Expat Retirement Planning

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.

QROPS guide for expats – Read to understand your options

The purpose of this QROPS guide for expats is to use 20+ years of experience in dealing with international pensions to help you understand how QROPS work and outline the circumstances in which they should and should not be used. Tens of thousands of British expats have transferred their UK pensions to QROPS structures since they were launched in April 2006. The structure has proved to be incredibly popular as they help Britons who have permanently moved abroad to simplify…

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.

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