“Now that the UK has officially left the EU, how could Brexit affect my UK to NZ pension transfer options?”
The Brexit referendum was held on 23rd June 2016. More than 43 months later, at 11.00 pm on 31st January 2020, the UK finally left the EU. What does this mean for British expats or returning Kiwis who [...]
“G’day!” “Bonjour!” “¡Hola!” “Hallo!” GBPensions’ clients aren’t just Brits with a UK pension.
Here's a fact that may surprise you. Up to 20 per cent of GBPensions' clients aren't British. The team also helps returning Kiwis and other expats who've lived and worked in the UK and have now decided to [...]
Is the reality of an income for life really a financial dream come true?
In April 2015, largely brought about by public pressure, the UK Government introduced its Pension Freedoms reforms, stating: … the annuities market is currently not working in the best interests of consumers. It is neither competitive nor innovative [...]
Top five tax tips for British expats in New Zealand by Terry Baucher of Baucher Consulting
Terry Baucher of Baucher Consulting is a well-regarded tax specialist, whom we regularly recommend to clients. In this guest blog, Terry shares some insights, and highlights a few of the important differences between the tax regimes in the [...]
Are you sure you want to transfer your UK pension? Hang on a minute! Don’t act until you understand all the options and implications.
Type "UK pension to NZ" (or similar) into any search engine, and you're presented with numerous companies extolling the various benefits of transferring your British pension to a New Zealand Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme (QROPS). Some of [...]
I’ve already transferred my UK pension to a NZ QROPS. Is it possible to switch to another pension scheme?
This is a question we're hearing increasingly often. And, yes, is it possible to move your pension to an alternative QROPS (Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme) or even a SIPP (Self-Invested Personal Pension). In fact, GBPensions have helped [...]
Celebrating the Royal Wedding!
Along with millions of people around the world, the team at GBPensions are donning their posh frocks and fancy hats and sitting down on Saturday night (NZ time) to watch the wedding of HRH Prince Henry of Wales [...]
St George, St Andrew, St David and St Patrick – who were they and why were they adopted as the British and Irish patron saints?
St George's Day means cake for morning tea in the GBPensions office! This gave us a moment to pause and consider that we've already marked the "feast days" of three of Britain and Ireland's patron saints. But who [...]
How many Brits moved to New Zealand in 2017?
In the weeks following 2016's Brexit vote, Immigration NZ received 10,600+ registrations of interest from Brits. That's more than double the figure for the same period in 2015. Whilst not all of these registrations have actually eventuated, the [...]
GBPensions’ Top 10 Christmas gift ideas for the special British expat in your life!
Buying presents for Brits can be a painful process. We're notoriously non-committal, favouring "Oh, just surprise me!" over any kind of useful comment. Upon opening said surprise, we will likely say, "That's great, thanks" in a somewhat lacklustre tone. [...]
SIPP or NZ QROPS? How might changes to UK pension legislation in 2017 affect your UK-NZ pension transfer options?
We speak frequently about the moving goalposts of UK and NZ pension legislation and how these might affect transfer options for NZ residents, and 2017 has been no exception. For the first time in some years, there was a bit [...]
Is the shine wearing off the traditional “gold plated” pension? A summary of the current situation with UK Final Salary Pension Schemes
In early September, British Airways announced plans to close one of its final salary pension schemes (also known as defined benefits (DB) pension schemes). The decision was taken after the pension's deficit reached £3.7 billion in March – [...]