This is our library of reviews of the offshore savings plans and investment bonds we use for UK expats. Each review covers the charges, the cost of leaving and the options if you already hold the product. It includes plans that are now closed to new business. That is deliberate. Many people who contact us already hold an older plan, and they want to know what it costs, what leaving would cost, and whether a newer plan would be better.
It is general information for UK expats living outside the UK, not personal advice. Plan details change, so every status and figure is marked for checking against the provider’s current documents. Being listed is not a recommendation.
How to read this page
- Open means the provider currently accepts new customers through advisers.
- Closed means it no longer does. Existing holders can usually keep the plan, and often keep paying or topping up.
- Status to confirm means we are checking the plan’s current position with the provider.
Some providers have been renamed. Generali Worldwide is now Utmost Worldwide, and Old Mutual International is now Quilter International. Not sure where to begin? Start with our expat savings and investments hub.
Regular Savings Plans
A regular savings plan takes a payment each month over a set term and invests it in funds. Charges are usually heavier in the early years, and leaving early can be expensive. These plans suit people who can commit for the full term. See our guide to regular savings plans for expats.
| Provider | Plan | Status | Our review |
|---|---|---|---|
| RL360 | Regular Savings Plan | Open | Read the review |
| RL360 | Quantum | Closed 1 July 2019 | Read the review |
| Zurich International | Vista | Check with provider | Read the review |
| Zurich International | Futura | Check with provider | Read the review |
| Friends Provident International | Premier Advance | Check with provider | Read the review |
| Investors Trust | Evolution | Check with provider | Read the review |
| Investors Trust | S&P 500 plan | Check with provider | Read the review |
| Utmost | Focus | Check with provider | Read the review |
| Utmost (formerly Generali) | Vision | Closed | Read the review |
| Hansard | Ascend | Check with provider | Read the review |
| Hansard | Future Focus | Check with provider | Read the review |
- RL360 Regular Savings Plan: RL360’s current plan, with a five-year minimum term, seven currencies, a starter bonus and an establishment period of 18 to 24 months with heavy exit charges.
- RL360 Quantum: the plan the Regular Savings Plan replaced. Closed to new business, but existing holders can generally keep paying. We cover the surrender table and whether moving is worth it.
- Zurich Vista: a regular plan from Zurich International Life with a policy charge, a management charge and a fixed-plus-percentage surrender cost.
- Zurich Futura: a whole-of-life plan with premium charges in the early years and cover included.
- FPI Premier Advance: a Friends Provident International plan with an annual administration charge, a surrender table and a loyalty bonus after year ten.
- Investors Trust Evolution: a plan with terms of 5 to 25 years, a higher administration charge in the first ten years and a loyalty bonus.
- Investors Trust S&P 500 plan: an index-linked plan with a stated guarantee and its own terms on participation and early exit.
- Utmost Focus: a plan with a commitment period and a commitment reward, plus a Take-a-Break option.
- Utmost Vision: formerly Generali Vision, a closed whole-of-life regular plan that many expats still hold.
- Hansard Ascend: Hansard’s regular premium plan, with a monthly service charge and a loyalty bonus.
- Hansard Future Focus: a flexible plan for regular, lump sum or ad hoc contributions.
Offshore Investment Bonds
An offshore investment bond is a lump-sum investment held inside a life assurance wrapper. It suits people with a sum to invest rather than a monthly budget. Our guide to offshore investment bonds explains how they work, what they cost and how they are taxed. If you may return to the UK, read the portfolio bond tax risk on each review.
| Provider | Bond | Status | Our review |
|---|---|---|---|
| RL360 | Oracle | Check with provider | Read the review |
| RL360 | PIMS | Check with provider | Read the review |
| Friends Provident International | Reserve | Check with provider | Read the review |
| Investors Trust | Access | Check with provider | Read the review |
| Utmost (formerly Generali) | Professional Portfolio | Check with provider | Read the review |
| Hansard | Global Select | Check with provider | Read the review |
- RL360 Oracle: a bond with an establishment charge taken over five years, an administration charge and no dealing or custody charges.
- RL360 PIMS: a portfolio bond that can hold a wide range of assets, with an adviser or discretionary manager.
- FPI Reserve: a portfolio bond with two charging structures, early cash-in terms and withdrawals.
- Investors Trust Access: a portfolio bond sold in 5000, 8000 and Plus series with different surrender terms.
- Utmost Professional Portfolio: a portfolio bond formerly sold under the Generali name, where the brochure gives no rates.
- Hansard Global Select: Hansard’s single premium, open architecture bond.
More bond and plan reviews are being added, including older Hansard plans and the Quilter International range.
If you already hold a closed or older plan
Closed does not mean bad, and it does not mean you should move. A plan that is well into its term, in decent funds with no unused adviser fee, is often best left alone. A plan that is expensive, in poor funds or paying an adviser who no longer helps you is worth looking at.
Moving to a newer plan usually means a new term, new front-loaded charges and possibly a surrender charge on the old plan. That is why any switch needs a like-for-like cost comparison, in money, over the same period. Our RL360 Quantum review shows how we approach this for a closed plan.
How we compare plans
- Total cost in money over the full term, including fund charges and any adviser fee.
- Exit value if you stop at years 1, 5 and 10.
- Establishment or initial period and how long the heavy charges last.
- Funds available, and what each charges a year.
- Currencies offered, so the plan matches your future spending.
- Flexibility to pause, reduce, top up or withdraw.
- Tax where you live, and if you return to the UK.
- Provider security and the compensation scheme that applies.
Product reviews: frequently asked questions
1. Why do you list closed plans?
Many clients hold older plans and want to understand them, or compare them with a newer one before deciding whether to move.
2. Which plan is best for an expat?
There is no single best plan. It depends on your term, currency, country, budget and whether you may return to the UK. A simpler, lower-cost option is sometimes the better answer.
3. Can I buy these plans directly?
Most are sold only through financial advisers.
4. What is the difference between a savings plan and an investment bond?
A savings plan takes regular payments over a fixed term. A bond is a lump-sum investment. See our guide to offshore investment bonds.
5. What if I want to stop my plan?
The cost depends on the plan and how far through the term you are. Ask the provider for a written surrender value before you decide.
6. Can you review a plan that is not listed?
Yes. Send us your latest statement and policy documents and we will set out the costs and your options.
Talk to an adviser about your plan
Whether you are choosing a new plan or reviewing an old one, we can show you the real cost and your options. Request a callback and we will arrange a time that suits your time zone.