April 1, 2009

Best Offshore Investments: How to Maximise the Potential of Your Offshore Bank Account

Privacy, Asset Protection and greater freedom of movement are just some of the qualities that lure investors offshore.

Some people are happy to have their money safely locked away, an insurance policy against volatile stock markets, currency fluctuations and avaricious authorities. Others see investing offshore as a way of maximizing their return, in other words they want to see the investment pay for itself.

You have or are thinking about opening an offshore bank account – how can you make your money work for you?

*Disclaimer*
Not all of these options will suit every investor – and remember that every great investment will be balanced by risk. If you are prepared to take the risk and have some idea about what to do with your money – here are some options I would definitely recommend.

Gold – In addition to being one of best financial reserves you can get, gold can actually increase in value during a bear market. If you had bought an ounce of gold in 2003 you would by now have nearly tripled your investment in only 6 years!!! Gold has its own intrinsic value unlike paper monies which can fluctuate wildly, especially in economic downturns when countries ‘compete’ to devalue their own currencies. Imagine having your very own offshore gold ‘plan b’ stored in a safe deposit box, anonymously, out of reach of creditors, greedy lawyers, the taxman and anyone else with a covetous eye on your assets. Best of all its value is quietly multiplying…

Certificates of Deposit – Rather than let your offshore assets sit idly by while inflation gobbles them up, invest in a certificate of deposit. Ranging from a couple of months to several years, these will pay you interest, usually based on a fixed annual rate. Sometimes you can get much better interest rates in a different country – this is one of the primary reasons for moving offshore – but remember to do your research beforehand. There have been countless cases of scams where investors were promised fantasy interest rates and ended up losing everything to a ponzi scheme. Part and parcel of ‘soft-touch’ regulation in tax havens is that you will come across schemes like these. The best method of research is to ask other banks who have had contact with the institution to give their professional opinion. Always remember the maxim – ‘if its sounds to good to be true, it probably is’. A bank offering interest rates of 10% when the benchmark is set at 2% is either a fraud or in serious financial trouble.

Tax-Free Trading - Once you have invested in an offshore bank account, think about expanding further and trading stocks. Most banks and brokerages will charge you for opening an anonymous investment account, but some might even do it for free! From a trading account you can buy and sell shares in all the major markets- anonymously- and since your account is offshore your gains are also tax free! Fees will vary greatly depending on the brokerage, but the best ones will give you an online platform so you can manage all your trades from the comfort of your own home, and with low overheads they can afford to charge nominal premiums on each trade.

Exotic Investments – Exotic investments are usually more risky than average, and may consist of financial instruments such as sovereign & corporate debt, high-yield investment schemes and other investments which are outside of your domestic reach. The best bet here is to find a broker you can trust to advise you in this area. If you are willing to accept a high degree of risk, exotic investments may just be for you, since in return for high risk the results can be spectacular.

Are you ready to take a giant step forward, and start making your money work for you?

Click to get started with Anonymous Offshore Investing

February 13, 2009

Stanford Financial: Black Clouds Ahead?

Financier Allen Stanford, the man famous for promoting grassroots cricket in the West Indies, finds himself in the spotlight once again - but this time the attention isn't welcome. His Stanford Financial Group is facing a visit from regulators after doubts were raised over some of his best-selling financial products.

Here's an excerpt from a Business Week Report:

Financier R. Allen Stanford makes investors an enticing offer: He sells supposedly super-safe certificates of deposit with interest rates more than twice the market average. His firm says it generates the impressive returns by investing the CD money largely in corporate stocks, real estate, hedge funds, and precious metals.

But skeptical federal and state regulators are now taking a hard look at Stanford's operation—especially those CDs, whose underlying investments seem questionable. Over the past 12 months, the stock market and hedge funds have lost huge amounts of value even as Houston-based Stanford Financial Group continued to pay out above-average returns and claimed to have boosted the assets it oversees by 30%, to more than $50 billion.

BusinessWeek has learned that the Securities & Exchange Commission, the Florida Office of Financial Regulation, and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, a major private-sector oversight body, are all investigating Stanford Financial. The probes focus on the high-yield CDs and the investment strategy behind them. According to people close to the investigations, the three agencies are also looking at how Stanford Financial could afford to give employees large bonuses, luxury cars, and expensive vacations. Selling CDs typically is a low-margin business.

Stanford Financial vigorously defends its practices. "All three [agencies] have stated to us they were visiting our offices as part of routine examinations," says company spokesman Brian Bertsch. The firm, he adds, "follows industry standards for marketing and generating sales."

With post-madoff markets still jittery about the possibility of another big revelation it will be interesting to see how this one plays out.

More on offshore investment accounts

February 4, 2009

EU Executive Targets Bank Secrecy

Every day it becomes increasingly more evident that investing offshore requires professional guidance.

European Union states won't be able to fend off tax evasion inquiries by hiding behind bank secrecy rules under a proposal to be adopted on Monday. The measure is part of wider EU efforts to snare people who exploit loopholes in rules to escape the taxman.
Continue reading EU Executive Targets Bank Secrecy

November 5, 2008

Seychelles Liberalise Foreign Currency Dealings

The Seychelles government has decided to remove all restrictions on foreign exchange dealings and has set up new regulations to allow the national currency (Rupee) to float, APA learns on Wednesday in the Seychellois capital Victoria.

According to a communiqué issued by the Finance Minister Danny Faure, the decision has been taken following the approval of the Foreign Earnings Regulations Repeal Bill and the Central Bank of Seychelles Amendment Bill by the National Assembly last week.

Continue reading Seychelles Liberalise Foreign Currency Dealings

October 16, 2008

Wealth Management Summit Tips

During a Wealth Management Summit being held this week in Boston, Singapore and Geneva, private banking executives provided some investment tips.

Jennifer Tay, Citi Private Bank, Asia-Pacific Head of Portfolio Counselling

"We tell clients, markets are not going to stay down forever. There will come a time when you have very decent recovery and typically even when you look at the (past) since the 1950s, you had nine recessions and after a recession markets just spike upwards.

Continue reading Investment tips from private bankers

October 13, 2008

Offshore Business Workshop

If you are an entrepreneur and thinking about doing business offshore, you are faced with a choice between an unincorporated branch operation, a foreign LLC or IBC or corporation that is treated as a foreign corporation for U.S. tax purposes or any of these entities that might be treated as either a disregarded entity or foreign partnership for U.S. tax purposes. In some cases, you might also want to have your foreign entity owned by a foreign trust.

On October 25th, three international tax experts from True Partners Consulting will join Vern Jacobs of Offshore Press at the Las Vegas Hilton Resort to explain these choices to those who attend. One of these experts is from England and will explain how the U.K. and E.U. tax laws affect the use of different kinds of entities.

Continue reading Offshore Investing Workshop

October 2, 2008

The Global Economy and OECD

In a speech on the outlook for the world economy, OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría spoke about the impact of the financial crisis and OECD's work to produce a more inclusive globalisation.

The financial system is a conveyor belt through which the economy works. And if the financial system is partially blocked or paralysed, as it is now, then the economy cannot work normally.

Continue reading: The Global Economy and OECD

October 1, 2008

Wealthy Investors Hoard Bullion

Investors in gold are demanding “unprecedented” amounts of bullion bars and coins and moving them into their own vaults as fears about the health of the global financial system deepen. Industry executives and bankers at the London Bullion Market Association annual meeting said the extent of the move into physical gold was unseen and driven by the very rich.

Continue reading: Wealthy Investors Hoard Bullion

September 22, 2008

American Indonesian Chamber of Commerce

New Date: Chicago Investor Briefing on Southeast Asia's New Expanded Special Economic Zone (off Coast of Singapore) to be Held - Oct. 31, 2008

The Province of Riau Islands in cooperation with Baker & McKenzie, the American Indonesian Chamber of Commerce (AICC) and the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Chicago invite internationally-focused investors, executives, financial and service professionals, journalists and other interested individuals to attend an Investor Forum highlighting emerging trade and investment opportunities within Southeast Asia's New Expanded Special Economic Zone (SEZ), located 12 miles off the coast of Singapore in Indonesia.

Continue reading "American Indonesian Chamber of Commerce" »

November 19, 2007

Gold Traders Take Profits

After four months of a resilient uptrend in the Gold market, it appears traders are beginning to feel the pressure to take profits. I believe Gold traders are keeping a close eye on the recent turmoil in the Stock Market and it brings back memories of the mass Metals liquidation to cover margins in their Stock portfolios. Despite a very weak U.S. Dollar, Geopolitical tension, and the signs of a weakening economy, it is my belief the gold trading community is content to take profits. After all, the Holiday markets are just around the corner.

Continue reading "Gold Traders Take Profits" »

October 24, 2007

Wealthy Moving to Hedge Funds

The world's wealthiest private investors are planning to put more money into alternative investments over the next three years, a report says.

The study said the global rich are increasingly attracted by private equity schemes and hedge funds as they offer more stable returns than shares.

Continue reading "Wealthy Moving to Hedge Funds" »

June 2, 2007

World Asset Bubble: Jeremy Grantham Speaks

“From Indian antiquities to modern Chinese art; from land in Panama to Mayfair; from forestry, infrastructure, and the junkiest bonds to mundane blue chips; it’s bubble time!” By now you have probably heard this quote by Jeremy Grantham in his letter to investors (which includes vice president Dick Cheney and a host of other high profilers) discussing a six week trip around the world and the pending bubble popping events to come (at least by his predictions). Grantham is not the only forecaster that has mentioned the overvalued prices of assets across the globe. Most recently (May 23rd), in one of Alan Greenspan’s consulting appearances he mentioned that Chinese markets were at unsustainable levels.

Continue reading "World Asset Bubble: Jeremy Grantham Speaks" »

May 23, 2007

Best on the Street Analysts Survey

Thomson Financial, an operating unit of the Thomson Corporation and leading provider of information and technology solutions to the global financial community, and The Wall Street Journal have teamed for the eighth consecutive year for the Best on the Street Analysts Survey published in today's Journal.

According to the survey, Merrill Lynch & Co. regained the top after falling from the No. 1 spot in the survey last year. The No. 2 position was taken by smaller research group Sidoti & Co., showing that while big Wall Street firms continue to perform well, other research outfits are gaining ground.

Continue reading "Best on the Street Analysts Survey" »

May 9, 2007

China Investment Confidence

Confidence in China as a place to invest has reached new heights, but before the country can fully benefit from substantial additional investments, it needs to make further progress in introducing global standards of governance in legal systems, particularly in contract enforcement and taxation law, a survey of multinational businesses carried out by KPMG International has found.

Continue reading "China Investment Confidence" »

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