International Financial Planning · Wealth Management
International Wealth Management — A Holistic Approach
Wealth management is not just portfolio management. It is a coordinated view of all your assets, liabilities, income, tax position, estate, and currency exposure — built around your specific objectives and updated as your life changes. We provide independent wealth management for internationally mobile high-net-worth individuals, without ties to any product provider or platform.
Our approach
What international wealth management actually means
A domestic UK financial adviser manages your ISAs and pension. An international wealth manager takes a view across the entire picture: your UK pension that you cannot currently contribute to, the offshore bond from a previous adviser, the property in two countries, the residency country portfolio, the currency mismatch between your income and your spending, and the estate planning gap you have been meaning to address for years.
We coordinate across all of this — and across the lawyers, accountants, and local advisers in the jurisdictions where you have a footprint — so that decisions in one area do not inadvertently create problems in another.
What we cover in a wealth review
- Investment portfolio — performance, allocation, wrapper efficiency
- Pension assets — UK, overseas, QROPS, SIPPs, state pension
- Property — direct holdings, REITs, exposure vs diversification
- Protection — life cover gaps, critical illness, income protection
- Tax position — residence, domicile, income sources, reporting obligations
- Estate — IHT exposure, wills, trusts, beneficiary nominations
- Currency — income vs spending mismatch, hedging opportunities
- Cash and liquidity — emergency reserves, currency of holding
What we provide
Wealth management services
Portfolio construction
We build multi-currency portfolios from the full universe of international assets — equities, fixed income, alternatives, property, commodities — without restriction to any platform panel or provider house view. Asset allocation is determined by your risk profile, investment horizon, currency requirements, and the tax treatment that applies in your country of residence.
Tax-wrapper selection
The structure holding your investments matters as much as the underlying assets. For internationally mobile clients, offshore investment bonds (Isle of Man, Dublin, Channel Islands) often provide the most tax-efficient wrapper — with gross roll-up, the 5% annual withdrawal allowance, and portability across jurisdictions. We recommend the wrapper that genuinely fits your situation, not the one with the best commission.
Discretionary management
Discretionary portfolio management (DPM) delegates day-to-day investment decisions to a professional manager within an agreed mandate. You set the parameters — risk level, sectors, currencies, exclusions — and the DPM makes the tactical decisions. We use a select range of DPM providers with proven track records in international mandates, with full transparency on costs and performance.
Currency management
International portfolios naturally accumulate multi-currency exposure. We align the currency composition of your investment portfolio with your spending currency where possible, reducing the FX drag on real returns. For clients with known future currency requirements — pension income in GBP, property purchase in EUR — we can incorporate forward hedging into the strategy.
Consolidated reporting
We produce consolidated portfolio reports across all accounts, platforms, and jurisdictions — one view of your entire financial position. Reports include performance attribution, currency breakdown, asset class allocation, and tax-relevant information (dividends, interest, and realised gains) required for self-assessment or local tax filings.
Ongoing advisory
Wealth management is a relationship, not a transaction. We conduct a formal review at least once per year, and more frequently if market conditions or your circumstances change significantly. We monitor the portfolio against its objectives, rebalance where appropriate, and update the strategy when tax rules or your residency situation changes.
How management works
Discretionary vs advisory portfolio management
Discretionary (DPM)
You set the mandate — risk level, benchmark, constraints, ethical preferences — and the portfolio manager makes all tactical decisions within it. You receive regular reports but do not need to approve individual trades. Suitable for clients who want professional management without involvement in day-to-day decisions.
- Faster decision-making — no client approval required for each trade
- Clear accountability — the manager is responsible for portfolio decisions
- Defined mandate with agreed risk parameters
- Typically appropriate from £250,000+ investable assets
Advisory
We recommend specific investments, but you make every decision. Suitable for clients who wish to remain closely involved in their portfolio, who have specific knowledge of certain sectors, or who prefer to understand and approve every holding.
- You retain full control and decision-making authority
- We provide research, recommendations, and rationale
- Requires more time and engagement from the client
- Suitable for clients with sector knowledge or strong investment preferences
Investment wrappers
Choosing the right investment wrapper internationally
The tax treatment of your investments depends as much on the wrapper as on what is held inside it. These are the main wrappers relevant to international clients.
| Wrapper | Jurisdictions | Tax treatment | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offshore Investment Bond | Isle of Man, Dublin, Channel Islands | Gross roll-up inside the bond. UK income tax deferred until surrender or assignment. 5% annual withdrawal allowance. Top-slicing relief on surrender. | International clients who may change residency; those who want to pass the bond to a lower-rate taxpayer; estate planning via assignment or trust. |
| General Investment Account (GIA) | UK or international platforms | Annual income and gains subject to tax in the country of residence. CGT annual exemption applicable for UK residents. No wrapper benefits. | Clients who need flexibility and have used other tax-efficient wrappers. Also used for assets that do not fit inside other wrappers. |
| QROPS / QNUPS | Malta, Gibraltar, Isle of Man, Australia | Pension equivalent in the receiving jurisdiction. UK tax relief on contributions ceases. Growth typically tax-deferred or tax-free inside the pension. Benefits taxed on drawdown per local rules. | UK pension holders who have permanently left the UK and want to consolidate pension assets into the jurisdiction where they will retire. |
| Discretionary Trust | Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Cayman, BVI | Trust assets outside the settlor's estate for IHT. Income and gains taxed at trust level (relevant property regime for UK trusts; varies offshore). Beneficiary distributions potentially taxable. | Estate planning for large estates; excluded property trusts for non-doms (pre-April 2025 structures); family governance where multiple generations share an asset base. |
Custody & transparency
Custody, reporting, and cost transparency
Custody
Client assets are held in custody accounts separate from our own balance sheet. We use both UK-regulated custodians (with FSCS protection up to £85,000 per institution) and offshore custodians in Isle of Man, Dublin, and Channel Islands — selected based on the asset type and the most appropriate jurisdiction for each client.
Consolidated reporting
We produce consolidated reports across all accounts and jurisdictions — showing the complete picture of your wealth in one place. Reports include performance attribution, asset class breakdown, currency exposure, income received, and realised gains — in the format required for your tax filings.
Cost transparency
We disclose all costs before any advice is given: our ongoing advice fee, any platform or custody fee, and the total expense ratio (TER) of underlying funds. The total cost of advice (TCO) for most clients is 1.0–1.5% per annum on invested assets, depending on complexity and the wrapper used.
Sustainable and ESG investing
We can incorporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria into your portfolio. This may mean excluding specific sectors (fossil fuels, weapons, tobacco), applying a positive ESG screening to fund selection, or allocating a portion of the portfolio to impact investments with measurable social or environmental outcomes.
ESG preferences are captured during the initial client fact-find and built into the investment mandate from the outset. We do not charge additionally for ESG-screened portfolios, though fund selection may be more constrained in some asset classes.
Important information
The value of investments can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than you invest. Past performance is not a reliable guide to future returns. The information on this page is for general guidance only and does not constitute a personal recommendation.
Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may change. The suitability of any investment wrapper depends on your country of residence, tax status, and personal objectives — always seek qualified independent advice before making investment decisions.
Book a wealth management review
A wealth review starts with a complete picture of where you are — assets, liabilities, income, tax, estate, protection. From there, we identify the gaps and produce a clear written plan. No obligation, no product recommendations in the first meeting.
Start with a comprehensive wealth review
Our international wealth management team works with globally mobile individuals across investments, pensions, tax, estate, and currency. Share a few details and we will be in touch to arrange your initial review.