Hi,

It hasn’t been the greatest of summers. A few balmy days, yes, but it never quite managed to get itself out of second gear did it? I do hope however that you managed to have a break away somewhere nice, with at least an appearance of sunshine and a change from your normal routine. Many of my readers told me they were planning a leisurely driving trip in France, perhaps checking out a few areas in order to get a firmer idea of what they really, really want - and where - for their new home.

Hopefully if you are one of those, you will have come back somewhat refreshed and ready for the new beginnings that Autumn tends to bring. I don’t know about you but I often feel September is the time we plan, make resolutions and decide on new things we want to learn or do. In France, September is traditionally termed as “La Rentree” – the return. We are back from our holidays, children are back in school, some are starting university, it is the time to enrol in a new class perhaps. We have accepted that summer is over and look forward to some crisp Autumn days, perhaps a few evenings sitting by the fire contemplating a new project.

Moving to a new country – or even buying a second or holiday home there – is a big change, often bringing with it a mixture of excitement and anxiety. It is important to retain a true awareness of what one is letting oneself in for and this is where we can help you. Our France Buying Guide is designed to help you plan properly, tick off each box as you go along, and inform you on just about every subject you could possibly think of regarding the country we love: France! If you have not yet got your copy of the France Buying Guide, you can get it here: www.francebuyingguide.com and I sincerely hope you find it “does what it says on the tin” – ie guide you through to achieving your France dream. It is proving to be incredibly popular and it has just been totally updated. It holds a wealth of information and will in time, I am confident, become your “bible” (as one dear reader put it to me!)

I was lucky enough to have another few days down in Montjoi in August and joined in our local village fete. How DO the French always manage to put on the most fabulous meal, fresh and delicious, with the minimum of fuss? It never ceases to amaze me! We had some wonderful salads, fresh fish and the best local cheeses – accompanied naturally by some local Cahors wine: just what the doctor ordered! I chatted to several neighbours, many of whom had retired to France and not one of them had any desire whatsoever to go back to ‘Old Blighty’. The common thread, it seemed to me, for a successful retirement in France seemed to be good forward planning.

In this September newsletter, you will find my hot tips on successful retirement in France, with some hints on how to make friends, join in, be involved, seek out what is going on locally (did I say retirement?!) Then we have some very important information for you on pensions and how to make the best of your hard earned assets. Following on from this, Charles Purdy tells you how Smart Currency Exchange can help you get the very best exchange rate, quite possibly saving you thousands of pounds (at the moment we can all do with as much help as we can get can’t we?). Then we have some tip top advice for you on finances.

Finally, to whet your appetite, we have this month’s stunning property feature which I know you will love – and there are many many more where this came from (remember it is a buyer’s market in France: there are some great bargains to be had out there). Please feel free to send us your requirements by clicking on this form: we will be absolutely delighted to help set you on your way: http://www.FranceBuyingGuide.com/property.htm

Finally, a truly heart-warming email from France Buying Guide readers:

'Hiya Kim & Alexis

I would like to take 5 to thank you for the information you send to me on a regular basis, it is informative, helpful, and very interesting, it also has the added attraction of pointing out the hidden pitfalls of buying abroad.

You are my star, thanks for the info, although I am still looking to settle elsewhere but not made any final decisions, you have certainly helped and I would recommend your wonderful Guide to anyone.

Thanks again!

Best regards

John'

As always, we would love to hear from you so please keep your emails, questions and stories coming.

Kind regards as always,

Alexis
mailto:Alexis@overseasguidescompany.com
France Buying Guide
The Overseas Guides Company Ltd
0207 898 0549 (call me!)

What you need to think about before retiring to la belle France

As with many things in life, there is no doubt that sorting out as much as you can and thinking about every aspect of your move and retirement to France BEFORE you take the plunge can make all the difference to a happy and successful life there. You need to think about family, the language, have at least some sort of plan of what you will be doing there and perhaps most important of all, finance. One tends to become perhaps a little more cautious as one gets older and although making a big life change can and hopefully will be exciting and refreshing, making prior arrangements for pretty much everything you can think of will stand you in good stead and give you a feeling of control. We have some great tips for you here, and even if you are not retiring, do read on for some handy hints on fitting into French life generally.

We are here to help you further too: just fill out our short property form and we will help you along the way to finding your dream home:

www.francebuyingguide.com/property.htm

So what are the most important considerations for a successful retirement to France? In no particular order, I have come up with a list for you to mull over:

• Finance

Before you go, make sure all your arrangements for your pension, investments and any income are properly in place. We strongly advise seeking guidance from an Independent Financial Advisor. Everyone has goals and ambitions which they wish to achieve, but to realise them needs a plan – and expert help in formulating the plan that takes into account your own personal set of circumstances. We can help you with this and have an excellent IFA to recommend to you who promise to:

- Look at where you are and where you want to go
- Establish your priorities and create a plan of action
- Give you the tools to make better choices
- Keep your finances on track

Regarding costs, the good news is that the company we recommend will charge you nothing (no, you have not read that incorrectly!!) for the initial consultation. The point at which they start charging is when you take them up on the advice given and retain their services to do so. Whatever your financial circumstances, their objective is to empower, inform and excite you by providing the necessary facts and tools that will enable you to make better personal, lifestyle and financial choices.

The bureaucracy in France can be a little intimidating at times but good preparation and perhaps making use of the services of a translator for help with things such as setting up direct debits/understanding bills etc. will stand you in good stead. It will allow you to concentrate on the enjoyable aspects of your retirement such as tending your garden, inviting your neighbours in for an “apero” or simply lingering in your village with a coffee in the market square!

• Family

A favourite phrase of my grandmothers was “It is best to have to put your coat and hat on to go and see your relatives”. There may well be some truth in that but at the same time, if you are close to family, including children and grandchildren, it is going to be very important to know that frequent visits are possible, otherwise the separation may become an issue and make all the difference to your successful move.

With this in mind, think carefully about the location of your new home in France. You are likely to have far more contact with family and friends if the journey is relatively easy and not too time-consuming. Being close to an airport or ferry route will make visits so much easier and mean that shorter but more frequent visits will be possible rather than, say, a lengthy summer one which may be too long for everyone! Another tip is to make sure you are set up for email or better still a webcam so you can not only talk to your loved ones but see them at the same time. Take advantage as far as you can of modern technology: it will make the occasional pain of separation a whole lot easier to bear.

• Structuring your new life in France

There is bound to be a period of adjustment and having new found free time can be wonderful, particularly as one takes in one’s new surroundings in France! However, think ahead a little and aim to have some sort of project or plan perhaps medium to long term. Most of us need to have some sort of structure to our days and retirement is no different.

It has often been noted that active retirees have a far happier and more fulfilling life and doing the garden, perhaps tackling a crossword each day, learning the language, taking the dog for a walk will all stand you in good stead for a peaceful and healthy retirement. You might want to give yourself a geography or history lesson too: perhaps make a plan to visit a new town each month in the department you are in and find out all about it. Think about it: you will feel enriched by what you find out, may well meet new people and will also be keeping fit!

• Your new French community

As soon as you get there, make an effort to chat to your neighbours and keep an eye open for any clubs/associations/groups. You should not find this too difficult: most villages in rural France have a thriving community and you are more than likely to find some fellow Brits, I must tell you, whether you like this or not! Think about the winter months when you may have to spend more time indoors: wouldn’t it be nice to know there was a club around the corner where you could meet up with your neighbours? So take some time out at the beginning to meet and greet, get out and about and take advantage of any advice your new neighbours may be willing to give you (even if it is not something you find useful, you will have made a new contact!)

• The future

You will no doubt have thought of this at the start of your planning: your house needs to be easily maintained and you may not need acres of land: think about all that grass that is going to need mowing! You might want to consider somewhere with few stairs for example or somewhere with the possibility of converting one of the downstairs rooms into a bedroom at some stage in the future. And again, think about the location of your new home: that idyllic rural retreat may be beautiful but a little bit of village life with reasonably close transport may well be a Godsend for visitors and for your own trips home or away to other countries. The key to a happy and safe retirement is having a home that is warm, cosy and not too huge!

If you would like to speak to our recommended IFA or indeed any other of our recommended professionals just click here, send us the form and we will contact you and let you know how we can help you. www.francebuyingguide.com/resources.htm

TOP TIP! Some hints on making friends in your new French home….

So let us imagine you have bought your house, paid your taxes and moved happily in – how very very exciting! Where do you start to integrate yourself into your new community? Well, as I said before, rural France is full of associations and a good place to start looking for these is at your local Town Hall. They should be able to provide you with a list of associations in your area. Further, look out for an “Associations Fair”. These happen in much of France around September time. The local paper, which you can pick up in your supermarket or local “tabac” (newsagent’s) will give details of times and dates. For French people the “Foire des Associations” is an important event also: a little like joining an evening class as one can do in September in Britain, you can even take up a new hobby.

French people will be curious about meeting you: it is important to make an effort to join in. Say hello, even if your “conversation” at first consists largely of gestures! You might offer to do some voluntary work too. Don’t forget that France has a large number of people over retirement age: the life is good here and people live to a ripe old age! Therefore you should be able to find voluntary work in a local hospital, retirement home or such like and this is an excellent way to meet new people as well as giving you a sense of self-worth.

It is human nature to compare but avoid making too many comparisons: there are obviously going to be different ways of doing things in France and your best bet is to accept the differences – you may even like them!

Making friends starts with allowing oneself to feel part of the community on a local level – hey you never know, you could even offer to teach English to someone’s children! English is a language that every French parent would like their children to learn, the earlier the better, and a little informal preliminary learning at a young age may well be very popular and will earn you a few euros too. Perhaps the greatest key to successful integration though is participation generally in village life. Don’t be shy, say “bonjour” and see where it takes you! Naturally it will take time to make friends, you cannot expect to have a whole network of buddies from day one: but relax, don’t worry about making mistakes in French, and remember that people will be interested in you because you are not French.

For many more tips on successful living in France, invest in our France Buying Guide. We have done your homework for you and you should find the answer to all your questions right here in our Bonus Questions & Answers document. To get your copy click here: www.francebuyingguide.com )

Perhaps you are still wondering whether to take the plunge or you have already decided to do so but cannot quite decide on which area? Perhaps you have already found your holiday home and have some hints and tips to share with our readers? Perhaps you have a funny story? Whatever it is, we would just love to hear from you. Please write me an email and I promise you will hear back from me:
Alexis@overseasguidescompany.com

How Much will Euros Cost You (or in other words, how many Euros will you get for your £££'s)

by Smart Currency’s Charles Purdy.

Latest on Sterling and the Euro
In a roller-coaster week just gone, sterling rose late and closed on Friday stronger against both the euro and the US$. Developments globally as well as domestically within the financial sector made for extremely tough market conditions and an uncertain business climate. Lloyds and HBOS merged last week which may bring the loss of thousands of jobs but a necessary life-line to a lender with a huge share of the UK mortgage market. The Bank of England had voted 8 to 1 to keep interest rates on hold earlier in the month. One member, Mr. Blanchflower, voting for a cut from the current 5%. The balancing act between combating high inflation and encouraging business growth is still a major issue.

Mixed news from European markets and the events elsewhere made for an up-and-down week for the euro. Speculation of a cut in interest rates increased with the European Central Bank (ECB) confirming that its main focus remains on controlling inflation. How well the Eurozone avoids the fall-out of the credit crunch and maintains some of its momentum over the last year will be evident over the coming weeks. As only in the past few has it actually shown signs of being affected by what is a global crisis.

How to be Smart?
We are living in a very strange world at this moment in time. Who could have thought so much money could be lost by so few people who are supposedly so intelligent. To be honest it doesn’t surprise me because for many years I think the financial centres have lost all sense of reality and are full of ruthless people only interested in their own gain.

That is why Smart is so focused on supplying a win-win service to their clients. Clearly we make money but the number of times I have had a client thank me for saving them money is too may to count. One client told me we had saved him £20,000 which was wonderful. If he hadn’t dealt with us the £20,000 would have been sitting in some banks profits with more than likely a hefty slice paid in commission to a greedy trader.

That is why Smart does not pay its traders commission. It keeps them focused on customer service and working as a team rather than focused on maximising their own income from the next trade. This is why we receive so many wonderful testimonials and this is why we will be here for a very very long time.

If you want to save money and enjoy the experience then please give us a call on 0808 163 0102 or get a live quote right now:

http://www.SmartCurrencyExchange.com/smartsquotation.htm

Or...if you'd just like a bit of information on how the whole process of buying and transferring money overseas works, please read our report at: http://www.smartcurrencyexchange.com/freereport.htm

This month’s truly beautiful dream French home!

We know that Brittany remains ever popular with our readers – and with good reason: it is beautiful, friendly and within easy proximity of the UK.

This is an incredible bargain: a pair of lovely stone houses renovated to an extremely high standard and in a FABULOUS location about 20 kms from the beautiful medieval city of Josselin. Budget airlines serve Dinard, Rennes and Nantes Airports which are all within easy reach and there are ferries into Roscoff and St. Malo. Rail links too are excellent and the TGV is expected to run from Ploermel to Paris and from there to the UK within the next few years.

The price has just been reduced to €267,500 which is a true bargain!

If you would like to find out more about this beautiful property or others like it - anywhere in France - simply send me your property form and I will put you in touch with our recommended agents straightaway. What are you waiting for?!

http://www.francebuyingguide.com/property.htm

When you move overseas, how much money will you earn each month - £800, £1,000 or more?

It’s a great time to analyse your financial situation prior to moving abroad. For the most part, you’re in the correct frame of mind as you’ll perhaps be considering the potential sale of your old property and how to fund the new property. Also, to buy a new home there’s usually an element of cash required – will you use money from a savings account, pull out an investment or decide to take out a loan? And what about your pensions or investment portfolios – how are they going to factor into the whole scheme of things?

The key element to consider – other than raising enough money to buy your overseas property – is the money you plan to generate as income once you have moved. You could have £800, £1,000 or perhaps much more to live off per month? The question is this – how do you know that you’re going to get the maximum possible income each month? How will you find out about the tax implications? How will you know which tax regime is best for you to adopt? How will you know that you’re setting up the purchase in the best manner to ensure the best financial resolution? And what do you do about your status in the UK? I’ll stop the questions now – I’m sure you get my drift…!

The answer is easy – talk to an expert that specialises in helping overseas property buyers to get the most income while paying the least tax. It makes sense doesn’t it?

Sadly, I’ve met many people that say they only wished they spoke to a finance expert before moving. Once having made the move they are unable to go back and change various elements that seriously affect their overall income.

Experts in finance can assist you to find the best mortgage (UK, Overseas or Off-shore) in the best currency at the most favourable rate. They can help you to determine the most favourable purchase options to reduce purchase tax, help you with the correct procedure to eliminate capital gains or inheritance tax and assist you with ways for you to invest your funds safely so that there is (hopefully) a never-ending pot that will support you throughout your later years.

People buying overseas often make three catastrophic mistakes: 1. They fail to get an independent lawyer. 2. They don’t know about specialist currency exchange companies like Smart Currency Exchange, and 3. They neglect to really look at their future financial income.

In the past, people depended on the banks for advice – today, people are actually wondering if their bank will be around in the next few months. They’ve become impersonal, unfriendly and provide a very limited choice of services and products, all of which add to their income – but is it necessarily best for YOURS? Why get a mortgage at the rate of 6.5% at bank XYZ when you can get one for 5.8% at ABC? And what if there is a mortgage better than the 5.8% you have been offered?

How about pensions or savings accounts? Why get one where your return is 4% when you can get one around 7.5%?

My point is this: banks are no longer competitive and it’s highly probable that there are other products from other institutions that will provide you with better options and ultimately allow you to have more money in your pocket. So why take the risk of not understanding your whole financial position and looking at all the options available to you?

We at The Overseas Guides Company have a great holistic financial planning company that we recommend our readers contact. They specifically assist people buying overseas property and have access to hundreds of specialists that can help you with every financial facet of your upcoming journey.

Just email me with your phone number and a good time to ring you and I’ll call to discuss further.

mailto:Alexis@overseasguidescompany.com

Learning French - Linkword Languages

Here is a very interesting website with a good demonstration available before you decide whether to purchase. Language courses can be purchased for different levels for very reasonable prices. Courses are very simply constructed. I have tried the PC version which was very entertaining and educational. I managed to learn few sentences in less than 5 minutes!

This is really worth looking at if you would like to enhance your language knowledge. Just follow the link below, click on the French flag and then follow the demo. (Let me know what you think!)

Languages

In the end...

In last months newsletter I mentioned a really good insurance company. I've had a great response from people who have since received quotes from them and just wanted to give you the opportunity to receive you own quote from them. Just click on: Insurance Quote

As I write, the sun has started to emerge and, as so often in September, we may be in store for some balmy days ahead.

Autumn is a beautiful season in France, the evenings are still long enough to linger outdoors with a glass of wine, the leaves are turning and it is a great time to go house hunting, particularly at the moment as it remains very much a buyers’ market in France. There is nothing more pleasurable than ambling along one of those classic long straight roads, framed by tall trees that almost meet in the middle (thanks to Napoleon!) and enjoying that wonderful ambience that the French just do so well.

As always, I wish you well with all your France plans and look forward to hearing from you soon!

Kind regards till next time,

Alexis
France Buying Guide
The Overseas Guides Company Ltd
0207 898 0549 (call me!)
mailto:Alexis@overseasguidescompany.com