Expats 'can improve their lives'

Prospective expatriates might find they can improve their lifestyles by moving abroad, an expat magazine has suggested.

Rhiannon Davies, director of ShelterOffshore.com, pointed out that people who wish to relocate abroad have a "bottom line common denominator" which is that they hope to change their life for the better.

Retired expatriates "often want to live in a country where the weather is better, the pace of life is more laid-back, the cost of living is more affordable and where there is more emphasis on enjoying life," she explained, adding that by moving overseas there is often no longer a pressing need to pay off mortgage or credit card debt.

Ms Davies' comments come in light of the NatWest International Personal Banking's annual Quality of Life report, which found that almost three-quarters (71 per cent) of expatriate health insurance customers are happy with their decision to relocate abroad.