At this week’s Offshore Wealth Summit, we looked at the best current options for planting your Five Flags, including your best choices today for alternative residency and for opening a bank account overseas. Why might you want a bank account in another country? Maybe because you’re planning to move to that country and need an […]
“What bank do you recommend in Panama?” That’s one of the most frequently asked questions I receive. I get it at least a couple of times a week… The honest answer? None. Panama currently has 78 banks. Of those, 29 have international licenses; 49, including the 2 government banks, have general licenses. I’ve dealt personally […]
Here’s some fresh advice, something that goes against what Vicki and I have been saying and doing for at least 30 years. Carry more cash when you travel or live abroad. I hate to recommend cash. With cash we’re vulnerable to theft and loss. Some years ago friends rented a beach house in Uruguay, hid […]
One thing to consider when buying real estate in another country is to do with the requirements for repatriating your funds if and when you decide to sell the property. Often, transferring money out of a country isn’t as simple as calling your bank and initiating a wire of the funds. Some jurisdictions, including Colombia […]
Many who have been considering diversifying internationally are looking at the in some cases unprecedented strength of the U.S. dollar versus key currencies worldwide and thinking maybe it’s not such a good idea to sell dollars to buy foreign investments right now. Just like stock investors who think about getting into the market when it’s […]
The U.S. election season is winding down… thankfully. This election has been more embarrassing for this American abroad than any previous such season in my nearly 20 years living overseas. Watching the debate last night, I kept waiting for Jack Bauer to come running into view on the TV screen and save the day. The […]
Banking overseas is more challenging today than it’s ever been and more challenging all the time thanks to the constantly changing landscape. One week, one bank will open an account for Americans. The next week it won’t. Another bank that required a US$100,000 minimum bank balance increases that requirement to US$500,000… and then reduces it […]
Panama, by comparison, didn’t need to think about such outside-the-box ideas for
Negative interest rates are in the headlines. Japan has just recently caused a media uproar by joining the ranks of the ECB and central banks in Sweden, Switzerland, and Denmark, who are all charging commercial banks to store their extra cash. One investment strategy touted by a colleague in the past to take advantage of […]