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Privalgo’s creative team have recently been wondering about what parts of the natural world the business is analogous to. After some wondering and a bit of research, we decided it was the seahorse.
Truly fascinating creatures, seahorses are adapted to their environment in ways not seen in the rest of the animal kingdom. The seahorse is a species of fish, although it looks like nothing else in the ocean — except maybe, the pipefish, which it’s closely related to.
Similar to the unique nature and aesthetic of the seahorse, Privalgo doesn’t look like any of the other foreign exchange specialists out there. We’re not like the traditional FX brokers, who offer good degrees of personal service but no technological capabilities. Nor are we like the ‘disruptive’ novel FinTech firms, who have strong tech capabilities with no personal service.
Instead, we offer both. Our clients can enjoy the benefits of the latest technology, whilst at the same time having expert guidance on hand whenever they want it.
A symbol of prosperity
The seahorse holds cultural and mystical significance around the world.
The Torres Straight Islanders are group of Indigenous people from the islands dotted around Australia’s Queensland province. Traditionally a seafaring people, Torres Straight Islanders take to the sea to find food.
To the divers, the seahorse is a symbol of prosperity. In times of need, when perhaps food is low, it’s believed that catching sight of a seahorse brings luck in fishing and hunting.
In many ways, we feel we bring a similar level of prosperity and value to our clients. The world of foreign exchange is not unlike the sea. Everything is changing all the time and it becomes easy to drown in endless stream of information and opinions.
Like the seahorse, we bring value and vision into this world. Our leading exchange rates have helped thousands of individuals save money when they move abroad, pay for international school fees and send money home.
Perfectly adapted to a tricky environment
Seahorses aren’t the fastest swimmers in the ocean… but they don’t need to be. They’re perfectly adapted to their environment in different ways.
They’re incredibly dexterous. They can use their nimble tails to anchor onto seaweed or coral. This is either to rest or to protect themselves from predators who can’t swim into these deeper, tighter spaces.
Not unlike the seahorse’s environment, foreign exchange is a perilous world. The currency markets never stop moving, and as result, expats often get burnt.
Imagine someone is carrying out a transaction that lasts a long time, like buying a property, for example. Due to the volatile nature of the currency market, the price initially agreed upon may be different to the price they actually pay.
In the time between agreeing a price and making the purchase, the exchange rate can go against their favour, and they could end up paying more than they initially agreed upon.
For example, on Friday 28th Feb, GBP pushed down one percent against EUR overnight. For anybody buying Portuguese property with pounds, this shift could have caused some real financial problems.
Privalgo’s clients can avoid these risks. We offer a solution called a Flexible Forward. This involves ‘locking in’ a favourable rate for a particular timeframe and using as and when they want during the given period. This can be invaluable for clients who are undertaking long transactions.
Not only does this give our clients financial stability, but it also offers peace of mind. Whatever happens in the world, wherever the markets go, their rate will stay the same.
For ever and ever
Seahorses are serial monogamists, meaning they couple up with one partner for long periods of time. One species in particular, the Australian Hippocampus whitei, mates for life. Not only is this a cute sentiment for Valentine’s card and hammy chat-up lines, but it also has an evolutionary advantage.
Sticking with one partner enables the seahorse to go through multiple reproduction cycles, meaning that the couple can produce more offspring per brood. What’s more, the longer the seahorses are together, the better at breeding they become. Practice makes perfect, after all.
We take a similar approach to our clients (without the mating and reproduction, that is). We believe that the longer we can help you, the more benefits we can bring.
We help thousands of expats each year save money and avoid risks when they move abroad and buy foreign properties. However, we usually find their currency exchange story doesn’t end there. Our clients also have to transfer savings across borders, settle mortgage payments, pay international school fees and much more.
We strive to help our clients throughout the whole of the expat journey. Long after the initial move abroad and property purchase is done, we help clients exchange currencies to pay for home renovations, second homes, luxury items and much more.
Like the seahorse, we partner up for life.
Privalgo is a specialist foreign exchange company. Find out how we can save you money, time and stress on your currency exchange. Get in touch today.
