International currency transfers

Foreign Exchange Services and the Best Rate
Buying a property overseas? Want to get the best deal on foreign exchange? We understand, and that's why together with Moneycorp, we've put together this guide to currency exchange for overseas property buyers.

Once you've read through the guidance, you should know how to plan your currency exchange, what the different currency purchase options are, how to protect yourself from adverse currency movements and how to get in contact with Moneycorp for guidance or to make currency transfers an unbeatable exchange rates.

EURO SAVINGS CASE STUDY

For example, a couple wishing to purchase a property in Europe for 200,000 Euros would have paid the Sterling equivalent of £134,526.13 in May 2005. Two months later they would have paid £136,873.80 for the same property. By securing an exchange rate in advance, they could have made a saving of £2,000.

USA DOLLAR SAVINGS CASE STUDY
For example, a couple wishing to purchase a property in Florida for 200,000 dollars would have paid the sterling equivalent of £108,113 in January 2006. Four months later, they would have paid £112,720 for the same property. By securing an exchange rate in advance, they would have made a saving of over £4,500.

AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR SAVINGS CASE STUDY
For example, a couple wishing to purchase a property in Melbourne for 200,000 Australian dollars would have paid the sterling equivalent of £82,802 in August 2005. Six months later they would have paid £84,563 for the same property. By securing an exchange rate in advance, they would have made a saving of almost £2,000.

The Regular Payment Plan offers you three simple payment options. Whichever you choose, you will always receive an excellent rate of exchange and enjoy the convenience of making payments by Direct Debit as opposed to arranging individual payments through your bank.
* Fix the Sterling amount that you transfer each month. With this option the currency amount that you receive in your overseas bank will vary according to the rate of exchange at the time of each transfer.
* Fix the currency amount that you receive. Know exactly how much currency you will receive in your overseas bank account, with the Sterling amount debited from your UK account varying according to the exchange rate at the time of each transfer.
* Fix the exchange rate for all of your transfers. By fixing the exchange rate, you will know how much in Sterling you will pay and how much currency you will receive in your overseas bank account. This option is available for periods of between 6 and 24 months.How does it work?

The Regular Payment Plan

Our Regular Payment Plan will be of great help to you if you have regular currency transfers to make. Such transfers might include overseas mortgage payments, pension payments or any other regular currency transaction.

The Regular Payment Plan is flexible to suit your needs. Your regular payments will be paid to Moneycorp by Direct Debit. Moneycorp will then arrange for all currency transfers to be made to an account specified by you. Moneycorp will not debit your account more than 5 working days before the value date of your currency payment. Please note that the minimum monthly transfer amount is £250.How much will it cost?

The only charge for this service is a £4 transfer fee for each transfer made on your contract.

Bank receipt charges are eliminated. We guarantee that our clients will not pay any bank receipt charges when sending funds abroad. This guarantee applies regardless of the amount being transferred or to which bank.

CURRENCY EXCHANGE FAQ'S FOR BOTH PROPERTY AND EMIGRATION SITES

Q. Where should I buy currency?

You can obviously walk into any high street bank or bureau de change and exchange your currency. This may be convenient for your holidays but for larger amounts of currency it pays to get in touch with a specialist foreign exchange dealer such as Moneycorp. Specialist brokers will almost always offer much more competitive rates than high street banks or tourist outlets, as their overheads are much lower.

Q. What will it cost me?

In general the more money you wish to convert the better the rate. Depending on your bank or broker, there will be a cost to transfer funds of between £15 and £40 per transaction. It's a good idea to compare the total cost of a currency trade as some currency dealers do not charge a transfer fee but more than make up for this difference in the exchange rate that they quote.

Q. How do I purchase currency?

Once you have set up your trading facility with Moneycorp, you will be able to buy currency over the telephone.

Q. Can I hold out for a particular rate?
Yes, you can instruct Moneycorp the moment the rates change to your desired level. Some brokers, such as Moneycorp, can place an order to purchase currency outside London trading hours, which will automatically trigger as soon as your desired rate is achieved. Just make sure you are being realistic about the rate you are looking for and be prepared to wait!

Q. What if the rate is good now, but I don't need to or can’t make payment for 3 months?
You can fix an exchange rate for up to two years to make it easier to plan the cost of your currency payments. This is particularly useful if you are buying a new property "off plan". With Moneycorp, forward buying your currency is very straightforward. Simply book an exchange rate and send your dealer a deposit, usually 10% of the contract value. The 90% balance of your currency contract is payable when you wish to have funds transferred overseas.

Q. Will foreign exchange dealers offer advice about market conditions and rates?

Currency FX dealers are not regulated to give advice but many will provide you with information about prevailing market trends and currency movements. However, remember that no one can predict the markets with absolute certainty. You will have to make your own decision about when to buy currency, but market knowledge and experience imparted by your currency dealer will hopefully make that decision easier! Further information can be found at www.moneycorp.com where you can peruse the latest currency charts as well as sign up to receive daily or weekly market updates.

Q. If I take out an Overseas Mortgage and have to make payments from the UK how can I do this?

Moneycorp provides a Regular Payment Plan to assist those clients that need to make regular overseas payments. Such payments might include overseas mortgage payments or transfers of UK pension payments or any other regular transfers.
The Regular Payment Plan allows you to fix an exchange rate on regular overseas payments for a period of between 6 and 24 months, removing the worry caused by fluctuations in the exchange rate over that period of time. Moneycorp will deduct the payments from your account by Direct Debit each month and transfer your funds directly to the destination account of your nomination.

Q. How do I pay for my currency?

After booking an exchange rate with Moneycorp, you will need to transfer funds to their client account. The easiest and quickest way is by CHAPS of BACS. Bear in mind that any cheque will have to clear before funds can be sent. Once we have received your cleared funds, we will transfer your currency to the account of your choice.

Q. How can I find out current exchange rates?

The Interbank rate can readily be found on the Internet and on Ceefax. Moneycorp's website has live currency charts and you can also view historical exchange rates. Although a useful guide to current market levels, do bear in mind that unless you are trading millions of pounds on a regular basis, you will not receive the Interbank rate for your own transaction! For a live quote on the amount you are looking to exchange, it is best to call Moneycorp. Q. How long will my funds take to transfer to an overseas bank account?

Moneycorp use Electronic Funds Transfer and can generally get the funds into the destination account a good deal quicker than a high street bank. We have a same-day transfer service to most European countries and North America, and next day for all other destinations. Bear in mind that there is sometimes a short delay in the receiving bank before your account is credited, this can usually be overcome with a "proof of payment" document that we can provide on request.