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Prochaines échéances fiscales et guide 2021 des impôts en Espagne

By Cedric Privat
This article is published on: 15th February 2021

15.02.21

Que vous viviez en Espagne depuis de nombreuses années ou que vous soyez un nouvel arrivant, vous êtes soumis à certaines déclarations obligatoires et devriez donc être concernés par une ou plusieurs échéances listées ci-dessous.

Ces dates sont inchangées depuis plusieurs années et devraient le rester.

Modelo 720

Modelo 720

Déclaration informative mais obligatoire sur les biens et avoirs à l’étranger. Vous devez présenter ce Modelo 720 si la somme de vos actifs est supérieure à 50 000€ dans une ou plusieurs des trois catégories:

  • Comptes bancaires situés à l’étranger
  • Titres, droits, assurances-vie et placements gérés ou acquis à l’étranger
  • Biens immobiliers et droits sur les biens immobiliers à l’étranger

Les années suivantes, il n’est demandé de représenter le Modelo 720 qu’en cas d’augmentation de plus de 20 000€ par rapport au capital initialement déclaré.

Des sanctions sont possibles en cas de non respect de cette déclaration.

À déposer avant le 31 mars.

Déclaration De La Renta

La déclaration d’impôt se fait entre les mois d’avril et juin. Vous pouvez soit l’effectuer directement sur internet, soit prendre rendez-vous avec un

conseiller du Trésor Public (Hacienda), soit léguer cette tâche à un “gestor” (conseiller fiscal).

L’année fiscale en Espagne va de janvier à décembre, vous déclarez donc vos revenus de l’année précédente.

En Espagne les impôts étant prélevés à la source, Agencia Tributaria n’effectuera qu’une vérification. Dans la plupart des cas, vous ne paierez pas de supplément.

À déposer avant le 30 juin.

Impuesto Sobre El Patrimonio (Catalogne)

Impôt sur le patrimoine: cette déclaration est obligatoire si votre patrimoine brut (sans déduction

des dettes) est supérieur à 2 000 000€ ou votre patrimoine net supérieur à 500 000€.

La résidence principale est exonérée jusqu’à 300 000€.

À déposer également avant le 30 juin.

Afin de vous aider à mieux comprendre la fiscalité en Espagne, Spectrum a créé le “Guide des impôts en Espagne 2021” (document en anglais).

Ce guide vous aidera à comprendre les règles de résidence fiscale locale et les impôts sur le revenu, les successions, les investissements, la propriété et les retraites.

Vous pouvez librement télécharger ce document sur notre site et dans le même temps, si vous le désirez, vous abonner à ma newsletter “actualités financières et fiscales en Espagne”.

spectrum-ifa.com/cedric-privat/spanish-tax-guide-cedric-privat

Je reste à votre disposition pour vous apporter des informations complémentaires.

New Spanish bank charges post-Brexit

By John Hayward
This article is published on: 11th February 2021

11.02.21

If you bank with Sabadell, you may well have noticed that they are charging you for transfers in and out of your account. Although you may have an account that didn´t attract changes before Brexit, it could do now. When approached by a client of mine, who has a Premium account with Sabadell, their response was, and I paraphrase “because we can”, using the Bank of Spain rule book to justify the charges. It is because the UK is no longer in the EU. It appears that these charges are being applied to ad hoc transfers as opposed to regular payments such as pensions.

I have heard of other instances where transfers have been made from the UK using a currency exchange company. Currencies Direct, for example, have stated that they will cover the charges made by banks as they feel that it is incorrect and goes against the SEPA (Single Euro Payments Area) agreement, challenging the actions of the banks.

Solutions

  1. Close the account with Sabadell. (This is probably not convenient for many)
  2. Tell Sabadell that you will close the account if they continue to charge. (You will probably not get too much of a reaction to this one)
  3. Instead of transferring money as and when required, which is something many people do, set up a regular payment.
  4. Make transfers via companies where you can have an account in GBP and another in Euros. When the money is received or paid by Sabadell in Euros, from or to an EU based account, they do not charge.

I understand that other banks are also making charges when they did not before Brexit, so check with your bank. You do not have to just accept what they are doing.

Do you have overseas assets and are living in Italy?

By Gareth Horsfall
This article is published on: 11th February 2021

11.02.21

I thought I would write about the colour yellow in this E-zine.

I never knew how much I liked the colour yellow. It had never really come on my radar until Lazio moved into ‘zona gialla’ again on the 1st February.

This lockdown has been quite challenging in many ways but it has really made me appreciate the small things which enrich our daily/weekly/monthly lives and break the daily monotony. For me, it’s those meals out with family, friends and clients, those mid-week trips to the cinema to see a film that has been newly released or a special theatre trip because some performing artists are in town. And I have to admit (I never thought I would ever write this) that I actually miss those kids parties when the parents lurk around at the back of the room talking and the fathers sneak off to have a beer or a glass of wine (or 2). Oh, and not forgetting those little trips, overseas or in Italy, that have been off the table now for sometime, but are the icing on the cake of life. I long for the day when I can make, even short trips away, with the family and friends again.

What’s New

Anyway, enough of my Covid colour thinking.

Well, if you have missed it, there is a new technocrat government in Italy. This time under the supervision of Mario Draghi. For anyone who is unfamiliar with Mario Draghi, he is the last ex-President of the EU Central Bank, previous head of the Bank of Italy, previous economist for Goldman Sachs and has also worked at the World Bank. If you are interested, he also has a house somewhere near Citta delle Pieve, Umbria.

What’s interesting about this appointment is that he was the man who pretty much stopped the EU crisis of 2012, merely by announcing that the ‘Within our mandate, the ECB is ready to do whatever it takes to preserve the euro. And believe me, it will be enough’. With those words he stopped the attack on Spanish and Italian government debt, being launched at the time by the worlds financiers, and prevented a complete meltdown when Greece was also in fear of default.

There is no doubt that ‘Super Mario’ (his other widely known name) is a very adept politician and economist who has the ability and knowledge to get Italy out of it’s current predicament, as a result of Covid.

It was Matteo Renzi who pulled out of the coalition which was keeping Giuseppe Conte in power and managing the Covid crisis, but Renzi being a ‘supposed’ pro-business politician didn’t think that Conte had the ability to manage the €266 billion Recovery fund which is shortly arriving from the EU, and which will be used to help rebuild the economy. I happen to agree (although I think Conte has done a good job of managing the pandemic in Italy) and also believe that Mario Draghi is probably the best person for the job.

However, to what extent he will be prevented from doing so by the warring parties is anyone’s guess. He is a no nonsense economist/politican and has already made it clear that he wants to surround himself with capable people, and not politicans who are looking to advance themselves or their parties.

I suspect he will get some new and interesting projects approved by Parliament, but like the technocrats before him (Letta and Monti), will eventually be stopped by the other political parties who will want to merely push their own agenda and take power.

But, let’s not take this step for granted because if Mario Draghi is given enough leash to enact some serious recovery plans, and real effects can be seen, then they may give him more leash than we might expect.

My thinking is that alot of the burden will now be placed on his shoulders, and should he be able to magic the economic bunny out of the crumbling Italian economy top hat then the other political parties will quickly amass like children around a fresh birthday cake, to benefit from his good work and look to ultimately grasp power and take all the credit.

It’s all to play for. I shall be watching this one carefully. I think like most of us who have been living in Italy for quite some time, we really hope that something significant happens because we see so much potential for change.

declaring your assets

UK Offshore territories
For anyone holding money in the UK offshore territories: Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands etc, you should be aware that the EU voted to put these territories back on the EU black list as of the 1st February 2021.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/22/meps-vote-to-add-channel-and-british-virgin-islands-to-tax-haven-blacklist

I suspected that this would be the case once the UK lost its protected status in Brussels and these territories, which depend on the UK, have been now put back on the EU’s black list. Essentially this means that they do not share adequate financial information and lack sufficient fiscal transparency. By keeping arrangements in these jurisidctions you will be subjecting yourself to punitive tax rates as a resident in Italy.

If in any doubt then you can always contact me on +39 3336492356 or on email gareth.horsfall@spectrum-ifa.com

Letters from the Agenzia delle Entrate
Someone forwarded me a forum discussion chat the other day which was discussing the fact that British citizens around Italy were receiving letters from the Agenzia delle Entrate and being targeted in a campaign for undeclared finances.

Firstly, I should say that I do not have any insight into what the Agenzia delle Entrate (AdE) is doing or thinking, but can only hypothese based on past experience.

One thing I think it is fair to say is that I don’t think that the AdE is actually targeting British citizens living in Italy as a result of Brexit. What is more likely the case is that the AdE are doing what they do most years, at the start of the year, and send out standardised letters to foreign citizens resident in Italy with the hope that they will pick up somebody who has undeclared income/assets and/or gains.

I myself have received 2 of these letters in the past. The first proved to be a mistake, the second however, put me in such a panic that I went back over my finances for the previous year with a fine toothcomb and realised I had mistakenly failed to declare a small dividend payment in the UK, but it should be said that there was no mention of this error on their letter. The letter itself was a standard letter merely saying that as a result of information gained from the exchange of information between tax authorities, it was ‘believed’ that I may have undeclared assets/incomes and/or gains and that I needed to regualrise my affairs. It was enough to make me look back over everything and get everything ‘in regola’ .
I know that in the last few years the Italian authorities have become more sophisticated with the information that they have received and so should you receive a letter with specific figures mentioned, then I think it is fair to say that you have been caught and you will have to provide the information requested. It would also make sense to get a commercialista to help submit the information and negotiate with them on your behalf, if required.

However, if you receive the generic letter then it could just be that they are on a ‘fishing’ mission. Setting a cat amongst the pigeons, pick one off and the rest become so much more wary. In my opinion, any letter from the Agenzia delle Entrate should not be ignored. It could certainly be the case that they are party to information which has been shared by tax authorities in other countries where you hold assets and so to ignore such a communication could land you in very hot water indeed.

My simple message for anyone, to prevent ever receiving a letter from the Agenzia delle Entrate is

‘If in doubt, declare the account’
(And don’t forget your other worldwide assets/gains and income too)

Imposte and Tasse
Do you know the difference bettwen your ‘imposte’ and your ‘tasse’?’. In English they are both taxes, but in Italian they have different meanings and so it is probably a good idea to understand what the difference is.

Tasse are taxes which are collected to fund a specific part of the Italian state. A good example is TARI (Tariffa sui Rifuiti) or even airport taxes. They are collected for the purpose of funding a specific part of the Italian state infrastructure.

Imposte,on the other hand, are generic taxes which are charged but which have no specific objective in mind, other than to fund the ongoing cost of the Italian state. These would include things like IRPEF (income taxes) IVAFE (wealth taxes) and IVIE (a tax on property).

So, the next time you have a chat with your commercialista, or when you are chatting in the bar about how much we have to pay in taxes in Italy, you can make sure that you use the right terminology for the correct type of of tax!

Cash is King?

By John Hayward
This article is published on: 10th February 2021

10.02.21

What are investors doing with their cash?
Last year, Quilter, a British multinational wealth management company, conducted research* with 2,000 UK investors. The Covid-19 pandemic has provided many investors the opportunity to save more than they were before. However, many are either choosing to lock this money in a bank account or are waiting for what they believe is the ‘right’ time to invest in markets. But when is the right time to invest?

The research also found that most of those surveyed don’t understand the potential risks that having too much of their savings tied up in cash can have on their financial plans over the long term.

More recently, Quilter reached out to a sample of their international customers and found that the very same sentiment was shared by them. Many investors are sitting on cash that is not necessarily working for them and they could be missing out by being too cautious with their money.

Prudential have reported that, according to the Bank of England 28% of households have seen savings increase in 2020. That could mean they have a cash pile sitting unproductively earning minimal interest.

We understand that people are concerned about the future, even more so now with Covid-19 in play, but we also know that interest rates are likely to stay low for the foreseeable future whereas as inflation remains in the background. Many were waiting (years) for Brexit to go through and then Covid-19 came along and now they are waiting for this to go away before taking action with their money. In the meantime, the value of their cash has gradually reduced whilst those invested have seen the benefit of being so.

Here is a link to Prudential’s Investing for Beginners for those who are would like to know more about some investment basics and we can provide additional guidance.

Investing for Beginners | How to Start Investing | Prudential

There are many articles which call themselves ‘Investing for beginners’ but maybe a better place to start is to simply understand the ‘point’ of investing. Why could it be a good idea? Why should you consider it?

To find out how we can help you decide how best to plan for your current needs and those of the future, contact me today.

Is it necessary to have a Spanish will and a British will?

By John Hayward
This article is published on: 9th February 2021

09.02.21

Dying without a will can have serious consequences for the people you care about, making it hard (or even impossible) for them to claim what is due to them. Even with a will there may not be enough detail as to what assets the deceased had, which is why it is vital to have to have a separate list of all your property including bank accounts and investments, as well as details for key contacts (lawyer, accountant, financial adviser).

Now we are talking about two different countries with two different sets of probate law and two different languages. Although you may hear of “international” wills, the fact is that there could be conflict with one will trying to deal with, effectively, two different estates.

What tends to put people off making a will is:
a) Writing a will makes the certainty of death even more so
b) Cost

If the cost is a problem (around €200 for Spanish will and £200 for an English will), it is important to think of the subsequent costs, inconvenience, trauma, and potential loss of assets, by not making a will. It is generally considered wise to have a Spanish will to cover Spanish property and a British will to look after everything else.

We can help you deal with both types of will and save those who you wish to benefit a whole lot of problems.

*Note that England and Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland have different processes

Domicile re-visited – has Brexit had an impact?

By John Lansley
This article is published on: 8th February 2021

08.02.21

This article is aimed at those living in Andalucia, but also applies to the rest of Spain and further afield.

UK domicile has always been a rather difficult topic, but, as it determines whether UK Inheritance Tax (IHT) will apply to your estate or not, it has always been important to understand how it works, especially since Brexit.

Inheritance Tax in Andalucia provides much more generous exemptions. So, is it a matter of choice? Are you able to choose which Inheritance Tax regime applies to you?

Domicile
Firstly, some ground rules. As far as the UK HMRC are concerned, if you were born in the UK, the probability is that you will have a UK domicile of origin. Unless this changes, at your death your estate will be exposed to UK IHT, and this applies to your assets anywhere in the world.

If you are not domiciled in the UK, only UK assets will be subject to IHT. So, straightaway, it’s clear there can be a huge advantage in not being UK domiciled.

Example
For example, imagine someone who lives in Andalucia and is tax resident there, owns a house in the UK worth £300,000 and has £300,000 worth of assets outside the UK. If UK domiciled at death, his estate would face a bill of £110,000*. If domiciled outside the UK, the UK IHT tax bill would be zero.

So, on the face of it, losing his UK domicile would make sense as it would save his heirs £110,000 (don’t forget Spanish Inheritance Tax! See below). But is it as simple as that?

Can I change my domicile?
Changing domicile is very difficult in practice. In the old-fashioned sense of emigrating to another country, where all UK links were severed and new ones established with your new home country, you might easily acquire a domicile of choice elsewhere. However, these days, when moving to Spain or France, or another country close to ‘home’, it is not so easy – for example, retaining a property in the UK, having UK investments and income sources, and even writing your Will under English Law, can all demonstrate that you have not sufficiently severed your links and acquired a new domicile.

Intentions
Beyond simple facts such as these, domicile also hinges on intentions. So, someone who moves to Spain and vows never to return stands a better chance of losing UK domicile than someone who is pretty sure that, when poor health and family pressure become significant, a return to the UK is almost certainly going to happen.

Inheritance Tax in Spain
Spain’s Inheritance regime is different to the UK, in that it applies to those who die in Spain and also to assets situated in Spain. It is the recipient of an inheritance who pays the tax, and the amount depends upon the relationship between beneficiary and deceased.

As mentioned above, Andalucia’s Inheritance Tax rules are very generous, and an estate of the same size (ie, £600,000 or equivalent) located in Andalucia could attract no tax at all, if all the assets are left to the deceased’s children, for example, but a more distant beneficiary, or an unconnected person, would likely see tax having to be paid. Other Spanish regions are not so generous and bigger bills would ensue, as would be the case in many other countries, so it pays to check carefully.

pensions Spain

Brexit
So, has Brexit had any effect on this? Not in terms of UK and other Inheritance Tax laws themselves, nor Wills, but perhaps in the sense that your thoughts about moving back to the UK in later years might have been changed, especially if you have a non-UK spouse (due to the tough new income requirements in such cases). Or you might have UK assets that fall foul of various rule changes, and you need to consider making changes which could have an impact on your domicile, for better or for worse.

Loss of freedom of movement
If you have spent a lot of time in Spain in recent years, perhaps had a ‘foot in both camps’, and enjoyed the freedom of being able to come and go as you please, the recent realisation that you need to be rather more specific about which country you are based in might have meant looking closely at such things as where you pay tax, healthcare access, Wills, driving licences, bank accounts and other investments, and many more. Domicile and Inheritance Tax exposure in both the UK and Spain should have been part of the review because a wrong decision could prove costly.

Equally, if you left the UK after 31 December 2020, or considering doing so, you might find that the requirements for residence in Spain are too much of a hurdle and your intentions of remaining in Spain indefinitely (and saying goodbye to UK tax concerns) have had to be shelved and replaced with the alternative of spending much less time in Spain each year, with the resultant impact on domicile and UK IHT liabilities.

Wills
Don’t forget that your Will is an integral part of domicile and Inheritance Taxes planning in both Spain and the UK. Now is a very good time to consider whether yours needs to be updated.

So, as always, it’s vital to obtain proper professional advice, and this is a subject that, while perhaps not affecting you personally, could have a tremendous impact on the long term wealth of your family. Brexit has generated a number of less than obvious changes – domicile isn’t an obvious one, but it is certainly something that should be given careful thought.

*NB other exemptions and reliefs are available that might reduce the liability.

Document pour mieux préparer son décès

By Spectrum IFA
This article is published on: 4th February 2021

Document pour mieux préparer son décès

Benjamin Franklin disait: “En ce monde rien n’est certain, à part la mort et les impôts.” Cette réflexion peut paraître pessimiste mais elle est néanmoins réaliste.

En ce début d’année 2021, nul besoin d’alimenter la morosité ambiante; et pourtant, n’oublions pas la réalité.

Personne ne souhaite laisser ses proches dans l’embarras lorsqu’il ou elle viendra à partir (le plus tard possible!). Alors quelque soit votre âge, pourquoi ne pas anticiper et faire en sorte de ne pas ajouter au deuil des vôtres des complications administratives qui pourraient être facilement évitées?

Afin de vous y aider, Spectrum a créé un document récapitulatif (pdf à remplir) regroupant l’ensemble des informations relatives à votre situation actuelle. Il résume vos données personnelles, fiscales, financières, vos contacts, vos mots de passe, vos assurances, vos factures à résilier, etc.

Il vous suffira ensuite d’envoyer ce document à une ou plusieurs personnes de confiance (conjoint, enfant, avocat, notaire, “gestor”, conseiller financier, à qui bon vous semble) qui se chargeront de le conserver en lieu sûr.

Financial Advisers in spain

Vous pouvez librement télécharger ce document sur notre site et dans le même temps, si vous le désirez, vous abonner à notre newsletter “actualités financières et fiscales en Espagne”.

     

    The Spectrum IFA Group is committed to building long term client relationships. This form collects your name and contact details so we can contact you about this specific enquiry. For further information, please see our Privacy Policy.

    Do you have investments in the UK?

    By Andrew Lawford
    This article is published on: 4th February 2021

    04.02.21

    Time for a closer look at foreign portfolios

    In one of my articles last year I looked into the complexity of the taxation regime for the various types of investment income that can arise for an Italian resident. I would suggest that you read that article, or at least its section on funds, as background before continuing. In this article we are going to look in greater depth at the taxation of funds, or collective investment schemes (from now on I’ll refer to these simply as “collectives”). While this may seem a somewhat dry topic, it will be of particular concern to those who have investments in the UK, given that their tax treatment will be changing now that Brexit has come to pass. Equally, though, many people will have investments in collectives that they made in their countries of origin that do not pass muster in Italy, and these will bring less than desirable consequences from a taxation perspective.

    Ufficio Complicazione Affari Semplici

    Let’s first make it clear that there is nothing in Italian law that makes it illegal for an Italian resident to own certain kinds of foreign asset, but as many people find out when navigating the Italian system, the fact that you are allowed to do something doesn’t automatically mean that it will be easy. In fact, Italy has a mythical government office known as the Ufficio Complicazione Affari Semplici (the Office of Complicating Simple Matters – it even has its own Facebook page) which, if it actually existed, might well be one of the most efficient government entities in the country (I am joking, of course, but it does sometimes feel that way)!

    UK bank account

    Anyway, back to the main point of this article: there is an important distinction made in Italian tax law between EU domicile as against non-EU domicile for collectives.* In order to enjoy the basic 26% rate of taxation for financial income, collectives must either respect the UCITS regulations (i.e. be authorised under the EU law for collective investment undertakings), or, if non-UCITS, they must be domiciled in the EU or EEA, registered for distribution in Italy and managed by an EU licensed asset manager. These requirements will exclude almost all non-EU domiciled collectives, with UK collectives the most recent addition to the list (as from 1st January 2021). So what happens when you have invested in a collective that isn’t covered by EU rules? Any income generated will be taxed at your marginal income tax rates, which is likely to be penalising for all except those with limited incomes (the lowest income tax band is 23% in Italy).

    Much has been made in the press of the fact that financial services were excluded from the Brexit agreement. Below is what this looks like in practice (the following is an excerpt from a letter sent by the fund manager Janus Henderson to investors in their UK domiciled funds):

    “With effect from 1 January 2021, UK domiciled investment funds that had previously operated under the Undertakings for the Collective Investment in Transferable Securities (UCITS) regulations will cease to be classed as UCITS and will instead become “UK UCITS”. From the same date, UK domiciled Non-UCITS Retail Schemes (NURS) will cease to be classed as EU Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) and instead will be classed as third country AIFs. Any UK domiciled Janus Henderson funds that were registered for marketing purposes in any EU 27 countries will no longer be registered and marketing of the funds will therefore cease. For the avoidance of doubt our “UK UCITS” and NURS will not be registered for marketing in the EU as third country AIFs.”

    Also on the list for unfavourable tax treatment you will find any non-UCITS ETFs, which would include all of those listed in the US (remember that ETFs are simply collectives that trade on a stock exchange). It will also include holdings in Investment Trusts listed in the UK. To be fair, UK Investment Trusts have always been in an unusual situation – something I found out first hand a number of years ago after holding an Investment Trust through an Italian bank. I was amazed at the paperwork that arrived at year end relating to this holding, the income from which I was obliged to put in my tax return (to be taxed at marginal rates). At the time there was also a complicated distinction made between the variation of the fund’s NAV compared with the variation of the price of the shares that I had bought and sold – although I believe that particular distortion has now been resolved for listed funds like ETFs (every now and again something slips past the Office of Complicating Simple Matters).

    What about the US?
    Any American readers should be particularly concerned, because they cannot hold EU collectives due to the arcane nature of US taxation, which makes compliance difficult even for non-resident US citizens.

    You are unwise to hold EU collectives from a US point of view, and unwise to hold US collectives from an Italian point of view. So what to do? Do not despair: much will depend on your individual situation, but we can often help to improve substantially the overall tax efficiency and declaration burden relating to your portfolio.

    The bottom line is that you should never assume that what works well in one country will work well in another, and especially not one like Italy that has government offices specialised in complicating matters!

    If you would like to discuss your own situation then please get in touch. Our aim is to simplify complicated matters as much as possible whilst making sure that your assets are well managed, with a view to the long term. In this context, avoiding unnecessary tax exposure remains a key element of most successful investment strategies. With proper guidance in the process of portfolio construction, it is entirely possible both to enhance investment returns and reduce administrative complexity.

    * Normally you can tell where a collective is domiciled by looking at the first two digits of its ISIN code (ISIN stands for International Securities Identification Number, a 12 digit alphanumeric code which almost all financial instruments have): IT will identify an Italian security, GB a UK security, LU a Luxembourg security and so on.

    Currency Exchange and the benefits of using a specialist provider

    By Spectrum IFA
    This article is published on: 2nd February 2021

    02.02.21

    Relying on a bank to transfer currency is an expensive option. Currency transfer specialists provide competitive terms, secure, swift transactions and a range of other benefits including regular payments, forward contracts and rate tracking alerts.

    At The Spectrum IFA Group we work with Smart Currency Exchange to deliver the best possible rates, service and support for our clients.

    Whilst nobody can predict exchange rate direction, the relative strength (or weakness) of the euro is relevant for most of us. I attached a weblink to Smart’s 2021 quarterly currencies forecast.

    Smart Currency Exchange
    Quarterly Forecast 2021

    A historic Presidential election, Brexit deal and global pandemic sent currencies in directions that no one could have predicted in 2020.

    Does that mean matters will settle down in 2021? We wouldn’t suggest you bet your transfers, your property budget and your future plans on that!

    Fresh uncertainties for the year ahead bring new challenges for economies – and currencies – too. So, predicting the pound’s movements accurately can be a near-impossible task – even for the major banks.

    I invite you to read this quarter’s currency forecasts, but with a strong suggestion that you do not base any decisions on them. Predictions for GBP/EUR range between 1.06 and 1.28 over the next 12 months!

    Smart Currency Exchange

    What’s in your Quarterly Forecast?

    Post-Brexit special – what happens now?
    Looking to buy a property overseas this year? What do you need to consider in a post-Brexit world? Our resources section can help.

    New and improved tables and charts
    How are economies coping in the midst of the pandemic? Our new charts and tables offer a deeper insight.

    Expert analysis sections
    Smart’s Senior Risk Management Analyst offers his insight and opinion – do you agree with him?

    Your next move?
    In this climate of uncertainty, how should you plan for the future?

    For any further information on currency exchange, please contact your local adviser or please send an email to: info@spectrum-ifa.com

    Financial Advisers in France
    Financial Advisers in spain
    Smart Currency Exchange

    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…

    Cash Flow Chris Burke
    Cash Flow Chris Burke

    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.

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