for that added longevity financially, or are you being too cautious? It is amazing the amount of couples I meet who are being too careful with money. Or have you got it just about right?

What happens if inflation rises or falls, or the money you have invested loses value or, hopefully, makes more than you expected? Oh yes, and what happens to your income when exchange rates move?

It is always said that you cannot buy time, but strangely enough, most clients I meet here in Spain look a lot younger than they actually are, so in my view, they all seem to have managed to do just that, aided probably by all of the things we know are good about living here. So, if by talking we can remove a little more stress by getting all of those financial ducks in a row, then maybe you can cheat the grim reaper for a good many more years to come.

Tax and Savings in Spain

By Barry Davys
This article is published on: 28th March 2018

28.03.18

This is an introduction to the differences between the UK and Spanish tax systems and an introduction to a European ISA equivalent. It has been produced to help answer two regularly asked questions. : “What is the difference in taxation between Spain and in the UK?” – followed by “Is there a tax free savings account in Spain similar to an ISA?”.

For those of you not from the UK, I hope that the Spanish part of the table below will still be useful in allowing you to compare it with your home country tax situation.

Tax	UK	Spain
Tax Year Dates	6th April – 5th April	1st January – 31st December
Income Tax Allowance	£11,500	€9250 up to age 64 €10,400 age 65+ €11,800 age 75+
Capital Gains Tax Allowance	£11,300	N/A but some gains can be offset against some losses
Savings Tax Rates (interest and capital gains)	N/A Income Tax and CGT calculated separately	19% to €6,000, then 21% for the next €44,000 and 23% above €50,000
Tax Free Interest	£1,000	Nil
Tax Free Dividends	£5,000 Falling to £2,000 in 2018/19	Nil
Annual ISA Allowance	£20,000	Unlimited (see Euro ISA below)
Pension Contributions Limits	100% of your earnings up to £40,000 pa	€8,000 pa
Inheritance Tax	Above £325,000 at 40% plus possible allowance against main residence of £125,000 in 2018/19	Autonomous community rules. Catalonia and Madrid have large discounts for immediate family
Wealth Tax Limit	N/A at present	Autonomous community rules. Catalonia: over €500,000 with a €300,000 allowance for main residence, rates from 0.21% to 2.75%

The main differences are in Wealth Tax, Inheritance Tax and the way savings are taxed.

Wealth Tax in Spain

In the UK there is not currently any Wealth Tax. There is in Spain and the rates and method of calculation are set by the autonomous communities. In Catalunya the rate is banded, starting at 0.21% and rising to 2.75%.

Inheritance Tax in Spain

In the UK, the estate of the deceased person is taxed as a whole, whilst in Spain, the person receiving the bequest is taxed based just on the amount they personally receive from the estate. The allowances and method of taxation also differ. The rates of inheritance tax in Barcelona and the Costa Brava are the same but will be very different if you live in Andalucia. For more information, please see Inheritance Tax in Catalunya as an example.

However, if you prefer to speak with an experienced adviser who lives in Catalunya please click ‘Inheritance tax help‘

Tax Free Savings in Spain

In the UK, since January 1987 with the introduction of Personal Equity Plans (PEPS), we have been used to having tax free savings. Peps are now called ISAs and the allowance is now £20,000 per annum. If you live in Spain and have an ISA please note it is taxable in Spain. The fact that it is tax free in the UK does not transfer to Spain and you should look at the alternative below.

Spain does not have an ISA system as such but there is a similar investment, sometimes known as the “European ISA”. It is tax free whilst invested and has a very beneficial low taxation basis, especially if you require income from your investment. It is a little more restrictive than the UK ISA but is still worthwhile.

The two big advantages are that there is no limit and it is portable to other countries. If you would like to invest 10,000,000 euros in one year in the “European ISA” you can do! Unlike a UK ISA, the European ISA can go with you if you move country (not to all countries). If you return to the UK, the tax will be proportional to the amount of time you have been in the UK against the time you have had the European ISA. So if you have a Euro ISA for 10 years in total and have moved back to the UK for the last two years of the 10 years, the tax will be reduced. Specifically, the tax will be calculated and multiplied by 2/10ths. An 80% tax saving!

*Sources: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-revenue-customs
http://www.agenciatributaria.es/

If you would like more information on Inheritance Tax, Wealth Tax or the European ISA, please contact me on barry.davys@spectrum-ifa.com or telephone on +34 645 257 525. If you have UK ISAs, I will also be happy to advise you on how to make these tax efficient in Spain.

Saving tax is a good policy

By John Hayward
This article is published on: 9th October 2017

09.10.17

Having recently written about the benefits of using a well-established investment or insurance company to manage your savings, within a Spanish compliant insurance bond, with the benefit of your money growing by more than inflation and far more than any bank has offered in recent years, I want now to explain how brilliantly tax efficient a Spanish compliant insurance bond is. I will do this by telling stories of two married couples. Mr and Mrs Justgetby and Mr and Mrs Happywithlife. Both couples are retired and tax resident in Spain. Also, both couples have two adult children in the UK.

Story 1 – Mr and Mrs Justgetby
Mr and Mrs Justgetby have lived in Spain for 10 years. They had sold up in the UK in 2007 and bought a property on the Costa Blanca (Valencian Community). This is valued at €300,000 and owned jointly. They each receive pensions from the UK in the form of State pensions and both have small company pensions. These cover their expenses but do not allow them to do much more. From the sale of their property in the UK, they were left with £200,000. They exchanged £50,000 before moving to Spain when the exchange rate was 1.45 euros to the pound. This gave them €72,500. They have had to eat into this because they needed a new car, they have done a bit of work on their house, and they have had to supplement their pension income. The exchange rate has also gone against them by about 20%. They are now left with €50,000 in their joint Spanish bank account. This does not pay any interest. The remaining £150,000 is in the UK in a variety of investments made up of premium bonds, ISAs, and fixed term savings accounts. The accounts have been split so that each holds exactly the same in individual accounts so that they each hold £75,000.

INCOME/SAVINGS TAX
“ISAs and premium bonds are…..not tax free for Spanish residents”!
Whilst no interest is being paid on their Spanish bank account, at least there is not a tax concern there. However, some of the money in the UK is in tax free accounts. ISAs and premium bonds are tax free for UK tax residents but are not tax free for Spanish residents. Therefore, any income or gains from these investments should be declared to Spain. Mr and Mrs Justgetby have not been declaring any of the prizes they have received from neither the premium bonds nor the interest from the ISAs believing this not to be necessary. With automatic exchange of information that has come into force, Mr and Mrs Justgetby may be in for a nasty shock for unintentionally evading tax.

INHERITANCE TAX
On the death of either Mr or Mrs Justgetby, there are some significant tax issues. As they are tax resident in Spain, the surviving spouse will be liable to Spanish inheritance tax (known as succession tax in Spain) on 50% of both the property value and the bank account as well as 100% of the assets owned by the deceased in the UK. The inherited amount in euro terms, based on an exchange rate of 1.13 euros to the pound, is €150,000 (property), €25,000 (bank account), and €84.750 (UK investments). This totals €259,750. The Spanish inheritance tax on this, after allowances, could be around €11,500.

On the death of the other spouse, the children in the UK would have a liability of around €5,000 each based on current rules and on the assumption that their pre-existing wealth is not over certain limits.

Story 2 – Mr and Mrs Happywithlife
By coincidence, Mr and Mrs Happywithlife were in the exactly same position as Mr and Mrs Justgetby in terms of when they sold their UK property and they had exactly the same amount of money as Mr and Mrs Justgetby in cash. They also have a property in Spain worth €300,000. Instead of investing in ISAs, premium bonds, and deposit accounts in the UK, from the £200,000 property sale proceeds, they put £175,000 into a Spanish compliant insurance bond in joint names. The policy will pay out on the request of Mr and Mrs Happywithlife or when the second of them dies. They felt that it would not be necessary to hold so many euros in a low or no interest bank account in Spain. They kept £5,000 in a UK bank account to cover the times that they pop back to the UK to see their children and the remaining £20,000 they exchanged into euros and deposited almost €30,000 with their local bank.

INCOME/SAVINGS TAX
“……tax is only due when withdrawals are made.”
Once again, the interest in the bank account in Spain has paid little interest and so has not created a tax problem. However, the Spanish compliant insurance bond has increased in value but has not created a tax liability to date. This is because tax is only due when withdrawals are made and then only on the gain part of the withdrawal. This has allowed the plan to increase on a compound basis as tax has not been chipping away at the growth. They have decided to take regular amounts from the bond now. Each time the money is paid out, the insurance company deducts the appropriate amount of tax and pays this to Spain. As mentioned, the amount of the tax will be determined by the gain portion. In the early years, this is generally little or nothing due to the special tax treatment afforded to these types of savings plans. Longer term, the tax payable is likely to be a fraction of that payable by those who own non-compliant investments.

“….tax that they saved has gone towards a cruise….”!

Unlike Mr & Mrs Justgetby who would have had to pay €1,980 on the €10,000 gains they made, Mr and Mrs Happywithlife would not have had to pay anything. Instead, the €1,980 tax that they saved has gone towards a cruise they are going on next year.

Contact me now

INHERITANCE TAX
On the death of either Mr or Mrs Happywithlife, using the same assumptions as with Mr and Mrs Justgetby, the surviving spouse will inherit 50% of the property value (€150,000), 50% of the Spanish bank account (€15,000) and 50% of the UK bank account (€2,825). This totals £167,825. The Spanish inheritance tax on this, after allowances, could be around €3,500, €8,000 less than Mr and Mrs Justgetby´s position.

On the death of the other spouse, the children in the UK would have a tax liability of closer to €4,500 each as their parents had less money in the Spanish bank than Mr and Mrs Justgetby.

The difference the Spanish compliant bond makes
As the bond was set up on a joint-life, last survivor (second death) basis, there is no “chargeable event”, as it is known, on the death of the first spouse. Nothing is paid out on the first death as the insurance bond was taken out to pay out when the second party dies. This will have saved either Mr or Mrs Happywithlife thousands of euros in tax.

Words of warning
Tax rules change regularly and the figures quoted are estimates based on our knowledge at this time. The allowances assumed are those applying to the Valencian Community at the time of writing.

Brexit could have an effect on the benefits received by the children in the above cases. Allowances apply currently to the children as they live in the UK and are part of the EU. The allowances may not be there after Brexit.

There are a number of other ways to reduce taxes by distributing wealth appropriately. Everyone is an individual and we all have different needs. Therefore, a financial review is the first part of the solution.

It is vital, from a compliance point of view, to take a look at all our financial arrangements and more importantly to review them on a regular basis. What we may have once bought many years ago, and which complied then, may now have become obsolete and could cause tax questions later.

Reviewing existing contracts and investment arrangements has become much more important with the open border tax sharing arrangement, the Common Reporting Standard’ which has now been fully implemented.

It might just be the right time to start looking at your existing arrangements to ensure they comply before anyone starts looking.

Fun Financial Fact
The Latin for head is caput. In ancient times, cattle were used as a form of money and each head of cattle was a caput. Therefore, someone with a lot of cattle had lots of caput or capital

Has your bank in Spain paid you over 3% p.a. interest on your savings recently?

By John Hayward
This article is published on: 19th September 2017

The probability is that it hasn´t. However, you could have made more than 3% a year in a low risk savings plan with one of the biggest insurance companies in the world. We have many happy savers who have seen steady growth of over 3% a year for the last few years. How? Read on…

Saving money in a low interest world

Losing spending power to inflation
With special offers currently being offered by banks of 0.10% APR interest and inflation in Spain running at 1.6%, there is a guaranteed loss of the real value of money at the rate of 1.5% a year. There are some who would be disappointed, if not angry, if their money in an investment had lost 7.5% over 5 years yet this is exactly what has been happening to people over the last few years without them really appreciating it. 3% a year is not only an attractive rate of return but it is necessary to cope with inflation and provide real growth.

Spanish compliant insurance bonds
ISAs, Premium Bonds, and some other investments in the UK are tax free for UK residents. They are not tax free for Spanish residents. We are licensed to promote insurance bonds in Spain which are provided by insurance companies outside Spain but still in the EU. In fact, even after Brexit, these companies will still be EU based and so Brexit will not have the impact on these plans that it could have on UK investments. As the bonds are with EU companies, and the companies themselves disclose information to Spain on the amount invested, as well as any tax detail, the bonds are Spanish compliant which makes them extremely tax efficient. We do not deal with companies based outside the EU as we are satisfied that the regulation within the EU is for the benefit of the investor. We do not have the same confidence in some other financial jurisdictions and neither do Spain.

What investment decisions do you have to make?
Although we have the facility to personalise an investment portfolio within the parameters laid down by the EU regulators, offering discretionary fund management with some of the largest and best known investment management companies, we can also use a more simple approach for those who do not require any input into the day to day investment decisions.

So what has happened over the last 5 years?
The chart below illustrates the performance of one of fund’s available to you compared to the FTSE100 and the UK Consumer Price index. The argument to stay invested when markets fall is valid when one looks at the FTSE100 roller coaster line with the increase we have seen over the last year or so since the Brexit vote. However, anyone accessing their money around the time of the vote could have seen a 25% drop in the investment values. Not so with the fund in the insurance bond.

Real cases

Real case 1 – £40,000 invested 24/07/12. £50,770 as at 14/09/17. Up 26.92% in 5 years

Real case 2 – £356,669 invested 10/09/14. £431,177 as at 14/09/17. Up 20.88% in 3 years

Real case 3 – £316,000 invested 05/04/16. £334,422 as at 14/09/17. Up 5.82% in 18 months

Real case 4 – £80,000 invested 13/07/16. £86,160 as at 14/09/17. Up 7.70% in 15 months

Real case 5 – £20,000 invested 27/01/17. £20,712 as at 14/09/17. Up 3.56% in 8 months

These growth rates are not guaranteed but are published to illustrate what has actually happened and that the percentage returns on the fund are irrespective of the amount invested.

How can they produce such consistency?
Each quarter, the insurance company estimates what the growth rate will be for the following 12 months. This rate is reviewed based on the views of the underlying management company with people situated in all parts of the globe specialising in their own particular area. In good times, the company will hold back money that it has made so that, when things are not so good, they are still able to pay a steady rate of growth to their savers.

I don´t want to take any risk
It is difficult to avoid risk. In fact it´s practically impossible. A risky investment is seen by many as something which has a good chance of failure, either in part or completely. Stocks and shares are seen as risky whilst putting money into a bank deposit account is not. It is generally known that stocks and shares can go down as well as up but some people are unaware, or simply ignore, the risk of keeping money in a perceived “safe” bank deposit. Bank accounts have limited protection against the bank going bust. Then, if it came to the situation where a bank had to be bailed out by the government, it could take months, if not years, to access your money. As already mentioned, if the account is making less than inflation, you are losing money in real terms. So a bank account is far from risk free. The fund illustrated above is rated by Financial Express as having a risk rating of 22% of that applicable to FTSE100, much further down the risk scale and in an area that many people feel comfortable with.

What are the charges?
We explain in detail the underlying costs. In my experience, far too many people commit to a contract without understanding what they have, having received little explanation of the terms and conditions. This is where we differ to most. Different companies have different ways of charging and we run through all of the charges so that you are happy with what you have. The real examples above have had charges deducted and so these are the real values. Your bank may not charge you for the 0.10% interest (less tax) they are paying you but they are making money through investment but not passing anything on to you even though you supplied the money they invest.

What do I need to do next?
Contact me and I can review your savings, investments, and pension funds. I can then explain how you could arrange these in a tax efficient way whilst giving you the opportunity to access the growth that is available, for an improved lifestyle and to cope with rising costs.

Keeping On Track

By Chris Webb
This article is published on: 5th May 2017

05.05.17

Speaking with my many clients one of the most talked about topics is “I wish I had done something sooner” or “I wish I had put a plan in place”.

All too often in our younger years we race through the nitty-gritty details of our finances and neglect to focus on crucial “future proofing” in the process. In our 20’s we tend to spend, spend, spend. In our 30’s we try to save, but starting a family or purchasing property make it difficult. In our 40’s we’re still suffering the hangover from our 30’s and inevitably the work required to provide for your financial future becomes increasingly harder.

But if you adopt a marathon approach to money (opposed to a sprint – see my article on this topic), it can allow you to take a more holistic look at your overall financial picture and see how decisions that you make in your 20s and 30s can impact your 40s, 50s and into your retirement years.

It doesn’t matter how old you are, being financially healthy boils down to two things. The level of debt you have and the level of savings/investments you have. The only real difference is how you approach both subjects, as this will change with age .

Tips in your 20’s

1. Debt – Loans And Cards
It’s easy to think that making the minimal payments and delaying paying them off, to save more, is a good idea, but this strategy rarely works. The more you make the more you tend to spend, so getting round to clearing off these debts never comes any closer. As you go through the 20’s cycle, additional costs will start being considered, like starting a family or purchasing a house therefore the ability to clear your debts just doesn’t materialise.
This is why now is the time to work on breaking the credit card debt or loan cycle for good.

2. Start An Emergency Fund
While you’re busy paying down your debt, don’t forget that you should always be planning on having a “savings buffer” in the bank. To help accomplish this goal you should transfer funds straight from your “day to day” account into a deposit account. One where your aren’t likely to get access through an ATM which reduces the temptation to spend it on a whim. Ideally, you should aim to have three times your take-home pay saved up in your emergency fund.

3. Contemplate Your Future – Retirement
At this point in your life, retirement is far off, but it can be important to start saving as early as you can. Even small amounts can make a big difference over time, thanks to the effect of compound interest. Start saving a small percentage of your salary now to reap the rewards later in life. See my articles on compound interest and retirement planning to see the difference it can make.

Tips in your 30’s

During this decade, your financial goals are likely to get a bit more complicated. Some people will still be paying off credit card debt and loans, whilst still working on the “emergency account”. So what’s the secret to juggling it all? Rather than focusing on one goal you should be looking at the biggest of your goals, even if there are three or four.

1. Continue Reducing Debt
If you’re still paying down your credit card balances then considering consolidating onto one card with an attractive interest free period should be your first task. Failing that you need to concentrate on the card with the highest interest rate and reduce the balance ASAP. The most important thing to consider with debt is the interest rate, If you have low interest rates (I’d be surprised) then there’s no major rush to pay them off, as you could manage the repayments and contribute to other financial goals at the same time. If your interest rates are quite high then the priority is to clear these debts down.

2. Planning For Kids
Little ones may also be entering the picture, or becoming a frequent conversation. Once this is a part of your life you’ll start thinking about the cost implications as well. Setting aside a small amount of funds now to cater for the ever increasing costs of bringing up a child will reduce the financial stress later down the line. If you have grand plans for them to attend university, potentially in another country, then knowing these costs and planning for these costs should be part of your overall financial planning.

3. Assess Your Insurance
The thing that most people forget. Big life events such as getting married, having kids, buying a house are all trigger points for reassessing what insurance you have in place and more crucially what insurance you should have in place. If you have dependents, having sufficient Life cover is paramount. Other considerations should be disability, critical illness and even income protection.

4. Start that Retirement Plan
It’s time to stop just thinking about setting up what you call a Pension Pot, it’s time to take action. Starting now makes it an achievable goal, leaving it on the back burner because you’re still too young to think about retiring is going to come back and haunt you later in life.

Tips in your 40’s

This is the decade where you need to make sure you’re on top of your money. At this point in your life, the ideal scenario would be to have cleared any debts and to have a nice healthy emergency fund sitting in a deposit account.

1. Retirement Savings – Priority
During your 40s it’s critical to understand how much you should be saving for retirement and to analyse what you may already have in place to cater for this. In my opinion it’s now that you need to start putting your financial future/ retirement ahead of any other financial goals or “needs”.

2. Focus Your Investments
Although you may not have paid much attention to “wealth management” in your 30s, you’ve probably started accumulating some wealth by your 40s. Evaluate this wealth and ensure there is a purpose or goal behind the investments you have done. Each goal will have a different time horizon and potentially you will have a different risk tolerance on each goal. The further away the goal is the more you can afford to take a “riskier” option.

3. Enjoy Your Wealth
It’s about getting the balance right. Hopefully you’ve worked hard and things are stable from a financial point of view. You need to remember to enjoy life today as well as planning on the future. As long as important financial goals are being met there is no harm is splashing out on that dream holiday, and enjoying it whilst you can.

Tips in your 50’s

You may find yourself being pulled in different directions with your money. Do the children still require financial support, do your parents require more support than before ?, The key thing to remember is to put your financial security first, and yes I know that sounds a bit tough…….. You still have your retirement to consider and probably a mortgage that you’d like to clear down before retirement age.

1. Revisit Your Savings and Investing Goals
Your 50’s are prime time to fully prepare for retirement, whether it’s five years away or fifteen. At this point you should be working as hard as possible to ensure you reach your required amount. This means that careful management of your assets is even more critical now. It’s time to focus on changing from a growth portfolio to a combined growth, income and more importantly a preservation portfolio. What I’m saying here is it’s time to really analyse the level of risk within your asset basket.

2. Prioritise – Your Future V Kid’s Future ( It’s a tough one….)
During their 50’s a lot of clients struggle with figuring out how much they can afford to keep supporting a grown child, especially when they’re out there earning themselves. The bottom line is that although it can be tough you have to continue to put yourself. first. The day of retirement is only getting closer and unless your planning has been disciplined there’s a possibility you may need to work longer than anticipated, or accept less in your pocket than you hoped for.
You are number 1…….

3. Retirement Decisions and considerations
You should begin to revisit your estate planning, your last will and testament, power of attorney if you feel necessary and confirm that your beneficiaries on any insurance policies or investment accounts are all valid.
Once you’ve covered off the administration part then I’d suggest you sit back and look forward to the biggest holiday off your life……..have a great time !!!

How can I make my money grow when interest rates are so low?

By Pauline Bowden
This article is published on: 26th April 2017

26.04.17

“Devastating, that is the effect that low interest rates have had on our income.” This quote shows that the impact of low interest rates is real, not some arbitrary number that may or may not be higher from another bank. Another recent quote from a client is “I am trying to build a pot for my retirement but interest rates will be low for the rest of my working life”.

Arguably, the person above who is still working has the chance to do something about the interest rates. For the couple from the first quote, they had been used to an income of 11,000€ pa from the interest on their bank accounts. When interest rates fell, so did their income to just 2,000€ pa. The Interbank ie base rates are minimal. You would be lucky to get 0.25% interest on a normal deposit account.

How to improve your income and investment return.

Here is a strategy that will help overcome very low interest rates. Firstly, there is no alternative to a bank account for some of your money. If you have planned expenditure then leave this money in the bank. Typically, this would be for a car, cruise or even perhaps a wedding just as some examples. Add to this an amount for an emergency fund. The amount will vary depending on your circumstances but three months of your normal expenditure is a good guideline.

Why do you need to leave money in the bank for these purposes? It is because other forms of investment often need to be allocated for the medium term. And unless you are simply lucky, money put into other investments needs to be allowed time to grow.

Are there alternatives to bank accounts? Yes, there are many alternatives. Do they work in the same manner as a bank account? No, they do not. This is why they can provide a better return on your investment. For this type of investment, do not put all your eggs in one basket. You need different types of investments (different asset classes) to give you diversification. Stick to the basics such as top quality fund management names. You do NOT need to be investing in rainforest woods, bitcoins or oil exploration companies that are about to discover hidden reserves (examples we come across regularly).

The outcome of a diversified portfolio will make a big difference to you, whether you are seeking income or capital growth. A 200,000€ investment with a return of, say, 5% would produce 10,000€ per annum. Not quite the 11,000€ that you may have been used to but certainly better than leaving it in the bank!

Reasons to Wrap

By Sue Regan
This article is published on: 3rd March 2017

03.03.17

It’s no secret that the Assurance Vie (AV) is by far and away the most popular investment vehicle in France……….and for good reason! Most of you will already be familiar with these investments, or at the very least, have heard of them, but it doesn’t harm to be reminded now and again as to why they are so popular.

What are they? – An AV is simply a life assurance wrapper that holds financial assets, often with a wide choice of investments, and there is no limit on the amount that can be invested.

What’s so good about them?…..quite simply, their huge tax advantages, such as:

Tax-free growth – funds remaining within an AV grow free of French Income and Capital Gains tax

Simplified tax return reporting – considerable savings in terms of time and tax adviser fees

Favourable tax treatment on withdrawals – only the gain element of any amount that you withdraw is liable to tax. There is an additional benefit after eight years in the form of an annual Income tax allowance of €4,600 for an individual and €9,200 for a married couple

Succession tax benefits – AV policies fall outside of your estate for Succession tax and the proceeds can be left directly to any number of beneficiaries of your choice (not just the ones Napoleon thought you should leave them to!). There are very generous allowances available to beneficiaries of contracts taken out before the age of 70.

Why invest in an International Assurance Vie?

There are a number of insurance companies that have designed French compliant international AV products, aimed specifically at the expatriate market in France. These companies are typically situated in highly regulated financial centres, such as Dublin and Luxembourg. Some of the advantages of the international AV contracts are:

The possibility to invest in multiple currencies, including Sterling and Euros.

A large range of investment possibilities available.

The majority of international AV policies are portable, which means that should you return to the UK, it will not be necessary to surrender the bond.

The documentation for international bonds is available in English.

At Spectrum, we only recommend products of financially strong institutions and domiciled in highly regulated jurisdictions. If you would like to know more about these extremely tax efficient investments, or would like to have a confidential review of your financial situation, please feel free to contact me.

The Spectrum IFA Group advisers do not charge any fees directly to clients for their time or for advice given, as can be seen from our Client Charter at spectrum-ifa.com/spectrum-ifa-client-charter