The more you know, the better your plan

"What's an umbrella company?" This question pops up more and more in our client meetings these days. Maybe you've come across the term while researching asset protection strategies.

When we first started in this business, opening a foreign bank account was considered "going offshore". In the decades since, our clients tend to do a lot more. More asset types. More real estate. More money invested internationally.

For quite some years, we've worked with American clients buying, holding, and selling real estate in Panama—especially in the hot spots of Panama City, Boquete, David, and more recently, Coronado.

For our business at least, Italy has been a popular place for Americans looking to settle in Europe. A wonderful laidback lifestyle that appeals to people wanting out of the rat race.

Perhaps the most aggressive tax strategy I’ve ever come across was the person who declared themselves a church in order to lower their tax bill. (Spoiler alert: The IRS did not agree.)

No one likes to think about death. But if you have a family, friends, or charities that you care about and want to leave things to when you pass, it's important to plan.

A client told me someone recently tried to sell him a Cook Islands offshore trust. He wanted my feedback.

We recently put together a Wyoming LLC for a married couple who had just completed our Private Wealth planning service. They have been buying properties in a popular expat jurisdiction and are looking for a way to protect these assets from domestic claims.

We work with a lot of independent business owners and entrepreneurs across the spectrum. Many of their plans are very different from each other. But when it comes to "foundational" tax planning, a solo 401(k) retirement account often plays a part.