Here are two secrets "they" won't tell you about Offshore Bank and Brokerage Accounts...

My name is Peter Macfarlane. In the few minutes it will take you read to read this page, I would like to tell you two very important things you should think about before opening an offshore bank or brokerage account. Things that you won't read elsewhere and will most likely not have thought of. This simple information could easily save you hundreds or thousands of dollars, pounds or euros. I will give it to you completely free and without obligation… and to get it, all you have to do is read the article below.

Let me first explain, though, why I am telling you this, and why I am qualified to do so. Because you should always check the source of information you read on the internet!

I don't work for a bank. I don't work for a "bank introduction service." I do not sell bank accounts. I am an independent writer and offshore business consultant.

For more than ten years, I've been writing on the subject of offshore and international private banking for The Q Wealth Report. Q Wealth is a private newsletter dedicated to creating, preserving, protecting and growing offshore wealth. As you can guess, this is not a "mass market" type product. But over the years we have helped thousands of people with useful financial information.

I have been on more planes than I could ever remember, from jumbo jets down to little puddle-jumpers, visiting offshore banks in person. I believe in the saying "you don't know until you go." Even today with so much information out there on the internet, I believe gut feelings are important. By visiting a bank's head office and sitting down in person with somebody from the management, you really "Know Your Banker". This is just as important to you the client, as "Know Your Client" procedures are to the bank. Business is a two way relationship.

Of course, visiting banks in far flung corners of the world takes time and money. Fortunately, I have high net worth clients who pay my expenses because my services are valuable to them. It's my chosen career and I enjoy it. But I digress...

Here are those 'secrets' I promised you:

1. You don't need an intermediary to open a bank account for you. You can do it yourself, starting right now and without leaving home.
   
   Yes, I know it can seem complicated. What bank to choose? How to deal with the paperwork? But I believe you can master the subject in an hour or so.
   
   Banks do like personal recommendations from known intermediaries or existing clients, because it makes their due diligence process easier. There are some good guys out there who provide a valuable introduction service. If you have more money than time, it may be worth your while to hire an intermediary. But… it should be somebody reliable who comes recommended and has an established track record. And you must first of all have a basic understanding of what your intermediary is doing for you… how the whole business works.
   
   What banks don't like, of course, is people taking advantage of them. There are lots of sharks out there who have no business relationship whatsoever with the banks in question, but simply charge from $10 up to thousands of dollars to 'sell' you an application form which you can download for free from the bank's website! There is absolutely no advantage to you in paying for this. They are not selling you any real information. It's not even comparable to a personal recommendation, because the person doing the introduction doesn't know either party.
   
   If a bank finds out that somebody has been 'selling' their application forms they will most likely be highly upset and regard all customers linked to that scheme with suspicion. Banks take the view that no legitimate customer would deal with internet sharks in this manner. They might even close your account. This is exactly what has happened quite recently with a couple of Swiss banks which take applications direct from the public over the internet. If you want to know which ones, email me and I'll tell you.
    

2. Banks are in business to make money. No big secret in itself. But somehow, people place a lot of trust in banks. Sometimes, that trust is misplaced. Banks are biased, like anybody else who is trying to sell something. A bank isn't going to send you to one of their competitors, even if they know that the competitor could provide a solution that's better or more appropriate for your particular circumstances.
   
   Let me give you an example. Say, for instance, you were a European citizen but you were not aware of the European Union Savings Tax Directive, which requires banks in certain jurisdictions (including some which are not in the EU, like Switzerland, and some which are not even located in Europe, like the Cayman Islands) to automatically report accounts to home countries. Very few, if any, banks will tell you "well we could open the account, but really it would be better for you to open your account in another bank in another country instead."
   
   The only answer to this problem is to know in advance about such pitfalls, which requires a little reading and research on your part. Americans, Canadians and Europeans have to be particularly careful about reporting requirements. I can, however, tell you about some solutions for this problem in a free pdf file you can download… read on.

I'm often asked by readers "which is the best country in which to open an offshore bank account?" And it's an impossible question to answer. Then, too, I receive emails almost every day like "I read that country X is better than country Y for offshore banking. Is it true?"

The answer is simple: there is no answer! There is no one country or one bank which is right for everybody. Forget what you might be told by anybody who has an interest in promoting a particular bank or country or their own paid referral service.

The right solution for you depends on a host of factors like your citizenship, your country of residence, whether you need a personal or business account, the services you need (old style personal private banking service, or the latest technology and fastest execution of your day trading instructions?) And last, but not least, the amount of money you are going to invest. You can open an offshore account with $1… but not in every bank! If you are planning to deposit seven figures, you probably won't be satisfied with the service level of the banks who run small accounts.

I have, however, based on my years of experience and global travels, put together for my readers a list of ten reliable banks/brokerages in different countries of the world. Between these ten financial institutions (some of which have branches in different countries) they cater for pretty much any client from the smallest to the biggest, personal or corporate. I'll tell you in a moment how you can download this list for free if you want it.

First, though, let me summarize what I am telling you in this article. The bottom line is that you need to empower yourself with knowledge before you open your offshore bank account. It's called taking responsibility for your own actions! That doesn't mean you have to spend years flying around the world lunching with bankers, but it does mean you should treat with healthy skepticism the offers you will see on the websites of all intermediaries and banks. They are all biased!

There are not too many independent sources of information on offshore banking, but The Q Wealth Report is proud to be one of them, and remember we have a verifiable reputation going back more than ten years. I have just prepared for Q Wealth readers a free "executive summary" style report which I believe gives just the right amount of information to help clients make an informed decision. At 41 pages, it contains all the information you need, but not too much… you can comfortably read through it in an hour. After reading this report, I believe you will be fully qualified to make the decision on your own. You will be empowered with the information to go ahead and open your offshore bank account directly yourself, confident in the knowledge that you are doing the right thing.

In Appendix B of this report, you will find the list of ten recommended banks, mentioned above. These are reputable, reliable banks I have personally checked out. All of them allow you to open accounts directly, either with downloadable forms, or with forms they can send you by email. No intermediary required. They all provide a good level of service, and of course you will find all the usual facilities like internet banking, plastic cards and multi-currency accounts.

Plus, this free report also explains the truth about Anonymous Pre-Paid ATM Debit Cards, another of those themes about which there is a great deal of conflicting information on the internet. Yes they do exist, they are legal, and the guide explains exactly how they work and where you can get them. And they do allow you to access your cash worldwide, 24 hours a day, anonymously.

Anyway, enough of this… how do you get your hands on a copy of my free report? My report is available right now free for download in The Q Wealth Report members' area. (More information on the free guide is at this link, if you would like to see more detail on the contents) To gain access to the members' area, simply click on the sign up for The Q Wealth Report. This will entitle you not just to the free guide, and to The Q Wealth Report itself for the entire period of your subscription, but to a host of other benefits you will find described in more detail on the rest of this website - including events, networking, mentoring, and personal referrals.

Remember, everything at Q Wealth is backed by a full money-back guarantee. If you are not entirely satisfied for any reason after signing up, simply let us know and we will refund your money. It's that simple.

I would also like to mention one more thing:

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