So we pass another Brexit date with 31st January 2020 the next one. I have some questions:
- Will there be a (another) referendum before?
- Who will win the General Election on 12th December?
- Does anyone in a position of power really care?
- What will I get for Christmas?
These are all unknowns, to me at least, but there are two that I can have an influence on. If I´m good, I could get something nice for Christmas. Perhaps a matching sock for last year´s. I could also have an effect on who gets elected in the UK on 12th December.
The 15 year rule
It is generally known that one has up to 15 years to register to vote in General Elections in the UK having moved abroad. Although there has been talk about abolishing this rule, it still exists. One aspect generally unknown is that you have the right to vote if you registered within the last 15 years after moving abroad. Therefore, this means that you can vote in the upcoming election if you registered on or after 12th December 2004. In my case, after leaving the UK in late 2004, I believed that I had missed the opportunity by a month or so. In fact, and because I registered to vote in the 2005 election, I have been told by my last constituency office that I have until 2020 to continue voting.
If you left the UK within the last 15 years then you simply register now. I believe that you have up until 25th November to do so. If you have registered to vote within the last 15 years, after leaving the UK, I suggest that you get confirmation from your last constituency office and then register to vote in the coming election at https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.
Unfortunately, this could be an election based purely on Brexit. We know more now than we did in June 2016 and so, hopefully, whoever wins, there will be clear direction and they get on with leaving or staying.
Lost benefits waiting for Brexit
Many people have delayed making decisions due to Brexit uncertainty, especially when it comes to buying property or investing. On the property side, this has meant missing out on property value gains, lost rental revenues, or simply a delay in the dream move. From our side, in the investment world, those who have been invested in the types of cautious fund that we promote have seen their money grow by over 20% since the referendum in June 2016. At the same time, for those people who have left their money in the bank in readiness for what they didn´t really know, have seen their money reduce in real value by around 11% through inflation. In simple terms, £100,000 invested in a low risk fund would now be worth £120,000, £107,000 when allowing for 11% inflation. Left in the bank, with no interest, £89,000. People would be up in arms if they were told that their bank was charging them 2% (£2,000 in this example) a year in charges but this is effectively what inflation has caused and has been the consequence of ‘playing safe’.
There´s probably another ‘Brexit’ around the corner, but life goes on. I look forward to receiving my sock regardless of who is Prime Minister on 25th December.
To find out more about how you could benefit from quality financial planning advice and years of experience both in Spain and the UK, contact me today on +34 618 204 731 (call or WhatsApp) or at john.hayward@spectrum-ifa.com