So, where do the adventurous among us to tend to gravitate? With its warm climate, outdoor lifestyle and shared language, Australia is the most popular destination for our expats; while Spain remains the most popular European country to live in for Brits. This is followed by Ireland – with its close historical, political and economic ties with the UK – and France.

This mobilisation of our population has been facilitated by a range of factors: from increased disposable incomes, cheap flights and automated financial transactions, to open borders and a globalised workforce. As these developments in modern society continue to spread the British diaspora far and wide, there is a growing requirement for expats to make international money transfers for a variety of reasons.

Whether you need to send funds to family/friends back in Blighty – perhaps for school or university fees – or you’re transferring a UK pension each month to the South of France, using a currency specialist such as Smart Currency Exchange is a shrewd choice. Not only can Smart save you money by offering bank-beating exchange rates and low transfer fees, they can help prevent market volatility from having a detrimental impact on the cost of your transfers.

The dynamic nature of the currency market has been perfectly demonstrated by the EU referendum this year, which caused the GBP/EUR rate to drop from £1=€1.30 on polling day in June – when a Brexit vote was still an unexpected possibility – to as low as €1.09 in October. Thankfully, Smart provides each client with a personal account manager, who will be able to talk you through the many political and economic variables that influence the market – allowing you to make an informed decision about the best time to make your transfer.

Smart will explain how a regular payment plan could be of particular use for expats with ongoing international money transfer requirements. If you have a mortgage back in the UK or need to transfer a salary or pension, for example, this automated exchange tool allows you to set-up payments to occur at a frequency that suits you; ensuring your money is debited from your account, exchanged into your currency of choice and sent to the required recipient overseas, in accordance with your specified schedule.

As well as offering convenience, the regular payment plan service allows you to fix a current favourable exchange rate using a forward contract, so you know the exact amount of money that is leaving your account and arriving in another, with each payment – eliminating the risk of negative rate fluctuations impacting your finances.

So, don’t let the cost of your international transfers prevent you from fully enjoying your expat dream. By planning ahead you can concentrate on relaxing by the pool, sangria in hand.

For more information, get a free quote from Smart today, or call +44 20 8108 5391.