An Insight to Churchill and Partners

My partner and I connected with Graham at a networking event in a hotel in Southwark London during the 2012 Olympics, we spoke briefly with him and exchanged cards, and in my mind at least I was anxious about losing a business card to someone who I never intended on working with. Of course, a couple of days later when we returned to our base back in Frankfurt, Germany, Graham Noble dropped me a message via email, simply stating that it was nice to have met, and should we ever require his services just to drop him a line.

Nice touch, I thought, but I didn’t feel we required any specialist financial care.

During the summer of 2013 we were back out in London, staying at the same hotel, and low and behold, we bumped into Graham again, sitting at the hotel bar. We got chatting and as the drinks went on and the hour got late, Graham expanded upon what it was he actually did. Being drunk, it obviously all sounded wonderful.

The following morning I became retrospectively cynical about the services that Graham proposed he could perform. Nonetheless, my partner was enthused that we should try working with Graham and get ourselves involved in offshore bonds.

I was sceptical moving forward, and I made sure to check on a variety of sites, checking whether what Graham had proposed was legal. It all seemed to check out, and it was all legit. It seemed strange to me that Graham was able to specifically target ex pats like ourselves, but not British citizens. Nonetheless, we went forward, and thus far we’ve been mightily impressed.

Churchill set up a recognized tax exempt bond for us for companies that we were confident with. We enjoyed seeing our money both supporting companies that we felt matched our values and seeing our money avoid taxation (despite not being a tax avoidance scheme? Go figure).

The whole time Graham has dealt personally with our services and on the odd occasion we have spoken to a member of his staff and Churchill and Partners, we have been pleased to see that they’ve both been helpful and friendly.

We’d recommend working with Churchill and Partners any day of the week, we think they are genuine and have done extremely well to help us on our way.

How to Avoid the Financial Strain of Education Fees as an Expat

Becoming an expat brings with it a lot of positive financial benefits but, as with anything, there are also some negative things. One of these potential problems for many expats is the price of education fees for those travelling overseas with their entire family. Unlike in the UK, overcrowded classrooms and fewer facilities mean that parents are always recommended to pursue private education when living in a foreign country. With this, however, come pricey fees for the privilege, and this can often lead to significant financial strain for the entire family that has a knock-on effect.

But this can be avoided with just a little forward planning – something a financial advisor like those from Churchill & Partners can help with – and there’s no reason why paying for your children’s school fees have to financially cripple the entire family. Paying for private schools can often seem like the only feasible option and, even with escalating prices, it is entirely possible for absolutely anyone to pay for their children to get the best education while living overseas. How? By planning ahead and organising your finances around these expenses, you can avoid any nasty surprises.

 

Paying school fees out of your income is a recipe for disaster, but planning for the future with your chosen financial planning service will mean that paying for expensive school fees will be just another thing on your to-do list rather than a major strain on your family. For expats, saving for these bigger expenses is often easier than for anyone else, and this is just another reason for those living outside of the UK to properly prepare for their family’s future financial security. Factoring in everything from books and uniform to tuition fees and any board, it can be a big investment, but it’s one that’s almost always worth it. 

Everything you need to make the right decisions can be found at Churchill & Partners, with dedicated financial advisors experienced and knowledgeable enough to offer the best advice and guidance about saving for your child’s education fees. Waiting to deal with it until you have to can lead to disaster, so it’s always best to know the facts beforehand.

"Churchill & Partners are by far the best I have ever dealt with"

Churchill & Partners have been nothing short of excellent since I started using their services a few years ago, and I really don’t know what I would have done without them. I have gone through periods using other financial services over the years, and I can say with certainty that the advisors at Churchill & Partners are by far the best I have ever dealt with. They have been fantastic with the advice they’ve given me as well as the ways in which they have invested my money, and believe me that isn’t always the experience I’ve had. With things being like they are out there, it’s important for people to be able to trust those who are dealing with their money, and that’s exactly what they do. I never feel victim to shameless sales pitches or feel as though they’re more interested in what I’m paying them than in my money, and I would recommend them to anyone who has had enough of impersonal service that leave a lot to be desired. Because they’re specialists in helping expats make smart investments and prepare for retirement or big payouts such as education fees, they are able to tailor their guidance and services to suit every particular person. I get the impression that they just don’t believe in offering blanket advice that helps nobody very much, and that’s incredibly rare in this industry. Without their help, I would never have full grasped the many tax benefits etc. available to me as a British expat and that has helped me in more ways that I will go into here. Investing money has always been a tricky business, and it only gets trickier when living outside of your home country, so I am always thankful for the excellent service they have offered me since I took up their services.

Why Financial Planning is so Important for Expats Moving Abroad

When is it a good idea to start reviewing your financial planning when moving overseas? Before you go, if possible, just to make sure you are able to enjoy the benefits of being a British expat working abroad at the same time as avoiding the pitfalls many people encounter when left unprepared. There are many reasons why taking care of your finances and planning ahead are important to your present and future financial situation, and seeking advice from a company like Churchill & Partners is the smartest move in these situations where things can seem a little overwhelming.

As long as there are no payments or bills to settle back in the UK, it’s advisable to keep your money in an offshore bank account so as to reap the benefits of greater tax efficiency while you can. Doing this may worry you, and that’s where your chosen financial advisors can talk you through the process and put your mind at ease. There are lots of things you can do to further improve your finances while living overseas, for example, and it’s important to seek reliable, personalised advice before embarking on your new adventure. 

With a move this big, there are always going to be big wins and potential problems, and talking to an experienced advisor will help you avoid the latter as much as possible. In addition to setting up an offshore account, there is also the possibility of organising saving strategies that will benefit you and your family in the future – such as saving for education fees or your own retirement. Above all, it’s important to do all of this at the start of the next chapter of your life, as the same financial benefits may not be available once you get around to it at a later date.

With improving circumstances, opportunities to invest your money may also arise, and this is yet another situation in which seeking advice from specialised financial advisors will help you. Living as an expat can be a wonderful way of accelerating your wealth and career, but that’s what makes it so important to take care of the details while you can. Contact Churchill & Partners today to set up a meeting and start planning for a better financial future.

How Technology is Effecting the Role of Financial Advisors

It is a commonly held opinion that the evolution of technology in the finance world has rendered the role of the financial advisor less valuable, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, financial advice in the form of portfolio management, specialist financial planning, retirement and education funding plans have all been enhanced by the utilisation of technology, bringing clients’ investments into the modern world and making services such as those at Churchill & Partners more efficient.

Firstly, clients will always receive a better service face to face, rather than through a tool or application that cannot respond directly to their needs, and this means that financial advisors will always remain relevant to the financial services industry. The best use of technology here, and the most often implemented, are tools for analysing investments and investment strategies in order to determine the best opportunities and the state of current investments, as well as what to avoid. This complements the roles of the financial advisor, as it simply makes it easier to look at an existing portfolio critically and with new context.

Financial advisors will add value to these determinations, however, with reactive strategies and advice that can help clients to take real control of their money and implement effective tactics that will ensure they make smart, informed decisions in the present and the future. Technology cannot replace the role of a dedicated financial advisor, but it can aid them in their perceptions, with it now much easier to determine the past and future state of specific investment opportunities and apply that information to the status of a particular client.

With these tools to help the process, technology can actually add value to the role of the financial advisor and see greater results for expat investors in the long run. Rather than relying on tools and services that have no room for human nuance and are incapable of offering a personal service, or using financial services that are resistant to change, get the best of both worlds with advice that incorporates all of the benefits of technology and classic advice.