Abandon the lottery mentality to your retirement fund

Speak to your Blacktower FM financial advisor and develop a regular savings plan and retirement strategy

Abandon the lottery mentality to your retirement fund Nearly everyone dreams of winning the lottery and sailing into their sunset years of retirement aboard a superyacht of financial freedom and security. The problem is, however, that simply buying a lottery ticket is very unlikely to result in anything other than the needless spending of your hard-earned money.

In fact, when you buy a Euromillions ticket your chances of winning the jackpot are just 1 in 139,838,160 – you are almost certainly more likely to be struck by lightning or involved in a road accident while on the way to buy your lottery ticket than of winning the jackpot.

Of course, few people consciously bank on winning the lottery to fund their retirement. However, many have a subconscious lottery mentality that prevents them from doing what is likely to be in their best long-term financial interests: that is, sitting down with a wealth manager or independent financial advisor to develop a regular savings plan and retirement strategy that will work towards a set of financial goals.

Quite simply, those who don't plan for their retirements as soon as possible are unwittingly entering a kind of lottery in which their future and that of their dependents are placed entirely in the lap of the gods. The same can be said for those who bring a scattergun, uneducated or myopic approach to retirement investment: without a well-diversified and intelligently researched portfolio of retirement investments, you are engaged in a game of chance in which the odds of a favourable outcome are not stacked in your favour.

Regular Savings – a First Step?

A regular savings plan is often the first step towards successful expat retirement planning. By simply saving money on a monthly basis and investing into a vehicle that offers the potential for growth, expats can increase their chances of reaching their financial goals.

Inevitably, it is a better idea to put money into a regular savings vehicle than any kind of lottery. For example, if you spent £10 each week (two tickets twice a week on the Euromillions draw) over the course of 30 years this would amount to an outlay of £15,600 with, probably, little to no return.

If you instead put the money into a modest savings account, you will still receive some return, but by making a slightly larger regular contribution to a savings account or investment vehicle – for example, two hundred pounds a month – you greatly increase your chances of having your money work for you and, if you invest early, of also enjoying all the benefits of compound gains.

But time is of the essence – it is never too early to sit down with your wealth manager to develop a regular savings plan for your retirement – you certainly don't want to be one of the 15% of millennials who consider the lottery to be part of their retirement plan.

Expat Retirement Planning with Blacktower FM

Blacktower FM is committed to helping clients develop a regular savings plan that aligns with their expat retirement planning goals.

We work across the UK, Europe and the Caribbean to help our clients confidently plan their long-term futures. For more information contact Keith Littlewood, DipPFS, Regional Manager Costa Cálida, Blacktower FM

Blacktower Financial Management (Int) Ltd

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Blacktower Financial Management (International) Ltd Murcia Office : 120 Avenida Dr. Artero Guirao 2C, San Pedro Del Pinatar, 30740 Murcia.

Tel: Murcia office : + 34 968187 331
Mobile: +34 657 684 094

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Financial Advice Issues for Expats in Spain

Blacktower Financial Management (Int) Ltd I have been a Qualified Financial Adviser for almost 30 years now. 25 Years in the UK for major institutions such as Natwest, RBS and Royal London. I have been in Spain giving expats financial advice now for 5 years and it is quite remarkable the different approaches as well as advice that is required for an expat now living in Spain. Blacktower is a company that has specialised in providing the best solutions for its clients living outside the UK for 30 years also.

The currency issue is always high on the agenda and a discussion for the long term future has to be taken onto account. Questions like What will happen if one partner dies? Will the other remain in Spain? What about other family members? What Inheritance tax provisions do you have in place? The list goes on and on.

Existing portfolio’s and investments that were the mainstay of portfolios in the UK may now be obsolete. An example of this is quite often tax efficient products in the UK like ISA’s and previously held TESSA’s PEP’s actually have low growth rates and provide no tax advantage to a Spanish fiscal resident.

Blacktower Financial Management (Int) Ltd Existing Pension holdings either paid by the state or private pensions built up through working lifetimes are topics that have to be covered. Many expats have lots of small pensions from many ex employers and can be confused by the communications and administration in dealing with them. At Blacktower we specialise in advising on how to consolidate and bring all these pensions together in one place.

Bank accounts and investments in Spain always bring up lots of questions too. Quite often the small print associated with financial products in Spain is in Spanish this can make it very difficult even if you have a good grasp of the language. Understanding Jargon in English is sometime difficult enough. I provide clear easy to understand letters and documents in English so that you fully understand any terms and conditions before making a decision.

Advice on tax efficiency is just as important and offering good returns. There are products available exclusively for Spanish expats that can provide invaluable benefits. Having a good base knowledge of the tax implications both now and in the future is an essential ingredient to making a sound decision.

I will complete a thorough factfind, ask you the right questions, establish your individual needs, attitude to risk and capacity for loss and desired returns before providing you with a full written report of advice and my recommendations in plain English. You will then have time to read and consider all the information before contacting me with how you wish to proceed.

Click for more information about Keith Littlewood.

The above information was correct at the time of preparation and does not constitute investment advice and you should seek advice from a professional adviser before embarking on any financial planning activity.

Blacktower Financial Management (Int) Ltd is licensed in Gibraltar by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) and is registered with both the DGS and CNMV in Spain