NEW ARTICLE NEW ARTICLE Breaking news - for UK expatriates non-residence status may not be as clear cut as you'd previously thought - click here to read about a rather alarming new court ruling that could jeopardise the non-resident status of many expatriates. The legend of the Wall Street crash brings to mind the image of the suddenly formerly wealthy hurling themselves from the ledges of tall buildings in New York - nearly 80 years later, are things looking quite that bleak again? Click here for our explanations as to why diversification provides some reasons not to abandon hope entirely. Special Man
The latest capital secure Man Guaranteed Investment programme (932 KB) is now available, targeting a return of 18% per year. It also features - : Capital and growth guarantees provided by Credit Suisse. Targeted annual returns range between 11 and 16%. Minimum investment of only US$ 20,000 USD Available in both Euro and US$. The offer period is between 21st August 2006 and 3rd October 2006.
On that theme, "MAN INVESTMENTS - A truly global presence" , shows how even an award winning investment company refuses to simply sit on it's laurels. Leading from the front in performance, I.T. and fund management expertise. Better still, they won't bamboozle you with jargon..................
Special award-winning investments
For some time now MBMG have been banging the drum about the new commodity bull market. This is highlighted in the following figures -
Year to date 12 Months 5 Years   Rogers International Commodity Index +30.0% +17.1% +18.0%   Goldman Sachs Commodity Index TR +15.3% +19.0% +14.2%   DJ- AIG Commodity Index TR +18.6% +21.0% +13.3%   Reuters Jeffries Commodity Index +22.8% +18.7% +10.7%

For more background on commodities read the latest MBMG Article - Golden Opportunity.

Commodities have currently been singled out as the asset class of choice, but to be fair all asset classes have gone up in the last three years, thanks to copious amounts of liquidity that have been thrown at the market. Going forward we do not believe this will continue and investors should be more circumspect in the assets that they hold. Please click to read the latest portfolio report.August was a better month for the markets and another good month for Optimal's Core Diversified Portfolios, partly due to the recent tactical currency shift to Euros. Even within the Dollar Class of the fund, Dollar exposure has been reduced to around half almost two thirds and Euro exposure increased to almost one third. The portfolio remains underweight in equities with no suggestion of an imminent move to expose our clients in the current environment.

Please also click here for the latest update from our private equity partners, BluePeak.

...more special still

We were recently commissioned by a client to review the way that global banking giant, UBS, has now belatedly climbed aboard the 5 asset class portfolio bandwagon. As many of our readers will know we have been almost evangelical about preaching the message that there are 5 asset classes and that a diversified balanced portfolio considers exposure to all of these and looks to allocate to them according to their relative merits and therefore we welcome UBS on board. We only wish that Wall Street devoted more of its energies and resources to delivering what investors actually need. When our core portfolio managers at Miton Optimal swept the board at last year's Multi Manager Awards (as opposed to the Lipper, Investment Week, S&P and other awards won last year and again this year) the judging panel called them

“..A team that never loses sight of the fact that the money it runs belongs to its clients, and they want to see it rise in value”

At the risk of what Basil Fawlty once called graduating "in the bleeding obvious" we'll continue to adopt that as our core philosophy. Sadly New York Attorney-General Spitzer's activities in prosecuting many of the big names on Wall Street seems to have had little or no effect on underlying Wall Street attitudes which remain far too redolent of the Wall Street of Bonfire of The Vanities and Liar's Poker.

2006 has proved to be a particularly busy year for our portfolio managers, Miton Optimal - as well as winning best in sector recognitions and the best overall portfolio at the prestigious Lipper awards and speaking at the series of MBMG and British Chamber of Commerce events in Bangkok, they also produced an extremely thought provoking article about the potential problems facing the US Dollar and the US economy and a major shift in the balance of global economic power. Click here to learn more

Special Advice

"William Russell has been voted the number one International Health Insurance Provider for the third year running in an independent survey. Click here to see who came where..."

Deposit rates at record lows, stock markets on the precipice - what should you be doing with your investments in 2006 ? MBMG's private client portfolios continue to show healthy gains, outperform the markets and demonstrate exceptionally low volatility. In addition to our portfolio performances, check out latest news and offers and Funds in focus

South African international assurance and investment company, Old Mutual, recently acquired Skandia's UK and related arms.
For more information on how this affects clients of Skandia, click here.

Holding The Right Currencies?

With the introduction of the Euro as hard currency and now truly recognised and accepted on a global trading platform, our article 'Exploding The Currency Myth' helps to unravel many of the complexities surrounding currency choices for international investors.

Are You Under-insured ?

This can be one of the most expensive mistakes commonly made by expatriates. Check out our insurance page.

Tax Updates

April 6th this year – referred to as “A Day” - will see the most radical overhaul of the UK pensions regime for many years. There will be a welcome simplification of the existing six tax approved regimes....
For more information please click here.

Sweeping change in this year's Finance Act have already engendered strong feeling even before the details were published. Click here to find out about what Gordon Browne himself has called the most dramatic overhaul to the UK taxation system in the last 20 years.

"New EU tax laws could leave expats high and dry - are your investments as secure as you thought and will new legislation lead the tax man straight to your door..?" Click here to find out more...Are you worried about changes in the tax regime? Stay abreast of the tax changes that might affect you. MBMG tax guide 2006.