Making the right selection

Commentators believe the case for offshore bonds remains as strong as ever, and many are amazed how little advisers use them

The offshore bond has always had a mixed relationship with the IFA community. There are those advisers who swear by them as a truly flexible, tax-friendly addition to a client's investment portfolio. Then there are those who see the offshore bond as a limited-value product loaded with expensive charges. And what of the recent changes to the CGT regime? There have been fears that offshore bond sales weould tail off after the UK government's capital gains tax (CGT) changes made direct investments appear more attractive. Chancellor Alistair Darling announced the changes in his pre-Budget...