Welcome to Offshore Living Letter, Your #1 Resource for Offshore Diversification

Author: Lief Simon

16 Dec
Lifestyle Overseas

Lifestyle Overseas

My college Social Studies professor, a hyper dude who worked three jobs and lived off a quarter of his income so he could save the rest to build a children’s hospital, broke society down into nine categories. He referenced the typical lower, middle, and upper classes and then separated each of those categories further into […]

09 Dec
bitcoin

Bitcoin Investment

A reader chastised me a few months ago for not having reported on Bitcoin in this e-letter (or anywhere, for that matter). Of course, I’d heard about Bitcoin, but I hadn’t paid much attention to it…until the reader’s comment.Since then, I’ve taken a closer look. My conclusion? Tulipmania.In Amsterdam between November 1636 and February 1637, […]

05 Dec
Panama’s Gun Regulations

Panama’s Gun Regulations And Gun Permits For Expats

I finally received my permanent residency card for Panama last week through the “Specific Countries” visa program that President Martinelli authorized with an Executive Order issued in May 2012. At the time, I was in Panama on a reforestation investment visa that required five renewals before permanent residency. Five years from temporary to permanent residency […]

25 Nov
Taking the most beneficial option under IRS regulations isn’t tax evasion. It’s using the rules to minimize your taxes burden.

Offshore Tax-Filing

A U.S. friend trying to figure out his tax situation after moving overseas recently used the word “tiresome” to explain his position on U.S. taxes offshore. Specifically, he was referring to all the forms he now may or may not need to file. Does he meet the threshold for filing the FBAR and Form 8938? […]

18 Nov
Buying Real Estate Overseas For Profit

Buying Real Estate Overseas For Profit

“You tell us all the time, Lief, to ‘buy what we see.’ “But at the same time, you promote pre-construction investments. How does that make any sense?” one reader wondered this week. Perhaps I should adjust my mantra from “Buy what you see” to “Pay for what you see.” Taken literally, “Buy what you see” […]

11 Nov
Protecting Your Wealth Legally

Protecting Your Wealth Legally

Putting your money into foreign real estate is a more appealing strategy right now than it has ever been. Real estate has always made sense to me as an asset allocation, but I’m more persuaded today than ever that foreign property should be part of every investment portfolio. You can’t watch everything going on in […]

07 Nov
Agricultural Land Investment

Agricultural Land Investment

Last week I wrote about biofuels and the opportunity they will present in Europe over the coming years. This week a friend in the timber and agriculture business forwarded me an industry report he receives quarterly. Some of it was statistics to do with the fundamentals that you’d see in any discussion about investing in […]

04 Nov
Structuring Your Offshore Business

Structuring Your Offshore Business

A reader wrote last week asking me to name the best jurisdiction for setting up an offshore entity. I can’t answer that question, at least not simply, especially for a U.S. person who has complicated tax rules to consider. Before trying to identify where might be the best place for you to open an offshore […]

31 Oct
Invest In Sustainable Energy Sources

Invest In Sustainable Energy Sources

I’ve been focused on agricultural land investments for some time, but, lately, I’ve launched an aggressive new search for new opportunities of this kind. I am more convinced than ever that productive land is the smartest place to be putting your money right now. It is also the best possible store of value and provides […]