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	<title>QROPS</title>
	<link>http://www.qrops.net</link>
	<description>Definitive Information Resource for QROPS</description>
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	<language>en</language>
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		<title>Moving abroad and your finances</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Moving abroad for longer than an extended holiday may mean having to think about your finances in a different way. Practically speaking, it may be difficult to continue with the same accounts and products that you have had before. So what do you need to consider? Current accounts It may be worth getting some financial [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/moving-abroad-and-your-finances/</link>
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		<title>QROPS &amp; The Importance of Residence</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Do you live in the UK? The answer to this question may seem obvious, but it may not be as clear cut as you think when it comes to questions of tax. The trouble is that you do not have to be a jet setting celebrity to find that the rules become complicated for tax [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-the-importance-of-residence/</link>
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		<title>Tax consequences of a QROPS</title>
		<description><![CDATA[What are the tax consequences of getting a QROPS? The discussion only has meaning if you consider the starting point: what are the tax consequences of leaving your pension behind in the United Kingdom if you go abroad? Leaving your pension behind in the UK means that the taxman takes his chunk out of it [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/tax-consequences-of-a-qrops/</link>
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		<title>Moving abroad &#8211; The big pension question</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Whether you are moving abroad for a work placement or for your retirement, the big question about your pension is should it stay or should it go? Some investors may be put off the idea of the perceived hassle that may be involved in transferring their pension assets to an overseas scheme. But if you [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/moving-abroad-the-big-pension-question/</link>
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		<title>What to look for in a pension</title>
		<description><![CDATA[If the only pension scheme you have been a member of is an occupational one, you may not have done any “shopping around” to find it. When the personnel department hand you a bunch of forms to sign and set up everything on your behalf, you simply go ahead with what has already been organised. [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/what-to-look-for-in-a-pension/</link>
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		<title>Inheritance tax ruling</title>
		<description><![CDATA[As an expat or an international worker, you may have planned your finances carefully. But if you have left your pension behind in the United Kingdom, have you considered what its position is regarding inheritance tax? The recent legal case of Fry v HMRC may focus your mind on the issue. It concerned a lady [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/inheritance-tax-ruling/</link>
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		<title>Who can help you get a QROPS?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Who can help you get a QROPS? The issues are so complex that not every financial adviser is best placed to offer comprehensive advice. An overseas pension specialist The key here is to find not just a pension specialist, and not just an overseas investment specialist, but someone who has expertise in both aspects of [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/who-can-help-you-get-a-qrops/</link>
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		<title>What to look for in a QROPS</title>
		<description><![CDATA[If you are leaving the country there is so much to think about. You have your accommodation to organise, and perhaps even a new office to get used to if you are going abroad for a work placement. The trouble with pensions is that they are often left on the proverbial back burner until it [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/what-to-look-for-in-a-qrops/</link>
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		<title>Investing offshore: more than a tax move</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The most common reason for investing offshore is probably tax. And with the tax burden in the United Kingdom and other European countries set to increase in the coming years, tax efficiency will continue to be important to investors looking for a safe place to grow their money. But there are more advantages to investing [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/investing-offshore-more-than-a-tax-move/</link>
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		<title>QROPS choices</title>
		<description><![CDATA[If you are planning to live abroad and do not want to leave your pension behind, you have a number of options open to you. A Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme may be the answer to your problems, as transferring your UK pension to one means that you can enjoy your pension free from UK [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-choices/</link>
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		<title>How long does it take to get a QROPS?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[How long does it take to get a QROPS? The timescale depends on a number of issues.   An hour The first task that you have to perform when you are thinking about getting a QROPS is to find and read the documents that are related to your current UK pension arrangements. The time that [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/how-long-does-it-take-to-get-a-qrops/</link>
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		<title>Some good news from Standard Life</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Standard Life have posted some positive news – that sales of pensions in last quarter were up 30% on the same time last year. The insurer had sold £4.6billion of pension products, which gave hope to other pension providers who are expected to announce their results shortly. Standard Life’s focus is primarily on the UK [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/some-good-news-from-standard-life/</link>
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		<title>Getting a QROPS: a 3 stage process</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Are you getting a QROPS? If so, it is going to be a 3 stage process. Stage 1: getting some advice The first thing you need to do is go to a specialised QROPS adviser and get them to review the information you have about your current scheme. The adviser needs to see this information [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/getting-a-qrops-3-stage-process/</link>
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		<title>QROPS adviser: what you are looking for</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Why is choosing a QROPS adviser so important? Because the person who advises you about the financial planning for your retirement has an important effect on how comfortable it will be. If you choose the wrong person, you could end up with less than you were expecting in your elder years. If you have the [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-adviser-what-you-are-looking-for/</link>
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		<title>QROPS Qatar</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Qatar, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia A great number of expats have relocated to the Gulf region, mainly due to these individuals being of high calibre in their field of work. The growing economy is in high demand for the best and most abled experts. This has led to individuals and families from all parts of the globe, [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-qatar/</link>
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		<title>QROPS Bureau</title>
		<description><![CDATA[With the huge interest from individuals from all parts of the world, QROPS.net has set up a dedicated team to answer questions relating to all aspects of a QROPS pension transfer. The QROPS Bureau was first opened to individuals in Spain but due to the amount of enquiries now being received via the website, the QROPS [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-bureau/</link>
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		<title>QROPS Transfers</title>
		<description><![CDATA[QROPS transfers have to be UK pensions that are to be transferred overseas to a recognised HMRC accepted QROPS Pension Scheme. Transfer of a UK pension fund into a QROPS is a benefit crystallisation event. This means that if the fund is in excess of Lifetime Allowance currently £1.8 million, the excess proceeds will be taxable at the [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-transfers/</link>
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		<title>Planning your retirement – questions to ask</title>
		<description><![CDATA[If you are thinking of retiring abroad, then you have a lot to arrange. At the top of the list must be your financial arrangements. However, for a lot of people this can be complicated and you may not know where to start. If you have already retired or your retirement date is imminent, you [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/planning-your-retirement-questions-to-ask/</link>
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		<title>What will a QROPS cost?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[If you are looking for a QROPS, you may have focussed on the upsides including tax benefits, increased flexibility and a large choice of schemes. However, a thorough appraisal should also involve a discussion of what getting a QROPS might set you back. So how much does a QROPS cost? Providers’ fees When QROPS were [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/what-will-a-qrops-cost/</link>
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		<title>Fight inertia and get a QROPS</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Have you retired abroad but kept your pension in the United Kingdom? If so, you may be needlessly paying too much tax. For members of UK pension schemes who move abroad, a Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme may be the answer to their problems. QROPS, as they are known for short, are overseas schemes that [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/fight-inertia-and-get-a-qrops/</link>
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		<title>BBC still in talks with the unions over “pensions robbery”</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The BBC is still struggling to come to an agreement with its staff about how to plug the gap in its final salary pension scheme. The deficit currently sits at an estimated £2 billion. However, the liabilities of final salary pension schemes are typically difficult to value as they change according to life expectancy predictions [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/bbc-still-in-talks-with-the-unions-over-pensions-robbery/</link>
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		<title>The politics of investment</title>
		<description><![CDATA[There is much speculation among investors about who will win the UK election. Commentators suggest that a Conservative victory with a workable majority would be the markets’ preferred option, as the Tories have promised spending cuts to put the British economy on an even keel. Given that there is likely to be a budget in [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/the-politics-of-investment/</link>
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		<title>Main reasons for getting a QROPS</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Are you thinking about getting a QROPS but can’t face reading mountains of information about them? If so, you may wish to consider the following questions. What is a QROPS? First and foremost, what is a QROPS? QROPS stands for Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme. They were introduced by HMRC so that members of UK [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/main-reasons-for-getting-a-qrops/</link>
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		<title>Change to indexing arrangements will cause hardship</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Pensioners are still reeling from the government’s announcement that pensions can be indexed using the Consumer Prices Index rather than the Retail Prices Index. It was announced recently that the government changed the rules about how pensions should keep up with the reality of inflation. Up until now, the commonly used index was the RPI, [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/change-to-indexing-arrangements-will-cause-hardship/</link>
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		<title>We need longer to deal with pension changes</title>
		<description><![CDATA[In response to the government’s plans to speed up the higher retirement age, the National Association of Pension Funds has claimed that we need more time to deal with the changes. The previous government had planned to make the state retirement age 66 (up from 65) from 2020, but David Cameron’s government’s emergency budget has [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/we-need-longer-to-deal-with-pension-changes/</link>
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		<title>Better news for final salary schemes</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Pension Capital Strategies have estimated that the collective deficit for FTSE100 listed companies with defined benefit schemes is now £73 billion, at the end of June. Terrible as that sounds, that is a £17billion improvement on the position of the schemes at the same point last year. Only five of the FTSE100 companies have a [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/better-news-for-final-salary-schemes/</link>
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		<title>QROPS and the tax</title>
		<description><![CDATA[When you get a Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme, the main attraction is tax. Introduced in 2006, QROPS enable members of UK pension schemes to transfer their pension assets to schemes outside of the UK without paying British income tax. At first glance, the system seems too good to be true. However, the QROPS scheme [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-and-the-tax/</link>
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		<title>QROPS and inheritance tax</title>
		<description><![CDATA[If you have a UK pension, have you thought about what will happen to it when you die? It’s not a cheery thought, but even less cheery is the prospect of the taxman getting more than he deserves. Given that the UK system forces members of private pension schemes to purchase an annuity at (or [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-and-inheritance-tax/</link>
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		<title>Increasing longevity adds to pension costs</title>
		<description><![CDATA[How long will we all live? If only we knew the answer to that question. But pension funds must make an educated guess in order to calculate and plan for their projected liabilities. Researchers Mercer have confirmed that FTSE 100 companies have added 7 months to the life expectancy projections of future retirees, while current [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/increasing-longevity-adds-to-pension-costs/</link>
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		<title>Panthera wins the right to fight</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Equity Trust (Singapore), one of the trustees of the Singapore based pension fund Panthera ROSIIP which was formerly a QROPS has won the right to challenge HMRC in the UK courts. The Panthera ROSIIP pension fund was formerly granted status as a Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme, which meant that it was authorised by Her [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/panthera-wins-the-right-to-fight/</link>
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		<title>A QROPS for your future</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Sometimes with pension planning it can seem that providers have a “take it or leave it” approach. They only seem to offer you one product, and if that does not suit your needs, tough. This is not the case with QROPS. If you have a UK pension and have left or are thinking of leaving [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/a-qrops-for-your-future/</link>
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		<title>QROPS: what is all the fuss about?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Have you heard people talking about how brilliant their QROPS are? If you are a British expat, the chances are that you know someone who has managed to take their UK pension out of the UK without paying any UK tax. So how have they done it, and what are the pros and cons? The [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-what-is-all-the-fuss-about/</link>
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		<title>The ABC of QROPS</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Is investing overseas complicated? With the right adviser, getting a Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme can be as easy as ABC. Accessible Overseas and offshore investments may be more accessible than you think. Some providers may have minimum levels of contributions for their QROPS, but many do not set any such limit. As long as [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/the-abc-of-qrops/</link>
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		<title>Pension watchdog crosses swords with Webb</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Pension Minister Steve Webb recently announced that private pension schemes could align their indexation provisions with CPI (Consumer Prices Index) rather than RPI (Retail Prices Index). In one fell swoop, the deficits in private salary pension schemes were reduced by this announcement, because the amounts that now need to be found to meet the schemes’ [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/pension-watchdog-crosses-swords-with-webb/</link>
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		<title>What information do you need before you get a QROPS?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Getting a QROPS sounds great. You can get a foreign pension without paying UK income or inheritance tax. But there are some pieces of information that you need to get before you commit yourself to a QROPS. Your current scheme Ironically, the first step involved in getting a new QROPS is looking at your current [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/what-information-do-you-need-before-you-get-a-qrops/</link>
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		<title>QROPS and tax – how does it work?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pensions offer Brits who are going to leave the United Kingdom the chance to transfer their UK pension to a foreign scheme, without paying UK income tax. Thanks to recent clarification from HMRC, it is also now apparent that QROPS are also exempt from UK inheritance tax. But how does the system [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-and-tax-how-does-it-work/</link>
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		<title>Your QROPS shopping list</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Are you looking for a QROPS? If so, you may have some idea about what kind of foreign pension scheme you are looking for. But sometimes it is handy to have a shopping list of the requirements that are essential for a good QROPS. Tax efficiency First and foremost, investors are attracted to QROPS because [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/your-qrops-shopping-list/</link>
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		<title>Retirement age could rise sooner than we think</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Planning for your retirement is difficult at any time, but is being made even more so by a government that keeps moving the goalposts. Iain Duncan Smith had previously said that the retirement age should go up to 66 by 2016, but over the weekend has told the press that even this fast rise could [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/retirement-age-could-rise-sooner-than-we-think/</link>
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		<title>Do you want to pay less tax?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Who doesn’t? But every year thousands of Brits leave the UK and continue to pay UK income tax needlessly on their pensions. Since 2006, there has been no excuse for this. Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes were introduced that year as part of the Pension Simplification initiative. Not only does it mean that the pension [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/do-you-want-to-pay-less-tax/</link>
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		<title>Why don’t more people have a QROPS?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act this year showed that only around 7,300 UK pensions were transferred into QROPS from private schemes in the first two years the scheme was introduced. This is a substantial number, but given that over a hundred thousand people emigrated during each of those years, the question is, [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/why-dont-more-people-have-a-qrops/</link>
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		<title>The cost of a QROPS</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Most of the information you come across about QROPS tells you how lucrative they are. But to get a fully rounded picture of what life with a QROPS is like, you may want to know about the costs of getting one. Provider fees Given that there are over one thousand QROPS on the market, there [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/the-cost-of-a-qrops/</link>
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		<title>QROPS, tax and the taxman</title>
		<description><![CDATA[If you get a QROPS, what probably attracted your attention to the idea of getting one was the chance to pay no tax to the UK Treasury. After a working lifetime of losing a substantial proportion of your pay packet to them every month, it must be satisfying to transfer and withdraw your pension beyond [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-tax-and-the-taxman/</link>
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		<title>Glossary</title>
		<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/glossary/</link>
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		<title>Older people are saving less</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The global economic crisis has hit all of the generations, according to a recent survey by Liverpool Victoria (LV=). But whilst there has been lots of media coverage of the way in which school leavers and recent graduates are entering a world that is devoid of jobs, people over 50 have been quietly getting on [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/older-people-are-saving-less/</link>
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		<title>QROPS &#8211; Get a top one</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Once you have decided to get a QROPS, it may be tempting to pick one of the first few that you come across. But what should you be looking for, and what are the criteria you might use to distinguish a good QROPS from one that is not so good? Fees Like any pension product, [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-get-a-top-one/</link>
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		<title>QNUPS &#8211; What is on the menu?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[If you thought the world of offshore pensions was confusing, it is made even more so by the proliferation of acronyms that has sprung up around it. QNUPS The expression QNUPS means Qualifying Non UK Pension Schemes. The expression was born in the summer of 2010, when government regulations clarified that certain types of overseas [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qnups-what-is-on-the-menu/</link>
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		<title>Public sector pensions await their fate</title>
		<description><![CDATA[When George Osborne announced that government departments would have to make 25% cuts across the board, the media reported that there were sharp intakes of breath in the Houses of Parliament. This is not surprising – making 25% savings anywhere is a tall order. But when the Public Sector Pensions Commission estimated that public sector [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/public-sector-pensions-await-their-fate/</link>
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		<title>QROPS – the small print</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Getting a QROPS can be a great way to save you money and open up investment opportunities you might otherwise not have. But there are a few rules that need to be kept, to make sure that you do not incur the wrath of the UK taxman. Choosing an approved QROPS To qualify as a [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-the-small-print/</link>
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		<title>Plans for Europe wide pension regulation</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Some would argue that a Europe- wide regulatory regime for pensions is long overdue. After all, as a continent we have universally failed to take account of longer life spans and the long term nature of pension liabilities. With most final salary schemes in the United Kingdom in deficit, and spectacularly so at that, from [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/plans-for-europe-wide-pension-regulation/</link>
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		<title>Thinking the unthinkable</title>
		<description><![CDATA[No one wants to consider their own demise. But when it comes to financial planning, it is irresponsible not to. If you have experienced a major change in your life, like a marriage, birth of a child or a move abroad, you way wish to consider making a new will. Without a valid will in [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/thinking-the-unthinkable/</link>
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		<title>Bling is back</title>
		<description><![CDATA[After eighteen months of cost cutting and budgeting among the international community, it seems that bling is back. The global luxury brands industry was said to have shrunk by some 8% last year, according a recent report by consultants Bain &#38; Co. But the improvement in the performance of equities markets has restarted spending on [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/bling-is-back/</link>
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		<title>QNUPS and IHT planning</title>
		<description><![CDATA[If you leave the United Kingdom for your retirement, it may be easy to assume that you and your assets are outside of HMRC’s “net” for all kinds of taxes. However, unless you have made special arrangements, HMRC may be able to charge inheritance tax on your pension fund. Some decades ago, it used to [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qnups-and-iht-planning/</link>
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		<title>Indexation rules squeezes private sector pensioners</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Private sector UK pension schemes are to be indexed according to the consumer price index (CPI) rather than the retail price index (RPI). The RPI is typically around 0.5% higher than the CPI because it does not include house prices or mortgage payments. In a country with such high accommodation costs as the United Kingdom, [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/indexation-rules-squeezes-private-sector-pensioners/</link>
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		<title>QROPS Dubai</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The United Arab Emirates, and in particular Dubai, is a popular destination for British expats. The vibrant international community combined with the hot weather and favourable tax regime means that you can live out your retirement in luxury. Originally built on wealth generated by the oil industry, Dubai is also now a centre for financial [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-dubai/</link>
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		<title>Have you chosen your offshore investment adviser?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[ If you stop to think about the responsibility your offshore investment adviser has over your future financial happiness, you may realise how important it is to choose the right person to help you. Whose best interest are they working in? If you are the client of a financial adviser, you may assume that they are [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/have-you-chosen-your-offshore-investment-adviser/</link>
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		<title>QROPS: the main attraction</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Despite the other reasons you may find to get a QROPS, the main attraction has to be its tax advantages. Before QROPS were “invented” in 2006, a British expat had to keep their pension in the UK and hand over at least 25% per year of their withdrawals in tax. So when Qualifying Recognised Overseas [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-the-main-attraction/</link>
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		<title>4 Advantages to getting a QROPS</title>
		<description><![CDATA[If you are planning to move abroad for your retirement, you can either leave your pension arrangements in tact in the United Kingdom, or transfer your pension assets to a foreign scheme. Overseas schemes that are authorised to accept UK pensions are known as QROPS (Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes), and have been available since [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/4-advantages-to-getting-a-qrops/</link>
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		<title>BVIs get full marks for their transparency efforts</title>
		<description><![CDATA[When the British Virgin Islands signed its first Tax Information Exchange Agreement (TIEA) with the United States in 2002, it began a long process that involved taking a long, hard look at how its financial institutions dealt with potential fraudsters and tax evaders. With the Organization for Economic and Co-operation Development’s drive for a cleaner, [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/bvis-get-full-marks-for-their-transparency-efforts/</link>
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		<title>European retirement age comes under the spotlight</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The European Commission has published a Green Paper suggesting, among other things, that private pension schemes should meet solvency requirements and that there should be a Europe-wide pension regulator. The issue has come to the fore because Europe faces some serious demographic challenges. Time magazine estimates that by 2050 there will be twice as many [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/european-retirement-age-comes-under-the-spotlight/</link>
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		<title>What are your retirement plans?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[How have you planned your retirement? Are you the type of person to have all of the finances sorted, then work out what your budget will allow you to do? Or do you make plans for what you want to do and let the money work itself out? If you are planning to retire abroad [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/what-are-your-retirement-plans/</link>
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		<title>What are you looking for in an offshore investment centre?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[If you are thinking of investing some money offshore, what should you look for? Such a huge decision means that getting professional advice is a must, because making the wrong decision could cost you dearly, both in terms of lost potential returns and the time you may have wasted. Also, a financial adviser who deals [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/what-are-you-looking-for-in-an-offshore-investment-centre/</link>
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		<title>Public sector pensions likened to “Ponzi” schemes</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The slanging match between the public and private sectors continues. This time, the heated discussion is on the subject of pensions. Due to the size of the numbers involved, this argument is going to run and run. Most public sector pension schemes (with a few notable exceptions like the local government schemes) are unfunded. That [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/public-sector-pensions-likened-to-ponzi-schemes/</link>
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		<title>QROPS: the lowdown</title>
		<description><![CDATA[What are the attractions of a QROPS? Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes were initially hailed as a tax mitigation exercise. In 2006, when they were first introduced, QROPS were welcomes by expats or those who were hoping to become expats because they provided a way to get your pension assets out of the United Kingdom [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-the-lowdown/</link>
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		<title>Greece gets used to austerity measures</title>
		<description><![CDATA[When Greece’s austerity measures were introduced in May there was uproar. 50,000 people came out on demonstrations which became violent and out of control. On the 5 May 2010, 3 people were killed in a bank in Athens when a petrol bomb went off and started a fire. But much, much fewer people turned out [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/greece-gets-used-to-austerity-measures/</link>
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		<title>Diageo pours booze into deficit</title>
		<description><![CDATA[You couldn’t make it up. When Diageo, the company that makes Guinness and Baileys realised their defined benefit scheme had a deficit of £862 million, they realised that something that to be done&#8230;so they reached for the whisky. It’s an unusual way of plugging the gap in a fund, that’s for sure. But when you [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/diageo-pours-booze-into-deficit/</link>
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		<title>London is feeling optimistic</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Despite higher taxes and dodgy transport systems, London businesses are feeling good about their futures in the United Kingdom’s capital. According to a joint poll conducted on behalf of accountancy giant KPMG and business leaders’ organisation the CBI, 53% of those polled felt positively about their future in London. Whilst a majority, this is hardly [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/london-is-feeling-optimistic/</link>
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		<title>Jersey QROPS</title>
		<description><![CDATA[At the moment Jersey QROPS are available only to those who have come from the United Kingdom to live there in retirement. But anyone who has ever looked into the possibility of retiring to Jersey may have realised exactly how difficult it is to move there. New permanent residents are very rare, thanks to strict [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/jersey-qrops/</link>
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		<title>Southern Star</title>
		<description><![CDATA[QROPS.net advisers have been transferring UK pensions into the QROPS Southern Star Retirement Scheme in New Zealand since the schemes creation. With hundreds of successful transfers, QROPS.net advisers are positioned as the leading advisory service in transferring your UK pension overseas to New Zealand. Contact us today to discuss your requirement and to learn more about what [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/southern-star/</link>
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		<title>The tax issue</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Getting a QROPS is often talked about as a tax mitigation measures. So what are the effects of having a QROPS, and how do they work? Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes started out back in 2006. It may feel like there was never a world before the global financial crisis, but there was, and expats [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/the-tax-issue/</link>
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		<title>Residence and offshore investments</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Before you started to think about offshore investments, you may never have considered the issue of tax and residence in any detail. But now that you are engaging in investing money in different countries, you may wish to get professional advice on the matter. At first glance, this may seem odd. After all, you live [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/residence-and-offshore-investments/</link>
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		<title>Should you get a QROPS?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Or perhaps the question should be, can you? If you are not planning to be outside of the United Kingdom for more than 5 years, you may find yourself with a large tax bill. This is because QROPS are only free from UK income tax for those who are resident for tax purposes outside of [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/should-you-get-a-qrops/</link>
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		<title>What will Jersey do next?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[To a certain extent, the OECD has already succeeded in its mission. Its campaign against tax evasion has been embraced by major financial centres all around the world. Most have signed Tax Exchange Information Agreements and agreed to crack down on wrongdoers who use offshore destinations for money laundering and other pernicious activities. However, whilst [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/what-will-jersey-do-next/</link>
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		<title>Offshore investments and IHT</title>
		<description><![CDATA[What happens when someone with offshore investments dies? The tax implications may vary according to where and how their assets were held, and of course how much tax planning they had done. Luxembourg has recently come under fire from the European Commission for inheritance tax provisions which were said to discriminate against people who were [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/offshore-investments-and-iht/</link>
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		<title>Today’s the day on the Isle of Man</title>
		<description><![CDATA[From today, investors with assets in the Isle of Man have three months to tell the tax authorities about anything they have not yet declared that may attract tax liabilities. The move was announced in the March budget this year, which saw rates rise and personal allowances for non-resident investors scrapped. In case you were [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/todays-the-day-on-the-isle-of-man/</link>
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		<title>Pension Simplification</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Pension Simplification QROPS were introduced as part of the previous government’s Pension Simplification initiative. So as an expat or would-be expat, how can they make your life simpler? Currency issues On a day to day level, you may find it easier to have your pension in the same currency that you spend. This way there [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/pension-simplification/</link>
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		<title>What are you looking for?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[What are you looking for? If you are planning to invest some money offshore, what are you looking for in an offshore financial centre? If you are new to offshore investments you may not have given this much consideration. However, you may be surprised to learn that offshore destinations may have quite a number of [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/what-are-you-looking-for/</link>
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		<title>How do you pick an offshore investment adviser?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Choosing where and how to invest your money is an important decision. Yet many investors may spend longer choosing what they are going to have for lunch today than they do choosing the person or firm that will advise them on their finances. As an investor you may feel bombarded with marketing about financial products, [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/how-do-you-pick-an-offshore-investment-adviser/</link>
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		<title>Pensions Regulator has all guns blazing</title>
		<description><![CDATA[How do you perceive the Pensions Regulator? Anyone who saw it as a toothless outfit will eat their words when they learn that it has used its toughest weapon – a contributions notice – against Michel Van De Wiele, a Belgium based manufacturing company. The company was accused of seeking to use an insolvency scheme [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/pensions-regulator-has-all-guns-blazing/</link>
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		<title>Pension saving slows down</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Are you saving enough for your retirement? The Scottish Widdows Pension Report has concluded that not enough of us are. Only 48% of Brits are managing to set aside enough to fund a comfortable retirement – down from 54% last year. This is the first time ever that the figure for non-savers or “not enough”-savers [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/pension-saving-slows-down/</link>
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		<title>QROPS distilled</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Despite being part of the previous government’s Pension Simplification initiative, the legislation and guidance notes about QROPS run to many pages of technical jargon. So what are QROPS, and what is all the fuss about? QROPS stands for Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes. Introduced in 2006, thousands of UK pension scheme members have taken advantage [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-distilled/</link>
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		<title>QROPS – an individual choice</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Like most financial products, there is no “one size fits all” scheme for QROPS. As long as your QROPS adviser has plenty of information about you, they should be able to find a scheme that meets your individual needs. What is your current scheme like? If you are a member of a final salary pension [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-an-individual-choice/</link>
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		<title>The Budget</title>
		<description><![CDATA[What does the budget mean for investors? It’s a question that many people were anxious to answer as they pored over the detail that emerged from George Osborne’s House of Commons delivery yesterday. The provisions heralded a stark age of austerity, and no doubt the devil will be in the detail as full briefing papers [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/the-budget/</link>
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		<title>Spanish pension and labour reforms hit problems</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Despite the doom and gloom that we’ve been fed about Spain and the state of the Spanish economy, it seems that the Spanish government has failed to get its people on board about the austerity measures, employment and pension reforms it has deemed necessary to battle its deficit. Cuts to public servants’ salaries were forced [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/spanish-pension-and-labour-reforms-hit-problems/</link>
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		<title>Take responsibility for your pension</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Even with the so-called “triple guarantee” that was confirmed in the Budget, the British state pension will never provide a comfortable retirement. With the state pension being so low, the emphasis is on individuals to take charge of their own financial planning. Whether you choose an occupational or a personal plan, you just need two [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/take-responsibility-for-your-pension/</link>
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		<title>Final salary scheme stays open!</title>
		<description><![CDATA[In an environment when nine out of ten final salary pension schemes are closed to new members, it really is news when one manages to stay open. This is what the British Airways scheme has achieved, despite its £3.7 billion deficit. The scheme’s trustees concluded negotiations with the appropriate unions and financial officers in the [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/final-salary-scheme-stays-open/</link>
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		<title>QROPS and the taxman</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes were brought in by the previous government in 2006. As part of the Pension Simplification initiative rolled out in that year, QROPS provide foreign schemes for members of UK pensions who are moving overseas, without incurring a UK tax charge. If you transfer your pension into a QROPS and remain [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-and-the-taxman/</link>
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		<title>What is a cheap QROPS?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Is there such a thing as a cheap QROPS? Assuming that you find a low cost financial product meets your needs, then you have every chance of getting a QROPS a good price. QROPS were introduced in 2006. Their full name is Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes, and they are schemes which have been sanctioned [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/what-is-a-cheap-qrops/</link>
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		<title>Chair appointed for pension commission</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Former Labour minister John Hutton has accepted George Osborne’s application to chair the Public Services Commission. The Commission’s remit is to examine and comment on the sustainability of public sector pensions, and to suggest solutions that are acceptable to both the taxpaying public and the public sector workforce. The appointment comes in the wake of [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/chair-appointed-for-pension-commission/</link>
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		<title>Clegg claims that public sector pensions are unfair</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Why should the private sector prop up the public sector’s gold plated pensions? This is the question that Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg posed following the Office for Budget Responsibility report yesterday. The figures showed that whilst the current cost of public sector pensions was £4bn in 2010/2011, this is set to rise to £9bn [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/clegg-claims-that-public-sector-pensions-are-unfair/</link>
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		<title>A moving target – state retirement age</title>
		<description><![CDATA[When will you retire? The answer to this question depends on where you live and where your pension is held. If your private pension is still based in the United Kingdom, you may find that its rules prevent you from getting your hands on your pension assets until you reach the age of 55. The [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/a-moving-target-state-retirement-age/</link>
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		<title>QROPS step by step</title>
		<description><![CDATA[If you’ve been thinking about getting a QROPS for a while, you may be interested in the process involved. What will a QROPS adviser do, and how long will it take? As with all financial planning, the sooner you think about it the better. If you are planning to move abroad, it may be a [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-step-by-step/</link>
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		<title>How much does a QROPS cost?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[If you are considering transferring your pension into a QROPS you will no doubt want to weigh up the pros and cons of doing so, including the costs involved. The fees themselves When QROPS were first introduced in 2006, there were very few schemes available for British expats to choose. Accordingly, the scheme administrators felt [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/how-much-does-a-qrops-cost/</link>
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		<title>QROPS and currency issues</title>
		<description><![CDATA[How much does your bank charge for international transfers? How much variation is there in the value of your pension pot depending on currency fluctuations? If you keep your private pension in the United Kingdom after you have moved abroad, you may wish to think long and hard about those questions. A Qualifying Recognised Overseas [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-and-currency-issues/</link>
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		<title>Top 5 reasons to get a QROPS</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Pension planning is a complex issue. If you are moving abroad, this adds another dimension. If you have been used to making overseas investments you may already be thinking about moving your pension abroad. If on the other hand you have never thought about this issue, consider these top five reasons to consider moving your [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/top-5-reasons-to-get-a-qrops/</link>
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		<title>Getting the right QROPS advice</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Deciding who to trust with your pension is an important decision. The person or firm you choose will play a key part in securing your financial future. Taking that into account, what are the considerations that should be born in mind when you choose a QROPS adviser? Since QROPS were introduced in 2006 more and [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/getting-the-right-qrops-advice-2/</link>
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		<title>Sarkozy perseveres with pension reform</title>
		<description><![CDATA[If you were a president who is two years away from a general election, would you announce to the electorate that they need to keep working for longer? France’s President Sarkozy has no choice. The country’s pay as you go state pension system is proving to be too expensive. With only 1.5 workers to support [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/sarkozy-perseveres-with-pension-reform/</link>
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		<title>More deficit woes</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Pension Capital Strategies have revealed this month that only five FTSE 100 companies has a pension scheme in surplus. In fact, nearly ten percent of companies featured on the index have deficits that are so immense that they threaten the viability of the business, the research that was sponsored by JP Morgan Cazenove concluded. Who [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/more-deficit-woes/</link>
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		<title>What are QNUPS?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[With a complex subject like pensions, there are bound to be a few acronyms to get your head around. Pensions in the United Kingdom are complicated enough, but when you think about taking your pension abroad, there are more terms to get to grips with. Once you have conquered QROPS (Qualified Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes), [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/what-are-qnups/</link>
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		<title>QROPS: the facts</title>
		<description><![CDATA[There is much speculation about QROPS in the newspapers and on the internet. Some QROPS providers seem to promise the earth, so here are the facts. Introduced in 2006 under the last government’s Pension Simplification initiative, Qualified Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes offer members of UK schemes the chance to move their pension assets overseas, without [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-the-facts/</link>
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		<title>Royal Mail pension deficit is an estimated £6bn</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The latest news about the Royal Mail’s pension scheme may be a news the trustees do not want to hear. Royal Mail’s annual accounts have revealed a black hole of 6 billion pounds in its pension funding. Despite some significant action taken by Royal Mail bosses to plug the gap in the scheme in the [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/royal-mail-pension-deficit-is-an-estimated-6bn/</link>
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		<title>We need to get real about UK pensions</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Just when you think the news about UK private pensions cannot get any worse, another terrifying deficit figure hits the headlines. This time, instead of a deficit in final salary schemes, the deficit in question relates to the amount of money that people believe they will have available to them when they retire. Recent research [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/we-need-to-get-real-about-uk-pensions/</link>
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		<title>Local government schemes are unaffordable</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Andrew Mayer, Chairman of the London Pensions Fund Authority has told the National Association of Pension Funds that the current arrangements for local government pensions are unaffordable. The Local Government Pension Scheme has 3.5 million members. The scheme administers pensions for local government employees across the country. It is a funded scheme, and is in [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/local-government-schemes-are-unaffordable/</link>
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		<title>The perfect QROPS</title>
		<description><![CDATA[ Introduced in 2006, thousands of members of UK pension schemes who have moved abroad have found their perfect QROPS. So how can you tell which product suits you, and what are you looking for? First, what is right for one investor may not be appropriate for somebody else. Accordingly, it is essential to go to [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/the-perfect-qrops/</link>
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		<title>Final salary scheme numbers continue to fall</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Figures from the Office for National Statistics today confirmed that the number of workers who are in final salary pension schemes has taken a dramatic plunge between 1997 and 2009. It’s well known that nine out of ten final salary schemes are now closed to new members as employers pull in their belts. But new [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/final-salary-scheme-numbers-continue-to-fall/</link>
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		<title>Where to buy a QROPS</title>
		<description><![CDATA[If you are going to buy a QROPS it may be tempting to purchase it from your bank or building society. However, in this scenario it is always worth shopping around before you commit yourself. After all, if getting advice from an independent QROPS expert is free, what do you have to lose? Tied agents [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/where-to-buy-a-qrops/</link>
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		<title>M &amp; S to pump money into their pension scheme</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The high street retailer Marks &#38; Spencer has announced a funding package for its defined benefit pension scheme. Following a triennial review, the scheme was announced to have a deficit of £1.3 billion as at 31 March 2009. According to the Pension Protection Fund, over two thirds of private sector final salary schemes were in [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/m-s-to-pump-money-into-their-pension-scheme/</link>
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		<title>Your QROPS, your choice</title>
		<description><![CDATA[QROPS advisers may frequently tell you that there is plenty of choice in the overseas pensions market. But what does that mean in real terms, and how can you exploit those choices to their fullest potential? Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes are only available to members of UK pension schemes who are non-resident in the [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/your-qrops-your-choice/</link>
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		<title>Aviva prop up their pension scheme</title>
		<description><![CDATA[When Aviva announced a few weeks ago that it was closing its final salary pension scheme, public opinion was divided. Aviva’s own employees felt let down by the move, and were concerned about the future of their retirement funding. After all, what’s the point of working for a leading pension provider if it cannot guarantee [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/aviva-prop-up-their-pension-scheme/</link>
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		<title>£600,000: the price of a comfortable retirement</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Figures out this week from a report by MGM Advantage have shocked the pension industry, as they indicate that a couple need to have saved £600,000 for a comfortable retirement. The exact figure that MGM Advantage have come up with is £564,227, and assumes that a couple will live for 20 years following their retirement. [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/600000-the-price-of-a-comfortable-retirement/</link>
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		<title>What does a QROPS adviser do?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[If you have moved abroad or are considering doing so, the financial impact of this will no doubt be high on your list of priorities. Some expats are happy to leave their private pension behind in the UK, assuming that it is best left alone. However, just because nearly two thirds of pension savers do [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/what-does-a-qrops-adviser-do/</link>
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		<title>QROPS and inheritance</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Moving abroad for your retirement should prompt a wholesale review of your finances. Taking this life changing step is an opportunity to shore up your retirement plans and provide a comfortable future, both for yourself and for your beneficiaries. When you sit down with your adviser to look at your assets, you may be surprised [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-and-inheritance/</link>
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		<title>4 top reasons to get a QROPS</title>
		<description><![CDATA[What are the main reasons to get a QROPS? A recent survey from Skandia shows that more and more members of UK pension schemes are likely to transfer their pensions in the coming years, due to the threat of higher UK taxes, and the rise in projected emigration. What reasons did financial advisers give about [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/4-top-reasons-to-get-a-qrops/</link>
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		<title>QROPS and your shopping list</title>
		<description><![CDATA[When you have made the decision to move your UK pension abroad, how do you set about deciding where to invest it? This is not a choice that you will make alone, as professional advice is essential. But this is what your QROPS adviser will take into account to assess whether or not a scheme [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-and-your-shopping-list/</link>
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		<title>QROPS: the basics</title>
		<description><![CDATA[When Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes were introduced in 2006, they were part of the shake up the government planned as its Pension Simplification initiative. As you might expect, as “normal” UK pensions are complicated enough, then the regulations controlling these overseas schemes are twice as difficult to unravel. So what are the very basic [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-the-basics/</link>
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		<title>Are pensions a major issue?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[In the recent Prime Ministerial debate the party leaders were asked whether £59 per week was a reasonable pension. Of course it isn’t, agreed the party leaders. But you would not think the parties put pensions very high on their list of priorities from the way that they have been campaigning. The state pension alone [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/are-pensions-a-major-issue/</link>
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		<title>QROPS to gain popularity</title>
		<description><![CDATA[A recent survey of offshore financial advisers by Skandia International shows that three quarters of them expect to sell more QROPS over the next year. Member of UK pension schemes have been able to transfer their pensions into a Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme since 2006, when QROPS were introduced as part of the government’s [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-to-gain-popularity/</link>
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		<title>Self employed aren’t saving enough</title>
		<description><![CDATA[We’re all familiar with the concept that women, young people and the low paid have not been saving enough for their retirement. But there’s another group that have not been putting enough into their pension plans to guarantee a comfortable old age – the self-employed. A recent survey by Standard Life focussed on the 35 [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/self-employed-arent-saving-enough/</link>
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		<title>Sound as a pound?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS) has reported a 33% rise in the number of enquiries it received from expats with financial problems. The falling pound has hit people who have retired abroad hard, making the value of their savings and pensions plummet over the space of a few weeks. According to the CCCS, the [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/sound-as-a-pound/</link>
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		<title>Where you live can affect your wealth</title>
		<description><![CDATA[When someone uses the phrase “postcode lottery,” most people think it refers to access to healthcare. But your address affects your pension in more ways than you think. As a member of a UK private pension scheme, you are obliged to buy an annuity by your 75th birthday. Some people leave it until the 11th [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/where-you-live-can-affect-your-wealth/</link>
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		<title>How much is a QROPS?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The obvious answer to this question is to look at the fees that the managers and administrators charge. Fortunately for QROPS investors, prices have come down considerably since the schemes were introduced in 2006. It is even possible to get a QROPS for as little as £500 per year, although such a scheme is likely [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/how-much-is-a-qrops/</link>
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		<title>The role of a QROPS adviser</title>
		<description><![CDATA[ A QROPS adviser should start off by listening to you, because that’s how they will learn about your aspirations and plans for the future. It is vital that your adviser understands what you intend to do so that they can recommend the right product for your situation. For example, the UK income tax free status [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-adviser/</link>
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		<title>More bad news for NEST</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The government’s forthcoming automatic pension scheme has been dealt another blow this week. According to research carried out by the consultancy Hymans Robertson, 40% of people earning under £15,000 per annum will exercise their right to opt out of the scheme. This will be disappointing news to the government, because this is exactly the income [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/more-bad-news-for-nest/</link>
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		<title>Pensions and doing what you want</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The think tank the Social Marketing Foundation (SMF) have published a report that indicates that  delaying people access to their pension funds does not put them off saving in pensions per se. In their recent report, called Early Access to Pension Saving, researcher James Lloyd warned the UK government not to let people get their [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/pensions-and-doing-what-you-want/</link>
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		<title>QROPS – is there a catch?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Getting your pension tax free seems too good to be true. So is there a catch? The answer is: not really, as long as you are properly advised. Should you transfer? The first step towards getting a QROPS is a review of your current UK scheme. So your adviser will be able to tell you [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-is-there-a-catch/</link>
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		<title>Tax and QROPS</title>
		<description><![CDATA[ The tax planning possibilities of QROPS are their biggest draw for savers. The ability to escape UK income tax completely if you reside outside of the UK for five years or more is a pretty attractive prospect for an expat. But how do QROPS relate to tax and the taxman? For the first five years [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/tax-and-qrops/</link>
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		<title>Who are QROPS for?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Only a small percentage of those who are entitled to transfer their UK pensions into QROPS have done so. Thousands of people leave the UK every year and continue to pay unnecessary tax on their UK pensions, without realising that there is a tax free or low tax option for them abroad. Whilst QROPS are [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/who-are-qrops-for/</link>
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		<title>QNUPS</title>
		<description><![CDATA[QNUPS is the latest acronym coming from the foreign pensions world created by HMRC. Qualifying Non UK Pension Schemes came into force on 15 February 2010 with the Inheritance Tax (Qualifying Non-UK Pension Schemes) Regulations 2010. QNUPS offer opportunities for inheritance tax planning as they are exempt from UK inheritance tax. By choosing a favourable [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qnups/</link>
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		<title>QROPS and your five year plan</title>
		<description><![CDATA[QROPS are available to members of UK pension schemes who live overseas, but there is an important qualification to that rule. To take advantage of the UK tax free provisions, an expat must reside outside of the United Kingdom for five years. The rules on non-residence are not crystal clear following the recent Gaines-Cooper court [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-and-your-five-year-plan/</link>
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		<title>Pensions going online</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The government has recently announced that state pension claims are going to be made online by the summer. According to government figures, between 500,000 and 750,000 people are eligible to retire every year, and saving that amount of paper applications will reduce the workload of civil servants.   Jobseeker’s Allowance is currently capable of being [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/pensions-going-online/</link>
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		<title>Planning your overseas retirement</title>
		<description><![CDATA[If you are planning to retire overseas, it can be easy to get caught up in the more glamorous arrangements. Where will you live? Will you spend your days swimming by a pool, learning new skills or socialising? But shoring up your finances should be the thing that you plan first, years in advance of [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/planning-your-overseas-retirement/</link>
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		<title>The flexibility of QROPS</title>
		<description><![CDATA[One of the advantages that people attribute to QROPS is their flexibility. But what do they actually mean? Given that you do not have to select a QROPS that is based where you intend to live, you can effectively choose from all of the thousand or so QROPS on the list. Those schemes are found [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/the-flexibility-of-qrops/</link>
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		<title>A UK pension overhaul?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[“Fit for the Future” is the new programme of changes to the pension industry proposed by the National Association of Pension Funds. The group which represents 1,200 private pension schemes has come forward with its own plans for rescuing the UK private pension industry. The NAPF have launched a full scale review on how pensions [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/a-uk-pension-overhaul/</link>
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		<title>Getting the right QROPS advice</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Pensions may be all about planning for the long term, but the world of investments has a fast pace of change. With one stroke a Budget or Treasury announcement can reconfigure government policy, which means that what was good advice yesterday is out of date today. Whether it is an important decision from a tax [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/getting-the-right-qrops-advice/</link>
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		<title>More UK pension doom and gloom</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Further doom and gloom falls over the UK pension industry for the state and private sectors. In the private sphere, seven final salary schemes were rescued yesterday by the government’s so called lifeboat scheme, as failed occupational pension schemes from a variety of industries including manufacturing and automotive services had to be saved. There are [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/more-uk-pension-doom-and-gloom/</link>
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		<title>Expats shouldn’t forget their NICs</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Most expats focus on building their private pension funds to provide for their retirement. But if you are a Brit who has moved abroad and may be entitled to a state pension, a recent case reveals that checking your state pension forecast from time to time could be worth your while.   The importance of [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/expats-shouldnt-forget-their-nics/</link>
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		<title>How often should you review your pension plans?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[It’s tempting to pick personal pension scheme and stick to it, thinking that you don’t have to review your plans until you start accepting the cheques in a few decades’ time. But whether this is inactivity due to a sense of loyalty to your financial institution or a feeling that what’s done is done, it [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/how-often-should-you-review-your-pension-plans/</link>
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		<title>What does the Budget mean for pensions?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Perhaps Alastair Darling decided that UK pension legislation was already quite complicated enough. Or maybe he thought that pensions just weren’t vote grabbers. Either way, pensions were obviously low down his list of priorities as he delivered the last Budget before the forthcoming general election. It seems from the reactions of pension commentators that they [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/what-does-the-budget-mean-for-pensions/</link>
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		<title>Common QROPS myths smashed</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Of the six million Brits living abroad, only a few thousand have a QROPS. It is unlikely that those who do not have a burning desire to pay tax to the UK treasury. So why don’t they move their pensions abroad? Deciding to emigrate is a huge step, and expats have enough on their plate [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/common-qrops-myths-smashed/</link>
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		<title>Secret of happiness revealed: health or wealth?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[A happy retirement is what we are all aiming for, but what exactly do we mean by that? A recent survey by the National Association of Pension Funds revealed that financial security is the top priority of 71% of its respondents, as they believed that this was the bedrock of a contended retirement. Perhaps this [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/secret-of-happiness-revealed-health-or-wealth/</link>
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		<title>A quality QROPS</title>
		<description><![CDATA[There is a lot of hype about the choice available for QROPS. There are over a thousand schemes in more than one hundred different countries. But how do you know that you are picking a good one? If moving your pension abroad is your first foray into overseas investment, it can be difficult to judge [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/quality-qrops/</link>
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		<title>The cost of a pension</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The Department of Work and Pensions has announced that the imminent state pension scheme NEST (National Employment Saving Trust) has set its charges at 0.3% of fund values per year. This is in addition to the temporary 2% levy that will be made on contributions to cover the system’s start up costs. The 0.3% annual [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/the-cost-of-a-pension/</link>
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		<title>A European question: when should we retire?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[There has been much discussion in recent months about the retirement age in the UK. Should it be lifted? Or are there simply not enough jobs to go around? Looking at our European neighbours, we are not the only ones facing these issues. Debt-laden Greece has been forced to make some changes. Labour minister Andreas [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/a-european-question-when-should-we-retire/</link>
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		<title>NAPF survey reveals pension concerns</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Are you happy with the level of income you will receive in retirement? One third of us are, according to a recent survey by the National Association of Pension Funds. The NAPF speaks for private pension funds and carried out research last month to find out how people feel about pensions. It is perhaps surprising [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/napf-survey-reveals-pension-concerns/</link>
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		<title>Will Malta soon be open for QROPS?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The Maltese Financial Services Authority has declared that two pension schemes are authorised to accept overseas funds, meaning that the country should be open for QROPS soon. HMRC approved Malta generally as an appropriate QROPS destination late last year, after the Maltese financial services industry and the government had led a campaign of lobbying to [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/will-malta-soon-be-open-for-qrops/</link>
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		<title>QROPS – Easy as ABC?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Transferring your UK pension into a foreign scheme sounds complicated. But the process is more straightforward than you think, and can take only a couple of months. The first step in getting a QROPS is a simple appointment with an adviser, who will want to know some basic information about your financial circumstances. The adviser [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-easy-as-abc/</link>
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		<title>QROPS – A ray of sunshine in every sense</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Almost every day there is a doom and gloom story about UK pensions. The deficit for private UK defined benefit schemes passed the £100billiion mark before Christmas, but most British people starting their careers now will never experience such a scheme anyway – 80% of defined schemes are closed to new members. Even if you [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-a-ray-of-sunshine-in-every-sense/</link>
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		<title>Hurry up if you want to retire early!</title>
		<description><![CDATA[From April 6, the earliest that you can access pension benefits of a UK scheme will be your 55th birthday. So if you are one of the four million people who were born between April 6 1955 and April 6 1960 you run the risk of missing out if you have not already requested a [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/hurry-up-if-you-want-to-retire-early/</link>
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		<title>All change: the world of pensions</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The problem with pensions is that they are always changing. It seems that whenever investors get their head around the latest set of rules, the government sees fit to change them again. On A-day in April 2006, the government brought into force changes ushered in by its Pension Simplification Initiative. The changes affected contributions, withdrawals, [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/all-change-the-world-of-pensions/</link>
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		<title>What can a QROPS do for you?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Sometimes making a decision about a financial product can leave you overwhelmed by all the information available. It can be difficult to extract what is really important from the material you have to read. So if you are considering a QROPS you just want the answer to one question: what can a QROPS do for [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/what-can-a-qrops-do-for-you/</link>
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		<title>FSA warning about bogus brokers and advisers</title>
		<description><![CDATA[It’s common knowledge that it’s best to use a financial adviser who is regulated by the FSA. The effect that regulation has on the markets is hotly debated by the financial institutions themselves, but from a consumer’s point of view the FSA guarantees a fair service – or at least that someone will take notice [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/fsa-warning-about-bogus-brokers-and-advisers/</link>
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		<title>Can you afford a QROPS?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The world of overseas investing is often portrayed as the playground of the rich. With complex financial products in exotic locations, it’s easy to assume that overseas investments are out of the reach of the ordinary saver. This is a common misconception which, after a little research, turns out to be untrue. In fact, with [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/can-you-afford-a-qrops/</link>
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		<title>What can the taxman do for you?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Sometimes when dealing with government departments it feels like we get the worst of both worlds. With Self Assessment, not only do UK taxpayers have to calculate their own tax, they must fill in their return and submit it themselves (or pay someone else to do so). You can be forgiven for thinking that we’re [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/what-can-the-taxman-do-for-you/</link>
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		<title>Providing for a longer life</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Life expectancy for Brits has doubled in the last 150 years. Thanks to medical advances and nutritional awareness, most of us can expect to see our eightieth birthday. It’s not unusual to know someone in their nineties, and centogenarians are rare but not unheard of &#8211; there were 9,600 in 2008. But increasing life expectancy [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/providing-for-a-longer-life/</link>
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		<title>Plans to tighten Guernsey QROPS spark online debate</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Proposals to update Guernsey’s QROPS rules to tighten rules to stop pension misselling have sparked a public online disagreement between financial experts. Guernsey QROPS committee revealed the island had approached HM Revenue and Customs about revamping pension rules to pre-empt a possible inquiry. The island’s QROPS providers fear questions might be on the way from [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/plans-to-tighten-guernsey-qrops-spark-online-debate/</link>
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		<title>Important ruling on non-residents rules</title>
		<description><![CDATA[How often can you visit the UK and still be a non-resident for tax purposes? It’s a hot question among expats in the light of the recent Court of Appeal decision on millionaire Robert Gaines-Cooper’s affairs. The 72 year old moved to the Seychelles in the 1970s, purchasing a mansion with the millions that he [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/important-ruling-on-non-residents-rules/</link>
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		<title>Estate planning overseas</title>
		<description><![CDATA[When you are planning to move abroad, your finances will be at the top of the list of things to think about. A Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pensions Scheme (QROPS) is an option for most expats, because they transfer their UK funds into a foreign scheme without a charge to UK income tax. Choosing an overseas [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/estate-planning-overseas/</link>
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		<title>Isle of Man QROPS affected by budget</title>
		<description><![CDATA[What do you do when your QROPS hosting country changes its laws in a way that adversely affects you? The answer is simple: jump ship to another jurisdiction that suits your needs better. Among the countries that have been approved to host QROPS, there are a few “favourites” that appear time and time again in [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/isle-of-man-qrops-affected-by-budget/</link>
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		<title>Gender pension gap widens</title>
		<description><![CDATA[A report from the Prudential has revealed that women currently retire on a pension that is less than two thirds of their male counterparts’ income. The survey showed that men have an average pension of £19,593 per annum, compared to the women’s figure of £12,169. These figures include income from both private and state pensions. [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/gender-pension-gap-widens/</link>
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		<title>Gibraltar’s first QROPS pension scheme is ready to go</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The first Gibraltar QROPS is on the launch pad ready for take-off as provider London &#38; Colonial announces a solution over disagreements with the UK over taxing pension benefits has been reached. The firm expects to start accepting pension transfers from the UK in April. &#8220;It appears that common sense has prevailed, and we are [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/gibraltar%e2%80%99s-first-qrops-pension-scheme-is-ready-to-go/</link>
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		<title>Is it easier to choose your QROPS or your holiday?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[When you think of overseas tax havens, you think of remote, offshore tropical islands. But there are possible QROPS destinations that are a little closer to home. Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes are available throughout the world, including in nearby countries like Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. The list of the [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/is-it-easier-to-choose-your-qrops-or-your-holiday/</link>
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		<title>Self Managed QROPS</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Self managed QROPS are an ideal vehicle for investors who want to take control of their financial future. QROPS pensions come as self managed, collaborative or full managed packages allowing the scheme member to take a hands on approach of their investments. Just how much how much control to take is up to the investor [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/self-managed-qrops/</link>
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		<title>QROPS Providers</title>
		<description><![CDATA[QROPS Providers have reporting requirements on transfer to a qualifying recognised overseas pension scheme The scheme administrator of a registered pension scheme must report to HMRC any transfer from their scheme to a qualifying recognised overseas pension scheme using the online Event Report. See RPSM12301110 for further guidance on the Event Report. The details to [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-providers/</link>
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		<title>QROPS Rules</title>
		<description><![CDATA[QROPS rules on a pension scheme member enjoying the use of residential property owned by the scheme can lead to the taxman setting fines and penalties of up to 55% of the value of the property. Many QROPS consultants argue that anyone who is a QROPS scheme member can use their pension fund to buy [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-rules/</link>
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		<title>QROPS Legislation</title>
		<description><![CDATA[QROPS legislation only becomes a problem when pension investors try to manipulate the rules to gain some advantage that is not allowed by the taxman. Taking out tax free cash and trying to include forbidden investments in a QROPS pension fund are the two main areas of conflict. QROPS providers have to certify their scheme [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-legislation/</link>
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		<title>Companies slash pension payments by billions</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Companies with pension schemes have slashed the money they pay as employee contributions by billions and are paying in less than employees, according to the latest government figures. Many employees rely on special contributions from their employers in the form of bonuses to boost their pension pots, but these payments and general contributions have dropped [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/companies-slash-pension-payments-by-billions/</link>
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		<title>QROPS Singapore</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Singapore is the only country to be thrown out of the QROPS circle since the inception of Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes on April 6, 2006. HM Revenue and Customs unceremoniously dumped Singapore from the QROPS list without giving a reason in May 2008 and has refused to reinstate the country despite the threat of [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-singapore/</link>
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		<title>QROPS New Zealand</title>
		<description><![CDATA[New Zealand may be one of the farthest flung corners of the planet but about 30,000 British expats a year arrive on the islands to set up permanent home. Any of these expats &#8211; and those already there &#8211; who have contributed to a UK pension can transfer their funds in to a QROPS scheme. [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-new-zealand/</link>
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		<title>Fresh ideas for the pensions industry</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Will the next generation of UK savers bother with a traditional UK pension? Malcolm Small, Director General of the Centre for Retirement Reform (CRR) thinks that it will not be their first choice for retirement planning, unless the system is radically reformed. Setting out his ideas in a document which launched the CRR last week, [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/fresh-ideas-for-the-pensions-industry/</link>
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		<title>QROPS Isle of Man</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The Isle of Man has long provided offshore banking and financial services to British expats. Sited in the rough Irish Sea, the IOM provides political stability and low taxes for individuals and business, and QROPS pensions are a natural extension of the others services offered. IOM QROPS compare favourably to those offered in Guernsey, but [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-isle-of-man/</link>
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		<title>QROPS Guernsey</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Guernsey has long enjoyed an international reputation has a stable, low tax offshore financial centre servicing British expats. QROPS pensions for British expats have been hosted on the Channel Island since the schemes were established by a change of law on April 6, 2006. The jurisdiction has acted as a magnet pulling QROPS investors because [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-guernsey/</link>
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		<title>QROPS Gibraltar</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Gibraltar has travelled a rocky road to sort out recognition to run QROPS pensions from the UK tax man. For several months, Gibraltar&#8217;s QROPS providers self-imposed a pension transfer ban as HM Revenue and Customs threatened to withdraw their QROPS status because the terms and conditions of their pension schemes allegedly failed QROPS legislation compliance [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-gibraltar/</link>
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		<title>QROPS France</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The British love-hate relationship with our French neighbours across the channel may continue, but the place many of us love to hate is still the destination of choice for emigrating Brits. A record 388,000 Britons left the UK permanently to live abroad in the year ending March 2009, and a great many many of them [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-france/</link>
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		<title>Free QROPS Information</title>
		<description><![CDATA[If you are looking for free information about QROPS on the internet, where is the best place to go? There are many guides, sites and brochures out there. But they are of varying degrees of usefulness. If you’re just starting to consider moving out of the UK and are wondering what will happen to your [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/free-qrops-information/</link>
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		<title>Panthera QROPS</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Panthera firm looks to Malta for QROPS solution Former QROPS provider Panthera is looking to set up a new QROPS deal with a trust company in Malta. Singapore –based Panthera was stopped from providing QROPS in May 2008 when HM Revenue and Customs removed the country from tax jurisdictions allowed to operate QROPS pensions for [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/panthera-qrops/</link>
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		<title>Independent QROPS advice</title>
		<description><![CDATA[With so many sales pitches for QROPS on the internet promising expats the earth, there is some independent advice on QROPS.net that can be of more realistic help to potential QROPS investors. Most of the QROPS information sites automatically jump in with the assumption that the investor is a prime candidate for a QROPS. They [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/independent-qrops-advice/</link>
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		<title>Non Commercial Information</title>
		<description><![CDATA[How refreshing to come across a useful website that is not trying to sell you anything. QROPS.net offers non commercial information about QROPS – the Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes the UK government has approved for the transfer of UK pensions. Introduced in 2006, thousands of British expats have transferred their pensions to these schemes, [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/non-commercial-advice/</link>
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		<title>Emerging economies charge back in to growth</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Economies in emerging markets are charging ahead of the rest of the world, led by resurgence in manufacturing and services, according to HSBC bank. HSBC’s Emerging Market Index (EMI) rose to 56.1% during the last quarter of 2009 – the highest showing for more than two years and up0 from 43.8% a year ago. 50% [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/emerging-economies-charge-back-in-to-growth/</link>
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		<title>How do you choose a QROPS adviser?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Choosing the right QROPS adviser is the first step on the way to choosing the right QROPS. But with so much “help” out there on the internet, it can be difficult to discriminate between the firms who are offering their services. Would you let someone without a medical degree perform brain surgery on you? Of [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/how-do-you-choose-a-qrops-adviser/</link>
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		<title>Care needed for QROPS choices</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Investors should be warned that just because a QROPS is on the list, it does not necessarily mean that it is the right product for everybody.   Admission to the list merely means that the scheme has passed HMRC’s requirements of being taxed and regulated as a pension in its own country. But once those criteria [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/care-needed-for-qrops-choices/</link>
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		<title>Problems roll up for Swiss banks as EU squeezes credit</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The Swiss bank and financial sector is having problems accessing money markets in a behind-the-scenes struggle with the EU over secret accounts. As credit outside Switzerland dries up, the country’s financial services sector is having to work through foreign subsidiaries, which is having a knock on effect on jobs in Switzerland, profits and government tax [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/problems-roll-up-for-swiss-banks-as-eu-squeezes-credit/</link>
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		<title>Even expats may not avoid the long reach of the UK taxman</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Just because you escape the grim shores of the UK for warmer climes does not necessarily mean you escape the grasp of the taxman. Inheritance Tax is a good example of how the tax concept of domicile can shred the best tax strategies if they are not carefully considered. Domicile is a financial and tax [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/even-expats-may-not-avoid-the-long-reach-of-the-uk-taxman/</link>
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		<title>Taking control of your own future with a QROPS</title>
		<description><![CDATA[It’s true to say that you only get what you pay for – and if that’s a UK pension, the likely return on investment is likely to be restricted by the state of the country’s economy. Transferring a UK pension to a QROPS is one way of freeing up the log jam stifling planning for [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/taking-control-of-your-own-future-with-a-qrops/</link>
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		<title>Is retirement a thing of the past?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[As another wave of bad news hits the pension industry, the future looks bleak for savers. With Xafinity Consulting’s recent announcement that the deficit for Defined Benefit private pension schemes in the UK is set to reach £500bn during 2010, panic is widespread. Robert Hunt, Xafinity Corporate Solutions director said that this problem was not [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/is-retirement-a-thing-of-the-past/</link>
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		<title>Built in tax bonus for offshore investment bonds</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Offshore investment bonds give UK residents who leave the country to work abroad a tax bonus when they come home. About 300,000 people a year leave the UK to work overseas with the intention of coming back to this country at some time – and every one of them can qualify for extra tax relief [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/built-in-tax-bonus-for-offshore-investment-bonds/</link>
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		<title>Local government pensions face crunch time</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Local Government pension schemes face a £70 billion shortfall, claim pension administrator and adviser Punter Southall. The consultancy group has estimated that the equity heavy funds have underperformed by 15% during 2007 and 2008. Punter Southall’s head of public sector outsourcing, John Prior, stressed that this shortfall should not be underestimated. “Although the results of [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/local-government-pensions-face-crunch-time/</link>
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		<title>QROPS Pension</title>
		<description><![CDATA[A QROPS pension is a real option for many planning that have a UK pension but to plan to retire overseas. The myth that a QROPS is just a tax saving scheme for rich people is simply not true. QROPS are open to anyone – but the costs of transferring and ongoing fees may mean [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-pension/</link>
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		<title>Tougher standards to come for pension records</title>
		<description><![CDATA[After a consultation that took place within the pensions industry throughout 2009, the Pensions Regulator is going to toughen up on the standards imposed on pension schemes about information they hold. The results of the consultation were frightening – of those who were surveyed only 19% had bothered to check that they had the &#8216;fundamental [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/tougher-standards-to-come-for-pension-records/</link>
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		<title>Should I stay or should I go?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[If any wealthy individuals were wondering whether or not to leave the UK, the growing likelihood of a rise in Capital Gains Tax (“CGT”) is surely enough to tip the balance. Whilst no official announcement has yet been made, Chancellor Alistair Darling’s aides confirmed before Christmas that they intend to address this issue at some [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/should-i-stay-or-should-i-go/</link>
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		<title>Has the exodus started?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[How many Britons are plotting their escape to sunnier climes? A recent survey by the London law firm Withers revealed that quite a few of us are. 75% of the respondents said that they would be looking into moving this year, because more personal and professional opportunities would be available, and the lifestyle is better [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/has-the-exodus-started/</link>
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		<title>Complaints information to be made public</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The FSA will force financial institutions who receive more than 500 complaints in a six month period to publish details of them, it announced in a new name and shame initiative. Firms will have to publish details of how many claims were opened and closed within that period; the percentage of those claims that were [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/complaints-information-to-be-made-public/</link>
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		<title>QROPS Benefits</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Moving UK pensions overseas is popular because QROPS benefits are attractive in comparison to keeping a UK pension or SIPP and living overseas. The latest official figures show QROPS investors save£1 million a day in taxes that would go to HM Revenue and Customs if the same money was left in a UK pension. In [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-benefits/</link>
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		<title>European commercial property investment shows recovery</title>
		<description><![CDATA[European commercial property investment is bouncing back from the lows of the recession with activity increasing by more than 40% as institutional funds return to the market. The biggest winners of the upturn are the UK and Germany, according to leading property consultancy CB Richard Ellis. Overall, deals worth just over £22 billion were finalised [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/european-commercial-property-investment-shows-recovery/</link>
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		<title>QROPS Advice</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Deciding on where to go for QROPS advice is confusing because so much conflicting information is out there shouting for your attention. QROPS are a specialist subject and a successful QROPS transfer requires skills and experience most financial advisers do not have. Looking for QROPS advice is like going to your family doctor about a [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/qrops-advice/</link>
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		<title>Are the QROPS rules too restrictive?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Since QROPS were introduced under the government’s ironically named Pension Simplification initiative in 2006, they have been renowned for their complexity. If ready the legislation is like wading through treacle, HMRC’s manual for professionals is not much better and the consequences of getting it wrong are unthinkable. That is why an adviser who knows what [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/are-the-qrops-rules-too-restrictive/</link>
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		<title>A lesson in personal finance</title>
		<description><![CDATA[How young is too young to start learning about personal finance? Ed Balls, the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families has said that lessons about managing money will become embedded in the National Curriculum. We may have grown up learning about multiplication and long division with reference to examples involving money, but today’s [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/a-lesson-in-personal-finance/</link>
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		<title>Why the UK is a ‘must avoid’ for investors</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Global economies often behave like drug addicts, with quick fixes of cash fuelling boom and bust and recession enforcing periods of rehabilitation. The problem is that the only way of curing a habit is to change how the addict behaves otherwise the danger is that the old cyclical lifestyle will resurface. The stress of the [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/why-the-uk-is-a-must-avoid-for-investors/</link>
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		<title>Standard Life wants a younger audience</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Standard Life is trying to woo “Generation Y” with a campaign of adverts and television sponsorship, the insurer has announced. The 28-40 age group is notoriously difficult to attract to pension products. According to Standard Life’s investigations, they do not believe that saving for a pension fits into their current earnings and savings pattern. Standard [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/standard-life-wants-a-younger-audience/</link>
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		<title>Sitemap</title>
		<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/sitemap/</link>
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		<title>Privacy Policy &amp; Important Disclaimer</title>
		<description><![CDATA[General Principles QROPS.net is committed to safeguarding the privacy of your information. By &#8220;your information&#8221; we mean any information about you, which you or third parties provide to us. This policy relates to the privacy of your information at http://www.qrops.net. QROPS.net outline our commitment to the secure and responsible handling of information about our customers and [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/privacypolicy/</link>
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		<title>What is QROPS</title>
		<description><![CDATA[QROPS are overseas pensions that can provide excellent retirement planning, providing the scheme does not break any of the UK taxman’s strict rules. Below are some explanations about QROPS basics with links to more detailed information on QROPS.net: Who can start a QROPS? Anyone with UK pension rights that intends to retire permanently overseas, like: [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.qrops.net/what-is-qrops/</link>
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