EXPATRIATE AND OFFSHORE INVESTING INFORMATION

Some people leave their country of residence due to their employment and in the majority of cases being an expatriate can be financially advantageous. Expats can take advantage of offshore financial services in a tax-efficient way as many expatriates are able to receive dividends and capital returns from an offshore fund without paying tax while they remain non-resident. This means that the potential returns can be significantly higher when tax is not deducted.

Offshore investing is when you invest in investment vehicles situated in low or no tax areas. Offshore investment companies have far more flexibility when it comes to investing in alternative currencies - they are usually in a range of hard currencies, which can afford protection against a weak or volatile currency in the country of temporary residence. Therefore, expatriates value FinLuca International’s administration assistance in any financial solution (e.g. a pension plan) they may have selected.

ISLE OF MAN INFORMATION

The majority of our clients have policies held with financial institutions that are based in the Isle of Man. They have requested that we provide them with information about the Isle of Man. The Isle of Man has long been an important offshore jurisdiction as it is well regulated, highly regarded and above all else it is considered to be a safe haven for offshore banking, investing and company incorporation activity. Because it is a tax free zone, investors money grows at a greater rate.

The Isle of Man has a stable and independent legal, economic and political climate which means that an investor is granted a great degree of security and peace of mind when investing there.

The island is a designated territory of the UK under the Financial Services & Markets Act 2000, this means investors are protected through laws accepted by the UK authorities as at least as effective as their own.

All life assurance companies based in the Isle of Man are closely regulated and bad practice will not be tolerated. Therefore an investor can expect companies operating out of the Isle of Man to be blue chip organisations. Again, this can offer a potential investor a further degree of security and peace of mind.

The major offshore locations and jurisdictions favoured by reputable investment advisers have the highest levels of investor protection anywhere in the world. The Isle of Man has a statutory compensation scheme for offshore life assurance companies which means that all investors worldwide, who invest in policies issued by Isle of Man authorised life assurance companies, benefit directly from a unique level of protection afforded them. Investments made in the Isle of Man are covered by a worldwide investor protection scheme which offers protection of up to 90% of the value of the investment at the time, in the unlikely event that the provider is unable to meet their financial liabilities. This level of protection is the highest available anywhere in the world.

Currently, financial institutions on the island are prohibited from disclosing client or transaction details to anyone, meaning that investor privacy is secured. The only exception to this is if an individual is believed to have been involved in serious crime (e.g., terrorism) and the financial institution is obliged by law to disclose their details.