For that true Friday 13th feeling
Some people are naturally superstitious. They avoid walking under ladders, they worry when a black cat crosses their path, and they treat certain dates on the calendar with an abundance of caution.
I have never been one of those people.
But that does not mean I don’t get scared. In my line of work, the real horror show has nothing to do with broken mirrors or spooky folklore. As a financial planner working with expats across the UK, Europe, the US, and South Africa, the things that make me wince are much more grounded in reality.
Here are the three financial ghost stories I see far too often.
The phantom pension pots
Moving abroad is an incredible adventure. You pack up your life, you figure out the local customs, and you start a new chapter. But often, people leave a trail of financial breadcrumbs behind them.
I regularly speak to people who have a pension in the UK, a 401(k) in the US, and a retirement annuity (RA) in South Africa. The scary part is not that they have these accounts; it is that they have no idea what they are invested in, what the fees are, or how they will eventually access the money without triggering a massive administrative headache.
The 15-year-old cobwebs
There is a lot to be said for long-term investing. But there is a big difference between patience and neglect. That old set-and-forget mindset.
Reviewing an investment portfolio untouched for 15 years is genuinely scary. The world has changed dramatically in the last fifteen years. Your life has certainly changed. If your financial plan is covered in cobwebs, it is almost certainly no longer aligned with your goals, your risk tolerance, or your current country of residence.
The tax surprise in the shadows
This is the one that really jumps out at you.
When your finances span multiple borders, the rules of the game become incredibly complex. What is highly tax-efficient in the UK might be heavily penalised in France or the US. I see well-meaning people make a seemingly simple transfer or update an address, only to accidentally trigger a cross-border tax trap.
It is the kind of innocent mistake that can turn into a very expensive nightmare.
Good planning beats superstition
My role isn’t to predict the markets—I don’t have a crystal ball.
My job is helping families avoid the kind of financial decisions that come back to haunt them later on. Because when you live an international life, a small oversight can easily turn into a lingering problem.
Thankfully, you don’t need luck or a four-leaf clover to secure your future. Good, proactive planning tends to beat superstition every single time.
If your cross-border finances are feeling a little bit disorganised, let’s bring them into the light. Feel free to reach out for a chat.
