Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. And it bears mention that most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of JWR. (SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor.) Today’s focus is on Expatriation. (See the Economy & Finance section.)
Precious Metals:
Last Week’s Gold Breakout Wasn’t “Real” – Bloomberg Intelligence
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IMF Issues Dire Warning – ‘Great Depression’ Ahead?
Economy & Finance (Expatriation):
The OECD has clearly had its feelings hurt by people lawfully avoiding taxes, through expatriation. Here is the OECD’s report: Residence/Citizenship by investment schemes. Some ground truth: If you obtain new citizenship, you then come under a new sovereignty. Your old sovereign’s taxing minions can no longer lay claim to your substance. Of course you might just be trading one task master for another, so don’t expatriate without carefully weighing all of the costs and benefits.
It is noteworthy that several of the countries mentioned in the OECD’s Bad Boy list will sound familiar to SurvivalBlog readers, as potential offshore retreat locales.
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Moving on to this at Wolf Street: Who Bought the $1.6 Trillion of New US National Debt Over the Past 12 Months?
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Over at Bloomberg: Luxury-Jet Market Is So Hot That Even Used Planes Are Selling
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Venezuela Ditches US Dollar, Will Use Euros For International Trade
Forex & Cryptos:
AUD/USD Forex Technical Analysis – October 17, 2018 Forecast
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Apple Pioneer Steve Wozniak Has Co-Founded a Blockchain Investment Firm
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Binance Pauses Tether Withdrawals After Denying Delist Rumor
Tangibles Investing:
The Fall coin show season is getting underway. Some of the better shows will include the Lafayette, Indiana Coin Show on October 21st, the 46th Annual Coin Show & Sale in Rochester, New York, on November 3rd and 4th, and the Greater Atlanta Coin Show on November 11th.
Provisos:
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News Tips:
Please send your economics and investing news tips to JWR. (Either via e-mail of via our Contact form.) These are often especially relevant, because they come from folks who particularly watch individual markets. And due to their diligence and focus, we benefit from fresh “on target” investing news. We often get the scoop on economic and investing news that is probably ignored (or reported late) by mainstream American news outlets. Thanks!
The rich people buying passports in places like St Kitts are not giving up their US citizenship — and all the benefits and protections it brings. They are buying a second citizenship — sometimes so that they can open up offshore bank accounts and evade US taxes by concealing income and wealth. (Look at the Panama Papers.) I say evade because US taxes are due on all income worldwide, regardless of location.
Which is why I think dual citizenships should be banned for US citizens. Make up your mind — if you want to enjoy the privileges of US citizenship, then accept the burdens. How many of these rich snots have served in Afghanistan? Or came back missing an arm or leg and facing a 15% unemployment rate for veterans?
Until such time as you cease to be subject to tax, you continue to incur the obligations of citizenship (or even just residence – you don’t get out of paying taxes if you’re a green card holder), including paying taxes. Plus, the civil authority has a say in when you’re you’re done with the citizenship switch. If you have a tax obligation, it doesn’t go away because you switch your legal allegiance any more than getting a new credit card gets you out of paying your obligations to your old card. If you switch to someplace where it’s difficult or impossible to pursue you and your assets, and you have successfully moved your assets, you may be “judgement proof”, but anybody can still pursue you legally (if not successfully).
About 8 years ago, the IRS cracked down hard on Swiss banks refusing to reveal information about the holdings of Americans with Swiss accounts. As a result of that heavy armtwisting, banks in a number of nations now reportedly refuse to open accounts for Americans because of the reporting requirements imposed by the IRA.
However, a second passport allows an American tax evader to open up foreign accounts as a non-US citizen.
I’ve seen some news articles saying that wealth deposited in Cook Island banks are especially invisible to — and immune from — US lawsuits.
The interesting thing is that a number of relatively cheap second passports (St Kitts, etc.) are also relatively powerful — as defined by the number of countries allowing entry to the holder without requiring a visa. Malta is more expensive but — as a EU nation — entry to Malta includes entry to all EU nations without control.
I agree with Joel Skousen that islands are bad survival retreats and many of the off-shore havens are especially bad given their lack of food production and dependency upon food imports/ global supply lines. They sell citizenships and tax havens because they have few other resources/assets.