Three ways to avoid the great foreign exchange rip-off

Foreign exchange is often a complete rip-off. Cris Sholto Heaton reveals where to look to get a better deal on your holiday money.

The financial-services industry loves to hide charges in places where mostpeople won't look for them andforeign-exchange (FX) rates are one ofits favourite rip-offs. Make an international transfer, buy a foreign stock, or use a debit or credit card when you're on holiday and you'll usually be hit with a large currency conversion charge.

Even if a firm claims to have no FX fees, or offers commission-free currency, it may be overcharging you: somehow, inflating the exchange rate so that you're paying several per cent over the true exchange rate doesn't seem to count as a commission. The good news is you can cut these charges greatly. You just need to turn to firms that offer a better deal.

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Cris Sholto Heaton

Cris Sholto Heaton is an investment analyst and writer who has been contributing to MoneyWeek since 2006 and was managing editor of the magazine between 2016 and 2018. He is especially interested in international investing, believing many investors still focus too much on their home markets and that it pays to take advantage of all the opportunities the world offers. He often writes about Asian equities, international income and global asset allocation.

Cris began his career in financial services consultancy at PwC and Lane Clark & Peacock, before an abrupt change of direction into oil, gas and energy at Petroleum Economist and Platts and subsequently into investment research and writing. In addition to his articles for MoneyWeek, he also works with a number of asset managers, consultancies and financial information providers.

He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and the Investment Management Certificate, as well as degrees in finance and mathematics. He has also studied acting, film-making and photography, and strongly suspects that an awareness of what makes a compelling story is just as important for understanding markets as any amount of qualifications.