Advantages of Offshore Investment

Broaden your investment opportunities by going global.

If you aren’t happy with the returns you are receiving with your current investments, or you just want a new kind of investment, you should really be thinking about going offshore. There are many advantages investors are seeing when deciding to go offshore.

Global markets can offer tax benefits, asset protection, and secure your retirement goals with a new residency or just solid savings.

Below, we lay out why you should be considering global markets and point you in the right direction. Keep reading to find out why you can trust Alpen Partners to guide you through the global investment journey.

Diversification

Diversification is one of the pillars of a successful portfolio. In fact, diverse portfolios outperform a concentrated one. If you don’t believe us, read more about modern portfolio theory. By owning a large number of investments in more than one sector or asset class, investors can protect themselves from unsystematic risk, the risk that one encounters when investing in one particular company. The ultimate diversification technique would be to seek markets outside of your home country.

Offshore investment may open up a plethora of opportunities that may not be available in your own jurisdiction. There are many technological, agricultural options, etcetera, that just aren’t found in an individual’s home market. These options may offer great returns or can be a great hedging technique.

Tax Incentives

Some investors seek out offshore investment for the tax benefits. Some countries boast their title as a tax haven, a country that offers tax incentives for foreign investors. These incentives benefit the investor as well as encourage growth of their own economy by attracting wealth from other countries. The easiest way to for an individual to take advantage of tax havens is creating an offshore entity, such as an LLC, to manage and hold their wealth outside of the tax jurisdiction of their home country.

Expatriation

Along the lines of tax reduction, another reason global investing can open up opportunities for individuals is through expatriation. Expatriating offers many benefits to investors that are both good for your finances and can offer an invaluable cultural experience. Expatriation may involve relocating to a jurisdiction like Switzerland, Monaco, Dubai, or Singapore. These jurisdictions are usually preferred for their low tax rates, safety, and investor-friendly environments.

Countries all over the world offer programs that allow individuals to make investments in real estate, the job market, reforestation, and more. In exchange, the investors gain residency and, often times, citizenship. Investors can use this freedom to escape from the high taxes of their home countries.

Asset protection

There are many reasons you should make a plan, mainly involving keeping your property safe in the event that someone wins a lawsuit against you. To avoid this, asset protection planning is key. This means taking assets and putting them out of reach of creditors, turning nonexempt assets into exempt assets.

Many protection plans include offshore trusts. When choosing an offshore asset protection plan, you can take advantage of some of the best laws in the world, and even taking advantage of tax havens. Creditors who are after your money will run into numerous roadblocks. By going offshore you can also use the foreign jurisdiction statutes that get you strong protection.

Ways to Invest Globally

Real Estate

Foreign real estate is one of most popular international investment option. Many real estate investments can lead to residency and, in some cases, a quicker road to citizenship. Some investors use their offshore IRA or LLC to make the investment for tax benefits.

Currency

Many investors and businesses have relied on foreign currencies to hold some of their wealth, many seeing the US dollar as a strong option. The Swiss franc and Chinese yuan are also strong options. The Swiss franc has proven to be one of the strongest currencies globally, and the country has been considered a safe haven in the world of finance. In a world of financial worry and trouble, investors can seek refuge in Switzerland’s national currency, known for keeping its value.

If you haven’t invested in foreign currency before, or you’d just like a guide through your investments, Alpen Partners can walk you through the whole process. The Swiss franc can be a safe haven for your money. The strong Swiss economy with steady growth and low debt doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon – and it will continue to be an important banking destination.

Offshore Banking

To take full advantage of offshore markets, opening up a bank account in a new country will be the best way to assure asset protection and tax benefits. Banking offshore can diversify your portfolio and is the first step in moving your assets out of your country. Opening a bank account offshore also plays a key role in forming an offshore corporation, offshore SD IRA, or international trust. Many offshore banks offer investment opportunities, managed investment accounts, and foreign exchange services.

Offshore banking also has the added benefit of confidentiality, especially in countries like Switzerland where they take your trust very seriously.

Alpen Partners

Your wealth is important. If you are serious about your life goals, financial planning and investments are probably important to you. Financial planning can involve many steps from tax optimization to asset protection. Different investments have different rules with different returns.

With the help of financial planning, you will be able to predict where you will be in the years to come by evaluating where you are currently, what sources of income you plan to have in the future, investments you plan to make, and your retirement plans.

Alpen Partners Wealth Management International AG, the sister company of Alpen Partners AG, is now a registered investment advisor with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Together with our partner Swiss private banks, our company can now offer the full Swiss private banking experience to American clients, both resident and non-resident.