To date, expats haven’t always found it easy to access straightforward independent financial advice with a full range of competitive savings and investment products.
Abbey Wealth has set out to change that:-
We take a look inside the advisory to understand more about the services they offer and why so many expats have chosen to opt for their unique approach to financial planning and wealth management.
A financial advisory that sets out to buck the trend
Abbey Wealth set out to deliver professional financial services for expats with full commitment to bring the same high standard and range of financial solutions and services to expats that they’d expect to receive in their home country.
Their hard work seems to be paying off.
With one of the highest TrustPilot ratings of any financial advisory, expat or otherwise, the vast majority of their clients are reporting that they’re very satisfied with the financial solutions and client support that they provide.
Our review looks into the advisory to learn more about the services they offer and why they’re receiving such positive feedback from their clients.
Who are Abbey Wealth?
Established in 2007 the advisories management team have one objective – to provide totally independent, expert wealth management and financial planning services to expatriates.
The company has grown quickly with their headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, they have a regional office in Switzerland, and its principal financial advisory offices for EU-based clients are located in Marbella, Spain.
“We are a full-service wealth management company, providing an inclusive yet uniquely tailored service for the management of your personal financial needs.”
Victor France – Managing Partner
From the outset, the advisory pledged to put their client’s interests first and foremost and now twelve years later, the firm is one of the largest and most successful of its kind, advising on managed funds of over half a billion GB pounds (600m Euros and $650m USD equivalent) on behalf of more than 3000 expatriate clients across the world.
The majority of the advisories clients are expat Britons who are living, working or retired overseas.
Why does Abbey Wealth get positive feedback from expats?
Our analysis and research identified five distinctive areas that distinguish Abbey Wealth in a crowded financial services market:
- Making a lifetime commitment to clients, pledging to put clients first, supporting and advising them throughout each stage of their life. In addition to providing full management services for existing investments, crucially, they provide a financial plan designed to help you to meet your goals while living overseas. Wherever life takes you in the future they will remain your point of contact for financial advice and wealth management.
- No pushy sales teams. You won’t find any advisers pounding the streets trying to drum up business. Abbey advises their clients entirely by telephone, email and internet. This refreshing approach means clients can talk with their own dedicated adviser at any time and location.
- Regular updates. The advisory will complete a review of your personal financial plan every quarter to ensure that your investments and savings are on track or have been adapted to meet any changing needs.
- Working exclusively for expats. Abbey understands the impact of local and international financial regulation and tax structures, and their knowledgeable advisers work to ensure that you are benefiting from all financial advantages available to you.
- Marketplace knowledge. They use their experience of the expatriate financial marketplace to create greater choice and value. Abbey Wealth works to deliver exclusive offerings at preferential rates thanks to its strategic partnerships with some of the world’s leading financial institutions.
- Qualified and experienced. The company only employs experienced, friendly and professional financial advisers, who hold recognised and appropriate UK or Irish qualifications in financial advice. They are supported by a specialist Financial Research and Analysis, Compliance and Administrative divisions making them a full-service brokerage.
Trustpilot’s highest-rated expatriate financial advisory
The hard work and effort have paid off, clients are happy and remain with the company for many years. Longstanding clients still regularly take the trouble to post positive reviews and recommendations on independent sites such as Trust Pilot, where they have the highest possible five-star rating.
Focused on delivering long term financial solutions
From its Dublin headquarters, the advisory provides specialist services to clients across the EU and EEA.
Abbey Wealth is directly regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, providing clients with world-class security and peace of mind. The Central Bank of Ireland is an English-speaking regulator and Ireland has exceptional levels of protection for clients of Financial Services companies based there, including an investor compensation scheme and Insurance Ombudsman authority.
Their Swiss office provides services for clients based outside of the EU, again providing financial security and peace of mind. These important and valuable protections for clients would not be available if the business was headquartered in Mainland Europe or even further afield, like many other Expatriate adviser firms.
Why we recommend them
The appropriateness of Abbey’s core offering in relation to the financial topics we write about on Expatra means we often refer readers to them.
We’re neither qualified nor regulated to give advice, however, we don’t want to ignore readers who ask for financial information. Your initial discussion is cost-free and with no obligation whatsoever, therefore, it’s ideal if you want to know what solutions are available without having to make any commitments.
We are always open to feedback on any referrals we ever make, and the feedback we continue we receive helps us to understand how a company is performing and whether we should continue to refer people to them.
Range of specialist financial services provided for expatriates
In terms of what the expanded service offerings from Abbey Wealth look like:
- Expat personal financial planning advice
- Expat wealth management services
- Overseas retirement preparation and planning
No matter what life stage you’re at and whether you’re a high net worth individual with complex personal and corporate financial planning requirements, or an individual seeking the best interest rates on existing savings, they will be able to help you understand your options.
Expat personal financial planning
Abbey’s approach to financial advice starts from the point of view that every client’s needs are unique. Therefore, listening and learning about your personal financial needs and objectives is key to helping you to find a financial solution that best meets your needs.
Your advisor will take the time to understand your current financial position, including your risk position, goals, objectives and challenges, before providing salient and personally appropriate advice.
Expat wealth management
The company describes its wealth management service as:
“a consultative client-centred process, aimed at helping you achieve all of your financial needs.”
No matter what your financial status, Abbey Wealth is strategically positioned to assist, this includes a skilled team of dedicated high-net-worth consultants offering comprehensive solutions to clients with complex financial needs.
Offshore portfolio bonds
An offshore portfolio bond is an alternative name for an offshore investment bond. It can be used as a tax-efficient investment wrapper that can hold multiple financial assets, such as stocks and shares and funds.
The tax efficiency of an offshore portfolio bond depends on your country of tax residence, tax status and other factors. Abbey Wealth works with their expat clients to help them to understand whether an offshore portfolio structure would be beneficial for their individual needs.
Overseas retirement planning
The advisory has a dedicated overseas retirement preparation centre can offer every single service you need. Whether you:
- Are yet to start saving towards retirement;
- Have frozen or onshore pensions;
- Are about to retire abroad;
- Have retired and need investment or income advice.
Abbey’s advisors can help you with:
- Retirement savings solutions;
- Pension transfers;
- QROPS;
- QNUPS;
- Overseas SIPPs;
- Retirement income planning;
- Post-retirement savings and investment advice.
Abbey Wealth – In summary
As one of the leading providers of comprehensive expatriate financial services in the world, they’re ideally positioned to help British expatriates looking to make the most of their financial status during their time overseas.
There are other expatriate services out there. Our review is not meant to be a comparison or an endorsement.
If you have questions or need more information about your pension or investment options abroad, contact us, we will be happy to help.
You might find useful:
- Expat Financial Questions Answered By A Professional Wealth Manager – FAQs about moving to Europe after Brexit: your tax obligations, currency concerns, pension options, will, estate planning, savings and investments, and, more.
- The Expat Guide to UK Pensions Abroad – understand your options
- Banking Saving & Investing Abroad – is it right for you?
- Using Offshore Portfolio Bonds – the advantages and benefits explained
my wife & me are happy with abbey Wealth /SEB after nearly 20 years relative safety, reasonable performance & tax benefits, too .We are in it for the long term – it seems they are, too: