Britons missing out on £101M each year on international money transfers
Poor bank rates and high charges for foreign exchange transactions mean individuals need to be savvier when transferring money overseas. Research by Moneycorp reveals that Brits are potentially losing over £101m a year by not shopping around for the best deals when transferring money abroad. Furthermore, uncompetitive exchange rates and high bank charges are costing individuals a lot of money, despite a concerted effort by most to reduce their outgoings on luxury and even staple items.
David Kerns, Head of Personal Clients at Moneycorp, comments:
“While many individuals are visiting comparison websites more frequently, checking voucher code sites and consulting online consumer forums before purchasing goods in order to save money, this mindset doesn’t seem to have extended to foreign exchange. As a result, individuals are missing out on a very large sum of money they could be saving, by transferring funds overseas through a foreign exchange specialist rather than a bank. Not surprisingly, high street banks are cashing in as a result of this surprisingly apathetic approach.”
People buying or selling property overseas and people emigrating or repatriating will be particularly affected, though this issue will affect all Brits who are transferring money overseas.
People who own additional properties abroad and make regular mortgage and/or utilities payments will also be badly affected, as every transfer is open to individual transfer charges, in addition to exchange rates.
Data from the UK’s number one property website, Rightmove Overseas, reveals that the average house price in the Costa del Sol in Spain is currently €369,860.68. With a deposit of 10% (€36,986), using a high street bank rather than Moneycorp would cost an individual, on average, an extra £558 on their deposit alone.
An individual who wants to transfer a lump sum of £100,000 to an account in Europe would lose out on an average of €1,690 by using their bank for the transfer into euros.
David Kerns concludes: “Despite the UK coming out of recession recently, individuals shouldn’t be lining the pockets of their bank managers and it’s in their best interest to maximise their investments. Prior to making any overseas payments, we always advocate that people shop around to get the best rates possible.”
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