This is it. The final British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. Don’t worry. We will get to Guernsey and finally Jersey in a few weeks. Let’s blow the dust off the Montserrat offshore sector and see what this lava-spewing volcano charming island has to offer. History Montserrat may have been…
Two weeks ago we were looking at the Cayman Islands. Today we travel west to a pair of islands called Saint Kitts and Nevis, a former British territory but today an independent nation. A veritable must-have in the asset protector’s bag of tricks, this little nation is known for its…
This week, we are back in the Caribbean on our voyage across the British Overseas Territories. Second perhaps only to BVI in infamy and celebrity, it’s finally time to take a look at the Cayman Islands, from time to time referred to as the Americans’ preferred tax haven. But, as…
Some months ago, I was in Oman for a period of several weeks. I had been in Oman before but only shorter stays in Muscat. This time I had a chance to see more of the country, and it’s a beautiful one. It’s definitely one of the most open and…
Today, our quest to explore the British Overseas Territories continues. Next on the agenda are a group of islands often wrongly attributed to being in the Caribbean when in fact they are located quite a ways out into the Atlantic: Bermuda. With an almost squeaky clean reputation, this jurisdiction plays…
Time to spice things up a little. Today, we’ll take a look at Lebanon, its full Arabic name (الجمهورية اللبنانية) literally meaning the Lebanese Republic. Hated and loved for a banking secrecy so strict it makes Swiss bankers blush, its quasi-tax-haven status, and the tolerance for Hezbollah. This beautiful country is…
Today, we return to our adventure across the seas to another British Overseas Territories: the British Virgin Islands (BVI). This jurisdiction is the grandfather of all IBCs and continues to play an important and controversial role in the international financial services sector. History As with much of the Caribbean, history…
Today, we will take a look at one of my personal favourites: Switzerland. Sitting at the heart of Europe, this fiercely neutral country hosts everything from stunning nature to several of the world’s largest international organisations to fine watchmaking to punctual and clean trains. The chocolate isn’t too bad either…
Today, we will continue our adventure across British Overseas Territories and – in this case – a British Crown Dependency, namely the Isle of Man. Tucked between the islands of Britain and Ireland in the middle of the Irish Sea, this little island has a lot to offer the international financial…
Lacking any significant oil reerves, the Kingdom of Bahrain has been forced to find other sources of income. It has built up sturdy tourism and financial services sector. Bahrain’s strength as a financial center and strong Islamic banking tradition has enabled it to become a major petroleum producer. History The islands that…