Retirement Planning the Offshore Way Why do so many of us constantly push the thought of retirement planning to the back of our minds? Reluctance?! 1 Reluctance to save for an event that seems so far off 2 Reluctance to tie in to an inflexible pension scheme 3 Reluctance to put a large portion of our current income out of reach for the long term But in terms of retirement planning, putting off until tomorrow that which you could get done today will end up costing you very dearly. Every month you delay your retirement savings planning, you significantly reduce the value of your future potential retirement fund.

Or put another way, every month you delay your retirement savings planning you significantly increase the amount that you will need to invest to achieve the same level of retirement income than if you'd started today. If a 25 year old and a 35 year old were to start saving for retirement at 55 and the 25 year old invested �300 a month towards retirement, the 35 year old would have to increase his contributions to �803 a month to achieve the same potential returns. At the state retirement age of 65 the average man will have some 19 more years to live and the average woman, 22 years. You will have to support yourself without work and, very likely, without state income.

This means that you will spend 25% to 30% of your life in retirement. You will need substantial sums of money to support yourself in retirement in the manner to which you will have become accustomed throughout your life to date. Recent figures show that individuals aged between 25 and 44 are saving 1/3rd of the amount they should be saving in order to support their current lifestyle in retirement. In most countries you are forced to make your own pension provision if you want to have any chance of a comfortable retirement. The value of the government pension that you could once rely on is diminishing every year.

Ready to Start Planning? If you're an expatriate you are in a more privileged position than most - chances are you're enjoying a higher salary and extra benefits as a result of working away from home. Furthermore expatriates have greater freedom when it comes to making investment decisions: they are not necessarily restricted by the same regulations that domestic investors experience. Decisions That Need To Be Made The most sensible solution would seem to be finding a safe harbour to anchor your retirement investments so that you can move from country to country as necessary without this having any negative impact on your assets. However, if you decide to do this you need to decide exactly where that safe harbour should be.

Offshore financial centres present a viable solution - especially if you are undecided as to your eventual retirement destination. Basing your pension investment offshore should mean that future movements of capital or income are not impeded. What To Be Aware Of Your own personal circumstances are unique. Be realistic about how much you should be contributing.

Consider the charges the bonuses and the flexibility of any investment plan

- generally the more flexible the plan the more charges will be. Know that a good offshore retirement plan should allow you to do the following without penalty:

-1 Reduce contributions without penalty (normally after an initial period of one to two years).

2 Switch investments between different funds to respond to changes in the market. Preferably including funds managed by other people outside of the institution zone.

3 Have the option of retiring when you want to without penalty.

4 Allow certain access to monies invested (again, after an initial period). How to Find the RIGHT Solution Finding out what each provider's best products are currently, and then hand picking the best to suit your own personal needs and current circumstances is the best idea! But how impractical!

Do you have the time to do this? Would you consider yourself an expert in offshore investments and pension planning? Where would you start? Obviously professional advice will get you the right solution and save you time and money and reduce your cost of delay significantly! To find out more about what solutions are on offer in the market place and to learn more about offshore investing and saving for your future, visit http://www.offshoreinvestmentguide.com today. Discover how to build wealth, enjoy greater privacy, protect your assets and secure your financial future with the Offshore Investment Guide.

R L Williamson is an independent offshore financial specialist. She has worked in the fields of financial advice, specialising in retirement planning and she has worked in investment banking. Through her work she has travelled widely and lived in many different countries around the world. Meeting expatriates, international investors and being an expatriate herself, she is well versed in understanding the different financial needs of the individual, and she is an expert when it comes to finding the RIGHT offshore solutions.

RELATED ARTICLES 6 Proven Wealth Building Strategies Building wealth is as simple as saving a little bit here and a little bit there. You need not have great riches in order to accumulate wealth, but you need to have the drive, determination, and discipline to successfully increase your wealth. Real Estate Stories that Show You How! Let's begin easing you out of the pits. I mean, comfort zone! I'm going to slowly and methodically give you as many little sparks and insights to the relatively simple ways that ordinary people use real estate to achieve extraordinary results. WARNING: The Biggest Lie About Compound Interest Have you wondered why financial experts only tell you certain things about building wealth? Do you think its in their best interest to tell you the absolute truth?LIE: The Magic of Compound Interest: Save $X per month and you can retire RICH.FACT : Compound Interest works only for the very few. What Are Your Beliefs About Money and Wealth? What is your attitude towards having wealth? Do you believe it is possible to have anything that you want? Or do you believe that wealth and prosperity are reserved only for those other "lucky" people in this world.. How To Get Investors And Bankers To Part With Their Money For Your Business Time and time again entrepreneurs are losing out on getting the capital they need because of making basic mistakes in their pitch. It's great to have a magic product and tons of enthusiasm, but it's not enough. How Should I Create Passive Income? If you're wondering where to create passive income, then you are likely not alone. There are hundreds of different ways, however, so you're sure to find something that will work for you. 7 Golden Rules to Financial Prosperity Not Enough Money?I believe that most people haven't got enough money for everything they wish to have - the more you have the bigger your plans, and you have a feeling that you have less and less money.Whether you have lots of money or just so-so, you need to economize and take proper care of your money ie your income, expenditures, savings and investments. How to Have MORE Fun With YOUR Tax Refund in 2005 I counsel a LOT of people about money. I see the same mistakes being made over and over again. The Hawk and the Mouse - Saving for Retirement There once was a hawk, ferocious and swift. He was young and agile with many years of life to hunt the open ranch lands. Who Else Is Tired of Life Punching Them in the Face? Remember the bloodied face of Randall "Tex" Cobb?He was a boxer who fought in a championship bout against then heavyweight champ Larry Holmes in June of 1982. It wasn't pretty. Who Wants To be A Millionaire? How many people search Google, Yahoo and MSN each day for the terms - make fast money online, get rich quick, or make money online? Or how about Who wants to be a millionaire?Thousands! Thousands upon thousands, each and every day.I wonder why?Well, I'll let you in on a bit of personal stuff here. Investment Techniques For Creating Passive Income There are many wealth creation strategies and investment techniques available to those who are looking to create a passive income. These fall into three main categories. How To Be the Ultimate American Consumer Feel like a lemming lately? Ready to follow the crowd into the great plunge of Ultimate American Consumerism? Just in case you need a little help, here is a tongue-in-cheek look at how to continue the process of becoming the Ultimate American Consumer!1. Always spend right at the level of your after-tax earnings. Endowments and Endowment Shortfalls - What You Need To Know Endowments and endowment mortgages have received a lot of bad press in recent years, amid concerns over falling policy values and accusations of endowment miss-selling.This article attempts to answer some of the questions and concerns you may have about the way endowments work, what's happening to them, and what you can do to ensure your mortgage is paid off at the end of the term if you have an endowment mortgage. Asset Diversification Is NOT Boring?And Will Make You Money OK, this article will start with the cheapest piece of advice you will receive this year. In fact, it will make you money. Building Wealth: Its An Inside Job - Part 2 Let's quickly review the principles discussed in the first part of building wealth. We established that prosperity consciousness must first be developed mentally to acquire any real wealth. Principles to Ensure a Fantastic Financial Finish Most people want to get to the end of their lives and be able to live comfortably, take care of themselves and leave something for their children. These are admirable goals and very achievable - especially if you have a good plan! While I am not giving specific financial advice, these are the principles I live by and believe can bring anyone to a fantastic financial finish! As always, check with a financial consultant before taking action. Generate Savings with Smart Use of Electricity! No matter what income level you are currently at, generating savings is always a smart move to make. So what is one area you can generate a satisfying level of savings? Change your habits and how you use electricity. Self Improvement and Financial Security for the Future Any successful person, or any anyone interested in self improvement and making a better life for themselves must be prepared to take responsibility for every aspect of their lives and their future.To many people, financial planning may well be one of the most uninspiring of all subjects. The Top 10 Steps to Extraordinary Personal Wealth I recently came across startling figures about the average American's finances. Only 4% of us have significant savings when we hit age 65, and a majority of Americans have less than $1000 in savings.