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There are a lot of people in the financial community, including a few notable figures, that are highly bearish if not outright suspect of China’s growth. I’m always puzzled by this opinion. I’ve been to the country several times before and keep regular tabs with influential players and insiders, and my own assessment
“Simon – Are you ever available for a consult? I have several business related questions I would like to review.” Each day, without fail, people ask if they can hire me to help them with their problems… these are usually unique in nature ranging from “I want to liquidate and move somewhere” to
Today I found out first hand how much Chinese are looking to avoid taxes. I attended a conference today sponsored by the government of Labuan, Malaysia at the Grand Hyatt here in Shanghai. Labuan is Asia’s newest financial center, and the government there is heavily courting wealthy Chinese investors and businesses to migrate
In full disclosure, I am heavily biased. Hong Kong is one of my favorite cities in the world. Remember those ‘7 expat categories?‘ well, I am definitely a mix of several… maybe all. But Hong Kong ticks all the boxes for me, and always has– I’ve been coming here for years and love
I’ve explored Singapore in the past, but on this particular trip I really wanted to broaden my understanding of the country’s legal framework and financial infrastructure. With only 72-hours on the ground, I would have to work fast… so the trip was a whirlwind tour of bankers, lawyers, gold dealers, corporate secretaries, and
Two years ago, Jim Rogers sold his New York home, packed his bags, and left for Singapore. If you spend no more than three minutes on the ground here, you will see why. For the internationalist, Singapore is as close to ‘perfect’ as could possibly be imagined:
I’m writing today from an extraordinarily beautiful place… The infinity pool where I sit is perched atop an emerald-azul lagoon encased by rocky cliffs and pristine wildlife. It’s dusk. and it’s quiet. The word “paradise” would come to mind if I could stop absorbing the beauty long enough to form a complete thought.
Remember the 7 expat categories from last week? Well I have to say that Manila is paradise for a few of them… I come through here from time to time on business and it definitely ranks as one of my favorite places in Asia– cheap, modern, relatively clean, but still with a hint
With tax rates ranging from 5% to 35%, the Philippines can hardly be called a tax haven. And yet, in a very public “guilty until proven innocent” attack several months ago, the OECD black listed the Philippines along with Uruguay, Malaysia, and Costa Rica. The OECD is an aged, irrelevant organization comprised of
Maximizing the flexibility of your retirement account is an enormous untapped area of Low Hanging Fruit for US investors. In fact, this might be the single easiest thing you can do right now to grow your retirement assets while shielding them from the lost decade yet to come. With a properly structured, self
It normally takes me less than five minutes to pack, even for a three week trip. In this case, though, I’m having a tough time– too many climate zones in Asia, too many events. I need to cram SCUBA gear, beach clothes, professional attire, and formal wear all into one little suitcase… …
Sometimes I wake up and don’t know what continent I’m on. I’m serious. It last happened a week ago when I woke up in the very elegant Cosmo 100 hotel in downtown Bogota… I had to look around the room for clues and within 60 seconds finally realized that I was in Colombia.
I can barely type today… I’m actually one-handing it this morning. Why? Because my other hand is thrust victoriously in the air celebrating the renomination of Comrade Bernanke to his post at the Federal Reserve. Yes, the man who has overseen the most unprecedented expansion of the central bank’s balance sheet in history
I received quite a few interesting comments this week (many of which I kept private at the request of the sender). Remember, posting a comment to the site is the best way to reach me: I read all of them personally. Email goes to support staff. – SOLDIERS IN THE STREETS- Kelly asked
She works the graveyard shift at a Florida motel off Interstate 75… but she doesn’t seem to mind much. A rather buxom blond with more curves than hard angles, Stephanie would definitely be considered a “people’s person” and enjoys meeting so many out-of-towners. Friendly and outgoing, she’s also incredibly smart… which is probably
