The development of the modern-day trust stems from the early Middle Ages during the time of the Crusades when wealthy knights went off to liberate Jerusalem for Christendom. It is the oldest form of legal "structure" or creation of a juridical person under English Common law predating partnership and corporations by hundreds of years.

I’m often asked, “which is the best country to setup my offshore business?” This is a multifaceted question and I don’t think the answer has ever been precisely the same for any two clients.

Here’s a brief overview of an analysis I use to help my clients select the best country for their offshore business.

Where to Incorporate Your Offshore Business

For maximum asset protection, it should be in a country different from where you’re operating the business.

Today I’ll show you how to take your U.S. defined-benefit plan offshore in 5 steps. If you want to maximize asset protection and diversify your defined benefit plan offshore, this post is for you. Taking your plan offshore and placing it behind an added layer of security is the best asset protection available.

U.S. persons with offshore accounts have likely heard the news that The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act or “FATCA” will take full effect on July 1, 2014. While reporting offshore accounts and certain assets to the IRS has always been required, FATCA is one of the most comprehensive and global pieces of legislation to prevent noncompliance by U.S. persons. FATCA was enacted in the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act of 2010 and codified in sections 1471 through 1474 of the Internal Revenue Code. In January, 2013, the Treasury Department published accompanying final regulations. The purpose of FATCA is to help prevent and locate noncompliance by U.S. taxpayers who do not report their foreign financial accounts.

In the aftermath of the April 15 annual filing deadline, many people inquire what, if any, tax relief they might expect if they live, work, or retire overseas. Most people might want to add a foreign residency or citizenship to their existing U.S. status. While others hope to use their foreign residency and citizenship status as a platform from which to give up their U.S. citizenship, a process referred to as expatriation.

If you’re an entrepreneur with high net worth, you may be interested in setting up an offshore businesses sooner or later. However, potential scrutiny from the IRS, SEC and other legislative agencies could be serving as the primary deterrent.
 
Giving up on establishing an offshore plan for personal asset protection isn’t entirely necessary; there are three steps that you can take to safely move your enterprise overseas.

There are several different ways that you might qualify for dual citizenship. Being born in a different country, residing overseas, having an international parent or paying to become a citizen through a legal program are all potential options.

One of the challenges facing the baby-boomer generation has been saving for retirement. The last thing you want is to find that you are short on funds during your retirement years. That’s why it’s beneficial to prepare for retirement ahead of time. Saving for retirement will put you in the position to fully enjoy your time off from work.

Some U.S. entrepreneurs are seeking international residencies so that they can exercise a greater degree of financial freedom than their home country allows. Modern trends in local laws can make it harder for people to protect their hard-earned assets in the United States.

It is no simple task to begin a business. However, with guidance in the right direction and a strong network of resources to draw from, you can put yourself in a position to achieve the success most entrepreneurs have only dreamed about.

As much as we would like them to, assets don't just sit around and appreciate; they have to be maintained in order to grow. While this is common knowledge to most investors, the reality is there are many factors that can detract from the viability of your portfolio. Listed below are some of the dangers that you need to protect your property from.

When you are starting a new business, you may wonder whether it is in your best interest to create an offshore corporation.

Whether you are thinking about the British Virgin Islands, Belize or Bermuda as a place for starting your offshore corporation, it is always a good idea to consult with lawyers who have extensive knowledge of international laws and taxes.

Working with an international business lawyer may be the easiest way to protect your assets and investments, even if you're not currently trying to start a business in a foreign country.

Many advantageous investment structures and financial products are much more accessible when enacted under the purveyance of a formal corporate entity, and experienced attorneys can facilitate the steps needed to get things started correctly.

Expatriation appeals to many U.S. entrepreneurs who tire of the restrictions and regulations they're forced to deal with in their home country.

Politics plays a huge role in the way people do business, and it can stifle productivity in professional and personal settings alike.

Here are some of the ways that expatriating helps these individuals benefit from legislation and services that are more conducive to their investment strategies.

Setting up a living trust can ensure that you address all aspects of the administration of your estate and even health issues in the event of an emergency.

You can provide clauses for advanced directives within your living trust, and this gives a designated individual the ability to sustain or withdraw medical care.

Estate planning when a trust is involved may seem like a daunting task to investors who just want to provide for their families and other beneficiaries in the simplest way possible. But a small amount of planning goes a long way. If set up improperly, trusts can easily be abused by beneficiaries or creditors, completely defeating the intents of those who started them.
 
Here are some of the ways that estate planning ensures the assets you place in trusts actually serve your purposes.

Typically, international investment vehicles will appeal to a person that already has assets overseas, is interested in investing overseas, owns a business overseas, or is perhaps considering an international move. Business executives that are being transferred temporarily to work in a foreign office may also be interested in establishing overseas investments.

As a high net-worth global entrepreneur, you are a global force for business and the economy. In order to protect your dealings and address your business objectives, you need trust accounts that provide solutions to your personal asset protection and estate planning goals.

International Trust accounts are ideal for high net-worth global entrepreneurs seeking to protect their assets while simultaneously addressing business objectives. Whether you are headquartered in the United States or abroad, you know that handling money can be tricky when it's used for investment in business enterprises overseas. In order to avoid unwarranted scrutiny from government organizations such as the SEC or IRS while maintaining your cash flow goals, you may need to use trust accounts to protect your finances from unnecessary fees and taxes.

One of the most frequent questions answered by asset protection attorneys is: What is a living trust? This question is often followed by a more detailed inquiry involving matters related to privacy, effective strategies to handle taxation, dealing with overzealous creditors, and flexibility in terms of money management.