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Financial Guide to Retiring Overseas

By Lauren Sutton

William Russell
William Russell

Summary: Many people are keen on the idea of retiring abroad but may not know what to do in terms of their finances for a move overseas. The more retirement planning you do, the easier it may be when it comes to making the move.

Fundraising

You may want to move abroad for your retirement in the future but that doesn't mean you shouldn't start planning for it several years in advance. This could involve buying stocks and shares or investing your money into property while you are younger, with the intention of selling it and using the funds to move abroad in the long term.

If you are planning to live abroad, you may be affected by different tax laws so you should look into the rules for the country that you plan on living in. It could be the case that you will actually have more disposable income than if you stayed in the UK, potentially allowing you to take an earlier retirement.

Local laws

While you might have written a will, you cannot automatically rely on this if you have moved abroad. Even if you have made more than one will in different places, you could still find that local laws come into effect and prevent the transfer of assets. It is important to familiarise yourself with the inheritance laws of the country you are living in and put by enough time to plan how you are going to divide your wealth between your intended heirs.

You may find that a life insurance policy or critical illness cover is not valid if you move abroad. Alternatively, you could discover that it can be taken abroad but you will have to pay a considerable sum to get it changed to cover you in the country you are moving to. If you do think you will be moving abroad at some point, you should look into getting a global policy that will cover you worldwide.

Forward plan

One of the most important things you should do during your retirement is plan. If you decide to just go with the flow and hope for the best, you could find yourself in a very difficult situation. Bad planning could see you run out of savings, lose your property or end up bankrupt so it's essential to prepare for every eventuality.

You need to be aware of the different taxes that will be applicable to you in the country you're moving to, as well as back in the UK. On top of that, you should also take out a health insurance policy as the NHS is a benefit you won't be entitled to once you have left the UK permanently.

You need to take the time to work out what your living costs will be because you cannot automatically assume that they will be the same as you are currently paying in the UK. It's often these little things that people forget to consider and consequently find themselves stuck because they didn't think about all the costs.

About the Author

Lauren Sutton is a brand journalist for Guardian Wealth Management, experts in financial planning.


First Published: Nov 19, 2013

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