Saving for Retirement in Spain
By Chris Burke
This article is published on: 28th December 2014
How do you save for retirement in Spain and what are the best options for expats?
These days there are quite a few choices on how to receive your pension as a British expat and, if you qualify for a UK state pension, you can claim it no matter where you live. The money can be paid into a UK bank or directly into an overseas account in the local currency. If you move to Spain before retirement and work there for a number of years, it may also be possible to receive a state pension from more than one country.
If you’ve qualified for a state pension from the UK, it will be paid (and taxed) in Spain but uprated every year in the same way as the UK. The personal tax allowance in Spain is €6,069 (£4,923) compared with £10,000 in the UK. The basic rate of tax is also higher, at around 24% compared to 20% in the UK. And in Spain there is no 25% tax free lump sum available when retiring, and any Isa’s you have in the UK will be liable for tax if you become resident in Spain.
A lot to consider…
Saving for Retirement: Tips
Plan Ahead: Pay off debts and take advantage of tax free personal allowances.
Do Your Homework: Before sitting down with an independent financial adviser, make sure you have a clear picture of your current finances and what you need to consider in order to achieve the lifestyle you want over the years ahead.
Consider Your Saving Options: The recent Budget announced radical changes to pension schemes – good news for savers. From April 2015, individuals may withdraw as much or as little from their pension fund in any year with 25 per cent being withdrawn free of tax.
Regularly Review Investment and Retirement Plans: Review your investment and retirement plans every six months to ensure any advice received is up to date and relevant.
Prudential: Flexible Savings for Retirement
The Prudential Flexible Retirement Plan gives access to a range of flexible retirement and investment solutions to suit your changing needs and priorities. Whether you are approaching retirement or some way off, the flexibility provides an easy transition from saving for retirement, through to approaching retirement and then taking an income.
Professional Advice for Expats
The earlier you get your financial planning in order, the better. Make a mistake with your pension, and you could end up paying for it for the rest of your life.
A pensions expert will be able to point you in the right direction. You will need to take Spanish rules into consideration, so taking advice from an adviser conversant with both UK and Spanish pension and tax rules is essential.