Visiting Iran is an absolute pleasure. Persian (and really all Middle Eastern) hospitality is deeply rooted in the culture and the people are curious about foreigners. Getting in is relatively easy, compared to many of its neighbours and neighbours’ neighbours. Most nationalities can either enter visa free or apply for…
You enter the bank, leather briefcase in hand. You are greeted by someone in a suit and all you tell them is a number. The person nods and asks you to follow them. They present you to a teller. You place the briefcase on the counter. The teller opens it…
… And what you can do to improve your situation. An unfortunate side effect of this blog has been that some readers see what I write as some one-size-fits-all guide to offshore finance. Perhaps the blame is partly mine, but I try to be clear that what I write may…
Oh this coveted topic. So misunderstood. So misrepresented. Yes, banking secrecy still exists. No, it’s never going to go away. What is banking secrecy? Banking secrecy is by no means a Swiss invention, although the Swiss are no doubt the most famous. The banking system is based on trust;trust that…
A transit bank account — also called a pass-through account — is a bank account used to quickly and easily tunnel money. Except it’s not as quick and easy anymore as it used to be. Banks are under increased pressure to comply with AML/CFT regulations and while some look the…
Over the years, I have had dozens upon dozens clients inquire about forming their own bank. Over the years, the number of banks formed from these inquiries can be counted with the fingers on your two hands. The biggest misconception seems to be that forming an offshore bank is some…
Continuing the trend with occasionally updating more than twice a month, in this post, I will be discussing Taiwan as an offshore banking jurisdiction. About Taiwan It’s important to understand Taiwan’s complex international relations. Modern history of Taiwan is, put very succinctly, the leftovers of pre-communist China, which fled to…
This is going to be a short one, but a topic I find needs to be addressed. I am often asked about whether an offshore company can open an onshore company, and — vice versa — whether an onshore company can open an offshore bank account. The question I always…
New! Click here for The Best Offshore Banks 2014. A new year is upon us. It’s time to revisit the blog post that started it all, and which remains one of the most popular on this blog. Just like last year’s edition, the title should more accurately be “The Best…
After weeks of searching, you finally found a way to score a prepaid, reloadable Visa or MasterCard. Maybe it’s a Swiss TravelCash card, maybe it’s an FBME world card, maybe it’s one of those Polish card with an IBAN. Perhaps you found one that complies with basic international KYC regulations,…