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One of the advantages of being around as many years as I have is a long memory. And, during my entire 30-year career, Congress has been trying to figure out the best way to help the struggling economies of the US territories: Guam, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
You might not fit the profile of Osama bin Laden. But if your government suspects you of terrorism or treason, it can confiscate your passport and, in some cases, even strip you of your citizenship. Then it can arrange for a cooperative government to assassinate you.
I have a globe from the 1960s. It includes countries with names like British Honduras, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and Rhodesia.
The IRS believes that most Americans living overseas violate US tax and reporting rules.
The year is 1633, and a respected old man finds himself on trial for his life. His crime? Writing a book, the product of more than 20 years of research and study.
Mark shares with you a recent conversation he had with Chris Kalin of Henley & Partners, the global leader in citizenship and residence planning. Read below to find out about Chris and his firm, as well as an opportunity for you to learn firsthand about a unique citizenship opportunity.
Did you know you can charge an iPhone with just an onion and a glass of Gatorade? “Really?†you say. No, that’s a fib, although...
Imagine for a moment that you and your wife operate a successful business refurbishing and selling used medical equipment. One day, you receive a letter from a federal prosecutor informing you that the business is the target of a criminal investigation. The prosecutor demands...
Do you remember when policemen were called “peace officers� I do. In the small West Virginia town where I grew up, police work consisted mainly of community-oriented engagement, not unlike what you might see on The Andy Griffith Show.
Have you ever wondered what really goes on behind the scenes at Transportation Security Administration airport checkpoints? Wonder no more. Recently, a former TSA screener wrote a tell-all article for Politico Magazine describing how America’s airport security apparatus actually works.
A recurring theme in my work is that Big Brother and big business conspire against the interests of ordinary citizens in countless ways. And just last week, I discovered another example. An article in a respected scientific journal confirmed...
Imagine you’re cruising down the highway, top down, your favorite song on the radio. Then you notice the blinking lights behind you. You get pulled over for doing 80 in a 65 mph zone.
Every year, my associates and I help clients get a second citizenship (and the passport that goes along with it). And one of the questions that I hear most often is: "Will the US government know I’m doing this?" Officially, the answer is "no." But that’s not a complete answer...
The newest passport scam that has come to my attention recently is for Mexico. The Mexico "program," as the company offering this scheme calls it, can be completed in four months and with only two visits to the country.
Pop icon Tina Turner has just joined a multitude of famous – and not so famous – expats. Having recently acquired Swiss citizenship, Turner, a long-time resident of the canton of Zurich, voluntarily "relinquished" her US citizenship and passport.
FATCA, otherwise known as the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, is one of the most arrogant and one-sided laws ever passed by Congress. I've written quite a bit about it in the past, almost always on how it negatively affects the average American trying to do business offshore. Today, though, I actually have some good news to report.
Little by little, Bitcoin is winning individual users all across the planet. But something else is happening at the same time: Bitcoin is emerging as the anti-dollar. To the many countries and businesses that have been abused by dollar tyranny, Bitcoin provides a path of escape.
The politics of economic citizenship programs can be ugly. But occasionally, I find something in the works that makes me smile.
For me, one of the most ironic aspects of the Edward Snowden spy scandal is watching the reaction of foreign governments to it. Top-secret documents Snowden leaked to the press reveal that the US National Security Agency monitors phone calls, e-mail messages, and other electronic data in many countries.
If you follow the offshore scene, you may have heard about the proposed new economic citizenship program in Malta, an island nation in the center of the Mediterranean.
According to a recent poll by research firm Rasmussen Reports, fully 9% of the U.S. population has considered "expatriation." These are truly shocking numbers—nearly one in ten Americans thinking about giving up their birthright.
If you live in the eastern USA, you've probably encountered an automatic toll-collection system called "E-Z Pass." No need to stop. No need to fish for quarters in your pocket. And no need to roll down the window to confront the often grumpy tollbooth attendant. No wonder E-Z Pass is popular! Indeed, about 25 million drivers in 15 states now use E-Z Pass. Now for the not so easy to stomach side.
Foreign banks, brokers, and trust companies are falling head over heels in their rush to get rid of as many U.S. clients as possible.
Thanks to secret documents released by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, we know that the U.S. government routinely monitors email messages, chat sessions, voice sessions, what sites we visit, what we buy and on and on... But when it comes to personal privacy, there's another group out there that makes the NSA look like simpletons.
Don't get me wrong – I hate government interference in my daily life. I hate how the state slithers into every aspect of our lives, takes our production in the form of taxes and generally bullies us around however they like. No doubt you do too.
As you may know, the latest quarterly statistics on "expatriation"—i.e., renunciation of U.S. citizenship—were published just a few days ago. A total of 1,130 names appeared in the latest list, which happens to be many more than any previous quarterly total, and more than the total number of expatriations reported in all of 2012.
By some estimates, more than two-thirds of company-provided computers in the U.S. are monitored by employers. If you work for such a firm, every email you send, every cute and crazy cat video you watch on YouTube, and every Google search you make is tracked, catalogued, and archived somewhere in the system.
If you think your U.S. citizenship gives you the right to a U.S. passport, think again. The government has several ways to cancel or refuse to renew your passport.
Acquiring a passport in another country and then expatriating—giving up your U.S. citizenship and passport—is a very serious decision. If you change your mind and want to return "home" to the United States, you might not be able to.
It can... at least when it wants to ensure you're paying your taxes. Even though it goes against one of the hallmarks of the Bill of Rights, which reads:
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The Nestmann Group does not sell, rent or otherwise share your private details with third parties. Learn more about our privacy policy here.
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The Nestmann Group does not sell, rent or otherwise share your private details with third parties. Learn more about our privacy policy here.
By signing up for this briefing, you’ll also start to receive our popular weekly publication, Nestmann’s Notes. If you don’t want to receive that, simply email or click the unsubscribe link found in every message.