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Author Topic: Onshore Offshore Investment Trends and Opps  (Read 11898 times)

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Re: Onshore Offshore Investment Trends and Opps
« Reply #25 on: October 28, 2012, 06:13:48 PM »
Fascinating Article - seems Moscow and London are on the new beginnings of a wonderful new relationship - to paraphrase Rick from Casa Blanca:

Rosneft Replaces Gazprom as Super-Champion
25 October 2012 | Issue 5001
By John Lough

Rosneft's transformation into a national super-champion with 20 percent BP ownership establishes a new model for a Russian state company that is likely to have profound consequences for both the country's energy sector and the economy as a whole.

A clue to understanding what some of these might be is the timing of the deal. Why did Russia's leadership give a green light to Rosneft's acquisition of TNK-BP and its strategic alliance with BP now and not 18 months ago? The legal obstacles used by the AAR consortium, the owners of 50 percent of TNK-BP, to stop last year's attempt by BP and Rosneft to buy out AAR could probably have been overcome if then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and his close associates had wanted it.

More was at play than just the breakdown of BP's relationship with Alfa Group, one of the three members of AAR.

A critical factor that allowed the deal to go ahead this time was Gazprom's demise as a national champion. Its sustained underperformance and lack of responsiveness to the rapidly changing global gas situation brought about by the shale gas revolution are confirmation of a trend that has built up over many years. Gazprom does not currently have the ability to reform itself and adapt to a more competitive environment. Its business model in Europe is coming under increasing strain, and it has so far been unable to diversify to Asian markets.

It is likely that Putin concluded that Gazprom, which until 2008 was a symbol of Russian power and prestige, has become more of a liability. The Kremlin needed to change horses.

A further strong selling point for the deal was the opportunity not just to create a new national champion but to grow it rapidly. This is where BP was needed. BP was hugely successful in creating value at TNK-BP thanks to its disciplined approach to portfolio management and its application of world-class technology and skills. Rosneft has a patchwork of production companies that require integration in a way that was achieved after the merger of BP's and TNK's disparate assets in 2003. Rosneft head Igor Sechin clearly took notice that the value of TNK-BP quadrupled in nine years.

It is not clear at this stage how Rosneft will seek to use BP's expertise, but this will be key to creating long-term value for the company. While critics see the dangers of Rosneft underperforming like Gazprom if it also becomes too large and state-dominated, the decision to give a foreign company a 20 percent stake in a national oil company is unprecedented. Notably, Putin went out of his way to praise BP's performance in Russia when he met Sechin after this week's deal was announced.

Putin said that Rosneft's acquisition was "needed not only for the Russian energy sector but for the entire economy." Although Putin did not give details, it is fair to assume that he was referring to the prospect of Rosneft, with BP's know-how, setting new standards that can be a benchmark for other Russian companies. After all, Putin is well-aware that TNK-BP has outperformed other Russian companies, including Rosneft, by a substantial margin.

Questions remain about the impact of Rosneft's acquisition of TNK-BP on the government's proposed privatization agenda, which includes Rosneft. Some believe that the deal marks the resurrection of state capitalism and a serious blow to the government's former commitment to put more state assets into private hands. At this stage, it is too early to say since privatization efforts have been held up by adverse market conditions. Still, the Kremlin appears committed to privatization as a way of addressing the economy's lack of competitiveness. Rosneft looks like the exception to that rule since BP will become a substantial minority shareholder, and this should help improve Rosneft's operating standards.

Creating a new national super-champion could even put the issue of Gazprom's privatization on the table. The subject was previously taboo because of Gazprom's status as an untouchable national symbol. But now, Rosneft will be the standard bearer of Russia's global energy influence. Referring to the possibility of privatization, Putin said in February that the government would "at some point go over to this so that Gazprom works in a different way." His frustration has clearly been growing with the company's failure to address the increasing pressures it faces in the European market from alternative sources of gas supply. At the very least, a long-overdue change of senior management at Gazprom now looks more likely.

The other interesting aspect of the Rosneft deal is how the extraordinary comeback of Sechin will affect the balance of interests among members of Putin's inner circle, including Gunvor co-owner Gennady Timchenko and the Rotenberg brothers, who have business interests related to the Russian energy industry. Sechin is experiencing a rapid and surprising recovery after it looked like he was on the way out earlier this year. This may now need to be balanced by an allocation of access to new assets to other Kremlin power brokers. Another open question is how far Sechin's influence will extend to other segments of the energy sector.

Finally, the deal has left Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev's team looking bruised and weakened. Both Medvedev and Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich opposed the deal, but they were outmaneuvred by Sechin and overruled by Putin. This defeat could clip the wings of Russia's leading economic liberals and strengthen those who support state capitalism.

The long-awaited TNK-BP denouement has arrived, but the drama is not over. The ultimate consequences of establishing Rosneft as the primary national champion could still be spectacular.

John Lough, who served in TNK-BP's international affairs department from 2003 to 2008, is associate fellow of the Russia & Eurasia Programme at Chatham House in London.

Read more: http://www.themoscowtimes.com/opinion/article/rosneft-replaces-gazprom-as-super-champion/470458.html#ixzz2Ae7GnetT
The Moscow Times

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Re: Onshore Offshore Investment Trends and Opps
« Reply #26 on: November 21, 2012, 09:09:54 PM »
As we must all try to cope with the New Obamanation Part II this was a very interesting Sovereign Society Bob Bauman JD Email Alert:  Basically an Obamanation Financial Survival Guide!

The Life of a “Sovereign Individual”
By Bob Bauman, JD, Offshore and Asset Protection Editor

Here at the Sovereign Society, we show you how to become a “sovereign individual.” But what exactly is a sovereign individual? How does such a person live his or her life? In this essay from April, Bob describes the life of “George Spelvin,” a typical Sovereign Society member.

Dear Mike,

George Spelvin awakes each morning in his modest home in the suburb of a major American city. (At his request, we can’t say which city, and, as you probably guessed, “George Spelvin” is not his real name.)

We call his home “modest” because, while it is immaculately furnished and contains state-of-the-art security features, from the outside it does not appear exceptional. George’s neighborhood is middle class and quiet. He has a nodding acquaintance with his neighbors, but socializes only with a few choice friends and business associates whom he really trusts. And even they don’t know a lot about George.

Even though George has a rumored net worth well over seven figures, the outside world sees only an unremarkable individual.

Is The Passport Book Missing From Your Personal Library?

Inside the covers of this 878 page must-have book, you’ll find details of the “hidden underbelly” of international travel and all the closely-guarded legal secrets of an accomplished attorney and former U.S. Congressman.

He shows you dozens of strategies you could use to legally reduce your income and property taxes, exempt yourself from numerous government regulations and protect your personal privacy from spying government bureaucrats and databases.



After he showers and shaves, George sips his morning coffee (strong with a dash of chicory) and glances at the morning papers that are delivered to his door (but not with his name on the delivery label). He doesn’t dress in designer clothes or shoes, and he doesn’t wear a Rolex watch. That’s the way George wants it.

If you sat next to George on an airplane, he would be courteous if you initiated a conversation, but he wouldn’t discuss his personal or financial status. To a stranger, he would describe himself as “retired,” and leave it at that.

A House is Not a Home
George’s home is not listed in his name. The title is held by a trust registered in Panama. On the trust records, no beneficial owners are publicly listed as a matter of local law. The local trustee is listed, but this attorney does not answer inquiries about the trusts he represents, unless they come from a local court after a hearing.

Indeed, at George’s home address, nothing is listed in his name; no utilities – cable, water or electric. In fact, George rarely receives mail at his home address. It all goes to a nearby “mail drop” service. (Even the mail drop doesn’t know his real address.) For his most important correspondence, George uses a mail drop and forwarding address in a foreign country with privacy laws far stricter than those in the U.S.

When George speaks over the telephone, he always assumes someone is listening. They probably aren’t, but that thought serves as a reality check on what he should and should not say.

Meanwhile, George’s home is equipped with a sophisticated security system. He knows that a determined adversary could defeat it, but they would have to work very hard to compromise his protection.

George also employs an assistant. Before hiring him, George used a private investigator to look into his background. And he regularly reviews his assistant’s personal and financial status – George never wants his aide to be compromised in such a way as to compromise his boss.

Both work in George’s home office. When connected to the Internet, they use an “anonymizing” service to thwart surveillance. And all important emails and attachments are encrypted.

A Dead-End For Snoopers

George drives a mid-priced car, although customized with leather seats and an upgraded audio system. Like his home, the car isn’t listed in his name. Instead, it’s titled in the name of a corporation where liability for any accidents might lie. George declined purchasing a vehicle with a GPS because he had no desire to have his whereabouts tracked every minute of the day. And George avoided financing his car, because he didn’t want to have a nosy credit agency sniffing around in his financial affairs.

George also avoids giving out his Social Security number, although he has noticed that this supposedly confidential number is now in ubiquitous use as a common ID. He even avoided disclosing it when he applied for his driver’s license by telling a motor vehicle department clerk it was against his religion to use the number.

While George maintains a U.S. bank account with sufficient assets to pay for current expenses, he keeps the bulk of his wealth offshore. There are bank accounts in a number of countries, and he has an international business company registered in Panama.

Not even his trusted assistant knows about these accounts; all details are maintained with a trusted offshore attorney, with whom George corresponds through encrypted email. Both George and his attorney conduct important business under the legal protection of lawyer-client confidentiality, although they know this traditional concept of privacy is under siege by inquisitive governments everywhere.

George is certain of one thing. He always makes sure his taxes and related U.S. reporting requirements are in order. For everyday accounting matters, he uses a U.S. accountant practicing in a foreign country. For more complex legal questions, George uses a noted U.S. international tax attorney, one of the few who are well versed in offshore asset protection and tax matters.

Whenever George travels internationally, he uses his U.S. passport when entering or leaving the United States, as the law requires. But when he travels in other nations, he uses his second passport, one issued by the Republic of Ireland. Because his grandparents were born in Ireland, he automatically qualified for Irish citizenship and a passport. George’s Irish passport gives him the right to reside and do business in any EU member state – an invaluable asset for business and investment purposes, as well as for the purchase of foreign real estate. And dual nationality is fully consistent with American law.

Expatriation Ahead
George, a lifelong U.S. resident, has now applied for residency in Uruguay. As a fallback, he is considering Switzerland as a part time residence, with a warmer alternative in Panama’s pensionado program that favors foreign retirees. He may even eventually consider what has been called “the ultimate estate plan” for Americans – giving up his U.S. citizenship. Since he already has an Irish passport, losing his U.S. passport doesn’t seem like such a daunting prospect.

What’s ahead for George? “I’m not sure,” he muses. “I don’t like where America is headed –toward more government control and less freedom. And I don’t like the fact that I’m one of the very few Americans who seem to be concerned about it. That’s why I’m considering my own ‘Escape from America,’ where I can freely express my ideas and pursue my aspirations.”

Through our publications, conferences, books and networking, The Sovereign Society guides members in every aspect of the sovereign life – offshore banking, investments, privacy, travel, residency, citizenship, passports, visas and more.

George partakes of them all.

Faithfully yours,
 
Bob Bauman
P.S. For George, and for all sovereign-minded individuals out there, Bob’s Offshore Confidential can bring you the information you need to take control of your wealth and your freedom. From second citizenship and offshore residency to asset protection and overseas banking,Offshore Confidential is the ultimate wealth-protection resource for working Americans.

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Re: Onshore Offshore Investment Trends and Opps
« Reply #27 on: December 01, 2012, 06:08:46 PM »
Ooops:

The Consequences of This Election Are Already Showing…

Jeff Opdyke (November 28, 2012)

Choices have consequences.

http://sovereign-investor.com/2012/11/28/the-consequences-of-obamacare/

America is now discovering that fact after re-electing to the White House the most left-wing president since FDR. In the wake of Obama’s return to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, corporate chieftains around the country have begun announcing a rash of layoffs. Some began the process even before Mr. Obama won a second term, confident the welfare-state legislation he enacted in his first four years will disrupt their business.

But voters increasingly prove in America that politics, even at the federal level, really is quite local. People vote for what they think is best for themselves … not what’s best for the country. Because if voters spent any amount of time truly contemplating the consequences of their choice, we’d be preparing for an entirely different inauguration in January.

Instead, our country is taking one more step down a path that ultimately threatens to fragment America. Better that you prepare yourself now …

The Cost of ObamaCare

Consider this list: Darden Restaurants, the company that runs Red Lobster, Olive Garden and other chains; pizza purveyor Papa John’s; McDonald’s; burger chain White Castle; Denny’s; Apple-Metro, the New York Applebee’s franchisee; sandwich chain Jimmy John’s; medical-device makers Metronic, Boston Scientific, Welch Allyn, Stryker, Smith & Nephew, Hill Rom and St. Jude Medical; drug giant Abbot Labs; and auto-parts maker Dana Holding. These are some of the American companies that have announced plans to axe workers in response to Obama’s re-election and the fact that ObamaCare will now not be overturned.

The president’s seminal legislation is a pox on America. Sure, the country gets universal health coverage (in theory), but at what cost?

The price tag is steep for me and you, as well as American businesses that keep the nation employed.

Our personal taxes are going up – a new surtax on dividends, interest and home sales; a surtax on income for the wildly misnamed “high earners”; caps on itemized deductions and Flexible Spending Accounts; and a tax on any medical device costing more than $100, among others.

It’s the lunacy of social engineering that is anathema to the American way … yet, it has now been woven in the fabric of our country – kind of like a piece of burlap woven into a cotton quilt.

And, like I said at the start of this piece, choices have consequences.

In this case, the consequences hurt the very people the Democrats purport to care about: middle class workers who, in the midst of the most-anemic recovery in modern U.S. history, now find more and more employers are either cutting their jobs or refusing to hire, or they’re facing higher prices in their day-to-day lives – all because of a raft of horrendous social-welfare policies.

Welch Allyn and Papa John’s are quintessential examples of the trend.

Welch Allyn, the New York-based maker of medical diagnostic equipment, is laying off 275 workers – a not-so-insignificant 10% of the workforce – because of the medical-device tax inside ObamaCare that will raise the company’s cost of doing business. Papa John’s, meanwhile, is reducing employee hours to less than 30, the government-established full-time threshold at which the company would be forced to provide pricey and government-approved healthcare benefits. In addition, Papa John’s is raising the price of its pizzas.

An owner of multiple Denny’s restaurants in Florida will soon impose an ObamaCare surcharge – itemized as such on the receipt – for all meals and immediately cut hours to less than 30 for his employees. Otherwise, he says, the individual restaurants would not be able to cover the costs of providing the mandatory health insurance.

Choices by voters … and the consequences of their actions.

Protect Yourself From Mourning in America

Some will argue that these business leaders are reactionary. That they are voicing a political protest rather than making a business decision based on economic facts. Maybe they are. Maybe not.

Either way, the point is the same.

Whether their decisions are political or financial, they are reacting to a realization that America – or, rather, the America that once existed – is under siege. You cannot successfully run any country for very long by imposing on society social-welfare programs that undermine job-creators, while coddling certain classes of people.

Politicians, particularly Democrats, think businesses exist not to generate profits for those who built that business but, rather, to generate taxes for Washington to redistribute as part of its vote-buying endeavors.

You and I have to protect ourselves from that … because, sooner or later, the storm that is building will hit – and that won’t be a pretty day in American history.
Move Your Money Outside America

The best strategy you can pursue to protect yourself against that stormy future is to put a meaningful part of your wealth outside the dollar and outside America. Having just spent nine days in Uruguay, I am particularly fond of that off-the-radar South American nation.

It’s close enough to the U.S. that you can get there relatively quickly and it’s far removed from D.C.’s prying eyes. Banks in this socially and financially stable democracy are well-capitalized and well-regulated. Their interest-bearing accounts pay up to 4.5% annually. CDs offer more. Uruguayan residency is not required to bank here, and opening an account is easy – though you do have to travel to the country … but that’s far from a hardship, given how appealing it is as a destination.

But to me, the key benefit isn’t the higher levels of interest available in Uruguay – it’s that your money is outside of the U.S. dollar. When life in the States goes pear-shaped – and, sadly, I am increasingly confident about that future – you absolutely want the security of knowing you have some of your wealth in a stable country. With apologies for rephrasing President Reagan’s famous line: Welcome to mourning in America.

Be prepared: It only gets worse from here.

Until next time, stay Sovereign…

Jeff D. Opdyke

P.S. There are plenty of places around the world to put your money to work that will earn you far better returns than you’ll ever find here at home. While your Wall St. broker may never tell you about these opportunities, they are exactly what I’m always seeking out for Emerging Market Strategist subscribers. To learn more about how you can start taking part in some of the most dynamic markets in the world, click here.


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Re: Onshore Offshore Investment Trends and Opps
« Reply #28 on: December 11, 2012, 12:08:06 PM »
Since USA is offshore to our UK EU RU UA etc friends - interesting to see why North Dakota is T2Bs new stomping grounds:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/the-cities-where-everyone-has-a-job-190824324.html

Curious if similar econometric surveys available for the FSU RU UA etc cities.

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Re: Onshore Offshore Investment Trends and Opps
« Reply #29 on: December 14, 2012, 08:14:45 PM »

Looks like positive Trade Normalization between USA and Russia with plenty of liberal politics thrown into the mix:

http://news.yahoo.com/obama-signs-russia-trade-human-rights-bill-183336662.html

The measure, which Congress passed by an overwhelming margin, allows Obama to establish "permanent normal trade relations" - or PNTR - with Russia by lifting a Cold War-era restriction on trade.

Business groups pushed Congress for months to approve PNTR, which was needed to ensure U.S. companies get all the market-opening benefits of Russia's entry into the WTO.

 Without it, U.S. companies such as Caterpillar, Ford, JPMorgan Chase and others feared they would be at a disadvantage to competitors in other countries that already have full WTO relations with Russia.

 It was also needed to allow the United States to use the WTO dispute-settlement system to challenge any Russian actions it says unfairly restrict U.S. imports, although the two sides still need to formally establish full WTO relations in Geneva first.

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Re: Onshore Offshore Investment Trends and Opps
« Reply #30 on: December 28, 2012, 12:50:10 PM »
Calling Obamaism by its Rightful Name

Bob Bauman (December 3, 2012)
http://sovereign-investor.com/2012/12/03/obamas-stimulus-is-really-socialism/

An ancient Chinese proverb tells us: “The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right names.”

By the same token, a doctor cannot cure an ailment without an accurate diagnosis. The physician needs to know exactly what he’s dealing with before he can figure out how to cure it.

So let’s not pull any punches. In spite of President Barack Obama’s lack of willingness to admit it, he is now America’s leading advocate of an economic and political philosophy that was once anathema to most Americans — socialism.

In the days of my youth, most American doctors (before they became addicted to the multibillion-dollar public trough of Medicare/Medicaid) rightfully feared an end to freedom for themselves and their patients. This fear was regularly used to denounce the threat of “socialized medicine.”

Nutty Leftist Ideas Were Once Ridiculed

Back then, the nutty leftist ideas of perennial U.S. Socialist Party candidate, Norman Thomas, were ridiculed by middle-of-the-road and conservative politicians. Wherever he may be now, Norman Thomas should be smiling. Because today, both Republicans and Democrats alike have swallowed his socialist nostrums and made them their own.

Yes indeed, in those days, when most Americans were not totally ignorant about their history and government, we were taught (in what was quaintly called civics class) that socialism was not only a dirty word — it was just one step away from communism!

That was also the view of communism’s chief theoretician, Karl Marx. Old Karl saw socialism as a sort of gateway drug, the stage that follows the welcome destruction of capitalism, all part of the inevitable transition to communism. In 1875, Marx put it this way: “From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.”

Nowadays, Obama and company call that “redistribution” and “equalizing” wealth.

When he was a first-time presidential candidate in 2008, Obama let his socialist views slip in an encounter with Samuel J. Wurzelbacher, Ohio’s Joe the Plumber: “I just want to spread the wealth around,” the future president said.

That revealing lapse of the carefully scripted Obama game plan opened the then little-known candidate to charges that he advocated socialism. At the time, Obama not only denied he was a socialist (Heaven forbid!), he made jokes about it, saying that such a charge was just plain silly.

His left-wing defenders insisted that Barack Obama was never the Che Guevara in pinstripes that right-wingers alleged. But Senator John McCain summed up Obama’s record on Capitol Hill as “more liberal than a Senator who calls himself a socialist [Vermont's Bernie Sanders].” In fact, Obama’s Senate-voting record was the most left-liberal of all the 100 senators.

The president’s record of advocacy and policies during his first term confirmed his socialistic beliefs. It began with the $15 billion auto bailout. This was the first installment of many anti-capitalist policies, avoiding the orderly route of bankruptcy and handing the auto unions everything they wanted, making government a major stockholder.

Compounding the irony and confirming bi-partisan support for socialism, then President George Bush first signed the auto plan into law – a fitting coda to the reckless government power expansion and deficit spending that marked his unprincipled legacy.

With Obama in the White House and Democrats in control of Congress, there followed trillions in big-bank and insurance-company bailouts, trillions more in so-called stimulus spending, and the center piece of Obama socialism, a federal takeover of one-fifth the nation’s economy – Obamacare.

Just last week, Obama again demanded more trillions in “stimulus” so he can play Santa Claus for his “give-me-more-from-government” supporters, especially government employees.

Throughout his first term, and repeated ad nauseum during the recent campaign, the president made “wealthy people” straw-man villains, stirring up class warfare to a degree rarely seen recently in American politics. The last example may have been the 1948 campaign of Henry Wallace, who openly advocated socialism and praised Russian communists.

So there is no need to wonder. In Obama’s Washington, socialism is the “in” philosophy.

And the standard definition of socialism is pretty clear.

Socialism is an economic theory and system of social organization that advocates government taking ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land and private property, and giving it to the community (the people) as a whole.

But every thinking person knows that “the people” cannot collectively manage such a system, so (you guessed it), the production and distribution of goods are controlled by “the government” – meaning overpaid bureaucrats, not dissimilar to the apparachiks who ran the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics under Stalin, Khrushchev, Brezhnev and the rest. Private enterprise is out. Government-imposed planning and cooperation, rather than free market competition, guides all economic activity in socialism.

So go back and consider: “Government taking ownership and control of the means of production and distribution” and “government guides all economic activity.”

Sound familiar? Government ownership and control of banks, auto companies, insurance companies, real estate and health care.

Socialism Has Been Imposed on Once-Free Americans

That’s what Obama and the U.S. Congress (both parties) have imposed on once-free Americans (and on our children, grandchildren, great grandchildren ad infinitum).

That’s the essence of those multi-trillion dollar bailouts. And there’s more to come in Obama Act II — more nationalized health care, nationalized education at all levels, increased taxes, increased inflation — inevitable and sustained economic misery and lost liberties.

I mentioned Senator Bernie Saunders who just got re-elected in the Peoples Republic of Vermont. At least he is honest in his open espousal of socialism.

Hoodwinking the American people by claiming that they do not advocate socialism is the game played by President Obama, many Democrats and too many Republicans. All these disingenuous pygmy politicians, who are mainly interested in retaining their pitiful powers, are guiding this once great country down the failed road of socialism.

I say: A plague on all your houses!

This New Year 2012 is one more chance for you and I to join in fighting government oppression and show others the way to a freer society. Make your resolution to join us in the continuing struggle for liberty.

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Onshore Offshore Investment Trends and Opps
« Reply #31 on: December 28, 2012, 01:50:20 PM »
Another good site to read is www.zerohedge.com

-- Sent from my TouchPad using Communities

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Re: Onshore Offshore Investment Trends and Opps
« Reply #32 on: December 31, 2012, 07:03:55 PM »
Happy New Year from the Sovereign Society:

Why it’s the Year of the Snake
 By Bob Bauman, Offshore and Asset Protection Editor

 Just before President Obama jetted off to Hawaii and the U.S. Congress broke up for its short Christmas recess on Thursday, Dec. 28, the U.S. Senate debated renewal of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).

 It’s not for nothing the Chinese calendar calls 2013 the Year of the Snake.

 FISA allows government spying on almost all our telecommunications. Several senators tried to attach amendments to the law, simply to provide some modest transparency and oversight to ensure that the government's warrantless eavesdropping powers were constrained from abuse.

 These senators were charged with “aiding terrorists” by the Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). Then in virtually identical 37-54 votes, Feinstein and her conservative Democrat comrades joined with virtually all Republicans (except for Senators Rand Paul, Mike Lee and Dean Heller) to reject each one of the proposed amendments and thus give Obama exactly what he demanded– he can continue to eavesdrop on Americans without any warrants, transparency or real oversight.

As columnist Glenn Greenwald pointed out: “Feinstein repeatedly argued that requiring even basic disclosure about the eavesdropping program – such as telling Americans how many of them are targeted by it - would, as she put it, "destroy the program". But if "the program" is being conducted properly and lawfully, why would that kind of transparency kill the program?”
Bus Buzz

And speaking of privacy, do you ever ride on public transportation – city buses or vans at the airport?

 Transit authorities in several U.S. cities are installing audio/video enabled surveillance systems on public buses that will give them the ability to record and store private conversations, according to documents obtained by an online news outlet.

 The systems are being installed in San Francisco, Baltimore and other cities with funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The use of the equipment raises serious questions about eavesdropping without a warrant, particularly since recordings of passengers could be obtained and used by law enforcement agencies or even viewed in real time.

 So much for your public transport and e-mail privacy my fellow Americans.
Police State

But email and travel privacy as a right pale in comparison to being detained by the U.S. military, thrown into jail and held without charges.

 Just a few days before the FISA renewal, Charles Savage reported in The New York Times that a few members of Congress had taken it upon themselves to decide that reaffirmation of the protections in the Fifth Amendment of the Bill of Rights is unneeded.

 Virtually ignored by most of the news media preoccupied with their meaningless “fiscal cliff” blather, here is what Savage revealed:

 “Lawmakers charged with merging the House and Senate versions of the National Defense Authorization Act decided on Tuesday to drop a provision that would have explicitly barred the military from holding American citizens and permanent residents in indefinite detention without trial as terrorism suspects…”

 What that means is that instead of a flat-out prohibition against the military arresting and holding U.S. citizens without charges, the next time a president tries to lock up an American citizen without trial – as President George W. Bush tried – it will be left up to the courts to decide whether or not it's legal.
Don’t Look Up

And if you are truly concerned about your privacy, earlier this year, Congress passed the FAA Reauthorization Act that authorized the deployment of fleets of aerial spy drones to cruise above the United States.

 This followed a major lobbying effort by defense contractors to promote the use of drones in American skies: 30,000 of them are expected to be in use by 2020, some as small as hummingbirds, meaning you won't see them tracking your every move. Some drones will be as big as passenger planes. They will be used by businesses, and certainly by police, as in Seattle where they have already been deployed.

 Keep in mind these are the same aerial drones that can be equipped with much more than video cameras; they can and do carry lethal weaponry as proven in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen. That should cut the crime rate in Detroit, Chicago and Los Angeles while removing the need for costly trials.

 A U.S. Air Force document states that it will deploy its own military surveillance drones within the borders of the U.S. and may keep video and other data it collects with these drones for 90 days without a warrant.

 And you thought police SWAT teams were a threat!
Be Prepared

My point in choosing these few examples of the destruction of freedom in America, some that occurred in just the last week, is to emphasize your need to know – and that need for useful knowledge is one of the prime reasons we founded the Freedom Alliance more than two years ago.

 In my monthly Offshore Confidential reports and in my periodic Special Alerts, I do my best to let you know the news others ignore – but also I tell you how you can protect yourself and your wealth.

 If there ever was a year in which you needed to stay way ahead of the curve, 2013, the Year of the Snake, according to the Chinese calendar, is that year, a year of super tense times. The Chinese horoscope for 2013 warns of unsettled ground, sudden shocks to shake us out of false realities and unexpected events that create major change. Watch this space and avoid surprises.

 We will do our best to make 2013 a happy New Year for you…

 Faithfully yours,

 Bob Bauman

P.S. As a former U.S. Congressman, I learned the forbidden secrets of the rich and famous. And I’m here to tell you, you don’t have to be one of America’s elite to build a freer, richer retirement. I’ve put together 320 easy-to-implement strategies for protecting your financial future that were previously only available to the super rich. For my special report, click here.Related Reading:

Here is how you can tell that these are bad days for freedom: Does the government need your permission to violate your rights, or do you need the government’s permission to exercise them? The answer is painfully obvious.

Wake up, folks. Open your eyes… America has become a police state and most people are either too dumb to know it or they just don’t care. Well, some of us do care and if we go down, it will be fighting for freedom all the way.

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Re: Onshore Offshore Investment Trends and Opps
« Reply #33 on: February 01, 2013, 03:57:27 PM »
Sovereign Society Video - curious any other members perspective on this:

http://pro.sovereignsociety.com/FINALUNWINDLF/ESVSP200/

RED, WHITE & BROKE

It’s no secret our economy is a mess.

The scary thing is, based on Jeff Opdyke’s latest research, things are about to get much worse!

I think you’ll be shocked at what he’s uncovered – from an approaching total collapse of the US dollar and the specific date its tailspin is set to begin… to the possibility of hyperinflation… soaring commodities prices… and a slew of taxes that will wipeout the wealth of millions of hard-working Americans.

But there is hope beyond the battered horizon…

In fact, it’s not only possible to safely protect your assets, but it could be a time of great prosperity for those who take action now.

Full details are revealed in Jeff’s video Red, White & Broke.

I encourage you to watch it now and send it to everyone you know - while there’s still time to warn them of the shocking event that’s to come.

To view this shocking new video, click here.

In Wealth & Prosperity,
 
Erika Nolan
Publisher, The Sovereign Society

"Plan B free to live work invest and acquire property anywhere in the World without Big Brother controlling you."

Of course if you Read RMM and theories of MS/MMT (Monetary Sovereignty and Modern Monetary Theory)  this is all Gold Bug sellers bunkum....  still seems like a warning worth listening to!
http://mythfighter.com/2013/02/01/political-bribery-the-most-powerful-yet-ignored-force-in-economics/

What is your learned and studied opinion?

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Re: Onshore Offshore Investment Trends and Opps
« Reply #34 on: February 01, 2013, 04:03:49 PM »
I know.  I know.  I wish it would rain beer, but that aside, you know what woudl be great?  If for one year, Russia and Ukraine would designate one city, say Odessa and Saint Petersburg where it was a pure free trade zone.  After a year, the whole country would participate in a non binding vote that declares we are in favor of or we don't want any free trade. 

Heck I wish they would do that here in 'Maerica!

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Re: Onshore Offshore Investment Trends and Opps
« Reply #35 on: February 01, 2013, 04:05:38 PM »
Protect Yourself from
this Ongoing War
By Evaldo Albuquerque, Editor of Pure Income

Dear Mike,
Mr. Abe better watch his back. The new prime minister of Japan is pissing a lot of people off.

He already has a beef with the Chinese because of disputes over the Senkaku Islands.

And now he’s making new enemies across Asia. As you know, he’s doing everything he can to devalue the Japanese yen to promote growth through exports.

Countries that compete with Japan in that arena have taken notice. Korea, for example, is one of Japan’s great competitors (think Samsung vs. Sony and Hyundai vs. Toyota). With a weaker yen, South Korean exporters will face more competition from cheaper Japanese exports.
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This past week, South Korea’s finance minister said this: “our central bank will do whatever it’s supposed to do to protect the high volatilities in the financial sector.”

What he’s really saying is that the yen has fallen too much, too fast. His central bank will not allow it to continue. South Korea is getting ready to counterattack.

If you think what’s going on with the yen won’t affect you, you’re mistaken.

This war goes well beyond Japan. It’s a world currency war.

As Jim Richards said in his book Currency Wars, “the fate of economies and their affected citizens hang in the balance.”

Your fate hangs in the balance. Here’s why…
This War is About to Escalate to a Whole New Level

Currency wars are taking place across the globe. Several central banks are trying to devalue their currencies by keeping interest rates low, directly intervening in the market and even printing money.

The problem is they cannot all simultaneously devalue their currencies.

Currencies don’t trade in a vacuum. They trade against each other. So when the Japanese decide to devalue their currency, for example, other currencies become stronger.

So currencies end up taking turns in this war and the yen is clearly winning this battle. But the war is far from over.

As I mentioned, South Korea is getting ready to counterattack.

The euro has also already crossed above 1.35. It’s just a matter of time before the stronger euro starts to hurt European economies by making their exports more expensive. Soon, the European Central Bank will take measures to push the euro lower.

How about the U.S. dollar? Well, this past Wednesday, the Fed said they will continue to print $85 billion a month. Last year, the U.S. economy grew only 1.5%. This anemic growth is well short of the “substantial and sustained improvement” that the Fed is looking for.

If the dollar continues to strengthen, I bet the Fed won’t hesitate to increase the money-printing.

Don’t believe me?

Kyle Bass, a well-known money manager who predicted the 2008 crisis, recently spoke to a senior member of the Obama administration. They discussed how the government is planning to fix the U.S. economy and trade deficit.

He asked this senior member of the administration how exactly the government was planning to promote growth in exports.

His answer shouldn’t surprise you.

He said: “we’re just going to kill the dollar.”

And that’s why you should care about this currency war.

So what can you do to protect yourself?
The Biggest Winner of this Currency War

In the midst of all this madness, there’s only one currency that’s out of reach of central bankers: gold.

Central banks can’t print gold.

In fact, I like to use gold to see which country is currently winning the battles of this currency war. By looking at gold priced in different currencies, you can see which country is winning this race to the bottom.

The Yen is Currently Leading this Race to the Bottom



The chart above, for example, shows gold priced in U.S. dollars (red) and Japanese yen (blue). Gold priced in U.S. dollars hasn’t done much over this past year. In fact, gold is down 3% during that period.

But that’s in dollar terms. You get a different picture when you look at it in yen terms.

After rallying 15% this past year, Gold priced in yen is trading at a new all-time high. The yen is clearly winning the battle… for now.

There will be very few winners in this war. The citizens of countries that are printing money will be among the biggest losers because they will continue to see their purchasing power evaporate.

But you don’t have to be a victim of this war. You can prosper by investing in hard assets, such as gold and silver.

I know that gold has been looking quite weak recently. But you should see this weakness as a great buying opportunity.

With all central banks around the globe trying to turn their currencies into toilet paper, it’s just a matter of time before gold moves higher. The yellow metal will be the biggest winner of this global currency war.
Regards,

Evaldo Albuquerque
Editor, Pure Income
P.S. I hope you took notice to what a senior member of the Obama administration said about how the government is going to promote U.S. export growth – “we’re just going to kill the dollar.” That’s terrifying news for the largest company in the world and to make matters worse, there’s a very good chance you’re a shareholder. It’s not Apple, Microsoft, ExxonMobil or even General Electric.

http://pro.sovereignsociety.com/GCEINC/E191P201/

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Re: Onshore Offshore Investment Trends and Opps
« Reply #36 on: February 09, 2013, 11:27:59 AM »
Interesting Sovereign Society Alert:

Looks like Japan's new PM Abe is not messing around and wants their exports to become much cheaper and driving the Yen off the proverbial cliff - time to look at those new Japanese Hybrids ;)

A Visual of the Currency War
Sean Hyman (February 8, 2013)
http://sovereign-investor.com/2013/02/08/a-visual-of-the-currency-war/

Of all the currency manipulators of the world, we’re (USA) the chief one… it’s not China, even though it manipulates its currency for its gain too.

But I wanted to show you the last shots that were fired in the currency war. Of course, we set the tone when we fired the first shot a few years ago as we began our Quantitative Easing program, a.k.a. money-printing.

This caused the latest major top in the dollar back in June of 2010. Since then, we’ve had a successive top (lower high) in June of this past year. But we’ve been lowering our currency here in the U.S. for a while… while at the same time deciding whether we’ll deem China a “currency manipulator.”

It’s a Race to the Bottom Right Now:


ila_rendered

Then Switzerland fired its shot in August of 2011, only to be followed by Japan in October the same year.

Then Japan unloaded a machine gun’s worth of shots starting in October of last year. The yen has fallen off the map during the months that followed.

Well, one thing you can count on, it’s the U.S.’s turn to fire a shot. Our central bank will lower the value of the buck again, soon, and make more of middle-class America even poorer while politicians blame it on rich Wall Streeters.

As the buck gets ready to take its next dive, it will stoke inflation and cause food and energy prices to rise.

The way to combat all of this nonsense… invest in most other major foreign currencies or commodities. Both of them deal well with inflation and the dilution of our currency.

If you don’t, you’ll continue to see your standard of living go down or you’ll find yourself working even harder to maintain the standard of living that you’ve got right now. So for the sake of yourself and your future, position your assets correctly to combat the madness of the Fed and these other central banks.

Have a nice day!

Sean Hyman
Editor, Currency Cross Trader

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Re: Onshore Offshore Investment Trends and Opps
« Reply #37 on: February 13, 2013, 10:46:49 AM »
First NAFTA and now EUUSAFTA?

Will be interesting how this plays out -

http://news.yahoo.com/eu-u-free-trade-talks-start-june-barroso-114535996--sector.html

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The United States and the European Union agreed on Wednesday to push for the launch by the end of June of talks to create the world's biggest free trade alliance, which could be a benchmark for global competitors to follow.

The report sees a deal boosting the EU's economy by around 0.5 percent and the U.S. economy by around 0.4 percent by 2027, with 86 billion euros ($115.80 billion) of added annual income for the former and 65 billion euros for the latter.

EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht has warned that the talks will be tough, with no "low-hanging fruit". Import tariffs between the two are already low - at an average of 4 percent.
Negotiations will focus on harmonizing standards, from car seat belts to household cleaning products, and regulations governing services.

Ideally, De Gucht said, the negotiations should be wrapped up in two years.
Before talks can start, the U.S. Congress must be notified and the European Commission needs approval from EU member states. It will present draft negotiating directives in March, no doubt prompting debate.
EU trade ministers took four months to overcome resistance from the car industry to start negotiations to create a free-trade pact with Japan.

AGRICULTURAL MUD
One of the key sticking points is likely to be agriculture. When a transatlantic trade deal was suggested in 1998, it was shot down by France, which feared the European Union could be forced into concessions on farm trade.

The United States has long been frustrated with EU restrictions on U.S. farm products such as genetically modified (GMO) crops, poultry treated with chlorine washes and meat from animals fed with growth stimulant ractopamine.

In an early sign of EU reticence, Barroso said the negotiations would not compromise consumer health.

"We will not negotiate changes that we do not want of the basic rules on either side, be it on hormones or GMOs," he said.

LOL Looks like the USA wants EU to become as fat as hormone fed and corn fattened Yanks!

US Wine and Spirits import taxes very high so could increase some biz areas and perhaps more cautious EU banking and insurers in the USA as it is now most EU banks and Swiss banks and investment groups turning away Yank customers...

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Re: Onshore Offshore Investment Trends and Opps
« Reply #38 on: March 30, 2013, 10:21:05 AM »
Like Contrary - Like Canada - Like Contrary Canadians?

Latest pure play suggestion from a Sovereign Society Expert Newsletter this week:

Nuclear Profits:

It was just after 4 p.m., August 14, 2003, when my phone went dead in the middle of an interview with a portfolio manager in Denver. The bank of lights above my cubicle flicked off. The ever-present glow of a TV tuned silently to CNBC was gone. The constant, low-pitched hum of the air conditioner was suddenly and conspicuously absent.

In short, the daily soundtrack of my life as a business-news reporter on the 10th floor of the World Financial Center in lower Manhattan had simply switched off, as though someone had pulled the plug on the entire high-rise.

I could see the concern on the faces of my colleagues. We were less than two years removed from September 11, 2001, and we were all looking at one another and thinking the same horrifying thought: Is this another terrorist attack?

The Second-Largest Blackout in World History

Instead, it turned out to be the second-largest blackout in world history, impacting some 55 million people across eight states and Canada’s most-populous province, Ontario. That afternoon, the all-electric American life ceased to exist. We'd been catapulted back into the days of horse-drawn carriages and gas lanterns.
It was one of the most surreal experiences I’ve ever had. It was an experience that can — and, I guarantee, will — happen again. And it very well could imperil a major city, a key region, or possibly the country as a whole, for weeks or months. So worrying is the probability of that coming true that a senior executive at utility giant Southern California Edison told Congress:

“The challenges that face our nation’s energy future simply cannot be met by our aging electric grid. The electricity infrastructure delivering power from a variety of generating sources to our homes, businesses and communities is not suitable for today’s needs.”

And it’s all because our electrical infrastructure is so fundamentally fragile that it earns a grade of no better than “D+” from the American Society of Civil Engineers. Meanwhile, the cost to update the aging system for the world of today and tomorrow would consume at least 10% of our GDP, a price tag that is unaffordable.

Supply Constraints Meet Demand Growth

But there is a solution. It’s not unknown … but it is certainly underappreciated at the moment and deeply unloved.

It's nuclear.

And despite everything you've heard in recent years about the death of nuclear, the reality is that nuclear's renaissance today is stronger than it was before the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan.

Today, 71 nuclear reactors are under construction somewhere in the world. Another 484 are in some stage of planning. Both represent a much larger number than before Japan’s nuclear accident – proof that the smart money sees nuclear as the answer to the world’s growing demand for power.

And here’s the investment opportunity for us: The world’s existing nuclear plants today consume some 175 million pounds of uranium a year. By the 2020s, when all the new nuclear plants are online,
consumption will rise to more than 220 million pounds. Yet there’s a problem … the world’s existing uranium mines only produce 145 million pounds a year. That leaves the industry with a large gap to fill.
Compounding the problem is the fact that the industry has to rely on secondary supplies to fill that gap, yet a key source of secondary supply – an agreement between the U.S. and Russia to turn Russian nuclear-bomb uranium into peaceful uranium – ends later this year, and that will remove 24 million pounds of annual supply.

Worse … low uranium prices have lead miners to mothball projects and put expansion plans on hold all over the world. Across the industry, miners and analysts all note than uranium prices must reach $70 a pound before new mines can open.

But because of impacts Fukushima had on the market, uranium prices that once exceeded $70 are today bouncing around the low-$40s.

Given the supply-demand fundamentals that are now taking shape, and given that it takes seven to 10 years to permit, license and build a new uranium mine, I am quite certain that uranium is set for a decade-long bull run.
One Company that will be a Big Beneficiary

Today, not many publicly traded uranium companies exist that actually produce the radioactive metal. Many uranium companies are junior miners with big dreams of a big strike, and maybe they get lucky at some point. But the uranium market is set to move this year because of the supply-demand fundamentals that favor the uranium miners currently supplying the world with the metal.

One of the most unique plays in this industry is a Canadian company called Uranium Participation Corp. The company doesn't mine a single ounce of uranium anywhere in the world. Nor does it own land that might one day become a uranium mine.

Instead, it just owns raw uranium. Moreover, the company is not in the business of trading the short-term swings in the uranium market, but rather it owns its stockpile of 12.5 million pounds for the long haul.

In that, Uranium Participation Corp. acts a bit like an ETF. The shares will rise and fall as the price of uranium rises and falls. In essence, the stock is a pure play on uranium since the company has no risk associated with mining or governmental permitting of a mine.

As the supply-demand imbalance pushes uranium prices higher over the course of the next several years, Uranium Participation Corp. certainly looks to benefit as its holdings escalate.

The stock currently trades in the range of CAD$5.60 and is a buy up to CAD$6.00. Before the Japanese disaster at Fukushima, Uranium Participation shares were headed well past CAD$9.

This is a buy-and-hold stock. There is no doubt anywhere within the uranium industry that uranium prices are headed higher. Given the new reactors that are already under construction, it's only a matter of time before uranium prices breech the $70 mark ... dragging Uranium Participation along for the ride.

Jeff D. Opdyke

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Re: Onshore Offshore Investment Trends and Opps
« Reply #39 on: August 10, 2013, 10:40:49 AM »
Well I wrapped up a 65 hour a week corp Cyber Security contract last month and have been working on several project plans with new innovative jobs funding angles to put both recent college grands (50%+ Under/unemployment rates) and young and experienced veterans both back to work via tech certifications and job placement - a retired multi-fortune 1000 CEO and Private hedge fund owner in our local cigar and business networking group actually like the pitch so working diligently to get it on paper and have not had much time to cherry pick the articles I like best from Sovereign Society, Motley Fool and RM2...

So the latest from Motley Fool is that three of their newsletters won 1st 2nd and 3rd best (Gold Silver and Bronze for you Olympics types): 

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/08/05/the-motley-fool-wins-gold-silver-and-bronze.aspx 

Pretty Kool really considering it was over the past 5 years (of recession and turmoil and anemic recovery)...

Roger Malcolm Mitchell is warning that the Fiscal Cliff of 2012 and Sequestration of 2013 are about to take their toll in a new recession:
http://mythfighter.com/2013/07/29/why-the-economy-grows-when-the-stimulus-shrinks/

Not great news but forewarned is forearmed - be prepared for more great housing deals when the $85B a month unending QE tapers off and the shadow housing inventory - folks 90+ days behind up to 2 years behind or stopped paying their mortgages altogether pretending to try and refi at still over inflated prices causes the prices to soften (dare i use the word collapse again) - likely to be another Blue Light special buying opportunity for Russians with $536B USD Trade Surplus with the energy starved EU and new $270B Energy Joint venture with the Chinese who will supply both cash and Manpower for Siberian operations as the Russians & Siberians migrating to warmer climes.  Perhaps a Chinese 100 year plan to take over Siberia via "friendly means"...

Then of course a number of interesting perspectives by Sovereign Society in their latest weekly rollup (Now that Shark Week is Over can get back to the machinations of the financial sharks not unlike Shark Tank...

Been thinking of starting a separate blog dedicated to this and entertain intelligent articles featuring well thought points of views from others...

Sovereign Society latest missives - not "too" dramatic but looks like they have also decided that Video Content is the new SEO:

This is the Stuff of Revolutions

Dear Mike,

This week we learned about a pending (and galling) extra-constitutional maneuver seeking to exempt members of Congress from Obamacare … because, after all, why should our elected representatives live under the same laws they pass for the rest of the country?

The hideous health care law that was rammed down our throats on Christmas Eve 2009, in practice, means that about 11,000 members and congressional staff are set to lose the generous health coverage they now have as part of their federal benefits program. Instead, they would be forced to receive the lower-quality health coverage of the Obamacare exchanges. And because members of Congress and many of their aides don’t qualify for Obamacare subsidies, that means thousands of dollars a year in extra insurance costs.

Fear not for the aristocracy, my friends. The Obama administration is once again prepared to skirt the Constitution by effectively rewriting a ratified law to create a special Obamacare reimbursement for the privileged class, formerly known as civil servants. Mind you, Obama has no authority to do so, just as he didn’t when he unilaterally pushed back the effective date of the Obamacare employer mandate. But what’s a little tyranny among friends?

One thing is for sure: Members of Congress will never extend to ordinary Americans the same reimbursements that they may now be receiving themselves. So, it appears that disgraced former Democratic vice-presidential nominee John Edwards was actually on to something when he spoke so often about the class-dividing existence of “two Americas.”

Yet the real class divide in the Age of Obama isn’t between the rich and the poor. It’s between the political class and the rest of us. I mean, you really didn’t expect members of Congress to pay the same inflated premiums brought on by Obamacare, did you? Those are for serfs like you to pay. And make sure you do, or else you’ll find IRS enforcement agents at your door … who, by the way, are also asking for an Obamacare waiver.

Regards,

Jim Signorile
Managing Editor, The Sovereign Society


Is the Sigma Strategy Right for You?
For the past 168 years, only scientists have used Sigma. But now a financial analyst in Louisiana has figured out how to use it to pick stocks. And the results have been incredible. He recently started sharing his secret with a small group of people, allowing some of them to pocket gains of $19,400, $7,972 and $15,412. Now he’s sharing all the details of this secret on camera for the first time ever. Click here to view it.
http://pro.sovereignsociety.com/NEWPS/EDSIP850/?a=10&o=22156&s=24632&u=496905&l=170022&r=MC&g=0&h=true

The Last Free Place on Earth?
This November, we're hosting the most exclusive event we’ve ever offered … For the first time ever – we’re gathering 12 of the world’s top financial minds in one of the last bastions of banking freedom … Zurich, Switzerland. I can't stress how important the European Investments & Opportunities Summit will be … and less than 70 seats are available. Click here for full details…
http://sovereignsociety.com/european-summit/

“By December 23, 2013, America’s Biggest PONZI Scheme Will Collapse …”
One of the first financial research groups to warn investors about the global derivatives crisis is now warning of an even bigger crisis – the collapse of a Ponzi scheme 318-times bigger than Madoff’s. In their newest special report, they’ll show you how you can avoid this coming economic disaster. To learn more, click here.
http://pro.sovereignsociety.com/FINALUNWINDLF/ESVSP805/?a=10&o=22156&s=24632&u=496905&l=170026&r=MC&g=0&h=true

Obama Won’t be Happy About This
We just put the final touches on a short video that could cause quite a stir. You see, at a private gathering this October, we’re going to show 400 freedom-loving Americans how to shield their wealth from Obama’s iron-fisted policies and LEGALLY escape Uncle Sam’s tax-happy grasp. Considering the IRS is in bed with Obama and robbing us blind with every new kind of tax you can imagine, they may not like it when we start teaching these unique strategies on U.S. soil for the first time ever. To watch this two minute video before we’re forced to take it down, click here now.
http://pro.sovereignsociety.com/TWSREGULARHIKE/E191P802/?a=10&o=22156&s=24632&u=496905&l=170029&r=MC&g=0&h=true

The smartest investment to make before Washington destroys the U.S. dollar …
Now’s the time to get into currencies that surge as the dollar gets weaker – like the India rupee, the Turkish lira, the Mexican peso and the Colombian peso. Thanks to collaboration between Jeff Opdyke, executive editor of The Sovereign Individual, and Chuck Butler, president of EverBank World Markets, there’s now an unusual investment that makes it both safe and easy to hold these currencies. What’s more, your principal is 100% protected and FDIC-insured. The new Evolving Economies MarketSafe CD is not yet available to the general public, but you can click here for an exclusive preview.
http://sovereignsociety.com/files/2013/07/EverBank.html

Of course intelligent commentary pro or con regarding the above is always welcome...

FYI - I receive no remuneration from RUA or any of the above but may decide to change that in the future with a new focused "Cufflinks Financials Blog"  if I get the time to kick it off - in the mean time I will share here as the FSUW wife hunting and getting process requires significant finance if you want feminine romance ;)

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Re: Onshore Offshore Investment Trends and Opps
« Reply #40 on: August 10, 2013, 12:21:29 PM »
FYI - I receive no remuneration from RUA or any of the above but may decide to change that in the future with a new focused "Cufflinks Financials Blog"  if I get the time to kick it off - in the mean time I will share here as the FSUW wife hunting and getting process requires significant finance if you want feminine romance ;)

I think if you work at it you can make it roll off the tongue... for romance, you need finance  :thumbsup:
Anchors Rewoven

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Re: Onshore Offshore Investment Trends and Opps
« Reply #42 on: September 23, 2013, 08:34:54 AM »
Interesting article about Poland's recent nationalization of private pension funds - which other western nations could be next and how to get confiscation insurance...

Seems the most under the radar country Uruguay is not on the visa free travel map for Russians whereas Brazil is http://ruadventures.com/forum/index.php?topic=6850.0

Interesting visa tool not sure why the request State of Residence - must be for marketing purposes but not sure...

Lists country from and to easy to use seems to be sponsored by Delta...

http://visacentral.com/ 

Not sure if Uruguay visa requirements changed since the Map was posted...  Brazil is right next door...  According to the Visa Central tool seems Russians can visit Uruguay

No, a visa is not required for travel to this country.
There are requirements for entry to this country that you need to be aware of. Read the information listed below for guidance.

Uruguay: Russia Citizen, Massachusetts, Tourist
Visa Exempt

A visa is not required for this destination for a stay of up to 90 days. Please keep in mind that while a visa is not required, you must:
Hold a passport valid for at least six months beyond your date of country exit and with one blank visa page
Hold proof of onward and return flights
Hold all documents required for the next destination
Hold proof of sufficient funds relative to your intended length of stay
It is recommended that you confirm with your airline that boarding will be permitted without a visa.

http://sovereign-investor.com/2013/09/18/confiscation-insurance-get-yours-now/

Confiscation Insurance – Get Yours Now

Bob Bauman (September 18, 2013)

How many prime ministers does it take to defraud millions of pensioners?

Just one – and his name is Donald Tusk.

You probably haven’t heard about him, given the Syrian war games playing out on cable news 24/7, but Tusk has turned Poland’s elegant Chancellery on Ujazdów Avenue into a crime scene.

Tusk’s government has unilaterally moved private pension-fund assets into a state-controlled social-security system. His goal? To paper over Poland’s deteriorating public finances and, by a magical sleight-of-hand, enable yet more government borrowing by confiscating private funds.

We better hope the Obama White House isn’t taking notes.

Tusk’s shocking step amounts to a unilateral cancellation of all Polish state bonds in the hands of private-pension companies – almost half of their assets. Critics rightly see this as an unconstitutional move designed to score a hit with voters increasingly disenchanted with Tusk’s Civic Platform Party.

Unfortunately for Tusk, even his labor-union allies are furious at his heavy-handed move. Markets have responded predictably: Yields on the government’s 10-year zloty-denominated bonds increased to 4.79%, and the Polish stock market dropped by 3%.

The bottom line is this: The Polish government has chosen to steal from its people. And EU bureaucrats in Brussels have remained ominously silent.

So have our politicians here in the U.S. But, I don’t believe they will stay quiet for long …

It Could Happen Here

Poland is actually a relatively healthy economy – healthier than the U.S. – and I recommended it as an ancestry second-passport option in The Passport Book.

So, where did this pension shocker come from?

Like the proverbial frog in slowly heated water, Poles simply didn’t understand that their government’s incremental steps (like suspending the fiscal law to allow borrowing to rise over 50% of GDP) could one day add up to a massive shift like this. All those little laws that seemed so innocuous, taken one by one, turned out to be a giant leap into fiscal and constitutional insanity.

Could such an act of financial confiscation happen here? Could your hard-earned retirement funds be forcibly transferred to state control to enable more out-of-control government spending? Yes.

President Obama made his own “Polish joke” in his 2010 State of the Union address, where he floated the idea of forcibly redirecting 10% of private-pension savings into U.S. Treasury bonds. He let it go once his handlers realized just how bad the idea was playing with the American people – but he could resurrect it at any time, when it serves his political purposes.

I’ve raised the prospect of state-sponsored financial confiscation of this sort many times. It’s becoming more and more common. It happened in Argentina in 2008 and Cyprus in 2012. And on September 4, Poland followed suit.

The reality is that the threat of state theft of your retirement savings is becoming more real by the day. Governments the world over have been trying to spend their way out of economic downturn. Since this doesn’t work (except in the feverish imagination of Paul Krugman), the result has been an increase in public debt with little economic growth. High levels of public debt mean currency depreciation and costlier imports. But you can buy some insurance to protect yourself …

Get Confiscation Insurance

When governments take private property to fund their spending, they usually claim to be engaging in “an accounting exercise,” as the Polish central bank called its country’s recent actions. I call it what it is: larceny.

One of my top recommendations to avoid this tyranny has always been international-funds diversification. And there are some places that are far more secure than others. Uruguay is one of those safe, off-the-radar nations.

If I were looking to make a move to escape government theft of my wealth, Uruguay would be among my top picks.

Uruguay’s solid financial reputation has made it an important regional financial center for all of Latin America. Unlike the U.S, where the PATRIOT Act has destroyed financial privacy, Uruguay protection is based on a bank secrecy law that forbids sharing information unless court ordered.

There are no exchange controls or capital restrictions, and the banks pay greater competitive interest rates than in the U.S. Bank failures have been unknown in recent years. It is simple for foreigners to open an account, and minimum deposits for investment accounts are low; commercial accounts are available at banks such as Bank Itaú. One-third of all funds are foreign held and the dollar and euro are used widely.

Bank Itaú is one of the largest banks on the planet. It has operations in over 20 countries, with its most sizeable presence being in Latin America. Itaú has been named the most sustainable bank of the year for four years in a row. I recommend you deal with its branch in Montevideo.

With the “Polish scenario” looming on the horizon in the U.S., it’s high time to start packing your bags to head offshore to prevent Uncle Sam from picking your pension pocket.

And if you’re looking for a great place to shield your assets from Washington’s overreach, and fully enjoy your life’s hard-earned retirement savings, I encourage you to watch this brief video.

Faithfully yours,

Bob Bauman JD
Chairman, Freedom Alliance

- See more at: http://sovereign-investor.com/2013/09/18/confiscation-insurance-get-yours-now/#sthash.Nfx9uuDz.dpuf