What would an ideally globally diversified financial life look like? I could imagine as many answers to that question as people asking it. However, I’d also identify key common denominators that should be part of any global diversification strategy. If you’re just getting started at this, here’s the most important thing to understand: This doesn’t […]
A friend I caught up with last week in Medellin, an American, told me with a grin that he’d already completed and filed his FBAR for this year. He was pleased with himself for getting it in early…until I reminded him that, starting this year, the FBAR must be filed electronically. My friend had filled […]
At last week’s Live and Invest in Belize Conference, I was able to catch up with Belize contacts and friends. I learned two specific things from my discussions and meetings that I think are worth passing along. The first is that Belize now requires all IBCs to confirm to their registered agents that they are […]
The Pragmatist's Guide To Living With FATCA Banks around the world are taking action. They’re trying to become FATCA-compliant. Bottom line, they don’t really have a choice in the matter. And neither do we account-holders. As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, one of my banks sent me the dreaded eviction letter, telling me, [...]
From wire fees to minimum monthly account fees and ATM fees, the little bites that are taken out of every overseas transaction you make are increasing. When we moved to Panama five years ago, we weren’t charged a fee when withdrawing money from a local ATM, not even when that ATM wasn’t associated with our […]
How To Go Offshore: You Can Do It Yourself (Shocker) This week's Offshore Summit has been organized around a series of panel discussions, one for each of the Five Flags being considered. Yesterday morning, Mark Nestmann, one of the world's leading experts in offshore residency and second citizenship, led a panel discussion related to choosing [...]
Non-U.S. Banks Are Beginning To Comply With FATCA Regulations We knew it was coming. Non-U.S. banks are beginning to comply with IRS regulations under FATCA. A friend wrote yesterday to say that her bank in Belize has sent her a letter explaining what they are doing to comply with the FATCA requirements and a waiver [...]
I met last week with a banker from a bank I’ve worked with for years. In conversation, I lamented the difficulties we would-be account-holders face these days when trying to deal with banks around the world, especially if the passports we hold are American. She responded to point out that it’s not only account-holders who […]
Moving Isn't Hiding Some recent reader e-mails have me scratching my head. Some readers rail against me for writing about ways both to save taxes and to protect assets by moving them offshore. These readers seem fully to believe that these activities are illegal. The only thing I can think is that they are mis-merging [...]
Banks Are Making Me Crazy! Moving money around the world should be easy in this electronic age, but, with all the banking and government rules, requirements, restrictions, and peculiarities, sometimes it isn't. This week a wire to a business I work with was rejected because the receiving bank didn't like how the sending bank had [...]