Yes, really. You don’t need large sums to start investing in UK property. You really can start with a deposit of only 5%.
Buying an investment property in the UK, a low-risk and steady market is much more affordable than you might think.
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.
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.
06/11/2025 This article has been updated so please see the latest version:
Turn your American dream into a plan. It’s easier than you think.
This article is designed to be a brief guide to the taxes that apply to UK property, all in one place. This is written for the benefit of non-residents of the UK.
There are various taxes that apply with in relation to the ownership of UK property and an overview of each of the main ones is set out below.
I have covered this topic previously but it is time for an update as various rules have changed over the past few years.
You could become a permanent resident, leading to citizenship in just five years. You and you family can obtain US passports and live the American dream.
Join us for an online presentation on one of the most popular investment migration programmes in the world.
Thursday 15th February. 1pm UAE time.
Link to register: Registration – US citizenship presentation
If you read this after the live presentation, get in touch with me for a copy of the recording.
Citizen by investment is a US Government approved investment migration scheme.
While you need to invest a significant sum up front, you could receive all of it back within five years.
With one of our investment schemes, you could even receive all money back in just three and a half years.
The EB5 schemes are not easy to navigate but that is where we come in. Our in-house experts will guide you through the process, liaise with the appropriate government departments, and be with you every step of the way until you receive your new USA passport.
We work with the US Immigration Fund (USIF) which assisted over 5,000 investors in arranging an EB5 visa. You need to work with an approved company to obtain these valuable visas.
Whether or not you make formal resolutions at the start of a year, I am willing to bet that you have certain hopes when it comes to your financial situation.
You may dream of retiring at age 55. Perhaps you want to buy a holiday home or an investment property? Do you want to take a year off to travel the world? Maybe you know you need to put a few things in place to get properly organised?
You need to take action to turn these hopes into reality.
Invariably we could all do a little better 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 2024.
Citizenship- or residency-by- investment could be the answer.
As the world, and where we can choose to live, is affected by events and economics, many people are considering alternative citizenship and places to live. The recent pandemic, wars, economic factors – all have affected how we see our futures. And where we want to live and retire.
It is not as easy as simply deciding you want to live in a certain country as obtaining residency and visas can be complex. The choices about where to live and work are restricted for most people and few nationalities have real freedom of movement.
Holding passports from certain countries is extremely limiting so you may like the option of obtaining better travel documents.
If you have passports from countries such as Pakistan, India, Lebanon, Egypt, and many other African countries to name just a few, you will know how difficult it can be to travel or live elsewhere.
People from developed countries would also often like the opportunity to live and work in other countries without restrictions.
The good news is that there are options where you can obtain both the right to live and work, as well as a citizenship.
We can offer a range of residency- and citizen-by-investment programmes which will give you the desired economic freedom and choice of where to live.
Info updated March 2025
You may think that you need to save up for ages to save up a deposit to buy a property in the UK but there is another way. There is no need to wait until you have saved 30-35% before you buy.
This is for direct ownership and makes it much easy for you to get on the property ladder.
Secure the purchase price now, but pay the deposit of 30% over a period of 15 to 30 months, before you arrange a mortgage to finance the balance.
No need to wait to get on the UK propert ladder and you can buy an investment property at today’s prices, not at an increased rate in a few years’ time.
Most expats have a need to move money between currencies and it makes sense to find a way to do this securely, easily and where you can save money.
You can do this easily, from your desk or sofa. Importantly, this is fully secure, properly regulated and in view of recent issues with some UAE companies, I only work with a currency broker with a good track record.
The online services offered by retail banks are rarely competitive and even if they do not charge a fee they make their profit on the poor rates of exchange offered.
There is a better way. Everyone wants to make savings so this is how you can make easy savings and get value for your hard-earned money.