Gareth's activity

Due to the EU regulation,The European Savings tax Directive 2005, you cannot no longer open a UK bank account in the UK if you are resident in another EU state and DO NOT have an address in the UK. If you had an address that you were registered at in the UK then you could always have an account set up at this address, but if you are not resident in the UK then strictly speaking you shouldn't do so. The EUSTD ( aptly named), is to prevent cross border money laundering.  This means they are trying to prevent you from holding money in one EU state and not delcaring it in another.  The interest you receive, theoretically speaking, should be taxed in your country of residence.  In the past expats have signed the P85 form declaring non residence in the UK and then moved away keeping money in the UK bank account and reeciving gross interest, without declaring it in their EU country of residence.  The new rules about bank account opening and address are designed to deter this practice. In addition on offshore bank accounts they have imposed the retention tax, going up to 35% on interest to prevent you from keeping money offshore and not paying tax aswell.  So either way they will get you. You either bring it onshore, share information or pay tax or a mix of them all. If you are looking for a better interest rate on your savings then you might want to consider looking at a wrap platform which can access all the different banks and financial institutions in the UK and many from around the world to get you the best interest rate.  A wrap does come at extra cost but if you are holding money in bank accounts medium to long term and trying to switch them around to find the best interest rate, then this method might be considerably easier and work out better in the long run. Hope thats helps and sorry this is a late posting, but I have just joined.

I work in financial  services in Italy and saw the Guardian article as mentioned on this post. What annoys me is that to be a financial adviser in UK financial services you have to go through a lot of exams to show "fit and proper status" to give advice through one of the approved financial agencies, Chartered Insurance Institute, Insititue of Financial Services or take one of the new degrees specific to the financial advice sector.   From the Italian financial advisers I know, not one of them has ever taken a professional qualification specific to their job.  In the UK the financial advice is getting harder with the Retail Districution review, which raises standards through qualification and removes commission from 2012, both of which I am in favour of.  But, when compared with our European counterparts it all looks a bit silly really.  To allow inherited jobs in Italian banks is tantamount to malpractice in my opinion.  OK, I know some of the people in the banks are good at their jobs and some are bad.  the same is the case in the UK, but honestly, to allow you to inherit a job is madness.  Maybe in the land where jobs are hard to come by even at the best of times it is necessary but at least ensure some kind of standards have to be attained as well.

I recently discovered droppings outside one of our bedroom windows in our top floor apartment in Rom city centre.  We called the pest control and the man advised us that it was bats.  I originally thought mice.  We now have a nice pile of droppings on the terrace every morning which have to be removed. I am torn between trying to remove them and knowing that they actually eat other pests.  Any advice would be welcome as I am at a loss what to do.  We go on holiday for a few weeks in August and I hate to think the pile of droppings when we get back? Thanks