Will the Iran conflict affect your life insurance?

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.

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Investments in 2023. Where are we now?

When it comes to investment we are still living in interesting times. With so many unexpected global events in recent years and those that are ongoing, investing has not been a great deal of fun of late, and I fully appreciate the frustration of clients, of all investors.

This article is designed to provide some context and comfort. So read on…

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UK Property Investment – 10 reasons why it makes sense

UK property has a great deal of potential as an investment and it is easier to get into than you might think, with lower starting prices and plenty of benefits.

Read on to find out why UK property could be good for you.

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UK Mini Budget September 2022 – a summary for expats

When a new Prime Minister takes office, it is usual for them to want to put their own stamp on things and Liz Truss and her team are doing just that. Kwasi Kwarteng, the current Chancellor of the Exchequer, has made a few announcements today, a mini-budget if you will, or an oddly named ‘fiscal event’ according to the government.

As has been the case in recent years, many measures have already been announced or deliberately leaked so this was largely about clarification.

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 and especially in the GCC. The UK press will cover many points in detail but many of the points will not be directly relevant to expats so this article focuses on the points that will be most relevant to us.

EDIT. As this mini-budget went down so poorly, and did such dmanage to UK financial markets, Kwazi Kwateng was replaced by Jeremy Hunt and many of the announcements have since been rescinded so I have commented under each section to clarify.  Added comments are in italics.

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10 Financial Resolutions for 2022 you can actually keep

Many of us make New Year resolutions, but how many of those are about our finances? And how many of them do we really keep?

financial resolutions2020 and 2021 have been tough years for large numbers of people and we can’t be sure of what else is in store, but knowing you have taken all the right financial steps will put you in a good position to weather any future storm.

Invariably, we could all do a little better and some focus rarely goes amiss. With that in mind here’s a list of 10 steps you can take to get yourself financially fitter in 2022.

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New to Dubai? Important facts & financial information

Welcome to Dubai and a new and exciting life. There is a lot to learn and while this is not a complete guide to setting up in Dubai, it does give you a useful overview of many of the financial and legal issues that new residents need to be aware of.

The laws have changed a number of times in recent years and this article is regularly updated to take these changes into account.

Your ability to live in the UAE is linked to employment and it is impossible to rent a property (apart from on a short-term basis) without a residency visa and accompanying identity card.

These will be provided by your employer or as part of the package when you set up a trade licence if you wish to have your own business. There are now a few other visa options but you still need a visa to reside in the UAE.

Having an identity card is mandatory and you will be unable to do many things without it.

You also need a visa and ID card to buy a car, rent a property, get a UAE driving licence, get an alcohol licence – still a legal requirement for Dubai residents if you want to buy alcohol anywhere and or keep alcohol in your home although there are no charges these days and you getget your licence online in minutes.

Children require an ID card to attend school.

The rules can vary between emirates, and although the main legal issues are correct for all, this guide is mainly for Dubai residents.

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News: Risk of UK State Pension freeze remains for British pensioners in Europe

Starting next week some 360,000 British pensioners living in Europe will receive letters from The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)  confirming that their UK State Pension pension will rise each year for at least the next three years in the event of a no-deal Brexit. There are no guarantees that these increases will continue after this time. Continue reading