Today's comment is by Eric Roseman, our Investment Director and Editor of Global Mutual Fund Investor.
Dear A-Letter Reader:
Grabbing a connecting flight in Mexico City on my way to this week's Offshore Advantage Seminar, I heard someone call out my name with a deep Dutch-Swiss accent: "Errrriccc, come over hhhere."
It was Robert Vrijhof, one of the nicest guys I know and also on his way to Puerto Vallarta for the event. He's one of the best independent asset managers in Zurich, Switzerland. There's nothing like seeing a familiar face when you're traveling - it always exudes a sense of comfort and ease.
Rob looked pretty good considering he just made the 21 hour trip from Zurich. We discussed the markets on the one hour journey to Puerto Vallarta and Rob remains enthusiastic as ever. "The Swiss market is at an all-time high, the Swiss franc is strong and the economy is booming," exclaims Rob. "The markets are looking good." I think Rob's right, and I'm also pretty bullish on the outlook for stocks, bonds, and commodities for 2007. We sat back, enjoyed a fine Mexican cerveza and closed our eyes for some shut-eye.
Puerto Vallarta: Seafood and Sunshine
Puerto Vallarta is beautiful - and hot. For this Canadian, a temperature change from 45 degrees to 93 degrees in the span of just ten hours is pretty dramatic. But I'll take it. Where I come from, winter lasts about six months, and I embrace every last bit of sunshine I can get.
My first night here was fun. Several of us who arrived that day gathered for dinner. Among this group of friends was Thomas Fischer, Robert Vrijhof, Larry Grossman and Erika Nolan, our executive director.
We all settled at a local seafood bistro on the water called Hector's Sunset Grille. We dined on some terrific Mexican shrimp from Sonora Bay and feasted on some excellent Chilean cabernet sauvignon. One thing about these international conferences: If I don't get my dose of daily exercise, boy, will I pay the price! We always head out to sample the local dishes each night at these events. And if you're not careful, you can quickly become a prime candidate for Weight Watchers when you return home!
Today is the first day of the conference. Everyone looks fresh, ready to digest volumes of information on global investing, international tax planning, and privacy and asset protection.
You can be among the first to listen in on these global investing and tax planning ideas, by ordering the audio series for this Seminar. Click here to learn more.
It's Show Time
Erika Nolan opened up the seminar by introducing the professors and guest lecturers here at The Offshore Advantage Academy. Everyone is looking pretty good this afternoon, casually dressed amid the stifling Mexican heat and following the introductions Erika makes a strong case for offshore investing. But unlike other venues, this one is full of easy-to-understand basics; Erika makes the case for offshore financial planning, why it's important to diversify away from the auspices of one's country, diversify their investments abroad and how to select advisors and offshore banks.
Investing Offshore 101
This conference is different from the others I've lectured at since 1998. Since it's a crash course for going offshore, my presentations on Friday will focus on everything an investor needs to know from A to Z on global investing. I must admit, I'm loaded with tables and charts and ready to make this an easy-to-understand forum on global investments so everyone can understand how to get started, what to avoid, how to invest smartly for maximum profits and how to get a portfolio started with just a few thousand dollars.
Of course, I'm also loaded with recommendations, some existing open positions in The Sovereign Individual Portfolio, Commodity Trend Alert, and Global Mutual Fund Investor. I'm unveiling my investment gems I already have on the books, and I'm also giving away several new ones.
I've got three presentations this week. And I plan on making only the best recommendations to this great audience. I've got three presentations on Friday, including Lesson #4: Offshore Investing: Stocks, Bonds, Mutual Funds, Hedge Funds and Investment Trusts. This course will introduce investors to the world of international investing, discuss the various asset classes available through private banks, and of course, list some of the top-performing products in the world.
I'm willing to share all my investment gems with you too. Pre-order the audio series for The Offshore Advantage Seminar, and hear all my recommendations shortly after the conference ends next week. Click here for more information.
Juicy Offshore Tidbits
I'm also going to list some juicy "facts" on global investing that are non-conventional and off most investors' radar.
For example, non-European Union domiciled investors can purchase AAA-rated bonds issued from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and receive tax-free income. The EIB is the financing arm for the European Union (EU), similar to the U.S. Treasury, and offers over a dozen currencies with various maturities. Of course, you still have to pay tax on your interest income to Uncle Sam, but at least there's no withholding on the distributions at the local level.
If you ever wanted to know the ABCs of going offshore, this is definitely THE event of the year. In fact, it's probably THE event of the decade.
ERIC ROSEMAN
From Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
EDITOR'S NOTE: You can still listen in on what Eric calls "THE event of the year." Pre-order the seminar audio recordings today and all our speakers' investment gems will be yours to keep. To reserve your Offshore Advantage audio recordings, click here. Plus, tune in tomorrow for more live updates on The Offshore Advantage Seminar.
