Mark Nestmann

Digital Privacy: How to Protect Yourself and Your Data

Digital Privacy: How to Protect Yourself and Your Data

Expat Advice
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If someone could secretly monitor everything you’ve done on your computer, what could they find? Photos of your family? Your bank details? The truth is that data you entered into your computer months or years ago can be retrieved long after you think it’s gone. And old files you deleted can still be found, even years after you removed them. All computers are vulnerable to this. And in the wrong hands, this information can easily come back to haunt you.

Five Legal Ways to Avoid FATCA

Five Legal Ways to Avoid FATCA

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I call it the worst law most Americans have never heard of…but you may have heard it called FATCA—the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act. FATCA demands that every foreign financial institution (FFI) in the world turn over account information from its U.S. clients to the Internal Revenue Service. As you can imagine, this can make it difficult for U.S. citizens to offshore their money and keep it safe from the prying hands of the U.S. government.

How to Buy Foreign Real Estate with Your IRA Funds

How to Buy Foreign Real Estate with Your IRA Funds

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Contrary to what your broker, banker, or financial advisor has probably told you, you can own just about anything in your retirement account—not just the products they choose to pitch at you (generally stocks and bonds). You can own all sorts of investments within your Individual Retirement Account (IRA)—and 401(k), too, for that matter—including foreign real estate. Most IRA custodians have a list of approved investments that they won’t deviate from. I do understand why they keep options so limited: They must endure grueling audits. If they do anything wrong, they can be fined or shut down by regulators. It’s just easier to say “no” to anything even slightly off the beaten track.

Putting Your Assets Offshore, “No Longer Just for the Super-Wealthy”

Putting Your Assets Offshore, “No Longer Just for the Super-Wealthy”

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I walked into the main Credit Suisse branch in Chicago and told the doorman I wanted to open a Swiss bank account. I was led to a private office overlooking the Chicago skyline. Was asked for my minimum deposit. Being just 31 at the time, I played it conservative and started with just $2,000 (about $4,300 in today’s dollars).