Before you sign run the numbers!
Free calculators for every pitch Gulf expats get sold: RL360 Quantum, Zurich Vista, Hansard Vantage and Generali Vision offshore plans; offshore bonds; UK buy-to-let; Gulf property. Plus the budget calculator that tells you whether any of it is affordable in the first place.
Illustrative compound fee drag when initial units, mirror fund charges and adviser commission are modelled against a low-cost ETF benchmark.
Year-one CGT can be nil when the gain sits inside the annual allowance and is realised before UK return.
Track investable surplus after Gulf living costs, school fees and UK commitments.
Model Section 24, SDLT, non-resident surcharge and opportunity cost side by side.
Five tools. One for every pitch you'll get in the Gulf.
Offshore savings plans, offshore bonds, UK property, Gulf property — all sold hard to expats, all with projections that leave out the charge structure. These calculators use the actual provider numbers.
Expat budget calculator
Find your true monthly investable surplus after Gulf rent, school fees, annual flights, UK mortgage commitments, employer allowances and FX losses. Your surplus pre-loads into every other calculator.
RL360 / Zurich / Hansard fee drain
Model initial unit charges, surrender penalties, mirror fund fees and adviser commission for RL360 Quantum, Zurich Vista, Hansard Vantage and Generali Vision — then compare against direct ETF investing.
Gulf expat retirement calculator
Unify your ETF portfolio, EOS gratuity and UK property into a single retirement model. Set your target income, project depletion under different withdrawal rates and see whether your pot lasts as long as you need it to.
Offshore bond vs GIA calculator
Compare a low-cost UCITS ETF in a GIA against offshore bond wrapper fees, adviser costs, chargeable event income tax and withdrawal deferral. Tax saving must beat total fees to make the bond worth it.
UK buy-to-let vs ETF calculator
Model gross yield, mortgage interest relief, Section 24 restriction, SDLT, the 2% non-resident surcharge, Scotland LBTT/ADS, management costs and the global ETF alternative — all in one view.
Gulf property ROI calculator
Dubai, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Oman purchases carry 4–7% in transaction costs before the rental yield clock starts. Model the true return — purchase costs, net yield, mortgage, exit costs — and compare it against a 7% global ETF over your hold period.
What does it actually cost when the brochure closes?
Every offshore plan, offshore bond and property pitch comes with projected returns. None of them show you the total charge in writing alongside a direct alternative. That gap is where the money goes. These tools close it.
| What you were told | What the calculator tests | What you get back |
|---|---|---|
| "This offshore savings plan is disciplined investing." | What do initial units, surrender charges, mirror fund fees and adviser commission cost over the real contract term? | Provider-source charge model versus direct ETF in a GIA or broker account. |
| "This offshore bond makes UK tax disappear." | Is it tax-free, or just expensive deferral — with income-tax treatment as a chargeable event when you return? | GIA dividend and CGT tax model versus bond charges and final chargeable event liability. |
| "UK property is safer than markets." | What is the net yield after stamp duty, Section 24, management fees, voids, repairs and selling costs? | Buy-to-let after-tax return versus a global ETF held in a GIA over the same period. |
| "You can afford the premium." | What does your actual monthly cashflow look like after all Gulf and UK commitments? | True monthly surplus, savings rate and financial pressure points — before you sign. |
The articles people read the night before a financial meeting.
Context first, calculator second. Each guide covers the specific product or situation in plain English, then links to the tool so you can go straight from understanding to modelling your own numbers.
Where to retire if you're leaving the Gulf: a tax guide for expats (2026)
You've spent years building wealth in a zero-tax environment. Now you're thinking about leaving. And the question that keeps coming up isn't about weather or lifestyle — it's this: how much of what you've saved are you actually going to keep?
ETF InvestingHow to invest in VWRA from the Gulf
This guide covers everything you need to do that: why VWRA is the right fund, why Interactive Brokers is the right platform, how to get your money there from whichever GCC country you're in, and how often to invest based on your monthly savings. No jargon, no academic framework — just the practical steps.
Market AnalysisBuying property in the Gulf
This guide covers the real numbers across the six GCC states — Dubai, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, and Kuwait — including the friction costs people routinely miss, the service charges that quietly erode yields, what the mortgages actually cost, and what each country's residency visa actually gets you beyond legal right of stay.
Expat Advisor ForensicsExpat Investment Plans Exposed
A forensic look at RL360 Quantum, Zurich Vista, Hansard Vantage and Generali Vision, with the real numbers, the real commissions, and what to actually do if you're already in one.
Market AnalysisBuy-to-let for Gulf expats
You've built up capital in a zero-tax environment and now you're asking the question every Gulf expat eventually asks: should I put this into property, or just invest it?
Most Gulf expats are stuck at stage two or three. Here's the route through.
Stage one is easy — the salary lands tax-free and life feels financially comfortable. Stage two is where it gets sold to you. Find your stage and use the right tool to move past it.
Know your real surplus
Gulf salaries feel large. After school fees, flights, UK commitments and FX losses on remittances, most expats invest 15–25% less than they think. The budget tool finds the real number.
Stop the leaks
Gulf banks charge 2–4% FX margin on transfers home. Offshore plan charges can consume the first two years of contributions. Fix these before you invest a dirham.
Challenge the pitch
Someone will show you an offshore savings plan, an offshore bond, a Dubai apartment or a UK buy-to-let. Run the numbers before the meeting ends, not after you've signed.
Get the UK return right
Coming back without understanding the Statutory Residence Test or repatriation tax rules can turn a profitable expat stint into an unexpected HMRC bill. Plan the exit before you book the flight.
Build it with the right assets
ETFs, UK property, pension contributions, ISA allowances — each one looks different after you run the after-tax numbers. The calculators handle the maths. You make the call.
Because the person selling the product doesn't want you to run the numbers.
Offshore savings plans pay advisers 8–12% of the contract value upfront. That incentive is in the room at every expat financial meeting. These tools aren't.
Thinks in your two currencies
AED, QAR or SAR as income. GBP as the destination. Set your currencies once in the nav and every calculator handles both simultaneously — no mental conversion required.
No product to sell you
No RL360 affiliate link, no offshore bond referral, no property commission. The fee drain calculator was built specifically to show what those products cost — so the output is the same whether it flatters the product or condemns it.
Your numbers stay in your browser
Everything runs locally. No account, no email, no tracking. Your salary, savings and property values are entered once, stay on your device and are gone when you close the tab.
All twenty calculators. No registration, no upsell.
The forensic tools are listed first because they're usually the most urgent. Everything runs in your browser — open one, enter your numbers, close it. Nothing is stored anywhere.
The questions worth Googling before you agree to anything.
Honest answers to the things Gulf expats search for after a financial meeting — usually late at night, when the brochure is still on the table.
Are RL360 Quantum, Zurich Vista and Hansard Vantage offshore plans worth the fees?
Are offshore bonds tax-free for UK expats returning home?
Which expat calculators should I use first?
Does ExpatMoneyMatters provide regulated financial advice?
What is end-of-service gratuity and how does it affect my retirement planning?
Most people who use the fee drain calculator say the same thing: they wish they'd run it before signing.
Pick the product in front of you, enter the numbers from the brochure, and compare it against the direct alternative. The result is the conversation no sales meeting will have with you.