Moving Your Pension Overseas

Transcription

1 Moving Your Pension Overseas

2 Moving Your Pension Overseas Retirement is the reward we all look forward to after decades of climbing the career ladder and living for the weekends. After working so hard to accrue your pension you deserve to make it stretch as far as possible and if you re one of the thousands of people who opt to spend their golden years overseas, there are steps you can take to make your money go further. The costs attached to transferring your money abroad can eat into your pension payments, effectively losing you money and limiting your means. While a lot of retirees find that they can finance the purchase of a home abroad by selling their property in their original country of residence, many still rely on their pension to cover living expenses such as bills, mortgage payments or rent so it s money they really don t want to lose out on. Many pension schemes will only pay into a domestic bank account and in the domestic currency. While you can use many credit or debit cards to withdraw cash overseas in a different currency, there are often hefty conversion fees associated with doing so. The other option is to have your bank transfer your money for you, but this can also be expensive. Banks don t tend to offer the most competitive exchange rates and most levy transfer fees which could be easily avoided. Using a reputable currency broker to manage your pension payments is a step many people don t consider, despite there being many benefits to doing so. It can seem a bit intimidating to approach a currency broker if you haven t used one before, but leading brokers make the whole process simple, friendly and convenient as well as extremely cost-effective. What s the difference between using a currency broker and a bank? The primary difference between banks and brokers is that banks offer currency exchange as just one of many services. Brokers, on the other hand, specialise solely in currency transfers, meaning that they focus all of their attention and resources on providing the best service. To this end, brokers tend to employ a number of currency specialists with the expertise to track the markets and provide the best support to their clients. Banks and other financial institutions buy currency from the interbank market, which is the market banks use to lend each other money. This market isn t open to private individuals. Financial institutions make their money by selling the currency they ve purchased on to the customer for slightly more than they buy it for. When you use a currency broker, this mark-up is small, but with a bank it can be quite large. In fact, some brokers are able to undercut the exchange rates offered by banks by as much as 90%, helping you get far more for your money. Additionally, currency brokers can offer you a range of services that banks often don t, such as regular overseas payments plans. With a regular oversees payments account you can arrange for the automated transfer of your funds on a preselected date, removing all the hassle and ensuring your money is where it needs to be when you need it. Your pension payment, or any other regular payment, would also be transferred at a competitive exchange rate without you having to pay any transfer fees. Whether you need to transfer regular smaller amounts or a make a one-off larger transfer, your currency broker should assign you a dedicated Account Manager. With their support and expertise you can rest easy in the knowledge that your money is being managed safely, securely and to the most financial benefit.

3 Brokers can secure exchange rates which beat those offered by banks by up to 90%. Can a currency broker help me save money when sending my pension abroad? Brokers can secure exchange rates which beat those offered by banks by up to 90%. A difference of a few pence per Euro, or cents per Pound, could amount to hundreds over the course of the year. In fact, when you take into account how much better off you d be by achieving a better rate and avoiding transfer fees, you could save the equivalent of a month s pension payment every year. That extra money could be spent on evenings out or funding a trip back home and the saving can be made with no additional effort on your part. Brokers are able to offer better rates because they constantly monitor the currency markets and respond to changes in exchange rates. Exchange rates fluctuate in value constantly and by monitoring the shifts closely and employing both technical and fundamental analysis of trends; your broker can give you guidance on the best time to trade and help you secure the best possible rate. What else can a currency broker help with? Small differences in the exchange rates become more prominent when transferring larger sums of money so if you are planning to buy a property and then retire abroad, a minor difference in the conversion rate can make a difference of thousands to the sum you receive. You could use the extra money to cover legal fees, buy new furniture for your property or cover other costs of retiring abroad. If making a larger transfer you may also want to look into some of the risk management options available to you, like forward contracts, which give you the ability to fix a rate up to two years ahead of a transfer. Choosing a currency broker There are many companies offering money transfer services but they don t all operate to the same high standards. There are two key things you should look out for when choosing a currency broker. The first is to make sure that they are authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority and the second is to ensure they operate segregated client accounts. This means they keep client and business accounts completely separate, so your funds are protected should anything happen to the business. It s also worth looking up the company your considering on online review sites to see how other customers have rated them. Leading currency brokers will be happy to talk you through your requirements, so don t hesitate to get in touch and learn more about making your pension payments go further.

4 Find out more about Foreign Currency Exchange If you have any questions or require more information, it can help to get in touch with a reputable currency broker. They will be happy to address any concerns you may have and talk you through your options. Once you decide to transfer, a currency broker will make the whole process as simple and cost-effective as possible. Contact Us

5