Guernsey - Offshore Banking Centre 2009

Despite their reputation ten, maybe twenty years ago, stringent rules and the emergence of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development means offshore banks are now considered an accessible and viable option for savers whether they are expats or not. For those looking for the best savings accounts in Europe, offshore finance has long been connected to areas such as the Isle of Man and Switzerland - but more recently, Guernsey has also established itself as a contender.

While the financial sector may not yet contribute to the Guernsey economy as much as it does in Switzerland and on the Isle of Man, banks have been beneficial to the development of the Channel Islands since the 60s. Today there are around 55 banks on the island, due as much to its desirable and convenient location, as its low taxes - a statistic that is all the more impressive when one considers its size of 25 square miles. That's an average of more than two banks per mile.

France - Expat destination for 2009

The phrase ‘expat destination’ tends to conjure up images of one way plane tickets to sub-equatorial paradise islands, or at the very least somewhere where the sun shines every day and an afternoon nap is obligatory. Yet, in the latest poll by halifax-international.com, the most popular destination for British expats is France (with 16 percent of Brits deciding to move there) – a destination that, without deeming it unexciting, is perhaps a little more predictable than I expected.

Yet, of course, this is precisely the reason it is so popular. Once the small matters of the language barrier and driving on the other side of the road are overcome, France is something of a home from home for the British. This is best realised when one visits Brittany, a region that is just a touch more than one hundred miles from the South Devon coast. You don’t even have to be aware of the Celtic heritage of the region to gaze with familiarity at the green rolling countryside and the market towns nestled therein.