A few clients have contacted me to ask about whether their protection plans, their life insurance policies, are still valid considering the current situation in the UAE, and wider GCC.
In this article I explain the situation and give you some facts. Reassuring facts.
For those of us in the Middle East our thoughts are understandably on issues closer to our current homes at this time but this still has relevance to UK nationals and those with assets in the UK.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, the RT Hon Rachel Reeves, has shared her update on the UK economy – the Spring Statement. This is not a Budget, but an update, a forecast statement.
It covers the latest estimates for growth, unemployment, inflation, government spending and income from taxation has been published by The Office for Budget Responsibility.
Think of if as a bit of report card and some qualified predictions.
Following every Budget or Statement, I write an article to give you a concise overview of some of the main points, with particular reference to any changes that have major relevance to those living outside of the UK, and especially in the GCC. Quick, easy to follow, and informative
The UK press will cover many points in detail but much of it will not be directly relevant to expats so i alsoway write someitnung for us, although this has little of direct relevane to non-residents.
A change in UAE law affects expats who hold bank accounts, property, or other assets in the UAE.
I have written about the many reasons why you need a Will in the past (see 15 reasons here) but this is something new.
If you pass away without a registered Will, your assets are now classified as “unassigned.”
Here we go again! This is a widely-anticipated Budget following weeks of media speculation.
I think we are all a bit fed up of the “leaks” and media briefings that are the hallmark of all Budgets in the past few years. It is also very unprofessional that The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) unexpectedly published its growth forecast ahead of the Chancellor’s statement. This contains market sensitive information so let’s hope there is an enquiry and action
The UK media frenzy and contact conjecture really helps no one. A little more decorum all round might be nice.
Following every Budget or Statement, I write an article to give you a concise overview of some of the main points, with particular reference to any changes that have major relevance to those living outside of the UK, and especially in the GCC.
The UK press will cover many points in detail but much of it will not be directly relevant to expats, to people who are no longer tax resident in the UK, so my summaries focus on the points that will be most relevant to us.
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We all know that we need to plan for our future but few of us want to contemplate getting older so it is easy to keep putting off the topic. The fact is that planning for retirement is one of the most important financial steps you’ll ever take. Despite good intentions, many people fall into common traps that can delay or even totally derail their retirement goals.
These mistakes may seem small now, but over time, they could cost you a huge amount of money; tens or even hundreds of thousands of pounds or dollars.
Here are 7 retirement planning mistakes you should avoid, with action points.
Do you need to submit a self assessment tax return to HMRC? Want a bit of help but don’t want to pay a lot of money?
I have the answer for you!
I am currently helping out someone in a tragic situation. Gemma (not her real name) is having to deal with a legal and financial nightmare.
Her husband died in an accident a couple of months ago, leaving her with two young children.
Apparently, they had said in passing that they needed to get their family finances sorted, to get wills and some life insurance, but they never got around to it.
Now she has to deal with the mess left behind and needs to support herself and two children on one income.
It is going to be hard.
But it didn’t need to be this way.
Imagine receiving news that can totally change your life in an instant.
No one knows what is around the corner. No one knows what will go wrong in their life, when illness will hit, when a breadwinner will die.
You can’t know what will go wrong but you can plan for it. You can be prepared for when life takes a wrong turn.
In the past three months alone, I have some across two cases where a parent has become very, very seriously ill. Both in their 40s. Too ill to work, probably not for many years, if they even survive. They have young children.
Now both families are in trouble as they have expenses and no, or significantly reduced, income. The last thing they need is money problems on top of everything else.
You do not want to be in this situation. And you don’t need to be if you take steps now.
The sad reality is that there are large number of scammers who are working hard to hack your accounts, obtain your information, and take your money. Far too many are successful but you can take some smart, and logical, steps to reduce your risk of falling prey to a scammer.
Fraudsters are organised and clever and will often choose their targets using information that you have posted or shared online. Some can even see spending habits so will target based on that. They can go to extraordinary lengths to try and convince you they are genuine so we all need to stay one step ahead.
These days, our lives are online and, in our smartphones, so we need to take steps to protect ourselves.
We need to take steps so we don’t become a victim.
In this article I want to give you some useful tips to keep your banking secure and on to avoid the most common financial scams.