It is estimated that in the UK alone more than £8 billion is languishing in under-performing investment funds. Add all the money in offshore funds and other jurisdictions and the number is worryingly large.
These poorly performing funds, known as dogs, can be found in all sectors but action can be taken. If your money is stuck in the dog house you can do something about it.
This article is designed to give you an overview of the sensible and practical steps that you should take to protect yourself and your family while resident in the UAE. I have written about each of these topics before, on this website, in the press, talked about it on radio and in presentations but it is so important that everyone understands what they should do to plan – just in case – and this article brings these topics together.
Sometimes in life the worse does happen, people die, and it is essential to be prepared, even more so when living in the UAE.
In 20 years in the UAE I have been involved in a number of cases where a client has died and it is a particularly stressful experience due to local complications. Planning ahead and doing all you can so that you or your family are not left without access to money matters a great deal. This is not about being maudlin, but about looking after your family.
There is no question that this will not have been an easy Budget to put together. There are still uncertainties in respect of Covid19 and the UK economy has problems, for more than one reason. With so many people on a reduced income and many businesses suffering, tax hikes right now would be even more unwelcome than usual.
At this point in time, the UK is in more debt than it has been at any point in the past 50 years, at some £2.13 trillion which equates to 99% of GDP. Over the past 12 months the UK economy has shrunk by 10%, and some 700,000 people have lost jobs. UK unemployment is expected to peak at 6.5% in the 2021/22 tax year.
What is required now is to stimulate growth in the economy but I don’t think there is any immediate fix. The two main issues are to reduce debt and to support people and businesses who have been hardest hit – somewhat opposing issues.
No one knows quite how many people on furlough will actually have jobs to go back to and latest figures indicate that there are currently 6 million people on furlough in the UK at the moment.
This article is a brief overview of some of the main points with particular reference to any changes that have relevance to those living outside of the UK. The UK press will cover many points in detail but much of this is not directly relevant to expats so this article focuses on the main issues, highlighting any of relevance to expats.
Winston Churchill is a towering figure in British political history but was also an orator and writer. What I want to focus on is a quote that is relevant to most of our lives, even now, over 100 years after he said them:
Many of us make New Year resolutions, but how many of those are about our finances? 2020 was a tough year for large numbers of people, and we aren’t out of the woods yet, but knowing you have taken all the right steps will give you some peace of mind.
Invariably we could all spend less and save more and a little focus rarely goes amiss.
With that in mind here’s a list of 10 steps you can take to get yourself financially fitter in 2020.
These are the official dates of public holidays for the UAE for the coming year, as well as notable dates, so you can make a note in your diary now and plan ahead. Actual days of holiday for both the public and private sector should be the same and these are the dates announced by the UAE Government.
This article will be updated throughout the year as any changes are announced so you can bookmark it in the knowledge that it will always be correct
As usual, dates of Islamic holidays will be subject to slight variation, dependent on moon sighting, and others may also change.
I have published articles on this topic before but in light of the changes to the personal status laws in the UAE in 2020, this has been updated to cover the new rules. This also includes the minor amendments for 2022 and a change for Muslim expats in 2023.
If you have assets, and more importantly, if you have children, then you need a Will. This is a subject that many people are reluctant to address but there are many misconceptions and an all too common reluctance to talk about the relevant issues. In this article I want to set out a few facts and answer the most common questions.
I am sure most people have seen the articles about some significant legislative changes in the UAE with changes to the penal code and personal status laws and these are very positive in all respects. In this article, I want to explain what this actually means in relation to the financial issues, as headlines are not always quite what they seem and there are subjects that still need to be considered and addressed by expats, especially in terms of the distribution of assets in death.
Let’s address the various points in turn.
Paraphrasing Monty Python, purely to get your attention, but it’s a valid question. I am in an industry that is frequently criticised in the UAE, often for good reason, but let me explain why using a qualified adviser (rather than a salesperson pretending to be an adviser) is a good thing and how you can benefit.
When you have a child, you get lots of advice and tips from everyone but one area that tends to be overlooked is the financial aspect. In the excitement of impending parenthood, or the crazy first few months (or years!), you can forget this essential topic so this article is designed to be a useful guide to some of the issues you need to consider.
Multiple surveys have put the cost of raising a child at eye-watering levels over their first 18 years and expats working in the UAE have the added cost of education and medical bills to contend with. Let’s look at some of the financial practical steps you need to consider.