New to Dubai? A very useful event just for you.

If you are new to Dubai then you’ll already know that life here is quite different to being in your home country so make a note in your diary to come along to a helpful presentation to get you up to speed on lots of things that you need to know. Saturday 13th August, 9am to 12pm, at FC Dubai in Al Quoz (near Ace Hardware).

This event is run by Citispi  and features several guest speakers on a variety of topics including all manner of financial issues from me, property by Espace Real Estate and schooling from British Orchard Nursery. The venue has a supervised children’s play area and there will refreshments and snacks. Citispi will also provide information about the local social scene.

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Brexit – where are we now?

It has now been a few weeks since the results of the UK’s referendum relating to the EU and as the dust starts to settle we may have a little more idea of the long terms effects. I am always reluctant to make any kind of financial prediction, especially with such an unknown political landscape, but I think it would be useful to cover a few topics that may affect many people on a personal financial level.

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10 things teenagers need to know about money

There is no doubt that many youngsters leaving school this summer are clueless about their finances. It is important to have some financial knowledge to safely negotiate the adult world so here are some points that every young person should know about money.

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300 On Your Side columns

When I started writing the On Your Side column for The National newspaper nearly six years ago I never imagined that we’d still be going strong 300 columns later. 300 feels like a milestone and in that time I have answered over a thousand queries in print, solved numerous problems for readers and received thousands of emails.

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Need to know: Renting in Dubai

This is the first in an occasional series on topics where I receive a great number of queries. With rental prices in Dubai, and across the UAE generally, increasing significantly, many people have been asked for excessive increases or asked to vacate illegally, so this article is a brief overview of tenants’ rights in Dubai. Continue reading

Universities Uncovered – a presentation. How to get the best for your child.

If your children are currently studying for A levels, or the International Baccalaureate, then the topic of university is probably not far from your mind. I am working with Gabbitas a UK based educational consultancy and would like to invite you to a free seminar that is taking place this Wednesday, 30th April on the topic of universities and how to choose the right one.

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Thinking about transferring money between currencies?

If, like many people, you keep an eye on exchange rates you will have seen that Sterling is looking stronger against the US Dollar. This means that if you are considering transferring Sterling to US Dollars, UAE Dirhams or any other currency pegged to the US Dollar, this could be a good time to take action.

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Happy Anniversary to On Your Side

Time certainly does fly. I have been writing the On Your Side column in the Saturday edition of The National newspaper for five years. That’s 262 columns to date and something like 800 questions answered and problems solved.

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News: Consumer debt in the UAE

A recently issued survey by a firm of International business analysts has shown that the amount of consumer debt in the UAE is rising and is at worrying levels. The figures collected show that as of June 2012, the total household debt in the UAE totaled over AED 418bn (USD 114bn, GBP 75bn), an average of AED 348,650 (USD 95,000, GBP 63,000) of debt per household! I would be surprised if the actual figures were any better a year later.
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