Welcome to Banking Offshore.  Whatever your offshore banking needs you will find a wealth of information and choices from leading offshore banking specialists. Due to unpleasant changes in legislation or tax policy in some offshore havens, it is no longer recommended to form corporations or offshore banking in the following jurisdictions:  Cayman Islands, Switzerland and The Bahamas.

Offshore investing is simply placing your investment dollars in an account with a bank that is not in the United States. There are several advantages to investing offshore.

First, there is less regulation. Some may feel that this makes the investment riskier, but that is not necessarily the case. It does allow the fund manager or company to act more freely. The lack of regulation also means less taxes. Most accounts are invested in countries that have minimal tax laws for these investments. That means that more of your money is available to work for you.

Privacy is also an issue for some investors. Most of the countries typically involved in investments have laws making it illegal for the investment firms to release any information regarding their investors. There is virtually no governmental reporting. This ensures that your investments and personal information will be confidential. For many who want privacy, this is a major benefit of accounts.

In our lawsuit happy society, those with assets want to protect them from litigation. Many of the countries chosen have laws that don't recognize foreign awards so the assets placed in these countries are not subject to seizure. Although not a major consideration for everyone, for many it is a factor in deciding to choose an investment vehicle.

Many of the jurisdiction have much less complicated estate laws and tax structures. Utilizing accounts for estate planning purposes is becoming more and more popular. Many set up an charitable foundation in countries with favorable estate tax laws.

In order to set up an investment account, an individual must either reside in or establish a legal presence in the country that will make the gains taxable in that jurisdiction and not the onshore one. There are several companies that will help you set up a corporation and complete the required paperwork to get started in investing. These firms will help you set up a corporation called an International Business Corporation (IBC) or a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC).

If you're happy with your existing portfolio, but you want to move it offshore, you can move to a brokerage firm once the legal paperwork is completed. The brokerage account will be opened under the name of the IBC, and then the brokerage completes your orders in the name of the IBC. Your personal identity is never involved. Of course, these brokerages can invest in mutual funds or any investment worldwide.
Offshore investing may not be for everyone, but if you have assets that you want to protect from seizure, you want to maintain the strictest confidentiality, or you want to seek tax relief, investigate the possibilities. You may find that investing will help you reach your financial goals.