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August 25, 1999: Living off the Grid - Edmund Pankau
Published 1 year, 8 months ago
Description
Art Bell welcomes back Edmund Pankau, one of the nation's top ten private investigators and author of Hide Your Assets and Disappear, whose book shot to number one on Amazon after his previous appearance. Pankau discusses the case of Marty Frankel, who allegedly stole up to a billion dollars from insurance companies and was spotted wandering Rome with gold bars and diamonds, making rookie mistakes that any competent fugitive would avoid.
The conversation shifts to practical strategies for Americans considering life abroad. Pankau describes countries like Belize, Estonia, and Costa Rica as affordable havens where retirees can stretch Social Security checks three times further, earn high interest rates on deposits, and enjoy longer life expectancy than in the United States. He explains how international bank accounts and offshore MasterCard or Visa cards can provide financial privacy without leaving a domestic paper trail.
Art and Pankau also examine the recent Cayman Islands banking scandal, where an informant turned over 1,500 client names to the IRS. Pankau warns against ever entrusting a third party with offshore funds, stressing that the safest approach is to personally open and manage foreign accounts.
The conversation shifts to practical strategies for Americans considering life abroad. Pankau describes countries like Belize, Estonia, and Costa Rica as affordable havens where retirees can stretch Social Security checks three times further, earn high interest rates on deposits, and enjoy longer life expectancy than in the United States. He explains how international bank accounts and offshore MasterCard or Visa cards can provide financial privacy without leaving a domestic paper trail.
Art and Pankau also examine the recent Cayman Islands banking scandal, where an informant turned over 1,500 client names to the IRS. Pankau warns against ever entrusting a third party with offshore funds, stressing that the safest approach is to personally open and manage foreign accounts.