Thousands of people around the world are facing unexpected tax bills because they are Accidental Americans. Accidental Americans are those considered as US citizens by birth even if they have never set foot in the country. Many are children of American expats captured in the US tax net by the Internal Revenue Service. They are […]
Markets Wait On Fed For Interest Rate Rise
June 4, 2017
All eyes are on the US Federal Reserve as interest rates were left at a record low of 0.25% by the Bank of England in the face of better than expected economic data. Markets are waiting with bated breath for the Fed to hike interest rates – which chair Janet Yellen has hinted will happen […]
Whose Travel Warning Do You Trust?
April 27, 2016
Expats and travellers put their safety in the hands of some dubious advisers when travelling overseas, according to a new global survey. Although just over half of travellers (55%) trust government warnings, 34% swear by the advice of family and friends, while another third prefer to follow the guidance of travel writers. Travel agents and […]
Cold War Hots Up Again As NATO Expands
April 26, 2016
If you thought the Cold War was over, then think again as relations between Russia and the West heat up. The latest flare up is over the tiny Balkan nation of Montenegro joining the mighty North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) military machine. Russia is still vying with the West about who exerts influence over the […]
Well-Oiled Plan Keeps Cost Of Crude Down
August 7, 2015
Saudi Arabia has switched on two huge new oil refineries that are likely to leave the price of crude languishing at around $50 a barrel for the foreseeable future. In a war of attrition between oil producing nations, the big players are all scared of blinking first and turning off the flow in case they […]
Could the growing US job market be a threat to gold prices?
July 8, 2014
Last year, Goldman Sachs predicted that gold prices would decline because of little or no improvement in economic growth. Additionally, the investment bank forecasted several price falls throughout 2014. Despite this year’s minimal growth in the global economy and the downfall of stocks, the failure of financial instruments has only amplified the industrial demand for […]
QROPS USA: Can you benefit?
October 30, 2013
If you hold a British pension and are either planning to move or have moved to America, there are significant benefits of transferring your pension fund into a Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme (QROPS). The schemes are open to three types of British pension holders aiming for America: US citizens returning to the UK, British […]
US Home Repossessions Drop By A Quarter In A Year
June 12, 2013
In a clear sign that the US property market is recovering, figures show that the number of repossessions has fallen by nearly a quarter in the past 12 months. According to property analysts CoreLogic, in the year to November 2012, 55,000 homes were repossessions in the US, down from 72,000 the year before –a drop […]
Will FATCA change the face of overseas investments forever?
November 7, 2012
The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act will cause a sea change in the way in which financial institutions who deal with American persons operate. But how different will the provisions make the customer experience for investors, and will the provisions be workable for FFIs? Despite significant resistance and lobbying from the financial services sector against […]