https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/category/columnists/ Best Expat Newspaper in Spain Thu, 14 Aug 2025 13:03:25 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://www.theolivepress.es/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/oplogo-favicon-150x150.png https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/category/columnists/ 32 32 https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/08/14/how-to-teach-kids-money-management-top-financial-lessons-for-parents-in-the-uk-us-and-spain/ https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/08/14/how-to-teach-kids-money-management-top-financial-lessons-for-parents-in-the-uk-us-and-spain/#respond Thu, 14 Aug 2025 13:01:46 +0000 https://www.theolivepress.es/?p=429404 By Peter Dougherty WHAT large financial risks do you currently face? That your investment portfolio might suffer losses if there’s a sudden stock market downturn? Maybe, but oftentimes your biggest]]> https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/08/14/how-to-teach-kids-money-management-top-financial-lessons-for-parents-in-the-uk-us-and-spain/feed/ 0 https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/08/09/from-the-archives-jack-gaioni-reveals-the-fascinating-story-of-lola-montez-the-fake-spanish-dirty-dancer-who-captured-a-kings-heart/ https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/08/09/from-the-archives-jack-gaioni-reveals-the-fascinating-story-of-lola-montez-the-fake-spanish-dirty-dancer-who-captured-a-kings-heart/#comments Sat, 09 Aug 2025 12:55:20 +0000 https://www.theolivepress.es/?p=428380 She portrayed herself as nobility from a long Moorish/Andalucian bloodline. Yet birth records indicate she was 100% Irish, born in County Sligo to “common stock”. She claimed her name was]]> https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/08/09/from-the-archives-jack-gaioni-reveals-the-fascinating-story-of-lola-montez-the-fake-spanish-dirty-dancer-who-captured-a-kings-heart/feed/ 2 https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/07/19/mullins-it-over-i-might-even-relocate-my-new-family-enterprise-to-business-friendly-spain/ https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/07/19/mullins-it-over-i-might-even-relocate-my-new-family-enterprise-to-business-friendly-spain/#respond Sat, 19 Jul 2025 10:17:00 +0000 https://www.theolivepress.es/?p=424778 By Charlie Mullins SINCE I moved to Spain, I’ve never for a moment thought it was the wrong move. But it’s a nice bit of validation to see businesses here]]> https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/07/19/mullins-it-over-i-might-even-relocate-my-new-family-enterprise-to-business-friendly-spain/feed/ 0 https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/07/17/spains-historic-stock-exchanges-still-power-the-economy-but-few-know-how-they-work-or-why-they-matter/ https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/07/17/spains-historic-stock-exchanges-still-power-the-economy-but-few-know-how-they-work-or-why-they-matter/#respond Thu, 17 Jul 2025 12:17:52 +0000 https://www.theolivepress.es/?p=424515 By Peter Dougherty of Bissan Wealth Management MANY people are familiar with the New York Stock Exchange (founded in 1792) or the London Stock Exchange (1801). But fewer know that]]> https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/07/17/spains-historic-stock-exchanges-still-power-the-economy-but-few-know-how-they-work-or-why-they-matter/feed/ 0 https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/07/06/mullins-it-over-everyone-loses-over-gibraltar-but-the-monkeys-couldnt-care-less/ https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/07/06/mullins-it-over-everyone-loses-over-gibraltar-but-the-monkeys-couldnt-care-less/#comments Sun, 06 Jul 2025 09:45:00 +0000 https://www.theolivepress.es/?p=422779 By Charlie Mullins READING the headline in the Olive Press – Surrender or Triumph I can’t help but come to the conclusion that like all the rest of Brexit the]]> https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/07/06/mullins-it-over-everyone-loses-over-gibraltar-but-the-monkeys-couldnt-care-less/feed/ 3 https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/06/21/mullins-it-over-spurs-sun-and-crime-charlie-mullins-take-on-a-year-in-spain/ https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/06/21/mullins-it-over-spurs-sun-and-crime-charlie-mullins-take-on-a-year-in-spain/#comments Sat, 21 Jun 2025 09:30:13 +0000 https://www.theolivepress.es/?p=420064 AS I’m sure you’ve all heard by now, I’ve officially embraced my role as a full-time expat resident in Marbella – and, I’ve got to say, it’s been a year]]> https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/06/21/mullins-it-over-spurs-sun-and-crime-charlie-mullins-take-on-a-year-in-spain/feed/ 2 https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/06/08/mullins-it-over-from-spanish-property-madness-bureaucratic-blind-spots-life-abroad-isnt-all-sunshine-and-sangria/ https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/06/08/mullins-it-over-from-spanish-property-madness-bureaucratic-blind-spots-life-abroad-isnt-all-sunshine-and-sangria/#comments Sun, 08 Jun 2025 07:27:00 +0000 https://www.theolivepress.es/?p=417456 By Charlie Mullins I’VE no regrets about relocating to Spain a year ago, but there are times when it really hits home that you’re squatting in someone else’s country where]]> https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/06/08/mullins-it-over-from-spanish-property-madness-bureaucratic-blind-spots-life-abroad-isnt-all-sunshine-and-sangria/feed/ 2 https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/06/07/life-and-death-in-spain-michael-coy-examines-how-funerary-rights-differ-from-those-in-the-uk/ https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/06/07/life-and-death-in-spain-michael-coy-examines-how-funerary-rights-differ-from-those-in-the-uk/#respond Sat, 07 Jun 2025 11:28:41 +0000 https://www.theolivepress.es/?p=413534 DID you know that Spain’s constant good weather is attributable to an Atlantic Ocean patch of high air pressure? It’s true. We fall within the “Azores High”. Long may it]]> https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/06/07/life-and-death-in-spain-michael-coy-examines-how-funerary-rights-differ-from-those-in-the-uk/feed/ 0 https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/06/07/pedro-sanchezs-proposed-spanish-housing-law-is-a-timebomb-and-he-knows-it/ https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/06/07/pedro-sanchezs-proposed-spanish-housing-law-is-a-timebomb-and-he-knows-it/#respond Sat, 07 Jun 2025 09:51:00 +0000 https://www.theolivepress.es/?p=417480 SPAIN’S proposed new housing law, unveiled by PSOE on May 22, 2025, is a political stunt dressed up as reform – and a dangerous one at that. Market-wrecking, tourist-scaring, and]]> https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/06/07/pedro-sanchezs-proposed-spanish-housing-law-is-a-timebomb-and-he-knows-it/feed/ 0 https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/05/24/no-silver-bullet-despite-new-housing-laws-and-government-intervention-spains-rental-market-remains-under-severe-strain/ https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/05/24/no-silver-bullet-despite-new-housing-laws-and-government-intervention-spains-rental-market-remains-under-severe-strain/#respond Sat, 24 May 2025 13:00:10 +0000 https://www.theolivepress.es/?p=414460 THE rental housing situation in Spain remains dire. The number of long-term rental units continues to decline, even as demand keeps rising. Everyone agrees something must be done – but]]> https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/05/24/no-silver-bullet-despite-new-housing-laws-and-government-intervention-spains-rental-market-remains-under-severe-strain/feed/ 0 https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/05/23/mortgage-think-tank-riding-the-eurozones-easing-tide-but-will-trumps-tariffs-upset-the-markets-and-affect-interest-rates/ https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/05/23/mortgage-think-tank-riding-the-eurozones-easing-tide-but-will-trumps-tariffs-upset-the-markets-and-affect-interest-rates/#respond Fri, 23 May 2025 12:12:39 +0000 https://www.theolivepress.es/?p=415040 MARBELLA’S property market is feeling the ripple effects of the ECB’s 2025 rate cuts. A steady series of 25-basis-point reductions has lowered key rates, directly impacting Spanish mortgages. The 12-month]]> https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/05/23/mortgage-think-tank-riding-the-eurozones-easing-tide-but-will-trumps-tariffs-upset-the-markets-and-affect-interest-rates/feed/ 0 https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/05/23/mullins-it-over-from-delayed-footpaths-to-brexit-border-queues-life-in-the-sun-runs-on-its-own-clock-writes-charlie-mullins/ https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/05/23/mullins-it-over-from-delayed-footpaths-to-brexit-border-queues-life-in-the-sun-runs-on-its-own-clock-writes-charlie-mullins/#respond Fri, 23 May 2025 11:42:46 +0000 https://www.theolivepress.es/?p=414743 SPAIN as a nation, is famously inefficient – where getting anything done feels like a miracle, and when it does happen, it takes 10 times longer than it should. There’s]]> https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/05/23/mullins-it-over-from-delayed-footpaths-to-brexit-border-queues-life-in-the-sun-runs-on-its-own-clock-writes-charlie-mullins/feed/ 0 https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/05/18/mullins-it-over-the-costa-nostra-sun-scams-and-a-shooting-near-my-front-gate-welcome-to-the-costa-del-crime-but-leave-my-name-out-of-it-insists-charlie-mullins/ https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/05/18/mullins-it-over-the-costa-nostra-sun-scams-and-a-shooting-near-my-front-gate-welcome-to-the-costa-del-crime-but-leave-my-name-out-of-it-insists-charlie-mullins/#comments Sun, 18 May 2025 09:37:38 +0000 https://www.theolivepress.es/?p=413615 I MIGHT have only just unpacked the boxes and put the kettle on in my new life as a full-timer on the Costa del Sol, but make no mistake –]]> https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/05/18/mullins-it-over-the-costa-nostra-sun-scams-and-a-shooting-near-my-front-gate-welcome-to-the-costa-del-crime-but-leave-my-name-out-of-it-insists-charlie-mullins/feed/ 1 https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/05/10/trump-tariffs-mayhem-will-they-affect-the-spanish-real-estate-market-asks-property-insider-adam-neale/ https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/05/10/trump-tariffs-mayhem-will-they-affect-the-spanish-real-estate-market-asks-property-insider-adam-neale/#respond Sat, 10 May 2025 07:00:00 +0000 https://www.theolivepress.es/?p=411820 THERE is a lot of economic anxiety around the world at the moment. This comes after Trump’s April 2 announcement of tariffs on every single US trading partner. Liberation Day’,]]> https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/05/10/trump-tariffs-mayhem-will-they-affect-the-spanish-real-estate-market-asks-property-insider-adam-neale/feed/ 0 https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/05/09/a-rising-star-on-spains-costa-del-sol-property-insider-adam-neale-casts-his-eye-on-estepona-with-his-latest-market-report/ https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/05/09/a-rising-star-on-spains-costa-del-sol-property-insider-adam-neale-casts-his-eye-on-estepona-with-his-latest-market-report/#respond Fri, 09 May 2025 09:43:28 +0000 https://www.theolivepress.es/?p=411752 ONCE a quiet fishing village, Estepona has transformed into a thriving cultural and travel hub. With a population nearing 79,000 in 2024, the city has retained its Andalucian charm while]]> https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/05/09/a-rising-star-on-spains-costa-del-sol-property-insider-adam-neale-casts-his-eye-on-estepona-with-his-latest-market-report/feed/ 0 https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/04/30/chaos-continues-housing-problems-in-spain-not-solved-as-tourist-rental-law-comes-into-force-writes-property-insider-adam-neale/ https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/04/30/chaos-continues-housing-problems-in-spain-not-solved-as-tourist-rental-law-comes-into-force-writes-property-insider-adam-neale/#respond Wed, 30 Apr 2025 10:44:00 +0000 https://www.theolivepress.es/?p=409368 SPAIN’S housing crisis has entered a new phase of uncertainty and tension as sweeping reforms to tourist rental laws took effect on April 3, 2025. The changes, driven by the]]> https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/04/30/chaos-continues-housing-problems-in-spain-not-solved-as-tourist-rental-law-comes-into-force-writes-property-insider-adam-neale/feed/ 0 https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/04/29/ever-higher-marbellas-luxury-market-set-to-continue-growth-writes-property-insider-adam-neale/ https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/04/29/ever-higher-marbellas-luxury-market-set-to-continue-growth-writes-property-insider-adam-neale/#respond Tue, 29 Apr 2025 08:22:01 +0000 https://www.theolivepress.es/?p=409353 THE March release of the Knight Frank Wealth Report is another clear sign that Marbella’s trajectory as a luxury home destination is set to continue. The annual report looks at]]> https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/04/29/ever-higher-marbellas-luxury-market-set-to-continue-growth-writes-property-insider-adam-neale/feed/ 0 https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/04/28/clock-is-ticking-is-it-the-end-of-holiday-rentals-in-spain-asks-the-property-insider-adam-neale/ https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/04/28/clock-is-ticking-is-it-the-end-of-holiday-rentals-in-spain-asks-the-property-insider-adam-neale/#respond Mon, 28 Apr 2025 08:20:48 +0000 https://www.theolivepress.es/?p=409347 BIG changes have come in about how tourist rental apartments are regulated. Very big changes. If you already have an apartment that you rent out on Airbnb these will be]]> https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/04/28/clock-is-ticking-is-it-the-end-of-holiday-rentals-in-spain-asks-the-property-insider-adam-neale/feed/ 0 https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/04/26/mullins-it-over-rather-than-complaining-about-tourists-locals-in-spain-should-complain-about-building-standards-writes-charlie-mullins/ https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/04/26/mullins-it-over-rather-than-complaining-about-tourists-locals-in-spain-should-complain-about-building-standards-writes-charlie-mullins/#comments Sat, 26 Apr 2025 07:30:00 +0000 https://www.theolivepress.es/?p=409014 IT’S my first Easter as a proper member of the ex-pat community.  Sure I’ve been here over the bank holiday before, but now I’ve decided to become a permanent fixture]]> https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/04/26/mullins-it-over-rather-than-complaining-about-tourists-locals-in-spain-should-complain-about-building-standards-writes-charlie-mullins/feed/ 2 https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/04/15/expanding-horizons-chocolate-is-not-just-for-easter-but-what-is-susannah-grants-favourite-spanish-choccy-treat/ https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/04/15/expanding-horizons-chocolate-is-not-just-for-easter-but-what-is-susannah-grants-favourite-spanish-choccy-treat/#respond Tue, 15 Apr 2025 07:30:00 +0000 https://www.theolivepress.es/?p=406235 WITH Easter fast approaching my thoughts are turning to chocolate. Apparently, the price of cocoa beans has more than doubled in the past year. Ghana and the Côte d’Ivoire, which]]> https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2025/04/15/expanding-horizons-chocolate-is-not-just-for-easter-but-what-is-susannah-grants-favourite-spanish-choccy-treat/feed/ 0