International Living

Department Of Homeland Security To Scan Payment Cards At Borders And Airports

"Travelers leaving or entering the United States have long had to declare aggregated cash and other monetary instruments exceeding $10,000. Now, under a proposed amendment to the Bank Secrecy Act, FinCEN will also require travelers to declare the value of prepaid cards that they are carrying, known now as 'tangible prepaid access devices.' Enforceability falls to the Department of Homeland Security, which is already developing advanced handheld card readers that can ascertain whether a traveler is carrying a credit card, debit card, or prepaid card." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDepartment Of Homeland Security To Scan Payment Cards At Borders And Airports

Four More Years of Uncertainty

"The 2012 elections mercifully are over, but we Americans find ourselves right back where we were. America remains a bitterly divided nation with roughly equal numbers on both sides. President Obama, narrowly re-elected, can hardly claim a mandate based on the popular vote. The U.S. Senate remains in the hands of partisan Democrats led by the charlatan Harry Reid. And the House of Representatives is still in conservative Republican control. I think the election results demonstrate that American voters, whether they collectively realize it or not, have guaranteed a continuation of the national mood of entrenched political animosity." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFour More Years of Uncertainty

Jim Rogers goes Short US Treasuries, talks JP Morgan Silver and a Boom in North Korea!

"We talk to Jim Rogers, author of the book 'A Gift To My Children,' about what he thinks of the latest economic growth numbers, and his outlook for a recession after the 2012 elections. We ask our guest Jim Rogers, author and investor, about how Japan's experience fits in with forecasts of Western central bank induced inflation. We also ask him about his 2008 prediction for a 'hyper-inflationary Holocaust' and the long term implications for investors and savers. Has he been surprised by the lack of severe inflation, and the performance of the US bond market?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJim Rogers goes Short US Treasuries, talks JP Morgan Silver and a Boom in North Korea!

Anthony Wile: Sit Silently … as Bombs Burst in Air

"This is one of the reasons that my family has decided to relocate back to the hills of Switzerland. I have truly had enough of this behavior. What makes Switzerland so bloody special? It is comprised of a populous that respects the privacy and rights of others to determine their own destiny. It is a society that is comprised of people who believe in the right of an individual to act in one's own self-interest but not to the detriment of others. It is a society that boasts the lowest corporate rate and among the lowest personal tax rates in the world – yet has arguably the highest standard of living on the planet." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAnthony Wile: Sit Silently … as Bombs Burst in Air

60 Minutes: The new tax havens

"Companies searching out tax havens is nothing new. In the 80s and 90s, there was an exodus to Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, where there are no taxes at all. When President Obama threatened to clamp down on tax dodging, many companies decided to leave the Caribbean, but instead of coming back home, they went to safer havens like a small, quaint medieval town in Switzerland called Zug. Hans Marti, who heads Zug's economic development office, showed off the nearby snow-covered mountains. But Zug's main selling point isn't a view of the Alps: he told Lesley Stahl the taxes are somewhere between 15 and 16 percent." Continue reading →

Continue Reading60 Minutes: The new tax havens

Cash-strapped Cyprus plots Russian exit from austerity

"The Russians, quite correctly, view Cyprus as a convenient backdoor to the European Union – and they are not alone. The Chinese have also started arriving, encouraged by what they regard as an incredibly low bar to immigration. Forget all those tricky visa forms, for anyone prepared to spend €300,000 on a property in Cyprus there is the bonus of eligibility for permanent residency. Once this is achieved, the owner is entitled to move anywhere within the EU. For the price of a shoebox in Shanghai, Cyprus is offering a gold-card travel pass and much more besides." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCash-strapped Cyprus plots Russian exit from austerity

Doug Casey on how to Hedge Against Political Risk in the Greater Depression

"Welcome to Capital Account. Tonight, Mitt Romney and Barack Obama meet for their final Presidential debate, amid tightening polls. While the candidates face off on foreign policy, we talk to our guest, Doug Casey of Casey Research, about his own foreign policy strategy: the strategy of "the international man." We talk to Doug Casey about the increasing number of Americans who are moving their money and property off-shore, and about a smaller, albeit growing number of Americans choosing to renounce their citizenship entirely. What are these people afraid of, and who or what are they trying to hide from?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDoug Casey on how to Hedge Against Political Risk in the Greater Depression

How to Generate Income From the Needs of a Hungry World

"Speculators and hedge funds are hopscotching across the U.S. farm-belt these days, grabbing tracts of land to profit from the rising demand for food. But even better opportunities exist beyond America. Like, for instance, a patch of Earth that has some of the most productive farm and cattle lands on the planet. It’s a place where we can own an asset of true substance and, in a world of near-zero yield, generate additional income. And if the U.S. ever goes pear-shaped, it gives us a place to call home in one of the most-livable countries in the world. Though it’s tiny in size, Uruguay is an ag juggernaut." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHow to Generate Income From the Needs of a Hungry World

Reverse brain drain: Economic shifts lure migrants home

"The financial crisis that began in 2008 has tested middle-class America's sense of stability and the European right to social welfare. It has also caused many to question whether the developed world is still the only land of opportunity worth migrating to. Emerging economies not only are faring better than most of the developed world in the current recession, they also continue to grow, drawing back their expatriates and, in some cases, even luring new high-skilled citizens of the US and Europe. Those countries losing their allure could also lose their competitive edge." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingReverse brain drain: Economic shifts lure migrants home

Wary Swiss Banks Shun Americans

"The new law, expected to be phased in over several years, requires foreign banks to identify Americans among their clients and to provide their financial information to the Internal Revenue Service. Just one person overlooked could mean a penalty equivalent to 30% of a bank's U.S. income. Most banks in Switzerland have little appetite to deal with such risk and are quietly—or openly—ushering American clients out or limiting the range of products offered to them, tax experts and bankers say." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWary Swiss Banks Shun Americans