Showing 1 - 10 of 32
When your house is not a home
Spectrum, Andrew Wood, Published on 02/11/2014
» Many expats have conflicting views of the difference between domicile and residence. One school of thought is that they are easily interchangeable, not realising the impact this may have when they die. The vast majority do not understand that probate will have a significant effect on the administration of their estate. Whether you like it or not, your domicile and the probate process are closely tied together.
The business of living life as an expat
Spectrum, Andrew Wood, Published on 07/09/2014
» Expats living abroad are often surprised at the effort required to effectively manage their affairs. Those of us who have left our home countries have usually not emigrated in a single step, yet many resolve not to go back to live in their home country if they can help it.
A boom or a bubble?
Spectrum, Andrew Wood, Published on 27/07/2014
» The world seems to be in a state of fervour with appreciating investment assets. Could the apparent nascent global economic recovery be disrupted by mere interest rate rises or even geopolitical threats? On the one hand everything appears to be chugging along very nicely in the boom. However, there are other influencing factors which many opt to overlook as most of the world joins the ever-growing herd stampeding onwards in their quest for wealth accumulation. Or are they really inflating a bubble?
If it generates revenue, they will tax it
Spectrum, Andrew Wood, Published on 04/05/2014
» The economics of living our everyday lives can be painfully cruel for most people, from a financial perspective. Yet we often fall victim to the reality that we sometimes do things because they are for our own good even if they make no practical sense.
Is Fatca just for fat cats? US expats beware
Spectrum, Andrew Wood, Published on 23/03/2014
» The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (Fatca) will take effect on July 1. If you are a US expat what does that mean for you?
Essential insurance planning
Spectrum, Andrew Wood, Published on 09/03/2014
» Hoping for the best is not the same as planning for the worst. Making provisions for eventualities that could happen to you is a very serious business.
Personal protection expats should have
Spectrum, Andrew Wood, Published on 23/02/2014
» Many expats sincerely believe that mishaps and accidents will never happen to them. They continue their daily lives almost in oblivion and never think of the consequences of sickness or accidents. It is only when someone becomes the victim of a life-changing event or witnesses the devastation it can cause — maybe to a friend or family — that they actually realise and accept that this actually happens to real people.
Key strategies for wealth accumulation
Spectrum, Andrew Wood, Published on 10/11/2013
» Becoming financially secure is so simple that almost no one wants to believe it: Save regularly, reinvest your interest and dividend income, maintain your contributions even during down cycles, and you will accumulate wealth. It is that simple.
The older expat and medical coverage
Spectrum, Andrew Wood, Published on 01/09/2013
» Since our column on essential expat healthcare on Aug 4, a discussion has developed about the plight of the older expat and medical care. While this group may look like a minority, there have been a number of questions about how they can survive in their current positions. Caught between a rock and a hard place, they are damned if they try to secure insurance and damned if they do not.
Managing UK private pension transfers
Spectrum, Andrew Wood, Published on 07/07/2013
» Although the last "Networth" column was intended to be the final in the series on UK private pension transfers, there have been many questions relating to some aspects of this important part of expat pension planning.