Expat Retirement Planning

What Do I Do With My Swiss Pension When Returning to the UK?

If you’re leaving Switzerland and returning to the UK, you may be wondering, Can I transfer my Swiss pension to the UK? Understanding Swiss pension transfer rules is crucial to ensure you maximise your benefits. This guide explains your options when leaving Switzerland and how to handle your pension efficiently.

Beyond the Lump Sum: Why Taking Your Tax-Free Cash in Stages Could Be Your Best Move

Navigating pension options can feel like a maze. Whether you’re eyeing retirement or simply planning ahead, understanding how to efficiently access your pension tax-free cash is crucial. Here’s a straightforward guide on why you might not want to withdraw your pension commencement lump sum all at once and how doing it in phases could benefit you and your family.

Can I transfer my UK pension to Sweden?

Are you a Brit living in, or moving to Sweden? Are you unsure of how to navigate the complexities of managing your pensions across borders? Whether you’re entangled in the web of the UK’s State and private pensions or exploring the multifaceted Swedish pension landscape, understanding the nuances of each system is crucial. In this guide, I will explore the options, obstacles, and opportunities that await you.

What do I do with an inherited pension?

Inherited Pension A pension is typically the second largest asset that someone owns (after the family home). However, they often get overlooked when people think about passing on their wealth, as they fall outside of an estate for inheritance tax (IHT) purposes. Understanding pensions and what to do when you inherit one can be tricky too, with various options and considerations depending on the type of pension and your circumstances. This blog post aims to guide you through the key…

How to find a lost pension

It has been estimated that there could be about 2.8 million lost or forgotten pension pots in the UK, worth an average of £9,500 each. I.e. over £26.6 billion in total. This is hardly surprising. The days of working for one employer for 40 years and then retiring with a gold carriage clock are over. Research suggests that average workers will now have 11 different jobs during their life. As people move from job to job more and more frequently,…

Can I transfer my UK pension to Poland?

👉 Managing your UK pension from Poland isn’t straightforward, but with the right planning it doesn’t need to be overwhelming. This guide explains your options – from leaving a defined benefit scheme in place to using an International SIPP – and covers tax treatment, QROPS, the UK State Pension, and post-Brexit changes that affect expats. Find out how to protect your retirement income and avoid costly mistakes.

What is a spousal bypass trust and who should use one?

Legislation introduced by the Taxation of Pensions Act 2014 meant that, in the majority of cases, pension benefits are able to pass down through the generations free of inheritance tax, as long as they remain within the pension wrapper. Therefore, if you have a straightforward family situation and are leaving funds to beneficiaries that you perceive as responsible, then passing these funds on within your pension is likely to be the best option.

How are defined benefit pension transfer values calculated?

In the past decade, huge numbers of people have transferred their final salary/defined benefit pensions to a SIPP or QROPS as Cash Equivalent Transfer Values have soared. However, since the start of 2022, these valuations have started to fall back and I have had numerous enquiries from people wanting to know why their pension transfer value has dropped. In this post, we will look at the nuts and bolts of how a defined benefit pension cash transfer value is calculated.

What is an international SIPP?

Considering an International SIPP? This guide explains how overseas pension transfers work, the tax implications for expats, and how to find the right advice for your retirement.