This Week's Focus on 'Super Thursday'...

Attention this week will be firmly placed on the events taking place on Thursday. Unlike the usual 'Super Thursday', where the Bank of England offer a deluge of economic data, this week's includes a variety of events from across the western hemisphere. Most importantly for the pound will be the UK general election taking place.

The race has been heating up these last few weeks with various opinion polls now narrowing the Conservative's lead to just a few percentage points. Results should filter through overnight into Friday and the result should be known by sometime on Friday morning. The European Central Bank will also feature on Thursday with their decision and announcement following the conclusion of their latest monetary policy meeting.

The eurozone has been performing very well recently, the only area of frustration for the central bank has been the tick lower in inflation from 1.9% in April to 1.4% in May. However, this might not discourage the bank from highlighting the area's progression and they may choose to offer some titbits for the euro bulls out there. The third event which will be closely eyed on Thursday is the former FBI Director's testimony to a Senate committee. James Comey was recently fired by Trump and will now be called to testify on questions surrounding the Bureau's investigations into Russia and any influence Trump may have exerted in regard to the also fired Mike Flynn.

A very interesting line-up and one which could create an exceptional day across FX markets.

Today's highlight for economic data is services PMI from the UK. We'll also see similar releases from the eurozone and US. Last week's non-farm payrolls data missed expectation by a considerable mark. The greenback's looking weak and could be primed for further losses dependant on this week's data and various events.

Guidance on Sending Money Internationally

Frequently Asked Question: 

Hi Cle France, we are already registered with a currency exchange firm and we do seem to get a few other FX companies phoning us saying they are the best? they cannot all be the best surely? as we have viewed with many agents and visited many websites do you have any advice or guidance on which one we should use as our date for paying the 10% deposit looms, exciting times!

Regards, Chris.

'Cle France' Answer: 

Of course you must use whoever you see fit, but I explain quickly why we recommend Ben Amrany of FC Exchange.

He handles the transfers for virtually all of our clients, and the reason for that is so that we keep everything in house: Ben, myself, the Notaires and the Agents in France all work together, so we know at any point in time where the money is, which can relief the stress for our clients.

For instance if a Notaire says the money hasn't arrived, I can pick the phone up to Ben, get the tracking details and speak to the Notaire directly to tell him to look again, and how to identify the transfer. But where we have another currency company involved I can't work for the client in the same way, and we have to depend on the client to resolve the problem, which can be very stressful, especially when the currency trader tells the client "the money has been sent", and the Notaire says "he hasn't received it"!

Sadly this has happened a fair bit when other currency companies have done the transfer. 

So the benefit of using Ben Amrany and FC Exchange is that... Yes, he will beat other companies' rates as he has a Best Rate Guarantee, but also that he pays careful attention to our clients so things quite literally never go wrong, and funds never go astray, and I can't say that about other companies I have encountered.

You don't even have to by buying a house with Cle France to use Ben for your currency exchange, indeed some clients who have viewed with us may actually buy a property with another agent, sadly we can't win them all, that does not stop them still using Ben and FC Exchange to get the best deal on for their money.

So hopefully I have given you a bit more detail, and feel free to give Ben the chance to at least give you a no obligation quote, but of course I stress again, you can of course use whomsoever you wish.

Thanks, Sharon Evans - Director of Cle France Ltd.

Current rates:

Monday 5th June 2017 at 12:00

£1.00 GBP = 1.1478 EURO

£1.00 GBP = 1.2903 USD

£1.00 GBP = 1.7262 AUD

£1.00 GBP = 1.8094 NZD

£1.00 GBP = 1.7386 CAD

£1.00 GBP = 16.4466 ZAR

Do you want more information ?

So if you need to buy or sell sterling and would like to be kept up to date with all the latest data releases and exchange rate movements then feel free to contact myself Ben Amrany. If you are buying or selling a house in France we will make sure your monies are in the right place at the right time, we work hand in hand with you and Cle France.

For more information on the currency service I can provide please feel free to contact myself...

Ben Amrany from FC Exchange follow this link or phone and ask for myself and quote "Cle France" on 020 7989 0000.

You may contact me directly using this form (click here) with your requirement and I will explain the options that are available to you in getting the best exchange rate.

For everything you need to know about French property visit www.clefrance.co.uk

When UK PM Theresa May first called for a snap election a few weeks ago, Sterling value surged due to the consensus that the Tories would win with a very comfortable majority in the House of Commons. At this point, the GBPEUR forecast was that the rate would continue to go up, and would go up even more once and if Theresa May won the election.

Since then, it seems that the Labour Party and others are starting to eat away at the formally huge gap the Conservatives had.

Various opinion polls are now showing that Jeremy Corbyn has closed the gap to just 4% for the Tories, which now means this election is about to be a very close call!

It is because of the results of the above opinion polls, that uncertainty has set in the market, and the Pound has weakened against most major currencies. Even though we saw that the GBPUSD exchange hit 1.30 due to political uncertainty in the U.S, after recent polls in the UK, this exchange rate has fallen back to 1.28.

So why does the market not like Labour? Simple... it's uncertainty. A Conservative win would mean a continuation of policy both domestically and for Brexit negotiations. A Labour win would throw the markets off a little as they are unsure as to how he would manoeuvre in said negotiations. After watching Jeremy Paxman's interrogations of both Theresa May & Jeremy Corbyn, and then analysing the responses on TV and on the internet, I feel it is safe to say that Corbyn will jump ahead in the polls again, which will put pressure on Sterling exchange rates. 

This election will be close call, I will be very surprised if either party is able to deliver a convincing win- and that is why the Pound is weakening. Investors are not currently comfortable with holding funds in Pounds, many have learned their lesson from Brexit, and would prefer to see the outcome of the elections first before they move their money. 

Theresa May also made a comment on Monday night saying "We are prepared to leave the European Union without a deal"- a strong negotiation tactic of course, but not something the market wants to hear. It is because of comments like this, I feel the market could start warming to Corbyn as his stance on Brexit is very different, 

Now the political analysis is out of the way, how can we protect ourselves from this volatile market? As I look into my crystal ball I can see that the exchange rates will be extremely volatile over the next week leading up to the election, with opinion polls with conflicting results being released and political statements being made in the media. The Pound will remain under pressure unless the Tories manage to get back a sizeable lead, but if they don't manage to do this, expect the Pound to continue weakening. 

In the short term, we could find opportunities where the Pound does bounce back, I personally feel it is oversold, especially against the Euro, but we will not see a convincing resurgence until the election is over, and in the long term until there has been a conclusion to Brexit.

Current rates:

Thursday 1st June 2017 at 17:10

£1.00 GBP = 1.1496 EURO

£1.00 GBP = 1.2890 USD

£1.00 GBP = 1.7450 AUD

£1.00 GBP = 1.8249 NZD

£1.00 GBP = 1.7380 CAD

£1.00 GBP = 16.7506 ZAR

Just imagine if YOU could forecast the exchange rate?

No one can do that of course but being well informed is a good start and knowing the events coming up that may influence the exchange rate may help you with your planning.

The latest quarterly currency market forecasts from the international money transfer experts, FC Exchange, are now available. The reports are essential reading for anyone buying or selling a property, in fact anyone making international money transfers.

The currency markets will always fluctuate, but last year saw unprecedented levels of volatility. The currency forecasts review the factors that have contributed to the uncertainty we have seen and look ahead to the issues that could affect currency markets in the next quarter and throughout 2017.

Grab your Free Report here... 

Do you want more information ?

So if you need to buy or sell sterling and would like to be kept up to date with all the latest data releases and exchange rate movements then feel free to contact myself Ben Amrany. If you are buying or selling a house in France we will make sure your monies are in the right place at the right time, we work hand in hand with you and Cle France.

For more information on the currency service I can provide please feel free to contact myself...

Ben Amrany from FC Exchange follow this link or phone and ask for myself and quote "Cle France" on 020 7989 0000.

You may contact me directly using this form (click here) with your requirement and I will explain the options that are available to you in getting the best exchange rate.

For everything you need to know about French property visit www.clefrance.co.uk 

What does an Emmanuel Macron French Presidency mean for Brexit and Sterling? 

The long-awaited French Presidential election is over and Emmanuel Macron will take the position of France’s leader, but what does a Macron Victory mean for Brexit and the pound exchange rate?

Brexit negotiations are likely to cause significant sterling fluctuations in the next two years, but with Macron at the helm of France there could be some further difficulties ahead for the UK government. The 39-year-old centrist leader stated in his campaign that he didn’t want Britain to leave the EU with too many concessions so that the European Union’s integrity could remain intact. He’s previously said that Brexit won’t be a ‘walk in the park’ and has even referred to the British exit as a ‘crime’.

Macron’s pro-Europe stance is what set him apart from far-right contender Marine Le Pen who wanted to pull France out of the EU. In February when he visited the UK, Macron stated that Theresa May would be entitled to a ‘fair’ Brexit, without any ‘undue advantages’. 

Macron’s love for Europe has also seen him try to lure UK businesses to France to keep them in the EU post-Brexit. He said he would target ‘banks, talent, researchers, [and] academics’. If businesses decide to leave the UK en masse, it could have a detrimental effect on sterling. 

As Brexit talks continue the pound sterling to euro (GBP/EUR) exchange rate is likely to make some major swings as political uncertainty weighs. There’s expected to be major GBP exchange rate movement in the next month as the upcoming UK snap-election comes into view; if Theresa May wins the pound could be offered a rally. 

What was the reaction of the currency markets?

Following the French election result the euro initially leapt higher but has since retraced its gains allowing the GBP/EUR exchange rate to reside above the 1.18 level. The fall in the euro has been accredited to a mounting number of questions about the future of France under Macron’s leadership. Investors will be watching the June legislative elections to see how the future of the national parliament may turn out. 

Additionally, there have been several elections in the currency bloc in the recent years that have seen Eurosceptic parties fall by the wayside. However, with the continual increase of anti-EU parties making their way into the limelight and gaining popularity, it looks as if uncertainty could be a prominent theme for the euro in the years to come. 

The pound sterling the euro exchange rate is currently trading in the region of 1.1845.

Guidance on Sending Money Internationally

There are many ways to send money abroad and of course you must use whoever you see fit, but let me explain quickly why we recommend Ben Amrany of FC Exchange.

He handles the transfers for virtually all of our clients, and the reason for that is so that we keep everything in house: Ben, myself, the Notaires and the Agents in France all work together, so we know at any point in time where the money is, which can relief the stress for our clients.

For instance if a Notaire says the money hasn't arrived, I can pick the phone up to Ben, get the tracking details and speak to the Notaire directly to tell him to look again, and how to identify the transfer. But where we have another currency company involved I can't work for the client in the same way, and we have to depend on the client to resolve the problem, which can be very stressful, especially when the currency trader tells the client "the money has been sent", and the Notaire says "he hasn't received it"!

Sadly this has happened a fair bit when other currency companies have done the transfer. 

So the benefit of using Ben Amrany and FC Exchange is that... Yes, he will beat other companies' rates as he has a Best Rate Guarantee, but also that he pays careful attention to our clients so things quite literally never go wrong, and funds never go astray, and I can't say that about other companies I have encountered.

You don't even have to by buying a house with Cle France to use Ben for your currency exchange, indeed some clients who have viewed with us may actually buy a property with another agent, sadly we can't win them all, that does not stop them still using Ben and FC Exchange to get the best deal on for their money.

So hopefully I have given you a bit more detail, and feel free to give Ben the chance to at least give you a no obligation quote, but of course I stress again, you can of course use whomsoever you wish.

Thanks, Sharon Evans - Director of Cle France Ltd.

Current rates:

Monday 8th May 2017 at 14:15

£1.00 GBP = 1.1845 EURO

£1.00 GBP = 1.2961 USD

£1.00 GBP = 1.7532 AUD

£1.00 GBP = 1.8725 NZD

£1.00 GBP = 1.7761 CAD

£1.00 GBP = 17.5575 ZAR

Do you want more information ?

So if you need to buy or sell sterling and would like to be kept up to date with all the latest data releases and exchange rate movements then feel free to contact myself Ben Amrany. If you are buying or selling a house in France we will make sure your monies are in the right place at the right time, we work hand in hand with you and Cle France.

For more information on the currency service I can provide please feel free to contact myself...

Ben Amrany from FC Exchange follow this link or phone and ask for myself and quote "Cle France" on 020 7989 0000.

You may contact me directly using this form (click here) with your requirement and I will explain the options that are available to you in getting the best exchange rate.

For everything you need to know about French property visit www.clefrance.co.uk

There are a number of ways to access the exhibition at Olympia London by underground and overground train services.

The nearest station is Kensington Olympia which is fully open over the weekend but not Friday 5th May when there will be a bus shuttle from Earls Court every 15 minutes. Below are other stations close by with walking times, alternatively you can take the overground service to Kensington Olympia Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Barons Court - Piccadilly Line - 13 minutes

Shepherd's Bush - Central Line - 14 minutes

West Kensington - District Line - 14 minutes

Earls Court - District Line - 18 minutes walk or there are 4 buses per hour

Hammersmith - Hammersmith & City / Circle Line - 18 minutes or 5 minute bus ride

High Street Kensington - District Line / Circle Line - 19 minutes or a 4 minute bus ride

For more information on getting to the venue please visit the venues website.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Join the Cle France Mailing List Today

You may not be 'ready to buy' but there is no need to wait until the last minute either, JOIN THE MAILING LIST to get updates on the best properties as they hit the market as well as price reductions and interesting facts and news.

You can of course take this one stage further and create an account on our website so that you can Save individual Properties and Searches on the website. Any updates to those properties and searches will be emailed to you on a regular basis.

Simply complete the box to the left of the screen.

• It keeps you ahead and informed on the latest properties on the market and the latest news and views.
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 See us on You Tube where you can view property videos and much more.

• Seeing a moving image video of a property may just help you see if it is 'the one' before you plan a trip.
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 Follow us on Twitter and be up to the minute with the latest properties and articles.

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For everything you need to know about French property visit www.clefrance.co.uk

The information that you give and that we obtain through you using this website may be used by this Company and by our partner companies only for purposes in connection with your use of this website and for marketing activities of this Company and partner companies. By using this site you confirm your consent to this.

1st round French election produces market friendly outcome with Macron & Le Pen progressing...

There were 3 winners of this weekend's French election, not only did Macron and Le Pen win enough support to progress to the final round but French opinion polls found themselves calling the results spot on.

After last year's EU referendum and US election, opinion polls have clawed a little bit of trust back with market participants. With opinion polls as accurate as could be, we'll now see Macron and Le Pen go head to head across the next 2 weeks which will culminate in a final round of voting on the 7th May.

Financial market's response to this news was a case of risk-on. The euro has gained over 1% versus the pound and US dollar and over 2% against the yen which has weakened across the board with participants not requiring its safe haven status for the time being.

Stock markets have rejoiced at this weekend's outcome with European bourses firmly higher across the continent. 

This week's focus is likely to remain within the eurozone with further campaigning from Macron and Le Pen taking place, additionally we have a European Central Bank announcement taking place on Thursday. With the first stage of the French election out the way with no market unfriendly surprises, will Draghi see it fit to deliver a hawkish surprise? No doubt, eurozone data has been improving these last few months, the question is whether Draghi will acknowledge this or choose to keep participants guessing for another few months.

Elsewhere, the Bank of Japan will hold a monetary policy meeting and announcement while 2017 Q1 GDP preliminary GDP estimates will be released from the UK and US on Friday.

Al in all an interesting week ahead.

Guidance on Sending Money Internationally

Frequently Asked Question: 

Hi Cle France, we are already registered with a currency exchange firm and we do seem to get a few other FX companies phoning us saying they are the best? they cannot all be the best surely? as we have viewed with many agents and visited many websites do you have any advice or guidance on which one we should use as our date for paying the 10% deposit looms, exciting times!

Regards, Chris.

'Cle France' Answer: 

Of course you must use whoever you see fit, but I explain quickly why we recommend Ben Amrany of FC Exchange.

He handles the transfers for virtually all of our clients, and the reason for that is so that we keep everything in house: Ben, myself, the Notaires and the Agents in France all work together, so we know at any point in time where the money is, which can relief the stress for our clients.

For instance if a Notaire says the money hasn't arrived, I can pick the phone up to Ben, get the tracking details and speak to the Notaire directly to tell him to look again, and how to identify the transfer. But where we have another currency company involved I can't work for the client in the same way, and we have to depend on the client to resolve the problem, which can be very stressful, especially when the currency trader tells the client "the money has been sent", and the Notaire says "he hasn't received it"!

Sadly this has happened a fair bit when other currency companies have done the transfer. 

So the benefit of using Ben Amrany and FC Exchange is that... Yes, he will beat other companies' rates as he has a Best Rate Guarantee, but also that he pays careful attention to our clients so things quite literally never go wrong, and funds never go astray, and I can't say that about other companies I have encountered.

You don't even have to by buying a house with Cle France to use Ben for your currency exchange, indeed some clients who have viewed with us may actually buy a property with another agent, sadly we can't win them all, that does not stop them still using Ben and FC Exchange to get the best deal on for their money.

So hopefully I have given you a bit more detail, and feel free to give Ben the chance to at least give you a no obligation quote, but of course I stress again, you can of course use whomsoever you wish.

Thanks, Sharon Evans - Director of Cle France Ltd.

Current rates:

Monday 24th April 2017 at 08:50

£1.00 GBP = 1.1833 EURO

£1.00 GBP = 1.2857 USD

£1.00 GBP = 1.6942 AUD

£1.00 GBP = 1.8234 NZD

£1.00 GBP = 1.7246 CAD

£1.00 GBP = 16.5562 ZAR

Do you want more information ?

So if you need to buy or sell sterling and would like to be kept up to date with all the latest data releases and exchange rate movements then feel free to contact myself Ben Amrany. If you are buying or selling a house in France we will make sure your monies are in the right place at the right time, we work hand in hand with you and Cle France.

For more information on the currency service I can provide please feel free to contact myself...

Ben Amrany from FC Exchange follow this link or phone and ask for myself and quote "Cle France" on 020 7989 0000.

You may contact me directly using this form (click here) with your requirement and I will explain the options that are available to you in getting the best exchange rate.

For everything you need to know about French property visit www.clefrance.co.uk