YES!  And it will continue throughout this year in some form or fashion.  Very grateful that I and family members have avoided the scourge of a tiny virus to date.  It’s been ten months since my last post here and economically the global lock down did settle heavily on business travel, yours truly included.  Sales and rentals of single family housing came to a screeching halt, entertainment/dining businesses are almost half of what they were a year ago.  New businesses have evolved, established businesses that managed to survive through the lock downs have streamlined their offerings, retrained the minimal staff on hand and are looking to slowly grow market share as long as the spending public is wise enough to keep their guard up.  God Bless the public sector workers that suffer through each day’s work routine masked and gloved for their protection.  The volunteers manning the shelters and food distribution for those on the street and those who’s income has been shut off.  Prayers to the multitude of families around the world who lost family and friends to this dreaded infection.  Signing off, The Best to All, Peace.

Well, I guess every two or three months seems to be the average wait time for posting on the blog here.  Had good time seeing family and friends through the holidays and beyond.  Now it seems that instead of warm hugs it will be electronic imagery to keep us up to date with goings on around the neighborhood.  Sliding into springtime with CV-19 hot on my ass is not my idea of an idyllic life.  It will be rather interesting what folks find useful as a substitute for TP.  Had an idea that investing in Short Term Rentals would pump up the ol’ pension plan in short order, but this crazy crush on the economy has put the kabosh on that in bold fashion.  Leveraged investments that rely on customer revenue (rentals, etc.) are headed towards the wall and will undoubtedly take a few players down.  I doubt this situation we have with a pandemic of global proportions will subside anytime soon.  I think the prediction of a second wave of contamination and overload of services will start in a couple of weeks since the self sequestration did not gain acceptance right away.  None in my extended family have shown symptoms at this time and I pray they don’t as there seem to be more over 60 years of age than those under 30.  Doesn’t matter, It’s no fun suffering through it no matter what age.  I do believe that the amount of research going on with this one tiny “bug” will produce more information and anti-viral treatments in the next six months than any other “disease” in the past ten years.  That’s enough for now, wash your hands and face often and Peace to All.

Here we are 12 days until 2020.

Did you achieve your goals that you proclaimed waaaay back in January?  Me neither, although my goals were few, I’m a minimalist, I did follow through with the regimen of standing up after my feet touched the floor, drinking a glass of water, and going out for a mile walk to clear out the cobwebs.  I’ve started looking at investing in notes as a way to boost my IRA income.  If your having any luck with it I’d like to hear how you’re doing and how long you’ve been at it.  I’ve backed off of Crypto, so many hurdles to jump through to sign on to an exchange, passwords, time to cover the trades, security procedures, etc.  It’s more than I want to deal with, especially when you stop to consider how do you pass it on to your heirs if they haven’t a clue as to how to retrieve the asset after you “check out”.  Remember, succession planning is considered proper form to distribute your estate without a lot of “wailing and gnashing of teeth” plus a few curse words for good measure.  I don’t know your jurisdiction of residence, but a visit with an attorney that does “estate planning” can at least tell you if will need more than a will and a couple of trusts to provide for your family’s welfare and education.   Peace to all this Season of Giving, may God’s Blessings be on Your House Always.

Back again for another round of apologies for lack of posts.

Since last April, after another jaunt into the Hub of the Americas, yours truly has finally climbed back into the writer’s chair to bring you up to speed on using trusts in your financial and estate planning.  Attending a class on trust concepts and strategies, I was presented with another form of lending with private money, YOUR money, out of your pocket, insurance contract, Solo 401K, or Self Directed ROTH IRA.  It is a “hybrid wrap loan” using a trust making each investor a “first position” lender.  If you are interested in learning more, send me an email to the e-dress at the top of the page.

If you were waiting for me to tell a funny chicken joke, welllllll, the yoke’s on you!  I’m all out right now.

Until next time, try something new, help someone up, say something nice.    Peace

I can’t believe it’s been eleven months since my last posting here.  It’s been one crazy year trying to keep up with all of the obligations that have landed on my plate.  Client growth has increased and more interest in using trusts for holding assets has kept the phone ringing and the emails coming.      I hope your new year has shown an up tic in revenue and more response from your marketing efforts.  Some domestic and LATAM travel in the works, so may be seeing you out there somewhere.   If you are investing in the equities markets prepare yourself for a flat or descending trend line for the next year or so, concern  about the debt markets is growing and rightly so.  Defaults in the student loan arena have a good chance of throwing a curve ball in many, many of the banks accounting reports, which in turn, lowers their credit rating and shrinks the benefits they have at the Fed. Res.   In other words, keep your powder dry!  Bargains on the horizon.

In parting I leave yo with this:  Don’t be a Dufus, Play nice!

Be Well

At Worldwide Trustee Services, LLC we have clients who use trusts to control

property without exposing themselves to the desires of others who wish to

partake of the hard work of the entrepreneur without investing any resources

of their own.  Others who wish to avoid the destructive effects of probate on

their estate which they wish to pass on to the next generation.  I realize that

not all jurisdictions recognize every type of trust, but of the statutes in your

jurisdiction, how have you used APT’s (asset protection trusts)?

Marshall Islands pioneers legal-tender cryptocurrency

New things on the horizon in the economic arena.

Just beginning to understand this stuff myself, but rest assured, this is the disruption

force of the century just as automation was one hundred years ago.

Now for your daily smile:

It’s scary when you start making the same noises As your coffee maker.

Now, go seize your day!

Peace

“Showing a profit means touching something and leaving it better than you found it.”

—Jim Rohn

“We cannot seek or attain health, wealth, learning, justice or kindness in general. Action is always specific, concrete, individualized, unique.”

— Benjamin Jewett

Thursday, March 9th, day two brings us commentary from primarily practitioners in Panama and one from the U.S.A. that travels extensively throughout the Middle East and SE Asia for client’s needs.  Again, the focus was mainly on how the new reporting requirements being drafted in the multitude of jurisdictions globally will affect the working environment of the wealth management industry specifically and the cost of doing business in general.  The security of the client’s identity and other pertinent information is paramount in a world that has become a quagmire of risk to one’s ability to conduct business and even personal safety of self and family.  Just how many data bases will store the same information and what level of security is provided by the keepers of this treasure trove of information.  Rounding out the day were presentations on what do the regulating bodies of the banking centers need to do to recover from the perceived deficiencies in their regulations, figuring out exactly what does “being compliant” really mean, what one would have to consider when working with an Asian client, residency programs in Panama, Family Office Services, and the Trustee’s role in Panama and new drafts to enhance the Laws covering Trusts and Trustees operating in Panama.  BIG KUDO’s to OpenDoorMedia Publishing for setting the standard for conference organizing and presentation and to Verity, Caroline, Nina, Christopher, and Richard.  Hope to see you all next year.  Be Well.

Wednesday, March 8th, first day of the conference was exciting as attendees from many jurisdictions across the globe from Dubai, UAE to Panama, ROP, from the U.S.A. and all around the Caribbean came together at the Hilton Hotel here on Avenida Balboa in beautiful Panama City, Panama.  Discussions ranged from concerns about tax consequences involving cross boarder transactions to legal  structures to facilitate succession planning for family members in different countries.  Also how FATCA and CRS requirements are stifling the banking and investment culture for U.S. private investment in the region.  Now, day two begins and I have more to come.  Be Well.