How safe is your cash? Changes to compensation charges in the UK
If you have large cash deposits in UK bank accounts then you might need to re-jig your finances following changes to compensation legislation in the UK. From 1st January 2016 the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) has reduced the amount of compensation from £85,000 per person per institution to £75,000 with protection on joint accounts lowered from £170,000 to £150,000. This is in response to exchange rate fluctuations which have seen the pound strengthen against
Ten financial resolutions that will make your life better in 2016
It’s resolution time! You know, that time of year when you tell yourself you will lose weight/get fit/write a novel and find yourself two weeks into the new year, your resolve in tatters, slobbing on the sofa, consoling yourself with cake and feeling like a failure! Apparently, a mere 8% of us manage to keep our resolutions (can you even remember what last year’s were?) but, believe it or not, a study has been carried out concentrating on financial resolutions and it conclude
How did your finances perform in 2015?
2015 is coming to a close. As Christmas approaches and the media is saturated with end-of-year reviews discussing 2015’s movers and shakers in the worlds of celebrity, sport and music, it’s time to have a look at how your finances have performed this year. Just as it is advisable to have an annual check-up with your doctor to make sure you are in rude health, it makes sense to check on the health of your finances to satisfy yourself you are progressing towards your financial
Four financial dilemmas faced by expats – and the solutions!
Expats have some unique requirements when it comes to a financial plan. Here are four dilemmas which expats face, and how to solve them. Problem 1: Currency fluctuations Expat finances can be complicated by the fact that you might earn income in one currency, live in a country which has a different one and make payments such as a mortgage in another. If your salary or pension needs to be transferred to a different currency even relatively small changes to the rate of exchange
Six assumptions you shouldn’t make about life insurance
Life insurance is a confusing subject for many, which is one reason why there are so many myths surrounding the subject. Here are some of the most common reasons given for not taking out life insurance – myths that have no foundation in fact. 1. My home policy will cover me abroad In reality it is more likely the case that moving abroad will make your existing policy null and void. When embarking on expat life always check your existing life insurance policies and chat to an
Teaching in Asia: a unique opportunity to save for retirement
Teaching in Asia is often viewed as the preserve of gap year students wishing to fund a year in an exotic location but, in actual fact, many professional teachers move to Asia looking for new challenges, others are expatriate spouses who are looking to further their own careers having moved for the sake of their partner. Some of the most prestigious schools operate satellite establishments in Asia including Harrow in Bangkok, Hong Kong and Beijing, Dulwich College in Singapor
A private school education: investing for your child’s future
A private school education: investing for your child’s future We all know that a private school education doesn’t come cheap but is it worth the money? Sending a child to private school in the UK for the duration of their education is now estimated to cost over a quarter of a million pounds, significantly more if the child boards. This represents a fourfold increase over the last quarter century. Whereas in 1990 a doctor would have spent around 17% of their income on private
