NAME: George Howard
AGE: Too old!
LinkedIn: George Howard
JOB TITLE: Chartered Financial Planner at The Fry Group
I work for a British company called The Fry Group, a globally trusted wealth management firm. Our holistic financial planning approach simplifies financial planning for expatriates, helping them to achieve financial freedom through focused Tax, Wealth, and Estate planning Advice.
I help professional and high net worth expats structure their finances, to make the most of their time abroad and consider future tax implications for when they leave.
I take the time to understand my client’s short/medium/long term financial goals and align these with a solution to meet these objectives. I also ensure that clients are aware of local financial considerations, to ensure they always have peace of mind with their finances whatever the future holds.
#LIFELESSON – 1 Life is too short – I look at this in two ways, the first is when you lose someone that passes away sooner than expected, this is a tragedy. You are completely in control of your life, so make the most of it, live every minute and set yourself goals each year to achieve. If you are not in a good place, this may help you get to a better place. Create positive habits and life goals, I’m talking about having fun goals here, trying something new.
#LIFELESSON – 2 Self-preservation put your oxygen mask on first – We have all seen the air stewardess showing us how to put on our oxygen mask, should it be needed, and ensure you put yours on first. You should also apply this to your wellbeing, if you are not taking care of yourself, who else will?
You may have children or parents who rely on you, so if you are not firing on all cylinders, you are not bringing the best version of yourself to them. Some years ago now, my brother’s wife started repeating herself, she would walk into the room and ask him what he wanted for dinner, then 5 minutes later would come back and ask the same question again. At first my brother thought she was playing a joke on him, but when he realised, she had no recollection of the previous conversation, they went to hospital for tests. The doctors could not find anything wrong; they were doing neurological tests. They left hospital and my brother spoke to my sister, her advice was: “you know your wife better than the doctors, go back and insist on not leaving until they find out the problem”. After further tests, they found out she had stage 4 lung cancer, they were looking at the obvious health problem, not the wider problems that can cause loss of memory.
The moral of the story is you know your body and mind better than anyone (or your loved one does), listen to the signs as early as you can, if you start to feel seriously unwell, seek professional help and listen to your gut instinct. Take good care of yourself along the way, don’t wait for a health scare to be healthy, it should be part of your daily routine.
#LIFELESSON – 3 Achieving future financial goals The best advice I received was when I was 16, having left home and school and was working at Lloyds Bank. Just before my first payday, my manager gave me the following advice which I have carried through life and shared through my role now with clients:
Save as much of your salary as you feel you can after bills to save towards your future financial goals
Speak to a financial planning professional about your finances as early as possible to ensure you have thought about every scenario that could play out as an expat
Money can sometimes feel like a taboo subject, however, it is important to have open conversations with loved ones as early as possible, to ensure you are on the same page
Have a clear short, medium and long-term plan in place to give you a pathway when working towards achieving your objectives
If you get a credit card, always pay it off in full each month, to avoid interest being charged
Ensure you have adequate protection in place (such as life or critical illness cover) in case the unexpected happens