Looking at financial stability throughout your yachting career

By Peter Brooke
This article is published on: 5th February 2014

05.02.14

While I have discussed strategies for individual investments, banking and insurance, I wanted to present what I believe to be the “Basic Rules,” which, if followed throughout your yachting career, will maximize your chances of financial success.

1. 1. Have a bank account in the same currency as your income.
  2. Have other currency bank accounts if you spend considerable time in other currency jurisdictions.
  3. Use a currency broker account to move money between accounts; this gives you control and saves money on the exchange rate and commissions.
  4. Clear debts as soon as you can, especially those with high interest rates.
  5. Check the medical cover available to you from the yacht; offer to pay a small supplement if it doesn’t cover you during holidays or when not on board.
  6. Conceptually plan out different financial “pots:”

* Emergency: at least three months’ salary in a bank account (preferably six months)
* Education: when and how much (is it for the next course?)
* Spending money: limit yourself to a set amount each month
* Property purchase money: how much will you need for a deposit, and when
* Long-term money: 25 percent of your salary

1. 1. Understand your tax residency status: Keep an accurate diary of where you spend your time. The places where you are most likely to be considered resident are:

* Your country of citizenship
* Where you own real estate
* Where you spend the most time
* Where your “dependent family” is based (your home)

1. 1. Save at least 25 percent of your income for the long term; you don’t pay any social security. If you worked on shore, your salary would be at least 25 percent less due to this.
  2. Invest time in your own financial education. Read my column in Dockwalk every month, look at investment websites, learn about inflation, property leverage, risk and compound returns.
  3. If in doubt, take advice. Understand your limitations and build a team of trusted advisers in different fields; speak to other crew about what they do with their money (but don’t follow just one).

When you get to the time when you want to leave yachting (be it after 5 years or 25) it is great to be able to do so because of the way you have managed your own resources… many people cannot leave the industry at the time they want to because they have not taken control of their futures.

Follow every one of these simple rules and you I am certain that you will get the most out of your yachting career…and will leave it feeling that it not only gave you great memories and friends but helped you look forward to a long and fruitful second career or retirement.

This article is for information only and should not be considered as advice.

France’s Fight Against Tax Evasion

By Spectrum IFA
This article is published on: 3rd February 2014

As part of France’s continuing efforts to combat fiscal fraud, a new piece of legislation was enacted into law on 6^th December 2013. This has far-reaching effects, including:

Criminal sanctions for serious cases of fiscal fraud are to be increased to a maximum of seven years imprisonment and a fine of €2 million, when the fiscal fraud is facilitated by:

the use of foreign bank accounts or foreign life assurance policies;
foreign entities, including trusts, set up outside of France;
the use of false identity or false documents; or
artificial or fictitious tax residency.

Undeclared monies held outside of France, whereby the taxpayer cannot prove the provenance, to be taxed at 60%.

If, as a result of failing to declare assets outside of France, a taxpayer does not make a wealth tax return because the ‘none inclusion’ of the assets indicates that they are under the wealth tax threshold limit (currently €1.3 million), the penalty is to be increased from 10% to 40% of the tax due.

The period during which the tax authority can take action to prosecute is to be increased from three years to six years.

As concerns trusts, legislation was already introduced in 2011, which has required the trustees to declare to the French tax authorities the existence of the trust with at least one of the following:

French resident settlor;
French resident beneficiary; or
French situated assets – even if the settlor/beneficiaries are not living in France.

Since 2011, failure to declare the existence of a trust has resulted in a penalty of the greater of 5% of the value of the total assets of the trust, or €10,000. The new law increases the fine to 12.5% of the value of the total trust assets or if greater, €20,000.

In addition, a public register of trusts is to be established by the Minister of Finance. This will require full details of the trust to be published, including the name(s) of the trustees, the settlor and all of the beneficiaries, as well as the date of establishment of the trust. Therefore, the text of the law is wide and in effect, requires information concerning non-resident beneficiaries to be made public and may also require the names of potential beneficiaries to be published.

France, like many other countries, is targeting tax evasion more and more. Banks and insurance companies are required to report information to tax authorities about their clients and tax authorities around the world are exchanging information. The EU is also proposing to amend EU Directive 2011/16 to expand the field of the mandatory automatic exchange of information between tax authorities to include capital gains, dividends, bank account balances. Banking secrecy will clearly become a thing of the past!

It’s a fool’s game to try to hide assets and pretending not to be resident is not a good idea. One way or another, the taxman always finds out and the penalties can be very costly. It is much better to seek regulated advice from professionals who are registered here in France.

Does any of this concern you? Would you like to ensure that you and your potential beneficiaries do not pay any more tax on your financial capital and investment income than is necessary? If the answer to either of these questions is yes, then please contact me for a confidential discussion.

We are also now planning for our Spring Client Seminars. As always, there is no charge for any of our seminars and the speakers’ presentations are followed by a buffet lunch, so places must be booked in advance. The planned dates for the next local events are:

21^st May at Castelnaudary
22^nd May at Perpignan
23^rd May at Montpellier

As the seminars are always very popular, early booking is recommended.

If you would like to discuss your financial situation, in confidence, or if you or you wish to attend one of the seminars, please contact me or by e-mail at daphne.foulkes@spectrum-ifa.com or by telephone on 04 68 20 30 17.

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 https://spectrum-ifa.com/spectrum-ifa-client-charter/.

20% withholding tax on all transfers from abroad into Italy

By Gareth Horsfall
This article is published on: 1st February 2014

As of February 1st 2014 banks in Italy will be obligated to withold 20% of the amount relating to transfers coming into personal accounts from abroad. The 20% will be witheld at source, by the bank, unless an exclusion has been applied to declare that the money is not profit from financial transactions being made abroad.

The witheld tax will be assumed to be an advance tax on ‘profit from investment’ and that the tax will need to be declared and paid on it anyway on the end of year on the RW form. The tax will be witheld every 16th of the month following the transfer and the accumulated amount can be used as a deduction against your end of year tax bill.

(Profit from investment includes ‘interest from savings, income from property (i.e rentals, gains from the sale of property etc. This is what they are trying to target!!!)

Even if an exclusion is filed for and granted (at the bank) your name and details will be submitted to the Agenzia delle Entrata. In addition, you have until the 28th February following the year of the deduction (28th February 2015) to apply, to the bank, for an improper application of the witholding tax and request a refund.

The exclusion will be granted by production of a self certification in the form of a letter sent to the bank. It is likely that this self certification will cover a full tax year, in which the remittances were made, but as yet the rules are unclear.

As you can imagine the banks have been caught a little bit on the hop and are not really ready for the implementation of this little piece of legislative wonder.    However, if you are remitting funds into Italy in the form of pensions, bringing cash in to renovate a house, income from running a business abroad etc then you must go and speak with your bank manager about how to self certify that the funds have not been generated from profit on investments abroad.

The main aim of the witholding tax is obviously to flush out those who are avoiding paying tax on assets overseas. The government is very cleverly avoiding the necessity of tax collection through third party intermediaries and instead going directly to the source of remittances into the country, the banks and other financial institutions.   Since the banks are wholly unprepared for this it could mean a messy period whilst it gets sorted out. The banks are likely to be inundated with self certifcation letters and the hope is that they can administer this without problem.

As an example of the chaos, it is unclear at the moment whether remittances under a SEPA transfer will be subject to the witholding tax although it is just a matter of time before that is resolved.

The whole idea seems rather counter productive to me, in that 20% on an amount remitted into Italy is not the same as 20% on the interest on funds that have been legitimately held abroad as savings.   Ultimately, the funds being remitted into the country are less than before and hence less funds to spend and use in the economy. I have my sneaking suspicion that this is merely a way to generate more information for the Agenzia. For those who are declaring their assets and incomes correctly and are ‘in regola’ it will be mostly a form filling exercise, lodging these forms with the bank and ultimately, the legislation will be of little concern. The only benefit being that the Agenzia has more ways of matching assets held abroad versus remittances from abroad and amounts declared on the RW (end of year tax declaration) and ensuring that 1+1+1=3

If you would like to contact me to discuss possible financial planning opportunities around this, or any other matter you can do so on gareth.horsfall@spectrum-ifa.com or call me on +39 333 6492356.

Property rentals in Italy – goodbye cash 2014

By Gareth Horsfall
This article is published on: 29th January 2014

From 2014 owners of properties in Italy, which they rent, will be expected to have the rent paid only through track-able methods of payment.

The money will need to be paid by bonifico / bank transfer. (I assume that means Italian or overseas banks as long as it is track-able) Penalties of sanctions against both parties (renter and owner) can be made if they are not adhered to and subsequently found out. The only thing that seems to be excluded is public buildings, such as Case Popolare or other similar public buildings.

Obviously, this move is intended to ensure that all monies from rentals (holiday or long term rentals) are being declared properly in Italy How it will be policed is another matter, but if the last 2 years are anything to go by they will surely find a way, or at least target a select few which will create a panic that will bring the masses into line.

If you are concerned about this or another other financial planning issues regarding the latest taxes in the Legge di Stabilita 2014, then you can contact me on gareth.horsfall@spectrum-ifa.com or call me on *39 3336492356

Buying a second home as a summer retreat

By Tim Yates
This article is published on: 27th January 2014

27.01.14

You don’t have to be a millionaire to get in on the game. In Southern Europe, particularly in Italy, Spain and France, it is very common for people with ordinary incomes to buy second properties. “They [the French] use them as holiday homes and rent them out when they are not using them,” said Tim Yates, a financial adviser with the Spectrum IFA Group in Valbonne, southern France.

Click here to read the full article on BBC.com

Minimum reporting threshold for funds held abroad – clarified

By Gareth Horsfall
This article is published on: 27th January 2014

If 2013 was the year for confusion about how to report assets held abroad then, at least, in 2014 the Italian Government is offering some further clarity.

As of 2014, there will no longer be any minimum threshold when reporting assets held abroad. Previously, any amount below €10000 in investments and €5000 in cash deposits was not expected to be reported. From 2014 all amounts, no matter how large or small, will be expected to be reported on the RW form as of 31st December.

If you would like to know about this or, other taxes that apply to Italian tax residents, how to plan to reduce your own Italian tax liabilities, or want to know how you can find new sources of revenue to supplement that which the Government keep stealing away, then you can contact me on gareth.horsfall@spectrum-ifa.com or call me on +39 3336492356. We are here to help.

Rental Income from properties overseas and how to declare it in Italy

By Gareth Horsfall
This article is published on: 25th January 2014

One of the questions I am asked regularly is how income from property held overseas is taxed in Italy. Is it exempt from Italian tax because tax has been paid on it overseas first and is it subject to the same taxes as Italian rental income?

I would like to dispel any myth and confirm that you do have to pay Italian tax on the profit from any rental income on properties held overseas as a resident in Italy. (if it was really ever in doubt. Out of interest the arrangement is reciprocal, and any if you were resident in another country with rental property in Italy then it need to be declared as well).

The best way to organise your rental income
The law for Italian tax residents states clearly that the net profit (after expenses) from property overseas, must be declared in the Italian end of year tax return. The net profit is then assessed as income, added to the rest of your income for the year and tax paid at your highest rate of income tax (that could be as high as 43%).

Let’s not forget the IVIE tax as well which is 0.76% of the property council/cadastrale/rateable income (whatever you choose to call it) value of the property.

If tax has been applied in the country of origin, it is the law in Italy to declare the funds here as well and so annual declarations need to be made.

As an aside, it is relevant to note that in 2012 I received a deluge of enquiries from people who had been contacted by the Guardia di Finanza who had obtained information from HMRC (UK tax authorities) about people who have/had rental properties in the UK, were legitimately declaring tax in the UK, but who had failed to then declare that income in Italy. In some cases they were fined substantial amounts for merely this simple mistake.

However, all is not lost because there is a way to limit your Italian tax liabilties. If the property income is declared in the country of origin and all the costs are deducted from the income, still within the country of origin, then ONLY the net profit needs to be declared in Italy. In some cases it might also be necessary to declare the rental income in the country of origin even when that country no longer requires you to, for example the UK. If you have rental income under the basic allowance of approx the first GBP 10500 of income and therefore the UK no longer requires a declaration, it may still be wise to insist on making a declaration because the UK allow for multiple expense offsets for tax purposes. By following this process you are showing the Italian authorities your expense declarations and therefore it is acceptable for Italian tax purposes.

You may in some cases be able to reduce your net profit to zero.

To clarify, any rental income from properties held overseas must be declared in Italy, for Italian tax residents. This is the NET income (after expenses). And this net figure is added to your other income to determine at which rate of income tax it is assessed in Italy.

Depending on why you are investing in property overseas the advantages/disadvantages can work in 2 ways: .

If you have high expenses for the property then it can work in your favour as a capital appreciation investment. (assuming the value of the property goes up). Less income means less tax.
The downside of this arrangement is that someone with low expenses and high net income (maybe living from the income in retirement) will be assesed at their income tax rates in Italy (IRPEF) which could go as high as 43%

If you are concerned about your tax situation in Italy and would like an initial meeting to assess your liability then we are here to help. In addition, there might be other more tax efficient and less costly ways to produce income and grow your money. If you are interested in exploring these then you can contact me on gareth.horsfall@spectrum-ifa.com or on cell 333 6492356

QROPS and EURBS – Common questions asked

By Chris Burke
This article is published on: 23rd January 2014

As a specialist in UK and Irish pensions, here is a list questions I’m often presented with on QROPS and EURBS. If any of these apply to you, do not hesitate to get in touch for a consultation, free of charge. chris.burke@spectrum-ifa.com

UK Pension Transfer or ‘QROPS’ – what does it mean?
A Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme (QROPS) is a pension scheme transferred or opened outside the UK that meets requirements set by HMRC in the United Kingdom

If I eventually plan to return to the UK, what would this mean for my Transferred Pension?
If you intend to return to the UK permanently or to work, your Transferred Pension will become subject to the same regulations and tax treatments as a UK domiciled pension. It may then make sense to move it back to the UK as a ‘Self-Invested Pension Plan’ (SIPP) for efficiency.

However, if it is your intention to move back to the UK in the future then it is usually inappropriate to transfer your UK pension to a QROPS.

I might want to change location, will this affect my Transferred Pension?
If you live or work in another country, for example you move from Spain to Switzerland, your overseas pension will stay in the jurisdiction it was set up in. You can continue to make contributions regardless of what country you are living (remember though that if you move back to the UK, your pension will be bound by UK pension regulations). You can receive income and contribute to your Transferred Pension in any currency; so even if you move to several different locations, you can still use your Transferred Pension (QROPS).

If you are taking income and then move to another country, the amount of income tax you pay would vary from country to county.

What currencies can I have my UK Pension in once it is transferred?
Your plan can be denominated in Sterling, Euros, US Dollars, and many other currencies on request. Should it be beneficial to you, the currency can be changed at any stage cost effectively.

I have a UK state pension scheme, is it possible to transfer this also?
It is not possible to transfer a UK state pension overseas – UK transfer applies to your corporate and private pension schemes only.

If I have already taken an annuity, can I still transfer my UK pension overseas?
No, it is no longer possible to transfer your UK pension if you have already taken an annuity.

Do I still need to purchase an annuity once my UK pension has been transferred overseas?
No, you do not need to purchase an annuity once you have transferred your pension overseas.

How much does it cost to transfer my UK pension and set up a Qualified Recognised Overseas Pension?
QROPS costs differ depending on the scheme, location and the service level that you require. The main costs you will be looking at are the initial set-up fee and an annual management fee. They are generally slightly more expensive than a UK pension for the first 5 years and then on a par.

Can I manage the assets within my Transferred Pension myself?
It depends on the provider you decide on – some allow you to manage your own assets, while others insist on managing them for you. We suggest you use a financial adviser for guidance, even if you wish to manage your pension assets yourself. Contact us for more information.

What assets can be transferred to a QROPS?
Most UK pension schemes, and the underlying assets, other than the UK State pension can be transferred overseas (as a QROPS). We recommend an independent evaluation of your schemes to find out which are eligible. Contact us for more information.

Can I keep the same pension funds in my UK pension?
Potentially yes, it is possible to transfer your funds ‘In Specie’ meaning you keep the existing funds and investments from your UK pension.

Can I transfer more than one UK pension overseas into a QROPS?
There is no limit on how many pension transfers a QROPS may receive provided that each scheme relates to the same member. Overseas pensions are a good way of consolidating and managing several schemes in to one.

Is there a minimum transfer value to transfer my UK pensions?
We generally suggest that the combined value of pensions transferred into an overseas pension (QROPS) should exceed £50,000 as an absolute minimum for the scheme to be beneficial to the member. However in the majority of cases it is more appropriate for the final transfer value to exceed £75,000.

When can I access my UK pension?
The retirement date for a transferred pension can usually be any time between the member’s 55th and 75th birthday. Different QROPS jurisdictions may have slightly different age limits, ie Malta’s top age limit is age 70.

Can I still contribute to my transferred pension?
You can receive income and contribute to your Transferred Pension in any currency; so even if you move to several different locations, you can still use your Transferred Pension (QROPS).

How much of the fund can I take as a lump sum?
At the member’s nominated retirement date it is usually possible to take up to 30% of the value of the fund as a lump sum. The lump sum must precede the pension and is a one off payment. For members who have been non-UK resident for less than five full, consecutive tax years the maximum will be 25% of the fund transferred from the UK.

How is my pension calculated?
The basis for the pension withdrawal is calculated using the limits defined by the UK Government Actuaries Department (GAD) tables. . The GAD rates are dependent on your age and the 15 year Gilt rates. Then the maximum income allowable is 120% of this GAD rate. This is in line with the UK drawdown rules. In all cases, the maximum pension level will be reviewed at least every three years and after the maximum age of 70 or 75, depending on juridiction, it will usually be reviewed yearly.

How will my pension be taxed once outside the UK?
As long as there is a Double Taxation Agreement the income is paid Gross and then you are taxed in the country that you are resident in via your tax declaration, again each QROPS jurisdictions rules will vary slightly. In essence you should be no worse off than if you were receiving the pension in the UK or maybe even better off.

What if I die?
Depending on where your next of kin resides then the QROPS can either be paid out in its entirety or be structured so it rolls into a trust for the benefit of your next of kin.

Who will receive my pension when I die?
Your designate as beneficiaries, or, according to your Last Will and Testament.

Can I transfer my UK pension into a QROPS myself?
No. Only appointed intermediaries are allowed to do a QROPS Pension Transfer. This is because you need to have expert advice on this as well as the paperwork being intensive.

I don’t have all the details regarding my UK pensions, what can I do?
With some basic information we can trace most pensions.

How do I know if my UK Pension Transfer scheme is HMRC approved?
The current list of eligible QROPS Pension Transfer schemes can be found here: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/PENSIONSCHEMES/qrops.pdf

How does a QROPS work?
In effect it is similar to a UK pension except it’s held in a trust, which reports to the HMRC each year to confirm your pension is safe and adhering to the rules.

What UK pensions can be considered for a Pension Transfer?

Personal Pensions
Final Salary Pensions
Money Purchase Section 32 and Section 226
FURB/URB
Civil Service & Armed Forces
Protected Rights/GMP

When should I not transfer my ‘frozen’ pension?
Each instance varies and you will require the advice of a pension professional. Contact us.

What is the minimum age I can draw benefit and how much?
From age 55 year you can take up to 30% lump sum of your fund. 70% minimum, remaining funds need to provide ‘income for life’.

French Residency – Dispelling the Myths

By Spectrum IFA
This article is published on: 22nd January 2014

French residency is a popular topic of discussion for expatriates when they get together in a social setting. So many times I hear people saying that they “choose” not to be French resident and just to be sure, they make sure that they do not spend more than 183 days a year in France. Come April/May time, the chatter on this subject increases. So too do the differences of opinion, mostly about whether or not someone should complete a French income tax return.

Well to dispel the first myth – residency is not a choice per se. Based on the facts, you are either French resident or not.

The rules on French residency are really quite straightforward – although admittedly some cases are not! For example, take a couple who are lucky enough to have a property in each of France, the UK and Spain. None of the properties are rented to tenants and so all are available for their own personal use. Every year, they spend five months a year in France, four months in the UK and three months in Spain. They receive pensions from sources outside of France and most of their financial capital is in offshore bank deposits in the Channel Islands. They also have current bank accounts in each of the three countries.

Where are they resident – well the simple answer is “France”. Why – because this is where they spend most time in a year.

Hence, the second myth of the perceived ‘183 day rule’ is also dispelled.

When anyone has interests in various countries, it is often found that they satisfy the internal criteria for residence of more than one country. Understandably, this can be confusing. In France, you only have to satisfy one of the following four conditions and you will be resident in France:

(1) France is your ‘home’: If you have property in France and another country, but the latter is not available for your personal use (for example, because it is rented to tenants), then France is your home.

(2) France is your ‘centre of economic interest’: Generally, this means where your income is paid from. In addition to pension, salaries, etc., this can include bank interest and other investment income.

(3) France is your place of ‘habitual abode’: Notably, no reference is made in the law to the number of days that you actually spend in France and this is where many people are caught out, believing that if they do not spend at least 183 days in France, then they can decide that they are not resident. This is not the case and your place of ‘habitual abode’ is, quite simply, where you spend most time.

(4) Nationality: If your residency has not been established by any of the above points, then it will be your nationality that determines your residence, however, this is very rare.

As a French resident, you are obliged to complete an annual income tax return and must declare all your worldwide income and gains (even if the income is ultimately taxable in another country). In addition, depending upon the value of your assets, you may also need to complete a wealth tax return.

Thankfully, there are Double Taxation Treaties (DTTs) existing between France and all the EU States (and also with many other countries in the world). For anyone with interests in more than one country, the existence of a relevant DTT is very important. This is because a DTT sets out the rules that apply in determining which country has the right to tax your various sources of income and assets, with the aim of avoiding double taxation.

However, France does not have DTTs with the popular offshore jurisdictions of, for example, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. Hence, for any French resident with bank deposits in these jurisdictions, where withholding tax is being charged on the interest, there is no mechanism to offset this against the French income tax that is also payable. Probably the best thing to do to avoid paying tax twice on the same source of income is to shelter the financial capital within an investment that is tax-efficient in France. Notwithstanding this, as everyone’s situation is different, it is also very important to seek independent financial advice before taking any action.

Inheritance taxes should also not be overlooked. As a French resident, you are considered domiciled in France for inheritance purposes and your worldwide estate becomes taxable in France, where the tax rates depend on your relationship to your beneficiaries. However, there are some DTTs on inheritance taxes between France and other countries (although nowhere near as extensive as the number of DTTs that exist for other taxes). Again, it is important to seek advice on your own personal situation because it is my experience that ‘one size does not fit all’.

In summary, French residency is a fact and not a choice. However, by seeking advice, action can be taken to mitigate your future personal French tax bills, as well as the potential French inheritance tax bills for your beneficiaries.

The above outline is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute advice or a recommendation from The Spectrum IFA Group to take any particular action to mitigate the effects of French tax legislation. Hence, if you would like to have a confidential discussion about your personal situation, please do not hesitate to contact Daphne Foulkes by e-mail at daphne.foulkes@spectrum-ifa.com or by telephone on + 33 (0)4 68 20 30 17.

TSG Insurance Services S.A.R.L. Siège Social: 34 Bd des Italiens, 75009 Paris « Société de Courtage d’assurances » R.C.S. Paris B 447 609 108 (2003B04384) Numéro d’immatriculation ORIAS 07 025 332 – www.orias.fr « Conseiller en investissements financiers, référencé sous le numéro E002440 par ANACOFI-CIF, association agréée par l’Autorité des Marchés Financiers»

Spectrum Economic Forum Davos 2014

By David Hattersley
This article is published on: 20th January 2014

Having spent four days on a wonderful Spectrum IFA Group Annual Conference I have now had time to read again the scripts of the presentations and reflect on their impact on investment strategies. Apart from the fact it was by consensus of the other Partners one of the best conferences to date, helped by the friendliness of the staff at the Sheraton Hotel, and the stunning location, the presentations by the investment managers we use were of great interest.

When you consider the diversity of styles and approaches from the likes of Jupiter, BlackRock, Henderson / Gartmore, JP Morgan and Kames, it became very apparent that they all held similar views with regard to the markets and the potential area’s for growth for 2014 and beyond. This was enforced by a question and answer forum near to the end of meetings with all of them present to answer a variety of questions. The major message was that any investment holding substantial cash was no longer an option both now and for the foreseeable future. Whatever a client’s attitude to risk was, and their requirement for either real income, capital growth or both, a solution was available. But rather than a single asset class, spread of assets on a global basis was vital, and that was the key message that came out.

It was also of interest talking to the CEO of Prudential International, Michael Leahy , not so much about investment, but his view of the future for Prudential as a company and why. In some ways it matched the views of the fund managers, still focusing on the developed world e.g. the UK, but expanding, in Europe where opportunities existed, the Far East and other global opportunities.

Finally it was good to have a presentation from “Best Invest”, voted by the readers of Investors Chronicle, the UK Wealth Manager of the year and Best Wealth Manager for Investments in 2013 by the Financial Times. They can provide a solution for those clients of ours that may be returning to the UK or who are not resident in Europe, but work abroad, have holiday homes here and hold ISA’s, PEP’s and need advice on their UK pensions if a QROPS is unsuitable.

After all the hard work, it was great to wander through the snow, take in the bracing fresh air and explore Davos, with its variety of bars and restaurants. It was also interesting to see how the arrival of the World Economic Forum transformed and affected such a small resort. As a non-skier, and I am pleased I am a non skier having seen how steep the slopes were, it was more relaxing for me. Next year we are off to Bordeaux, warmer climes and although Swiss Air was brilliant, a pleasant drive there is already being planned.