The last few years we have seen great performance from stock markets and 2021 was no different, despite heavy market volatility. 2022 may be a different story, as far as market returns are concerned, as we saw Covid hit crazy numbers, albeit a less aggressive version,...
Commentary & Articles
Commentary & Articles
Spring Clean Your Finances
March is here and that means winter is over, so it is time for a little spring cleaning. We still use the term spring cleaning, although the history behind the expression has many versions, a popular one is that it came from when coal burning fire places were in use...
Marriage and protecting the ones you love
February is often associated with Valentine’s day, a romantic time of the year for couples, so this month I decided to explore the holy grail of romantics, that is to say, marriage. As in all aspects of life, the differences between the UK and France are numerous! In...
Archived Commentary & Articles
Is Bespoke all That it Seams?
When we think about something that is “bespoke”, we think of something luxurious, exclusive, tailored to our exact needs, in a special and unique way. The person or institution, will do everything they can to make you feel that, by buying into their offering, you are...
There is no Currency to a Poker Face!
When it comes to people’s concerns, one that comes up again and again is the exchange rate. It seems that a fair majority of expats have a daily ritual of seeing what the rate is, so they can worry about it. Now we have smart phones, meaning that we can check in...
Brussels “Four” and Against
I always remember someone saying to me “I love France, but I have never spoken about dying quite so much as I do since I got here!” I knew just what they meant; inheritance and succession law in France is complicated and so often wings its way into conversation in...
Investments post Brexit
First and foremost, Christopher Davenport apologies for depriving you good and loyal people of your habitual trusty host, Mr Robert Kent. I blame myself and Microsoft Teams, as I made the subject suggestion in a meeting and was then cheerfully thanked by Robert for...
Investing in TINA
If you have money invested in France, you might cast your eye over French financial news every once in a while. If you did, you would see that funds known as “fonds en euros” are a hot topic at the moment and have been for some time. The reason is that since 1818,...
Does Brexit tax and social charges for Britons in France?
One of the most frequent questions I am asked by UK nationals this year is “What did Brexit change for us regarding our move to France?” This is not an unreasonable question, since it has undoubtedly changed many things, such as health and residency rights, so...