20 questions..

MARK QUINN AND DEBRAH BROADFIED, BASED HERE IN THE ALGARVE, HEAD UP THE PORTUGUESE ARM OF THE PAN-EUROPEAN SPECTRUM IFA GROUP, WHICH DELIVERS FINANCIAL SERVICES SOLUTIONS TO EXPATS relocate to the sun, or business owners relocating earlier than originally planned.

13 Are your clients mainly long-term residents? Yes, typically relocating to Portugal, not simply owning a holiday home here.

14 What is the most commonly asked question from new clients? Perhaps the most common question is, “How can I pay less tax?”

15 How do you advise on investment management? Our investment committee screens and selects suitable asset managers, monitors performance and other variables, and provides ongoing reporting. We only work with highly rated, global asset managers.

1 What is The Spectrum IFA Group’s mission? TSG is there to advise and help clients across a wide range of financial services… a whole spectrum of services.

2 When and where was the business established? We are celebrating our 20th anniversary this year – our first office opened in France in 2003.

3 Where are you based here in Portugal? Our office is in Almancil.

4 Where else does the company operate? We are a pan-European specialist in financial planning for expatriates across multiple jurisdictions. Our head office is in Paris, our administration and client services team in Barcelona, and we have 12 regional offices in Portugal, France, Spain, Italy, Malta, Luxembourg and Switzerland.

5 How many advisers do you have? We operate today with 50 advisers, supported by the wider resources of the group. Our advisers live and work locally.

6 Do you hold professional qualifications? Advisers in Portugal do not need to be formally qualified to operate, only to be licenced. But we hold the gold standard Chartered Financial Planner status and are UK qualified tax advisers.

7 How would you describe your approach to advising clients? Aside from our expertise and experience, we provide an unbiased and personalised advice service. Our costs are entirely transparent so there are no hidden or undisclosed charges.

8 What can clients expect from you? Our practice is a ‘family office’. We are not anonymous, do not rely on corporate marketing, and we are not simply waiting for our next client to walk through the door. We look after our clients and their families personally and for the long term, hopefully for generations.

9 How long have you been advising clients? In Portugal our advisers have been in the industry for nearly 40 years combined, living and advising here for nearly 20 years. They have broad knowledge and experience in all areas of cross-border financial and tax planning, as well as in the practical aspects of being an expatriate in Portugal.

10 Can you summarise the services you offer? Tax planning and mitigation, pensions, investment management, estate and succession planning. Increasingly, we see people who are selling their UK businesses and seeking advice on how and where to structure the sale.

11 What nationalities are your clients? Predominantly British, but many others too.

12 And what is the most common age group? Historically clients have been 60+, but with technology advances and lifestyle changes, we are seeing younger families

16 Can you help with income strategies and efficient use of capital? We advise clients on how best to generate income or capital payments from their businesses, savings, investments and pensions. Quite often we will identify readily available solutions which deliver immediate benefits.

17 What about raising funds for buying property, cars or other assets? We do not get involved directly in raising finance but have a long-established network of other professionals we trust and work closely with to meet this need.

18 Do you offer a will writing service? No, but we can arrange introductions to lawyers with the relevant expertise for the jurisdiction(s) in which you hold assets.

19 How are your charges applied? All costs are confirmed in writing and agreed in advance of proceeding with our planning recommendations. Costs vary according to the specific solution being considered but are always competitive and transparent.

20 How do you keep in touch with your clients? We offer open-ended, longterm service and support. We have regular face-to-face review meetings and video calls, presentations and seminars with guest speakers to discuss a wide range of financial subjects. We also publish newsletters, articles and topical updates. And of course, we are always available to respond to our clients’ questions.

The Guitar

TAKEN June 2021, Tavira

CAMERA Pentax K1

“I love the town of Tavira and its long architectural history. The small alleys give a perfect opportunity to use the light and shadows in monochrome photography. This local guitar player positioned himself on a perfect spot for this, with the cobbled stones giving texture.”

KEYWORD: OPPORTUNITY

A member of the Algarve Photographers’ Group, Netherlands-born photographer Bart Hageman is based in São Brás, moving to the Algarve from Bali in 2021. Even when not working, he is rarely without a camera in his hand, finding constant inspiration from his surroundings here, especially the sea and the rugged serras