Chase Buchanan warns expats to rethink retirement planning

Chase Buchanan Private Wealth Management says inflation, currency swings and cross-border taxes are making retirement harder to forecast for expatriates. The firm is urging expats to review savings, pensions and residency plans before retirement outcomes fall short.

Why it matters: - Expats face retirement risks that do not usually affect people retiring in one country. - Inflation, foreign exchange moves and cross-border tax rules can reduce the real value of savings and pension income. - Poor planning can leave expatriates with less buying power and less predictable retirement income than expected.

What happened: - Chase Buchanan Private Wealth Management warned existing and prospective expats about the financial impact of inadequate retirement planning. - The company said rising living costs, tax reforms and changing cross-border reporting rules are complicating long-term retirement forecasts. - The message was delivered from Paphos, Cyprus, on October 28, 2026.

The details: - Chase Buchanan identified four recurring planning problems: inaccurate budgets, weak understanding of FX risk, retaining inefficient assets and underestimating inflation. - Some expats overestimate how far their savings will go after moving abroad. - Some also assume past financial strategies will still work without accounting for currency changes and inflation. - The firm said high salaries abroad do not automatically create long-term financial security. - Lifestyle inflation can absorb income gains when retirement planning is not structured. - Lee Eldridge, Group CEO and Head of Investment Advisory, said retirement planning must go beyond pension forecasts and include currency movements, tax rules and the jurisdictions where expats plan to retire. - Eldridge said starting early, reviewing strategies regularly and building financial resilience are key to matching expected lifestyle and quality of life in retirement. - Chase Buchanan also pointed to five factors that can separate expected retirement outcomes from actual results: delayed planning, overlooked overseas pensions, inflation, currency fluctuations and cross-border tax obligations. - Expats often need to manage investments in multiple currencies, understand local tax rules and plan for future residency choices. - Eldridge said a one-size-fits-all approach does not work because each expat’s circumstances differ. - The firm said professional advice can help clients understand available options and build a strategy around personal goals and where they want to live. - Chase Buchanan said the gap between expected and achievable retirement income can be harder to measure for expats because of multiple tax systems, currencies, pension arrangements and reporting duties.

Between the lines: - The warning reflects a broader shift from simple pension planning to more complex cross-border financial planning. - For expats, retirement risk is not just about saving enough. It is also about preserving purchasing power and avoiding tax or residency surprises. - The firm's message suggests that early planning and regular reviews are becoming more important as rules and costs change across borders.

What's next: - Chase Buchanan recommends that expats review retirement plans to make sure they still match personal circumstances, economic conditions and current tax rules. - The company says people worried about a retirement income shortfall should seek professional financial advice. - Chase Buchanan continues to market global wealth management services from its regulated European headquarters and local offices across Belgium, Canada, the Canary Islands, Cyprus, France, Malta, Portugal, Spain, the UK and the USA. - The firm notes that Chase Buchanan Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission under CIF Licence 287/15. - The firm also says Chase Buchanan Insurance Services, Agents & Advisors is authorised and regulated by the Cyprus Insurance Companies Control Service under License No 6883. - More information is available in the company's announcement.