Why Aren’t Expats Aware of Their Offshore Advantage?

Report filed under: Offshore Bank Account and Savings Reviews » Offshore Savings Accounts & Investment Guide

Thu, September 02, 2010 - 10:16 am EET

Why Aren’t Expats Aware of Their Offshore Advantage?The latest fabulous Expat Explorer Survey from HSBC is out – we love this survey because apart from our own research, it comes closest to getting broad and detailed feedback from as many expatriates as possible.  HSBC break their findings down into bite-sized pieces, and their first instalment is all about expatriate economics.

From the survey it’s clear that the east/west divide in terms of expatriate wealth is becoming even more pronounced.  Those expats living, working or retired in Europe struggle more nowadays monetarily speaking, whilst those in the likes of Russia, the Middle East and even India and China are getting wealthier and wealthier…

However, the most striking conclusion that can be drawn from this instalment of the survey is that expatriates are still not aware of their offshore advantage, and they are failing to embrace the opportunities legitimately available to them to advance, enhance, protect and effectively manage their wealth.  Why is this…?  Well, we have a feeling it’s because expats aren’t sure where to get qualified and quality advice.

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Beat Post-Holiday Blues - Plan a Permanent Move Abroad

Report filed under: Offshore Living Country Guides » Overseas Guide

Tue, August 31, 2010 - 10:26 am EET

Beat Post-Holiday Blues – Plan a Permanent Move AbroadThe kids will be back at school soon, and for many people the summer holidays will be a distant memory any day now!  It hasn’t helped that the weather in the UK has been bad all summer either – so it’s no surprise that we’ve received quite a bit of correspondence from dejected individuals wondering how they can recapture that summer holiday feeling.

So today, for our fed-up readers in the UK and those of you who want to beat the post-holiday blues, we have a plan for you to make your dreams of a permanent move abroad a reality.

If you want summer sunshine for most of the year, you want to escape the monotony of your every day life, you want to expand your horizons, live the dream and find your perfect life abroad you have to set yourself goals and targets and actively plan and work towards achieving your ambitions.  A half-hearted wish will not carry you all the way abroad.  Here’s how to plan your permanent move abroad.

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7 Ways to Make Your Pension Go Further So You Can Retire Abroad

Report filed under: Offshore Bank Account and Savings Reviews » Offshore Savings Accounts & Investment Guide

Tue, August 24, 2010 - 9:55 am EET

7 Ways to Make Your Pension Go Further So You Can Retire AbroadOver half of the Britons surveyed recently by Aon Consulting revealed that they would like to retire abroad.  From the weather to the economy, we Britons are fed up with many aspects of life in the UK and we want out when it comes to our retirement years!

Are you too thinking about leaving these shores for a new life overseas when you come to retire?  Would you like the sun of Spain or Cyprus, the culture of Italy, the majesty of Portugal or have you got your sights set somewhere further afield?  Australia?  New Zealand or perhaps even South America?

One thing that will be uppermost in your mind if you are planning to or dreaming of retirement abroad - other than your ultimate relocation destination of course - is having enough in the bank to fund your retirement.  So, today we’re going to look at 7 ways you can make your pension go further so that you can retire abroad and enjoy a great standard of living.

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7 Essential Personality Traits to be a Successful Expatriate

Report filed under: Offshore Living Country Guides » Expatriate Guide

Mon, August 23, 2010 - 8:24 am EET

7 Essential Personality Traits to be a Successful ExpatriateWe received an interesting email over the weekend from a British man who’s been offered a job abroad.  Essentially he wanted to know whether he should accept the (very generous) job offer and relocate to Asia, having never lived or worked overseas before…and he wanted our advice.

The email has inspired this article because it provoked a very strong reaction in me!  The guy listed all the concerns he had about adapting to a new life abroad, juxtaposed against this really attractive job offer, but never once did he display any excitement at the prospect of starting a new life abroad in what is a fascinating yet particularly challenging country!

Far be it for us at Shelter Offshore to give advice to anyone about any aspect of their life – we just don’t feel qualified!  But what we can tell you are the 7 personality traits you really do require if you want to be successful as an expatriate – and as we told the man in question, ‘are you really ready for a complete change of every aspect of your life?’  If you are then you’re on the right track, and if you’re not, then why are you even thinking about moving abroad!

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The Cheapest Country To Live In?

Report filed under: Offshore Living Country Guides » Expatriate Guide

Wed, August 18, 2010 - 11:07 am EET

The Cheapest Country To Live In?As you can probably imagine, we are contacted every single day by readers who are thinking about starting a new life abroad – and a very common question we’re asked by such people is: ‘what’s the cheapest country to live in?’ 

Inflation in the UK is far outpacing interest rates which means that anyone with any saved or invested wealth in Britain is seeing their asset pot dwindling, and at the same time, the cost of living in the UK is far from comfortably affordable for many people.  Other people are fed up with the number of hours they have to work just to keep their heads above water – and the one thing all of these people have in common is a desire to know if there is a more affordable place to enjoy a decent quality of life abroad.

Because affordability is a driving concern for an increasing number of people, and because people really do want to know which is the cheapest country to live in abroad, this article sets out to discover where we can move to live abroad and see our money go far further.

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5 Property Abroad Hotspots for Those Seeking Bargains or Stability

Report filed under: Buying Property Abroad Guides » Buying Guide

Mon, August 16, 2010 - 10:22 am EET

5 Property Abroad Hotspots for Those Seeking Bargains or StabilityThe property market in the UK is apparently in a downward phase of its regular boom bust cycle, with would-be buyers utterly confused about which way mortgage lending, interest rates and property prices are going to go in Britain.  This fact alone has seen a significant rise in the numbers of Britons actively contemplating buying property abroad in order to secure a solid investment.


Real estate is a consistently sold investment if held for the long-term – everyone knows this.  However, timing an entry into the property market in Britain when everything is so confused is difficult which is why, according to a survey by Moneycorp, up to a quarter of those thinking about buying now are thinking about buying abroad.

Certain nations have fared far better than the UK in terms of being affected by the fall out from the global economic crisis, which means certain nation’s real estate economies currently represent a potentially more stable investment environment.  Other nations have been harder hit and clearly crashed, in such countries property can constitute a bargain.  Therefore, in this report we’re going to discuss the 5 hotspots for property abroad if you’re currently seeking bargains or searching for stability.

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Further Articles

7 Top Ways to Take the Stress Out of Moving Abroad

We’re aware that some people are holding back on their dream of living a new life abroad because they are afraid of the stress involved in the relocation – which is why we’re here to eradicate stress and show you the way forward to a much better life overseas…

10 Ways Living Abroad Gives Children a Better Start in Life

A definitive guide to the top 10 ways in which relocation abroad can positively benefit expatiate children’s lives – from the experiences of Shelter Offshore staff and readers…

10 Ways a New Life Abroad Can Make You Healthier & Happier

The Shelter Offshore guide to how expatriates are happier and healthier once they move abroad and start a new life overseas! Our findings are controversial and will have readers reaching for their passports and visas to emigrate!…

7 Ways Your Life Can Improve if You Live Abroad

Many people want to move abroad to improve their life – perhaps they want more money, better weather or a better work/life balance – but by moving abroad you can more deeply and positively affect your life as we will reveal…