What assets can I protect internationally?
Posted on May 4, 2015 5:00am PDT
You can protect virtually your entire net worth internationally. Cash,
securities and collectibles (gold and jewelry) and other assets that you
can physically relocate internationally are ideal. Real estate, cars,
boats, U.S. securities and other U.S.-based assets necessarily remain
within the jurisdiction and recovery powers of the U.S. courts and generally
are not transferred to international entities. The trustees, protectors
and other fiduciaries who control your assets internationally would be
international firms who remain beyond the control and recovery powers
of the American courts. But to fully lawsuit-proof yourself, you would
shift as much of your wealth as possible internationally. For example,
you can directly transfer your liquid assets internationally, and then
mortgage or sell your U.S.-based assets and invest the cash proceeds internationally.
Your creditors’ only recourse then through the U.S. courts is to
seize your equity-stripped assets which would then have little or no value
to your creditor. You thus
constructively shift your total net worth internationally though you may still own significant assets
domestically.