Short Guide to Offshore Banking in 2009

As we continue through recessionary times, 2009 seems a very unlikely year for many of us to consider depositing our savings into an offshore bank account. However, with speculations abound that a brighter financial future may already be in sight, offshore financial centres are earning a cleaner reputation than they ever have done - and deservedly so. With the continued work of the OECD and other developments in the sector, offshore banking could be argued to be more necessary today than it ever has been.

The OECD (or to give it its full title: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) is made up of a 30 country membership including the UK, the US and more recently South Korea and Slovakia. Amongst other things, the organisation seeks to maintain financial stability, to coordinate domestic and international policies, and to contribute to growth in world trade.

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.

Isle of Man Economy Set to Improve by the End of 2009

As around 700 students collect their A-Level results on the Isle of Man, many will be considering their next step - either to apply for university on the mainland or to remain on the island and look for a job. Although the recession is not drawing many youngsters to the prospect of looking for work in the UK, recent developments within the unique Manx economy is causing some commentators to speak quite optimistically about the coming year.

Of course much of the Isle of Man economy is centred around its financial sector, and its offshore interest rates and savings accounts are some of the best to be found in Europe. Its establishment as a major financial centre is due to the island's government proposed incentive to bring business to the island via lower taxes, a proposition that has continued from the mid-sixties to this day.