Hi Helen-damnation (great name btw)
I am not authorized nor qualified to give financial advice in any jurisdiction.
I am a financial professional, but working in a completely different field. I am financially literate (or at least I flatter myself to think so) and I can deconstruct most financial products to identify the true costs, risks and benefits. Most of the information needed to do this is in the public domain.
I do have opinions, and strong opinions, when it comes to the unqualified, unregulated and often unscrupulous financial advisers who prey upon Expats.