Banking And Money Transfer Advice For Brits Moving Abroad

Each year more and more British people are moving abroad. Currently there are approximately 5.5 million people living abroad according to a 2006 survey. Besides this there are many many more Brits planning to make the move for good. The most common destinations being: Spain, Australia, Canada, USA, Ireland, South Africa, New Zealand, France, Cyprus and Germany.

Of course everyone has their own reasons for  moving abroad  amongst the most common are:

Rising costs – With London now being the second most expensive city in the world to live in, not too far behind Tokyo, many people yearn to see their money provide them with a better standard of living elsewhere. Out of this group are of course retirees who wish to make their pension stretch that bit further. However one further growing group of people are in the 18-25 year old age group. This group has been forced to suffer silently with little help from the government whom seem satisfied to see them struggle in their own country. Student loans, no grants, high house prices, high tax levels all contribute to pushing them away. This combined with the fact that the new generation are much better traveled and understand the potential for living abroad better than previous generations mean the group is likely to continue to grow.

Increasing crime rate – This is probably the most worrying of factors. People are becoming afraid of living in their own country. Walking around alone at night with groups of drunken youths about is no the most enjoyable experience (27% of British youths are regularly drunk), unrelenting drug issues and binge drinking all impact on how much people are enjoying their lives.

Further common reasons are: better weather, excitement, adventure, disapproval of government policies (taxation, Immigration etcetera…).

So with people looking to move abroad one of the most important things to think about is how to manage your finances or even transfer money overseas. Here are a few guidelines to consider regarding this situation:

There are three main options to consider:

1) Keep your UK bank account. If you choose to keep your account look for a bank that does not charge commission on ATM transactions overseas also make sure they are quite clear as regards to what commission they are taking from you and most importantly make sure you are getting a fair exchange rate! Check it against the daily papers.

2) Switch your bank account to one that is specifically geared towards ex-pats. These type of bank accounts are offered by the major high street banks and are often based in locations such as Jersey that benefit from different taxation laws. They usually provide multiple currency services whereby they can provide both euros and sterling for you to use. This would easily allow you to live in Europe and have a euro checkbook and cash but still pay bills at home in sterling. As ever though there are certain terms and conditions for benefiting from one of these types of accounts such as minimum balances and annual fees.

3) Try working through the host countries administrative process and open an account with them. This may or may not be possible depending on their requirements of your new country. Some countries require work permits and so on and the process can be made doubly difficult if you’re having difficulty with the local language. Of course if you plan on working abroad then the chances are your employer will be able to have one opened for you to allow payments. If you do gain a local bank account you are then faced with having to transfer money from the UK to this bank account. Depending on what bank it is you may be able to arrange a wire transfer from your UK account. Another simple way would be to use an online transfer service. These money transfer companies can transfer money directly from your UK account to you wherever you are in the world. They are very fast and efficient but again different companies require different fees.

The best advice would be to take a step back and look at your overall situation. Consider what is going to be the cheapest and most sustainable way for you to manage your finances abroad. Remember a 1% saving on several thousand pounds saves you a considerable amount of money. With the above tips in mind take your time, shop around and you will soon be able to start living in your new country worry free.

by http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stephen_Ryan

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Shanghai For Expatriate Beginners

There’s no two ways about it – Shanghai can seem extremely daunting at first, but after just a few weeks you will feel totally at home. Expatriates enjoy a high standard of living in Shanghai and, if you embrace everything that the experience has to offer, this will be one of the richest and most exciting times in your life.

Most expatriates arrive in Shanghai for the first time via Pudong Airport. This gleaming, light and airy model of efficiency may come as a bit of a surprise to those expecting something a little more second world, but it sure is a reassuring sign of modernity.

    

Drivers From Hell

Reassuring that is, right up until you are in a rattley, old taxi being hurtled at light speed down the motorway towards town. Although tired from your flight, fear will provide you with the energy to sit up in your seat and clock the way everyone drives, or rather attempts to drive. Cars swerve violently, horns are constantly beeped, no one indicates and there are no seatbelts in the back. It’s scary! Oh my, what have you done?!

High-Rise Jungle

As you enter the suburbs on the elevated highway, you will catch the first glimpse of your new city. And it ain’t pretty! Shanghai is a vast, high-rise jungle. You will be astonished by the sheer level of building work: the incredible number of building cranes – the way that forests of half-built, high-rise apartment blocks lead off in every direction, stretching endlessly beyond the horizon. But, you will also get your first taste of the ambitions that this city harbours.

Teeming Street Life

Once inside the inner-ring road, traveling at a more subdued speed, you will begin to catch an essence of the bustling, teeming street life. And it is this – not the culturally faceless high-rises – that will give you your first sense of place. You are in China!
People are carrying huge loads on bicycles, food is being prepared and eaten by the roadside, it’s rich, it’s very poor, it’s animated, and nothing is familiar. It will seem very foreign but also very exciting.

Shopping For Supplies

So, you’ve arrived at your new home and everything is in order. Or, at least it’s just a phone call to your new landlord away from being perfect, but you need supplies and to run a whole host of errands. Just hop in any taxi and say ‘Bortaman, Nanjing Shee-lu’.
The Portman Shanghai Centre on Nanjing XiLu, Puxi, was the first expat hub to be built in Shanghai and, although 15 years old, it has never been usurped as the king of user-friendly convenience for freshly arrived westerners.

Portman Shanghai Centre

There’s a City Supermarket selling everything you need including a good deli and wine selection. Plus there’s a Starbucks, the popular caf Element Fresh, a good cheese and wine shop, a florists, a dry cleaners, a post office, a chemist, a medical clinic, a host of other bars and restaurants, airline ticketing offices, an HSBC bank and several consulates, including that of the UK….it’s all here in one place for your ease!

Starbucks Expat MixIt is also at the Shanghai Centre where various groups post information on the notice board in City Supermarket about forthcoming social gatherings. Another way, in the initial days, to meet people is to head to the first floor of Starbucks, opposite Parksons on Huaihai Lu by Shanxi Lu for the Saturday morning (10am) social mixer. A nest of tables is gathered in the centre and you will be made to feel very welcome. You will find very early on, that Shanghai expats are approachable and it will be no time at all before you have more contacts than you ever thought possible.

Shopping Areas

As you become more confident about the geography of the city, your comfort zone will extend to the major shopping areas in Puxi of Huaihai Lu, Nanjing Lu, Xujiahui, and Lujiazui in Pudong. This is to name just a few and, as you can imagine in a city of nearly 20 million with a growing middle-class who like to shop – the list is endless. If you enjoy shopping – Shanghai will be a never-ending voyage of discovery for you.

By: Jacqueline Reischel

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Jacqueline Reischel is the managing director of enterShanghai.info, an award-winning online Shanghai expat guide. The web site features a Shanghai property search, relocation tips, career guide and other information for expatriates.

 

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Relocation: Helping Your Children Make the Move

Moving your family to a new home can be difficult for children; here are some tips on making it a more positive experience for everyone in your family!

 

Charles Dickens wrote "Home is a name, a word, it is a strong one; stronger than magician ever spoke, or spirit ever answered to, in the strongest conjuration." As accurate a description as that may be for many of us, the feel of "home" is especially important for children, making the decision to move your family to a new home a weighty matter indeed. For adults without children, moving to a new place can feel like a fresh start, an exciting adventure. For children, moving may be unsettling or even frightening, but there are some positive and reassuring ways to help guide your children through the moving experience.

If you are moving by choice and not out of necessity, first, consider the timing of your move in terms of the impact on your children. Summer can be a relatively good time to move in to a new neighborhood: children are out of school, allowing for plenty of time to make new friends before the next school year begins. However, if all of the neighborhood children are already signed up for organized summer sports and activities, summer can turn out to be a lonely season for your child, so make sure to look into those activities well ahead of your move, even registering them for some if you can. Park Districts and faith communities in your new city are a good place to start looking.

It is also wise, if moving by choice, to consider the ages of your children when contemplating a move. While moving with a baby can be higher stress for parents, as a rule, babies seem to experience less moving-related stress than older children. The prevailing rule of thumb used to be that the older the child, the more difficult the moving experience will be. Indeed, many experts agree that adolescence is not the ideal age for a child to be moving away from their established peer relationships. However, a new school of thought is emerging regarding the impact of moving on younger children as well. In his article "Best Practices in Assisting Relocating Families", Frederic J. Medway cautions that preschoolers, in particular, are also quite "vulnerable to moving-related stresses." Medway attributes preschoolers’ increased vulnerability to their lack of fully developed coping skills; their inability to completely understand at a cognitive level the need for their family to move; and an inherent difficulty in dealing with changes to familiar surroundings. The bottom line is that moving can be stressful for children at all ages, but seems to affect preschoolers and adolescents to the greatest degree.

Moving does not have to be traumatic for your children, however; there are many things that you can do as a parent to help reduce the impact for them, right from the moment you share the news with them.

Sharing the news: Your demeanor as you tell your children of the move will greatly influence their reaction to it. If you are glum or morose, they will view a move as a negative event; if you are upbeat and positive, they are more likely to receive the news in a similar fashion. If possible, be prepared with information about when the move will occur and what your new city and home will be like should your children ask.

Reassure your children: Younger children tend to be very concerned about what possessions may be left behind, so be prepared to answer repeatedly the question "Will we be bringing this?" Even if it is an item of little or no value to you, to your child, the item may represent security and a sense of permanence; now is not the time to break your child of his security blanket habit. One good idea is to make a "Same and Different" book for your child, highlighting what things will be the same after the move and what things will be different. Take some pictures of your old house, your child’s school or teachers, and your neighborhood. Try to get some pictures of your new house, school, etc., and place them in a booklet, labeling them, for example, "This is the park by my old house. This is the park by my new house." This will help reduce your child’s natural fear of the unknowns that lie ahead, making the new already seem familiar.

Make time for goodbyes: As busy as you are with all that a move entails, continue your child’s activities and playdates as much as possible. It’s very tempting to declare that you’re just too busy, but it’s important for them to maintain their scheduled activities. It absolutely may be difficult to schedule individual playdates for your children to say goodbye to their friends; in that case, schedule one large playdate for your children and a few of their favorite friends. Hold it at a park or a restaurant playland and distribute your new address and telephone number to children and their parents as they leave.

Introduce the pen-pal concept: Work with your friends, your children’s teachers, and your neighbors to create a photo address book for your child. Ask your children’s friends to provide a photo and their name, address, and phone number (you may even provide a sheet for them to use, so that the pages of the book will be uniform) and make a book. It doesn’t have to be fancy; in fact, if you use a simple paper folder, your child can have fun decorating it while you’re working at unpacking boxes in your new home. Present the pages and folder to your child after the move, just as they may be beginning to miss some of their old familiar friends. Encourage your children to write letters as often as they like, providing them with special stationery, stamps, or even address labels. It’s great writing and reading practice, it helps your children learn their new address quickly, it really helps keep those old friendships alive, and children love to receive their own letters in the mail! For younger children, allow them to send drawings or to dictate their letters to you, and help them read the letters they receive in return.

Get a sitter for moving day: For children, seeing their home, in their minds, "torn apart" piece by piece on moving day can be a very traumatic experience, whether you move yourselves or have a professional moving company doing the job. In addition, professional movers move quickly and have their own systems for getting the job done; children in the way will slow down the movers’ progress, and may actually present a dangerous situation for your children as well as for the movers. If you can, arrange for a babysitter to have the children away from your house until it’s all over.

Getting settled in your new home: While it’s important for children to see their new house start to feel like a home quickly, it’s also important for them to make new friends and explore the new neighborhood, as well as to have your attention and caring during the moving transition. So have one box or bag set aside full of a couple of your children’s treasured itemsmaybe a special nightlight or a figurine from a beloved grandparent. Unpack that box or bag first, along with the minimum items you need in order to get along for the first day or two. Then set unpacking aside to go exploring and to begin meeting new neighbors and friends. Those boxes will be there tomorrow (and tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow), but your children need to settle in now. Be flexible about the rhythms of life in your new community, especially if there is a time change. Maybe your children always go to bed early, but in your new neighborhood, they play until much laterrelax your schedule a little bit, and let them make some new friends.

Set a good example: If you want your children to explore, to make new friends, to learn about their new community, they will need to follow you as an example. Even if you are normally a shy person or don’t read maps particularly well, this is the time to learn to strike out on your own, to start utilizing online maps, and to try new activities yourself. How you handle the transition will help your children learn how to handle it as well, so remember that your children will be looking to you for their cues.

Listen to Pliny: The most important bit of advice about moving is an ancient one, from Pliny the Elder: he wrote "Home is where the heart is." No matter where your family moves, or the reason why you move, remember that it is not the walls and the roof that make your house a home: it is the love shared within those walls. Be extra patient and extra loving with your children throughout your move; everything will eventually fall into place, and your new house will transform itself into a new home for you and for your family!

By Julia Tagliere Published: 6/29/2007

 
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