Caroline Gumbleton and her husband Ron moved from Bristol in the UK to France 12 years ago and bought a farmhouse in Charente. They still live in Charente and have been enjoying life in France.

Caroline says, “We originally moved here for the quality of life; there is hardly any crime, less traffic, better weather and the local people are very friendly, too.”

She continues, “However, with the exchange rate being really bad, our lifestyle has been affected by the weak pound over the last year or so. We get our pension funds transferred from the UK each month and the amount we receive can differ quite a lot – so the exchange rate is very important to us. In the past, I’d say that spending a pound in France would mean paying €1.40; but now I find myself calculating a straight swap – a pound for a euro instead!”

Moneycorp, the UK’s leading foreign exchange specialist, has a product called the Regular Payment Plan which is tailored for transactions like pension transfers. Customers can lock into favourable exchange rates for a set period of time, giving them peace of mind that the amount of foreign currency arriving in their overseas account will stay the same each time.

The ability to fix exchange rates, combined with reduced transfer costs and complete flexibility in terms of payment frequencies, make the Regular Payment Plan an ideal solution to Caroline and Ron’s international transfer requirements.

Caroline says, “We’ve also found that living costs have increased in France too – especially for food. We transferred our savings over here recently, as we were getting a terrible interest rate in the UK and found we could get a better one here. Fortunately we haven’t had to make any cutbacks, as we’re dipping into our personal savings to fund our lifestyle. But we do know several people who have been forced to move back to the UK because of the exchange rate. People who are relying solely on pensions just can’t afford to continue living the same lifestyle here. You have to either make cutbacks or find another source of income.”

With regards to her international money transfers Caroline adds, “I thought about using a currency exchange company to make the transfer, as my friend recommended this. I sat down in front of the computer and contacted five or six. I didn’t get a great response from some, but with Moneycorp I got straight through and the person I spoke to gave me the information I needed straight away. I found that sending my currency to France with Moneycorp was cheaper than using a bank. The transfer fees were much better and their service was very good. The staff were extremely helpful and friendly. I’d recommend Moneycorp to anyone looking to transfer currency abroad.”

For expert guidance and the best exchange rates available contact Moneycorp on +44 (0)20 7589 3000 or visit the Moneycorp currency zone.