John Jenner International Limited
Money Management for the Internationally Mobile
Home      Regular Savings
Print this pageAdd to Favorite
 Some people think our 'Retirement Faces' are too scary. Do you agree?  To find out please click HERE

 

 
REGULAR  SAVINGS 
 
 
 
 
 
 
FIRST things FIRST
See What is Probably the 
Most Valuable Piece of Advice in this
Entire Web Site - click HERE
 
 
It is beyond doubt that a programme of regular savings is one of the best financial planning moves an expatriate can make.
 
But beware. Many of the much promoted offshore savings and retirement plans are expensive and inflexible —see below.

 
The benefits of a well chosen regular savings plan include:
  • Even if you are a new expatriate you can ‘get started’ before you have had time to accumulate capital (although it is wise always to first build up a reserve fund in a good offshore bank account).
  • Over time, the well known benefits of compound interest and ‘Cost Averaging’ will work to your benefit.
  • You have a huge choice of investment vehicles allowing you to select those that best suit your own circumstances, risk profile, and objectives.
  • Switching funds is free or at very low charge. 
RECOMMENDED VEHICLES FOR REGULAR SAVINGS

 
There is such a huge choice available that it would be impossible to list them all here and, in any case, personal circumstances and preferences are such that 'one size fits all' wqould be nonsense. A few of the arrangements we use most often are:
 
 
      ¶   CLOSE OPES—see main menu item on the left
      ¶   5 Years Plan from Generali International 'Vision' 
         Invesco Funds  -  Monthly, quarterly, annually
         Investec Regular Savings Plan
         LM Investment Management, Australia. Save as little as AUD100 per month.
 
What do all the investment vehicles we recommend have in common? 
  • They do not saddle you with a long fixed term for the duration of which you are obliged to maintain payments or else be penalised - often heavily.
  • Payments can often be stopped, re-started, reduced, increased, etc. without the huge penalties that apply with long-term contractual plans.
  • Funds can be withdrawn in whole or in part, usually at no penalty and at any time.

For more information please use our 'Send us Your Query' form  

 
 
It is understable that if you are planning for retirement and retirement is 25, 20, 15 or whatever years ahead, you would think it best to enter an 'Offshore Retirement Plan' or an 'International Savings Plan' plan which will mature in your targetted retirement year. 
 
Especially so if there are incentives in the way of bonuses, discounts, etc.
 
But you would be making the same mistake as have thousands of expatriates in the past.
 
These products are invariably contractual and you are encouraged to commonly as much as 20 to 25 years; often with untrue assurances that you can stop payments early with no penalty.
 
Our advice to all expatriates is to avoid these long-term commitments like the plague. There are no circumstances in which it is wise for any expatriate to commit to many years payments into an investment plan.  A 5 years plan is all that is required, then if all is well, 'rinse and repeat'.
 
The so called benefits of signing up for the long haul are all 'smoke and mirrors'.  The plans are inflexible and carry almost unbelievable hidden charges which limit growth and are likely to make money for the insurance company and the sales-people rather than for you.
 
This, of course, does not change the strong case for a programme of regular savings but to hear about a safe and sensible savings plan that will fit your needs please click HERE 
 
 
 
 
 
 Perusal of this web site or any part of it confirms that you have read and understood our DISCLAIMER