Escape Artist
  • Features
    • Interview
    • News
    • Field Notes
    • Trending
  • Your Plan B
    • Finance
    • Real Estate
    • Second Citizenship
    • Digital Nomad
    • Healthcare
  • Destinations
    • Europe
      • France
      • Germany
      • Italy
      • Portugal
      • Scandinavia
      • Spain
      • United Kingdom
      • Rest of Europe
    • Central America
      • Belize
      • Costa Rica
      • El Salvador
      • Guatemala
      • Honduras
      • Nicaragua
      • Panama
    • Others
      • Africa
      • Asia
      • Australia
      • North America
      • South America
      • Middle East
      • Rest of the World
  • Travel Tips
    • Know Before You Go
    • Packing List
    • Food + Culture
    • Health + Wellness
  • Subscribe
Escape Artist
  • Features
    • Interview
    • News
    • Field Notes
    • Trending
  • Your Plan B
    • Finance
    • Real Estate
    • Second Citizenship
    • Digital Nomad
    • Healthcare
  • Destinations
    • Europe
      • France
      • Germany
      • Italy
      • Portugal
      • Scandinavia
      • Spain
      • United Kingdom
      • Rest of Europe
    • Central America
      • Belize
      • Costa Rica
      • El Salvador
      • Guatemala
      • Honduras
      • Nicaragua
      • Panama
    • Others
      • Africa
      • Asia
      • Australia
      • North America
      • South America
      • Middle East
      • Rest of the World
  • Travel Tips
    • Know Before You Go
    • Packing List
    • Food + Culture
    • Health + Wellness
  • Subscribe
👤

THE NUMBER ONE SOURCE FOR BUILDING A LIFE ABROAD

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Posts by author

Rich Checkan

7 posts

Rich CheckanAs the President and COO of ASI, Rich has knowledge of every facet of ASI’s operations. He has been an integral part of ASI’s maturation from a precious metals and foreign exchange dealer to a full-service tangible and rare tangible asset provider—to include rare U.S., world, and ancient coins. Rich oversees the operations, administrative, sales, and marketing departments, as well as serving as ASI’s Compliance Officer.

Rich graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York in 1987, with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army as an Infantry Officer. He then served tours of duty at Fort Benning, Georgia, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, and on the Demilitarized Zone in the Republic of South Korea. He held various leadership and staff positions at every level from platoon through battalion sized organizations. While at West Point, he played varsity soccer. He left military service in 1993 at the rank of Captain.

After a brief stint of direct sales in Macon and Atlanta, Georgia with telecommunications and multinational service corporations, Rich joined ASI (then International Financial Consultants, Inc.), in February of 1996.

In 1997, Michael Checkan, Glen O. Kirsch, and Rich Checkan created, developed and refined a Precious Metals Certificate Program for the Perth Mint. They became the first of only eight Approved Dealers in the world to sell Perth Mint Certificates, the only government guaranteed precious metals certificate program in the world.

Rich is a regular contributor to ASI’s own monthly newsletter, Information Line as well as a monthly contributor to Escape Artist magazine. He also is a regular writer for ASI’s news alert, Always Something Interesting, twice a week.

When Rich isn’t in the office, he is speaking at a conference or leading a workshop at a seminar. He has spoken at numerous conferences and seminars worldwide and had been quoted in myriad financial newsletters and the NY Times.

Rich has three children, two girls and a boy, and says the smartest thing he ever did was to say “I do” to his wife, Helen.

Everything Gold Is New Again
View Post
  • Finance

Everything Gold Is New Again

“Gold is money” J.P. Morgan liked to say. “Everything else is credit.” As one of history’s savviest businessmen, it’s no surprise his name sits atop one of the largest banks…
Share
View Post
  • Finance

Your Privacy Is Under Attack

As originally published exclusively in “Escape Artist Insider Magazine – June 2023 edition”.  “Arguing that you don’t care about the right to privacy because you have nothing to hide is…
Share
They Swindled Him Out of $155,000!
View Post
  • Finance

They Swindled Him Out of $155,000!

As originally published exclusively in “Escape Artist Insider Magazine – May 2023 edition”. And that was from a $300,000 investment! More than half! Luckily, he came to us, and we…
Share
View Post
  • Finance

Getting into Gold: Why Should I Buy Gold?

Getting into Gold: Why Should I Buy Gold? Our experts look forward to discussing all options you have to make the right decision for your specific needs!  Contact us today…
Share
View Post
  • Your Plan B

Getting into Gold Part 3: Why is Gold Important Now?

Getting into Gold Part 3: Why is Gold Important Now? This past year, the incredible bull run in stocks continued. The stock bull has been running for over a decade…
Share
View Post
  • Your Plan B

Getting into Gold Part 2: How Do I Buy Gold?

Getting into Gold Part 2: How Do I Buy Gold? Investing in gold and precious metals can be easy, fun, and profitable. Because gold retains its value in times of…
Share
View Post
  • Finance

Gold – Cleared for Takeoff?

Last month, I addressed the question on everyone’s mind:  “When will gold move higher?” This month, we may very well have our answer. There are several reasons why gold should…
Share
Trending Posts
  • Busy pedestrian street in Lisbon with shops cafes and Arco da Rua Augusta in the background 1
    • Plan B
    Why Europe is Winning the Relocation Race
    • March 18, 2026
  • Hillside neighborhood in Mexico with white villas, palm trees, and lush vegetation overlooking the city 2
    • Mexico
    Consider Cuernavaca for Eternal Spring Living
    • March 23, 2026
  • Aerial view a woman gazing out over the ocean along the shoreline of Shoal Bay Beach with crashing waves and palm trees on the island of Anguilla. 3
    • Plan B
    The Rise of the Plan B Portfolio
    • March 25, 2026
  • Female traveler standing in Bali rice paddies during golden hour 4
    • Costa Rica
    Costa Rica or Bali? A Tale Between Two Paradises
    • March 27, 2026
  • digital dollar symbol on blockchain network representing cryptocurrency and decentralized finance 5
    • Finance
    The 2026 Guide to Crypto-Friendly Jurisdictions
    • March 18, 2026
Know Before You Go
  • Satellite view of Egypt’s New Administrative Capital urban layout in desert 1
    • Real Estate
    Egypt Is Building an Ultra-Modern Capital Outside Cairo: Will It Work?
    • March 30, 2026
  • Female traveler standing in Bali rice paddies during golden hour 2
    • Costa Rica
    Costa Rica or Bali? A Tale Between Two Paradises
    • March 27, 2026
  • Hillside neighborhood in Mexico with white villas, palm trees, and lush vegetation overlooking the city 3
    • Mexico
    Consider Cuernavaca for Eternal Spring Living
    • March 23, 2026
  • Eco-friendly travel isn’t about luxury labels or curated experiences. In many parts of the world, living lightly simply reflects the rhythms of everyday life. 4
    • Eco Travel
    Seven of the Best Eco-Friendly Destinations
    • March 13, 2026
  • Burj Khalifa towering above the illuminated Dubai skyline at dusk with surrounding skyscrapers and fountains. 5
    • Middle East
    What’s Next for the UAE and Qatar?
    • March 9, 2026
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Shop
Why Subscribe

The newly imagined Escape Artist brings you fresh content with a global focus, and sharp, up-to-the-minute coverage of the joys, challenges, and opportunities of life abroad.

For a limited time, we’re offering a special discount on all subscription deals, so be sure to lock-in these incredible savings and start receiving top-notch travel and expat content today!

Sign up for the EA Newsletter

Get important news delivered directly to your inbox and stay connected!

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Escape Artist
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies Policy
  • Disclaimer

Input your search keywords and press Enter.

Escape Artist

The Newsletter for a
Life Beyond Borders

Practical insights and real stories for those building a life abroad, trusted by 75,000 readers worldwide.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Before you go, want $50 off your Summit registration?

Subscribe, and get $50 discount code for Plan B Summit registration.

Download Your Free Guide

Fill out the form below to get instant access to your guide + receive a $50 discount code for Plan B Summit 2026!

Download Your Free Guide

Fill out the form below to get instant access to your guide + receive a $50 discount code for Plan B Summit 2026!

Download Your Free Guide

Fill out the form below to get instant access to your guide + receive a $50 discount code for Plan B Summit 2026!

Newsletter Subscription