Many of our readers are interested in offshore investing and offshore investment funds, and they frequently contact us for advice. The question we are most frequently asked is: Do high yield investment programs really exist?

In this article we look first at offshore investing scams and how to avoid them, then we will move on to the topic of genuine alternative offshore investment opportunities that can legitimately generate high returns for investors.

Of course,  programs referred to as HYIPs (High Yield Investment Programs) do exist, but most of them are scams – or more specifically ponzi schemes. There are internet HYIPs where you can invest $10 and get $20 back the next day. And there are more sophisticated scams, involving complicated terminology like ‘bank debentures’ or ’standby letters of credit’. There are whole websites dedicated to scam concepts like ‘offshore fund leasing.’ People frequently lose hundreds of thousands of dollars to these more sophisticated rip-offs. Such funds, once lost, are almost impossible to recover.

One of the ironies about such deals is that the scammers often claim that they are making money with exotic named things inter-bank trading, seasoned notes, and other mysterious offshore financial instruments… some so secretive that ordinary bankers don’t know they exist!

Years ago we used to ridicule such ideas. We used to say that the bankers didn’t know about them simply because such things don’t exist. But the last few years have proven us wrong – there are indeed weird things going on behind the scenes that most bankers don’t understand or even know about! For starters, most bankers don’t seem to realize the facts about the giant Federal Reserve scam, a privately-owned company, printing money backed by nothing, that is responsible for the devaluation of the dollar. And very few bankers understand or have even heard of the mysterious forex operation CLS Bank that settles around $5 trillion worth of transactions every day. The lesson here is that all good scams have an element of truth.

But, here at Q Wealth we like to accentuate the positive. So let’s rephrase the question a bit. Are there any legitimate offshore investment funds where you can make say 10% or 15% return with little risk? The answer is yes, such opportunities do exist. But it does take some work to find them. And once you find them, you should be prepared to dedicate some time to monitoring them.

The general rule is that the higher the rate of return, the higher the risk. Some people are happier than others to accept risk. For example you might dedicate a small part of your investment portfolio to high risk ‘play money’. Younger people can generally afford to accept a higher degree of risk than persons approaching retirement. Absolutely the worst thing you can do, of course, is to put everything into one offshore investment because the worst can always happen.

So where do you find such opportunities? In Q Wealth Report of course! We are constantly on the lookout for genuine investment opportunities and funds that have the offshore advantage. What is the offshore advantage? Since there is no tax deducted at source and no automatic reporting, you can often roll over profits and reinvest them, rather than paying tax on the income. Over a period of five or ten years, the compounding effect can be huge.

The rule of thumb is that with onshore investment funds you might take three steps forward, then two steps back as the tax is deducted. With offshore investing funds, you take three steps forward, then the next year you take three steps forward again… and so on, and so on.

In our flagship Q Wealth newsletter, we frequently spotlight offshore investment funds and opportunities that we have done full due diligence on. There is always a risk, but we can help you minimize it. Since the investments we feature are generally managed offshore, you can participate as a sophisticated investor or via your offshore corporation, foundation or IBC.

Frequently Q Wealth Events also turn into incubators for great offshore investment ideas, that have a potential for high return. Getting together for a few days with like minded, free thinking individuals and simply brainstorming is a fantastic way to get these offshore income generating opportunities off the ground. Our next event will be in Ireland in September, and we will be focusing it even more than ever on offshore investments. Even if you only have a small amount to invest, consider coming along. Contact us to be put on the list and we will let you know as soon as the dates are fixed.

Finally, if you are interested in our offshore investment advice and are new to this site, don’t miss the opportunity to sign up for our free five part course Secrets of the Super Rich, delivered free and without obligation to your e-mail inbox. You will also receive a free subscription to Q Bytes newsletter, which from time to time features serious high value opportunities too.

We all know that there are investment scams out there, both offshore and onshore. Almost every week we come across a new scam (and that is not counting the electronic e-gold money games and the like that are barely even worth mentioning). That is why we offer our Q Wealth Report paid-up members a free due diligence consultation within our area of expertise which includes international and offshore investing, as well as so-called High Yield Investment Programs (HYIPs). In fact, members also benefit from a free downloadable report called “HYIP-Hype”

In recent months we have been contacted many times by members enquiring about a company known as Hatfield Oak (website: hatfield-oak.com) or Hatfield Oak International. This website belongs to a financial services company based in Panama with the motto “Your Partner for Asset and Tax Planning, Corporate Structures, Payment Solutions and Investments.”

We don’t want to keep answering the same questions over and over again. The large volume of enquiries we have received about them has led us to publish some findings in public for the benefit of our members. The information below is gleaned only from public records in Panama and the company’s own website.

Please be clear that we are NOT accusing this company of any wrongdoing. However, we draw our members’ attention to the following:

• Hatfield Oak are apparently offering services very similar to a bank, though they are at pains to point out that they are a payment processing company. Their website suggests that they are licensed to provide financial services. We consider this to be an attempt to mislead. Yes, they do have a document that appears to be a license for third party payment processing (amongst other things like business consulting and courier services.) However this is NOT a financial type license. In Panama every business must have a commercial license, and this kind of license (that Hatfield Oak has) is the same type of license you need for say a grocery store or a hairdresser. Financial entities are regulated under a completely separate licensing system. You can verify this at the website of the Panama Financial Regulator (in Spanish only).
• Hatfield Oak apparently have a New Zealand financial company as well. It’s worth pointing out that this kind of financial company is not regulated like a bank in New Zealand either. That is why it is not called a bank. Neither is it permitted to carry on banking business in New Zealand.
• The company’s domain name is registered to Domains by Proxy Inc (an associate of Godaddy) This is very unusual procedure for a company offering financial services. More to the point, is that it places the domain and the business firmly within US jurisdiction.
• Their internal law office “Hatfield Corporate Law Firm” appears to be run by nominees.
• The company do not appear to have any valid contact information.

Hatfield Oak appears to be a private company offering certain services that cannot be considered a substitute for a proper offshore structure with a bank account.

Q Wealth Report members requiring further information are welcome to contact us. If you would like to learn more about a few pitfalls of doing business in Panama, please check out our article Panama Offshore Banking and Corporations: Hidden Truths Revealed