HOW TO WATCH BBC IPLAYER OUTSIDE UK FOR EXPATS

I remember when I was living in Qatar a lot of my UK expat friends used to talk about their favorite BBC soap operas, documentaries and shows. For the UK expats it was not just about the shows, it was more about having a piece at home in their chosen location of expatriation and about keeping up with local culture and news.  So I did sit together with my techie friends and looked into available solutions. We tested quite a bit of different setups and providers, but it was worth the effort as we all enjoyed BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Three, BBC Four, cbbs andCbeebies “Well the kids enjoyed that last one :p ” in the end.

EXPATS IN KSA,UAE,DUBAI,US AND BBC

Well not just the locations in the header above, with the help below you will be able to enjoy BBC Iplayer globally. Basically all you need is to either have a VPN account or a Smart DNS account. There are differences between the way these two work and there is a different feature set for both.  The important thing to keep in mind is that BOTH solutions will achieve your goal of watching BBC Iplayer from anywhere in the world.

BBC IPLAYER : VPN VS SMART DNS

Smart DNS providers such as Unlocator Smart DNS proxy are easy to setup and can get you up and running in seconds. All you have to do is sign up and add the DNS servers to your router or device “Plenty of articles and support available”. If you choose to setup DNS on the router all your devices will work while at home, if you choose to setup VPN on the device it will work from anywhere. The two downsides are that you will only get the UK channels that are supported “All the major ones last time I checked” and only the relevant part of your traffic is piped to the UK which speeds up the connection but does not encrypt all your traffic and thus your privacy is not ensured.

VPN providers such as Hide My Ass VPN Service you will be able to choose from 300 different locations covering almost all countries globally, all you traffic will be encrypted so your ISP will NOT be able to monitor your browsing and Internet activities. Setup is easy as well and there is plenty of documentation and support. The downside is that your device has to support VPN which means that your SmartTV for example will not work, Unless you have a router that does support VPN, then all your devices will work.

The post HOW TO WATCH BBC IPLAYER OUTSIDE UK FOR EXPATS appeared first on Alconbury Trust.

from Alconbury Trust http://www.alconburytrust.com/watch-bbc-iplayer-outside-uk-expats/

Overseas Pension Schemes

Control of Your UK Pensions and Investments

It isn’t uncommon for expatriates to remain unaware of the fact that their pensions can transfer from the UK. Did you know you can take control of your UK pensions using QROPS?

Beginning in 2006, those who moved from the UK and left behind their company or private pension, are eligible to transfer to a QROPS, which is overseas pension schemes used to take control of your UK pensions and investments.

QROPS: The Need for More Information

Expats can significantly enhance the flexibility of their pensions by transferring to a QROPS due to their tax efficiency. Restrictive tax rules are applied to UK pensions regarding succession planning, and improvements are possible through moving it to another jurisdiction.

Under some circumstances, transferring your pension may not be appropriate. Therefore, the proper analysis must be carried by a fully qualified and licensed adviser. Analysis should occur if you fit the following criteria:

• You are no longer a UK resident.
• You have no intention of returning to the UK.
• You have a defined benefit (final salary) Scheme.
• You have one or multiple pensions equalling, at a minimum, GBP 90,000.
• You have beneficiaries that may not benefit from your pension on your death.

QROPS: How to Maintain Control of Your UK Pensions and Investments

There are many benefits to transferring your pension to a QROPS. Here are five examples of how you can take control of your pension through a QROPS:

1. Succession: you may want your pension to pass to your heirs upon your death. In the UK, however, high tax charges can occur on the remainder of your pension before it is paid out to your beneficiary. Additionally, the majority of final salary schemes only allow the widow or widower to receive about half the main pension.  With a QROPS You’re given the option to pass the full pension value on your death to your spouse, children, grandchildren or anyone you choose.
2. Choice in Investments: You have a much wider selection of investments available to you. Many pension schemes in existence can be restrictive regarding their choice of funding (only UK), or allowed investments. QROPS can provide a broad range of access to funds and investments that are managed to suit your lifestyle stage and risk profile.
3. Currency Risk Management: The QROPS investment can be can be converted into your choice of currency to reduce foreign exchange fluctuations on drawdown.   The Sterling has experienced depreciation in recent months and many retirees have suffered in the currency zone they reside. You can manage this risk using a QROPS.
4. Retirement Flexibility: During your retirement years, your circumstances may undergo some changes. For example, you may move to another country again, or you may still have some work to do. In these cases, numerous options are available to you regarding maintaining control of your pension benefits.
5. Retirement age:  you can start drawing your pension from age 55 if you wish.

When making plans to control your QROPS, you must choose a highly qualified advisory team. They will provide you with advice regarding retirement options as well as portfolio management.

 

The post Overseas Pension Schemes appeared first on Alconbury Trust.

from Alconbury Trust http://www.alconburytrust.com/2016/01/28/618/