 Why
Bank Offshore? - The Governments of the world are out of control . . .
and broke. They need your assets to make themselves solvent.
That they squander those assets is forgone. We live in a world where personal
sovereignty, privacy and individuality are under attack.
The right to privacy is more than an abstract necessity, it is also a psychological
necessity. If we do not have the right to privacy, we do not own the rights
to our own lives. Individuality entails making value judgments independent
of political, religious or social dogmas. In making value judgments
we make choices. In today's world, if the choices we make differ
from the status quo then we come under pressure to 'toe the line'. There
is no line to toe. We live in an intellectual vacuum, where short of the
logical choices we make in our own behalf, there are no other values. Our
Magazine & Websites stress privacy and living our life by our own standards,
protecting what is ours from those who have not earned it. - In today’s
technological world, millions of individuals are subject to privacy threats.
Companies are hired not only to watch what you visit online, but to infiltrate
the information and send advertising based on your browsing history. People
set up accounts for Facebook; enter bank and credit card information to
various websites. Those concerned about Internet privacy often cite a number
of privacy risks — events that can compromise privacy — which may be encountered
through Internet use.These methods of compromise can range from the gathering
of statistics on users, to more malicious acts such as the spreading of
spyware and various forms of bugs (software errors) exploitation. |
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 FATCA
– Is 2012 the Last Year for Opening an Offshore Bank Account for Americans?
- On March 28, 2010 President Obama signed the Foreign Account Tax
Compliance Act into law. According to official government press releases,
this was enacted to prevent offshore tax abuses by US persons. While
this is certainly true, it doesn’t tell the whole story. In reality
it is a way to prevent an outflow of capital from the US as well as implement
very strict currency controls robbing you of your personal freedom. Even
though it has been nearly one year since this legislation was slipped into
the HIRE Act (Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act), the fact remains
there are more questions than answers regarding implementation. What is
known is that beginning January 1, 2013 the US will implement this far
reaching legislation and effectively make FFI’s (Foreign Financial Institutions)
their worldwide watchdogs. This is a typical American egotistical
action that just assumes that the entire world will kneel at the feet of
the master in order to gain good favor with the largest economy in the
world (at least for the time being). |
 Incorporating
& Banking in Belize
- In 1996, the United States of America tried to pressure the sovereign
nation of Belize into signing the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT).
Belize refused as such a treaty would allow for the exchange of confidential
information, such as bank records and other sensitive information, based
on a broad range of requests including tax investigations. Belize did sign
a limited Legal Assistance Treaty with the U.S. where client information
would only be disclosed under internationally recognized grievous crimes
such as drug trading, terrorism and human trafficking. At the time, Belize
was wrongfully accused of harboring money-launderers and was “blacklisted”
by the United States of America, suffering unjust restrictions of foreign
aid, world political isolation and an economic crisis. Belize would not
give in to such tactics and by upholding their commitments to the banking
“know your client” regulations, Belize was eventually exonerated. By standing
their ground to the world’s super-power, Belize has emerged as a credible
and secure offshore asset protection and tax haven. |
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 Is
the US Monetary System on the Verge of Collapse?
- Tune into CNBC or click onto any of the dozens of mainstream financial
news sites, and you’ll find an endless array of opinions on the latest
wiggle in equity, bond and commodities markets. As often as not, you’ll
find those opinions nestled side by side with authoritative analysis on
the outlook for the economy, complete with the author’s carefully studied
judgment on the best way forward. Lost in all the noise, however, is any
recognition that the US monetary system – and by extension, that of much
of the developed world – may very well be on the verge of collapse. Falling
back on metaphor, while the world’s many financial experts and economists
sit around arguing about the direction of the ship of state, most are missing
the point that the ship has already hit an iceberg and is taking on water
fast. Yet if you were to raise your hand to ask 99% of the financial intelligentsia
whether we might be on the verge of a failure of the dollar-based world
monetary system, the response would be thinly veiled derision. Because,
as we all know, such a thing is unimaginable! |
 5
Offshore Banking Misconceptions
- Today, persons residing in countries where the loss or confiscation
of their assets is a threat are looking for viable anonymous asset protection
strategies. A large part of any asset protection plan is the use of an
offshore bank. All offshore banks are not alike though and here we explain
why. Misconception #1 – Offshore bank accounts are illegal - This is simply
wrong. The majority of countries allow offshore accounts so they can obtain
monies from entities outside the country, thereby increasing assets. (This
includes the US.) They are happy to help foreigners practice anonymous
asset protection to some degree. But, they frown on helping nationals because
they lose tax and other income. Misconception #2 – You can’t practice
anonymous asset protection and have your funds in a bank in your country
- Actually you can. If you put your assets in a reputable offshore bank
that then sends them to a bank in your home country (as an offshore entity)
in certain cases, they are still offshore in terms of your positioning.
The general misconception is that if an international bank has a branch
in the USA or EU it can be forced to divulge banking records from the offshore
country where it also has a bank. This will not happen because both banks
are separate entities bound by licensing requirements in their home country,
and would be bound by jurisdictional secrecy laws. Therefore, it would
be a violation to trade details. |
 Anonymous
Banking Transaction Secrets
- Private property rights in the USA are a thing of the past. But
the USA is by no means the only unsafe place for banking by its own citizens.
Wherever Uncle Sam leads, the UK, Australia and Canada meekly follow. Other
countries like Germany, Spain, Russia, Sweden, Mexico and Norway are also
remarkably good at regularly prying away private assets and spying on their
citizens’ finances. I call it the Global Confiscatory Concerto. Of
course, the moment you move money into a foreign bank account, it’s no
longer under the government’s control. At least, it makes it a lot harder
for them to get their sticky fingers on those assets. And that’s exactly
what they dislike so much. The cold, hard facts show that opening an offshore
bank account is both legal and moral. In fact, it’s the only prudent thing
for any thinking person to do. To repeat: Although it’s certainly getting
harder to open an offshore bank account, it is still completely possible
and completely legal. You don’t have to be one of the jet-set to do it. |
 The
Future of Offshore Banking and Financial Privacy
- Just the utterance of the title makes some people cringe with fear and
lower their voice in public. In January I was at an investment conference
in Zurich and met with several bankers who would barely speak to me once
they heard my American accent. One beautiful, young woman with a
very well known private Swiss bank even asked me to lower my voice when
I asked her if they would accept American clients. I approached a group
of 5 men that worked for another private Swiss bank and the men over 40
scattered as if I had tossed a grenade in the middle of the group.
The guy that remained must have been low on the totem pole as he was about
28 years old. He was left to explain to me why Swiss banks won’t
accept US clients anymore. Of course it isn’t hard to understand why considering
what is going on in the news lately. But it does seem to dampen the
spirits of those who are implementing their own asset protection plan. |
 How
to Open an Offshore Bank Account in Singapore
- Singapore is “a convenient destination to protect and add value
to your international wealth” according to the website of one of the 205
banks operating in Singapore today. I couldn’t have put it better myself!
Singapore has developed in recent years into a sophisticated private banking
and wealth management base for Asia. But besides targeting their traditional
but fast growing market of wealthy entrepreneurs in Asia, the best offshore
banks in Singapore today are also developing products and services tailored
for North Americans, Europeans and Australians, including multi currency
accounts. If this sounds like you, read on to find out about some of the
advantages and disadvantages of opening an offshore bank account in Singapore,
and learn how to open an offshore bank account as a non-resident. Is Singapore
the best offshore banking country for the new decade? |
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 The
Best Offshore Banks: or Offshore Banking Demystified
- It’s in the interests of many parties these days to turn offshore
banking into something of a mystery. The government doesn’t want you to
know about it because they don’t want you to take advantage of potential
tax savings. They infer, but don’t say outright, that it’s illegal. (Fact:
it isn’t!) Offshore banks themselves, keen to protect the discretion and
secrecy they offer, are naturally shy of publicity. Although you will typically
find the likes of HSBC or Citibank advertising offshore banking online,
the best offshore banks from privacy-minded tax havens very rarely advertise.
Then there’s a third group, the offshore consultants, like me. Most of
my colleagues make money advising people on offshore banking. Nothing wrong
with that, of course… but it may well not be in their interests to tell
you how to “do it yourself.” Basically everybody is out to sell something,
and it is hard to find unbiased advice. For these three reasons alone,
many people who could benefit from going offshore, find it hard to decide
what would be the best offshore bank for them and they simply give up at
that stage. Offshore banking needs demystifying. And that is why I wrote
this article! |
 Swiss
Banks: Privacy Or Piracy?
- On August the 19th 2009 the IRS finally reached an agreement with
the Swiss banking giant UBS for the latter to disclose the details of some
4,450 US account holders believed to be using their Swiss bank accounts
for tax evasion purposes. The deal was hailed as a victory by US
politicians from both sides of the fence as they have united in their fight
to bring tax evaders to justice – but why is taxation avoidance seemingly
such big business in America? The problem is believed to be so endemic
that a so-called tax amnesty was offered with a cut off date originally
of September the 23rd 2009. The Internal Revenue Service extended the deadline
to October 15 stressing there would be no further postponements. This action
allowed US citizens at home and around the world who have previously failed
to make full disclosure relating to their overseas and offshore holdings
to come forward and face limited fines and reduced repercussions from the
IRS. |
 Move
Your Money Out of the Country …and Soon
- Things are getting uncomfortable for individuals and corporations
looking to deposit their money in tax havens around the world. Just recently,
Congress introduced the so-called “Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act,” which is
designed to do away with the privacy afforded by doing business or investing
outside the U.S. and to eliminate or reduce tax benefits available offshore.
Simon Black and Fitzroy McLean, ex-CIA operatives, investment pros, and
globe-trotting editors of Casey Research’s Without Borders, weigh in with
their no-holds-barred opinion on the topic… We are patriots. We have
proudly served in our country’s military, have extended a helping hand
to its public sector, and have plowed our entrepreneurial enterprise into
its once fertile soil. We love America, but these days, America does not
love us back. It takes without giving and squelches free enterprise. These
days, America is no longer the land of the free, especially when it comes
to the market. |
 The
Key to Getting an Offshore Checking Account in Ecuador (without Being a
Resident)
- I don’t think I have to spell out the enormous benefits of having
a bank account in another country. For one, you can take money out of the
ATM when in that country without paying fees. Deposit money and pay bills
without having to transfer the money into the country every time; and not
to mention, tax advantages with regards to your home country.
In Ecuador, you can get that offshore bank account you desire. The
problem is that the official word in Ecuador is that a foreigner can’t
get an account without a local ID card, given out when you are already
a resident on one of the resident visas. I know what you’re thinking...
"OK, but I just arrived, and not on a resident visa but simply a tourist
one, so how can I get an account now?" Here is the trick; avoid the
big banks of Ecuador, with the stricter policies, and head for the smaller
banks, there are several, preferably the ones whose main colors are green
or red… |
 8
Signs that the US Government is Making it Harder For You to Become an Expat
- One of the most common reasons for wanting to expatriate from the
United States is the concern about government overreach. Many feel that
the expansion of government in recent years has been chipping away at the
freedom and liberty that the country was founded upon. What with more and
more agencies, regulations, surveillance, and mandates, the right to privacy
and self - determination is steadily shrinking right along with financial
outlooks. So, are you among the increasing number of people who feel that
the only real solution is to get out of the country? Well, using the exact
same tactics that are driving you away, the government appears intent on
preventing you from leaving. Changes that have recently been put in place
as well as proposals for future changes in rules and regulations might
be intended to discourage. But they might also drive your resolve to take
your destiny into your own hands and do whatever it takes to make your
move overseas. |
 Bye
Bye Privacy
- As a new year is upon us, we can reflect on the past and future
of privacy. As we have consistently maintained, a good look at the past
is an excellent barometer for the future! To say the recent intrusions
into our privacy and civil liberties have been of Titanic proportions would
be an understatement. These losses are likely permanent and never to be
replaced, at least in our lifetime. The fact of the matter is that very
few persons care about their loss of privacy and civil liberties. Privacy
is a bit like your health, you don’t think much about it until it’s gone.
When a recent study shows that most persons would torture another person
if ordered to, for the sake of fighting terrorism, it’s apparent that the
loss of one’s privacy and their civil liberties are of little concern to
the vast majority. According to a study by researchers at Santa Clara University
in California most would torture another person if ordered to. The experiment
partially explains why prisoners have been abused at the hands of American
troops at the U.S. run Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. 70 per cent of volunteers
after being encouraged by authority to administer electric shocks did so
even when an actor working in the study expressed being in pain. |
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 EscapeArtist
Asset Protection Newsletter -
Live & Invest Offshore - Get the real facts from the best; including
Doug Casey, Bobby Casey, Bob Matthews, Global Asset Advisors, Inc., Jeff
Schneider CPA, PassportIRA and more of the best international investment
advisors. |
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 Search
& Destroy: Why You Can't Trust Google Inc
- Search & Destroy author Scott Cleland is the world's leading Google
critic and has testified before Congress three times about the search-engine
behemoth. Cleland takes an in-depth look at where Google is leading us,
explains why we don't want to go there, and proposes straightforward solutions.
- Scott Cleland's new book tells the other side of the Google story. Published
by Telescope Books, Search & Destroy: Why You Can't Trust Google Inc.
is the first book to critically examine Google's business practices,
mission, and unprecedented power over information access and
the digital economy.
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 Guess
what makes Escape Dates different ?
- Single, Married, interested in growing your international
network of friends, now you can travel the world, and make money searching
for the perfect mates with EscapeDates international singles and social
networking community. EscapeDates has fused an online dating and social
networking community, with a unique income opportunity that pays members
to build their friend and social networks. Escapeartist.com, the largest
website in the world for international living and overseas jobs recently
launched EscapeDates and is well position to becoming a leader in the international
dating industry. |
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 Introducing
Spiritual Journeys - Enlightened Experiences for the Soul! By Mahira Amir
Khan -
I am honored to announce the launch of our new magazine SPIRITUAL JOURNEYS.
The birth of this online publication arrives perfectly timed for the advent
of the year 2012. The year that has been prophesied and spoken of as a
turning point in humankind's evolution. The ancient cultures of the Hopis
and the Mayans, speak of the window of divinity that opens for us now,
a shift of the ages that will activate our deepest potential. Life as we
know it today, will never be the same again. |
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 Where
to Own Gold – Asset Protection Planning
- Owning precious metals seems to be the only protection from governments
racing to devalue their currencies to cover their debts. Although this
is likely not a revelation to you, the markets have brought you dozens
of ways to begin acquiring through financial instruments, futures, and
allocated or unallocated physical storage. |
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 Moving
Money Offshore By Jay Butler Asset Protection Services Ltd
- The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers all income reportable regardless
of the source or location derived and most assets held offshore are reportable,
however some are not. When looking to preserve your assets it is important
to understand the difference between taxable income and reportable assets.
Here are 3 ways to legally move money offshore without any requirements
to report it to the United States government, the IRS or international
regulatory agency. 1.) Opening an Offshore Bank Account - >
> > MORE |
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Two
things have ushered us into a world without borders... the end of the cold
war and the advent of the world wide web of global communications &
commerce. Today it doesn't make a great deal of
difference where in the world we are located, we can carry on some types
of commerce from anywhere; from an island in the middle of the Caribbean
to a sheep ranch in the the Australian outback. A game of global musical
chairs has begun, and we are now changing places with people willing to
go to America or the UK to work for a wage we no longer consider attractive,
while we begin to move further afield in search of greener pastures. Many
of us are now looking for what might be called a 'life.' Tomorrow, it will
make a great deal of difference where we live. But certainly not in the
same sense as we now perceive it. Tomorrow we will live where the best
real estate exists, where the least crime and repression exists, where
population pressures have not decimated the environment and where business
is encouraged and not hindered by legislation. We will live there regardless
of that place's global location or its former political posture.