This week’s newsletter will be short and sweet. First I want to let you know we have finalized the details on our conference, “Global Escape Hatch – Panama 2012”. Next I need to update everyone on some progress made toward obtaining offshore bank accounts, and lastly discuss my future travel plans.

Offshore Conference. Today is your last chance to get on the early bird list before we launch ticket sales for “Global Escape Hatch – Panama 2012”. Starting tomorrow, Friday May 11, if you are on the early bird list, you will receive a special email from us with the discount code giving you a $400 discount. This discount will only be available for 7 days, after that, tickets will be sold at regular price.

This conference promises to be one you will never forget. We have speakers from all around the world to share with you on topics like;

  • Offshore banking
  • Offshore companies
  • Second passports
  • International investments
  • Privacy
  • Expat and PT lifestyle
  • and more…

The dates for the event are September 19-23 and is being held in Bocas del Toro, Panama. Come enjoy the beautiful beaches, horseback riding, surfing, sailing, and mingling with other like-minded individuals. I look forward to meeting you there.

Offshore banking. As you may recall from last week’s newsletter, “Americans – The Global Black Sheep”, new FATCA legislation (foreign account tax compliance act) has made it considerably less attractive for offshore banks to do business with American citizens.

Over the 2 weeks I have spoken to over 50 banks around the world and more than 2/3 of them no longer accept American clients. Just yesterday DBS Bank in Singapore issued a press release saying they will no longer accept Americans.

There are only a handful of places left where Americans can set up offshore bank accounts and the list seems to be dwindling by the day. However if you also hold a non-US passport, your options open up significantly. (hint – come learn how to get a 2nd passport at “Global Escape Hatch – Panama 2012”).

We are finalizing some details this week and early next week with a few offshore banks. Once complete we will be able to open accounts for clients in TRNC (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus), Cyprus, Latvia (very limited), Lichtenstein ($2M minimum), and Singapore.

St. Vincent offshore banking is available now as we just finalized details. I am very excited about this one. The bank is very unique in an ‘old school’ way. This offshore bank does not make loans. They only make money on transactional fees, which means the bank is exceptionally safe (no loans = no loan risk). The downside is the fees are slightly higher than your average offshore bank, but if you are looking for complete privacy and safety, this is an excellent option.

Travel plans. Starting this Saturday, May 12, I will be in Miami for about 10 days. I will be there attending a conference with some of the most brilliant entrepreneurs from around the globe. This is truly my annual mecca.

I will be staying a few days after my conference and if anyone is in the area I would be happy to schedule a face-to-face meeting, even if just to share a beer sitting by the pool. Send me an email and we can set up a time to meet.