Soon to take the plunge
#16
Re: Soon to take the plunge
Thank you for your best wishes etc and yes I will do as much research as I think is necessary first and will not make rash, ill informed decisions.
#17
Re: Soon to take the plunge
that £60k earned just over £100 interest in 12 months over here, which is pitiful but I don't suppose there is a bank acct in PH that would pay a good rate of interest on that amount? My wife has calculated about 25k/mth for the three of us to live reasonably comfortably, as she has just informed me that her mother and sister would stop sending her money (for utility bills and anything essential that her daughter needs), if I moved over there, and would ask me to pay the 20k property tax that is still owed on the house, so that I can live there rent-free.
#18
Re: Soon to take the plunge
Others are right about monthly amounts... and you should keep an eye on brexit as it's driving the exchange rate. There will be a thousand reasons why all money needs to be used up for various things. She will probably start getting hormonal rages and stomach cramps.
Your relationship history has all the great ingredients for a great story: met online, long-distance, kids, married, never lived together, doesn't work, relies on remittances. Please stick around and update us as it all unfolds.
Last edited by Millhouse; Aug 27th 2019 at 10:27 am.
#19
Re: Soon to take the plunge
Hope no stomach cramps and hormonal rages. Seriously though, I don't want to be weak anymore because I've been that way for far too long and yes you're right it would make a good story but unfortunately, it's a reality rather than fiction.
#20
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 466
Re: Soon to take the plunge
Dale,
You quite rightly state the interest rates in the UK are very little.In the Philippines you can purchase (via a bank) government bonds which did offer a rate of 4.2% when we bought one. Unfortunately the rate has now dropped to 3.75%. You should bear in mind that a 20% tax on the interest is levied.
Due to the drop in the bond rate we place money in a time deposit with East West Bank and that pays 3.5%. The BDO bank pays a derisory 0.5%.The period of time you deposit the money is up to you.
My advice to you is the same as others have offered, do not deposit all your money in the first instance.Take time to acclimatize to your new environment, and get to know the pros and cons.......,.the Philippines is not paradise.
You quite rightly state the interest rates in the UK are very little.In the Philippines you can purchase (via a bank) government bonds which did offer a rate of 4.2% when we bought one. Unfortunately the rate has now dropped to 3.75%. You should bear in mind that a 20% tax on the interest is levied.
Due to the drop in the bond rate we place money in a time deposit with East West Bank and that pays 3.5%. The BDO bank pays a derisory 0.5%.The period of time you deposit the money is up to you.
My advice to you is the same as others have offered, do not deposit all your money in the first instance.Take time to acclimatize to your new environment, and get to know the pros and cons.......,.the Philippines is not paradise.
#21
Re: Soon to take the plunge
Dale,
You quite rightly state the interest rates in the UK are very little.In the Philippines you can purchase (via a bank) government bonds which did offer a rate of 4.2% when we bought one. Unfortunately the rate has now dropped to 3.75%. You should bear in mind that a 20% tax on the interest is levied.
Due to the drop in the bond rate we place money in a time deposit with East West Bank and that pays 3.5%. The BDO bank pays a derisory 0.5%.The period of time you deposit the money is up to you.
My advice to you is the same as others have offered, do not deposit all your money in the first instance.Take time to acclimatize to your new environment, and get to know the pros and cons.......,.the Philippines is not paradise.
You quite rightly state the interest rates in the UK are very little.In the Philippines you can purchase (via a bank) government bonds which did offer a rate of 4.2% when we bought one. Unfortunately the rate has now dropped to 3.75%. You should bear in mind that a 20% tax on the interest is levied.
Due to the drop in the bond rate we place money in a time deposit with East West Bank and that pays 3.5%. The BDO bank pays a derisory 0.5%.The period of time you deposit the money is up to you.
My advice to you is the same as others have offered, do not deposit all your money in the first instance.Take time to acclimatize to your new environment, and get to know the pros and cons.......,.the Philippines is not paradise.
#22
Re: Soon to take the plunge
Thanks mike1 for your post. We've considered a time deposit but someone told me that there is a 25% tax charge unless it's taken out for 5 years? Probably what I will do is make a cash transfer every month to an acct she will open with BPI and hope that the ideas she has for earning some kind of income online will bear fruit? Yes, I know PH isn't paradise (VE been there many times), but being separated isn't exactly paradise either.
Have a good day.....
Have a good day.....
#23
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 466
Re: Soon to take the plunge
Tax is payable at 20% of the interest earned. We have had 3 government bonds varying from 68days to 6 months, and the interest was between 4.1 - 4.2%. On each occasion the money is paid back on time directly into your bank account,
As for time deposit we have held amounts from 30 days to 3 months, again at the end of the period the money is paid back to your account with the interest minus the tax. Absolutely no problems, and that is for amounts from Php 1 - 10 million.
Should add you will need an appropriate visa to open a bank account. As you are married to a Pinnay a 13 a would be the best bet.
As for time deposit we have held amounts from 30 days to 3 months, again at the end of the period the money is paid back to your account with the interest minus the tax. Absolutely no problems, and that is for amounts from Php 1 - 10 million.
Should add you will need an appropriate visa to open a bank account. As you are married to a Pinnay a 13 a would be the best bet.
#24
Re: Soon to take the plunge
Thanks. I would probably apply for the 13A after living over there for 6 months so I can get a letter from the local barangay to confirm we've been co-habiting for that long etc and that I haven't committed any offences, rather than have to get police clearance from UK which apparently is the other option if a 13A is applied for immediately. That's how I understand it anyway.
#25
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 466
Re: Soon to take the plunge
Dale,
We applied for a 13a visa and it was easy. It cost about 12000 pesos for the probationary visa , then the same again for the 5 year permanent visa. My advice is that you have all the paperwork correct and authenticated. Your wife’s birth certificate needs to be correct ( mistakes are made) and your marriage certificate needs to be a Filipino or if foreign it will need to be authenticated.Police clearance is easy to obtain.
We applied for a 13a visa and it was easy. It cost about 12000 pesos for the probationary visa , then the same again for the 5 year permanent visa. My advice is that you have all the paperwork correct and authenticated. Your wife’s birth certificate needs to be correct ( mistakes are made) and your marriage certificate needs to be a Filipino or if foreign it will need to be authenticated.Police clearance is easy to obtain.
#26
Re: Soon to take the plunge
it should be an easy process otherwise some foreigners wishing to move to PH might be put off doing so, which would be bad news for the economy of course
#27
Re: Soon to take the plunge
Just a quick note, it's your wife that asks for a 13a for you to accompany her.
#28
Re: Soon to take the plunge
I have suggested to my wife that she asks her sister (the nurse working over here) if she can lend us the money the buy a condo unit then we pay her back with my wife's share from selling the family house where she is currently living. Her mother has been considering selling it for a while now, and the only reason that she hasn't yet is because my wife needs it for somewhere to live. Her sister already owns a unit which she rents out and will probably sell it when the housing market there dictates that she will get a back a tidy profit on her investment. It's possible their mother will not let me live in the house long term, so this proposal is a solution to that, perhaps?
#29
Re: Soon to take the plunge
I have suggested to my wife that she asks her sister (the nurse working over here) if she can lend us the money the buy a condo unit then we pay her back with my wife's share from selling the family house where she is currently living. Her mother has been considering selling it for a while now, and the only reason that she hasn't yet is because my wife needs it for somewhere to live. Her sister already owns a unit which she rents out and will probably sell it when the housing market there dictates that she will get a back a tidy profit on her investment. It's possible their mother will not let me live in the house long term, so this proposal is a solution to that, perhaps?
#30
Re: Soon to take the plunge
all of us can only do what we can do, because there is no such thing as a miracle