A Unique Solution
An International Retirement Plan
In 2007 Paul Beard, Company Founder and Executive Chairman, saw the opportunity to support international schools and NGOs by providing a single retirement plan that can include globally transient expat professionals, third country nationals as well as local nations where appropriate and US citizens working internationally.
AB established an Umbrella Trust to meet this need and a new product was developed:
- We bring our expertise in this sector to work with employers to design their benefit plan.
- We work directly with employees whilst they are with you, and if they move on, to ensure they access the benefits available to them.
- Our product is designed to provide continuity of contact for employers and employees for the life-time of the retirement plan.
“ We listen and adapt to our clients”
Paul Beard, Founder and Executive Chairman
The Alexander Beard International Retirement Plan (ABIRP) is an investment plan which helps international staff build a fund towards their retirement.
A Group Scheme set up by the employer for the benefit of employees.
Each employee will have an individual retirement account to receive contributions from the employer. The employee can also make personal contributions through salary deduction if they so choose.
All contributions will be invested in the plan for the employee until they reach the scheme retirement age ( set by the employer at outset to either age 55yrs or 60yrs) The Trustees will permit different retirement ages( 55+) on an individual basis, with the employer’s approval.
On plan set up, the employer can choose whether to pay the 5% contribution fee charge or whether the employee will pay for it.
All initial contributions will be invested in the default portfolio ( Balanced Portfolio in the contribution currency). The employee is free at any time to select an alternative portfolio and we will provide them with a brochure outlining the options and the respective charges.
Transparent Fees and Charges
One off plan set up fee: £3,500
This covers the Trustees fee to formally establish the Trust including all initial legally required Due Diligence work.
Contribution charge: £50 per £1,000
Taken from each contribution this covers:
- The monthly collection, allocation and settlement of contributions
- The annual trustee charges
- External auditor fees
- All daily administrative services
Annual fund related charges*:
- Discretionary fund management fee: 0.15% p.a. to 0.25% p.a.
- Investment platform charge: 0.25% p.a.
- Annual adviser charge: 1.00% p.a.
*Taken from total assets this covers investment research, strategic development, ongoing portfolio management. Also included are all investment platform charges and the custodian charge for asset safekeeping.
Staff value employee benefits, so let us help you. We know all the ins and outs.
- 80% of Millennials feel that well-being at work is the number one criterion in selecting an employer(source : Etude IPOS/EBG 2016)
- According to market studies conducted by the online job search platform Glassdoor, the benefits companies offer are the2ndmost important factor jobseekers look at.
- 86 % of decision makers asked said it was important to improve employee engagement by 2020.(source: Markessby exaegis)
Our service – Minded approach makes us unique.
- Often organisations have limited HR resources and need support to manage international staff benefits programmes.
- Our Client Service team provide the expertise and resources employers need.
- We are available to your employees and are their point of contact for the whole term of their retirement plan, even if they move to another employer.
- We choose to operate on a personal level. We visit each of our employers annually to make sure things are working on the ground.
- Our role is to free up your precious time.
Standing out
We provide the client services to your employees, so that you don’t have to take on additional resources.
Many of our employers would not be able to offer staff benefits without the support of our Client Services team.
Our plan costs include everything you will need to implement a staff benefit programme.
We manage scheme members worldwide and understand the nature of working internationally with a global workforce of different cultures and priorities.
You have 1:1 contact with us, working with the same individuals ongoing.
We want our skills and knowledge to be an extension of your team and tailored to your needs.
Education and ongoing support to individual employees is a vital part of our role.
Plan Investment
The Asset Allocation Model
- The model is developed by selecting a mixture of asset types, market and currency that create portfolios giving employees market exposure in line with their investment risk.
- Our research team monitor the “ Investment Fund Universe” that is used to achieve the asset allocation for a given risk profile.
- We review the asset allocation of each portfolio monthly.
- Our Multi Currency Investment Guide provides detailed fund, portfolio information and performance.