The Nestmann Group keeps you up to date on important trends, developments and risks that may affect you. Here’s what’s new…
On March 8, Silvergate Capital, a major lender to the cryptocurrency industry, announced that it would shut down. Silvergate had only around $11 billion in assets, so it was a relatively small bank. Failed cryptocurrency exchange FTX was one of Silvergate’s largest customers.
Shift in US Policy: Caribbean CBI Programs Legit After nearly ten years of criticizing the citizenship by investment (CBI) programs of five Caribbean nations, the US government has finally acknowledged…
We've long suggested that one of the key strategies you can use to gain resilience over your financial future is offshore diversification. Thanks to laws like the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), it’s not as easy for Americans to invest offshore as it used to be. But there are still many options available.
The first nationwide pension program arrived in the United States in 1935, when the Social Security Act came into effect. Full benefits started at age 65. The act was later…
Before discussing deglobalization, let’s first understand what globalization is, its significance, and how it has shaped the world economy.
In 1991, a dozen European countries signed the Treaty on European Union, also known as the Maastricht Treaty. Among other provisions, the treaty called for a single European currency: the euro.
The Equifax Breach In May 2017, credit bureau giant Equifax had virtually its entire database of consumer credit reports stolen by hackers – more than 148 million in all. The attack…
We periodically read missives to the effect that "the dollar is doomed." And we have been reading them for many years.
Investment migration services, including residency by investment (RBI) and citizenship by investment (CBI), have surged in recent years, creating a thriving $25 billion annual market.
In July 2022, we learned that West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin had signed on to a slimmed-down version of President Biden’s "Build Back Better" Plan (BBBP). This updated proposal, now known as the "Inflation Reduction Act of 2022," has sparked widespread debate and analysis.
From $21 Trillion to $94.7 Trillion: The Pentagon's Escalating Financial Discrepancies Back in 2019, we poked fun at the Department of Defense (DOD) for, as we put it, "losing $21…
As financial markets worldwide teeter on the edge, the stories of individual investors facing monumental losses serve as a stark reminder of the fragility of our economic systems. The financial downturn of 2022, punctuated by the collapse of Archegos Capital Management, is a case study in the vulnerabilities lurking beneath a seemingly stable economy.
In May 2022, we welcomed the news that the Brennan Center for Justice had published a batch of formerly secret government documents dating back to the 1950s. These files relate to Presidential Emergency Action Documents (PEADs)—secret plans drafted to ensure "Continuity of Government" (COG) in the aftermath of a nuclear war and, later, in other emergency conditions.
Earlier in April 2022, the Labor Department announced yet another month of inflation worse than at any time since the 1980s. The March Consumer Price Index (CPI) showed inflation increasing at an annual rate of 8.5%, up from 7.9% in February.
Electronic Surveillance and the Loss of Privacy Electronic surveillance has matured to the point where a camera the size of a pinhead and an equally miniaturized microphone can provide both…
It’s surprisingly easy to make money by participating in one of the many paid informant programs run by various US government agencies. But before you jump in, it's crucial to understand the…
The IRS’s Digital Transformation Earlier in 2022, I received an invitation to attend a lecture with the mind-numbing title, "The Transformation of Tax & Customs Law into the Digital World of…
In the early 1990s, former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan reportedly said something to the effect that when inflation rises, "you’ll switch to something cheaper—more hamburger will show up in your meals than steak."
On February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin shocked the world by invading Ukraine. While the situation remained fluid at that time, there were critical lessons to be learned from Putin’s actions—lessons that Western politicians and mainstream media may not have shared with you.
What if the government could freeze your bank account tomorrow, simply because it didn’t agree with your actions? Unfortunately, this is no longer a hypothetical scenario—this is exactly what happened in Canada in 2022. But to understand how we got here, we need to look at the evolution of money.
15 months ago, pundits were predicting that bitcoin had matured into its own separate asset class from stocks, bonds, and other traditional investments.
Facing the Reality: Challenges Ahead for Social Security and Medicare In 2019, only 24% of Americans were confident that Social Security would be able to pay the same benefits in five years…
The Unique Tax Status of US Territories One of the American tax system's many oddities is the way the country deals with US territories like Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands,…
We first warned readers of the dangers of ransomware in 2007, comparing it to the kidnapping of your data. Today, ransomware isn’t just a tech problem—it’s a direct threat to your financial security and personal privacy. As part of a broader strategy for wealth protection, it’s crucial to understand how ransomware can be used to extort, disrupt, and destroy your most valuable digital assets.
When I first started working with Mark Nestmann in 2013, he handed me a big box and said, "Maybe you can use these…"
In early December 2021, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) announced that the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) rose 0.8% in November from October. This is an annualized increase of 9.6%. Over the last 12 months, inflation has risen 6.8%—the largest 12-month increase since 1982.
In today’s digital age, simply going about your daily activities could inadvertently make you a target for government surveillance. This could even lead to legal action. We periodically remind our American readers that by simply going about their daily lives, they are likely committing multiple crimes. As we pointed out last month, for instance, you could be imprisoned for walking your dog on federal property without a leash or with too long a leash. Indeed, as attorney Harvey Silvergate has pointed out, the average American likely commits several felonies each day, often without knowing it.
Every year, the US government enforces a vast and complex network of sanctions, aimed at curbing activities that threaten national security, foreign policy, or the economy. These sanctions are designed to target individuals and entities involved in illicit activities.
We all understand that we could be punished for engaging in inherently wrongful conduct—crimes like murder, robbery, rape, etc. But the law now criminalizes entire categories of activities that you might never dream are illegal.
In October 2021, another massive data leak emerged, continuing a now-familiar pattern. This led the mainstream media to once again criticize offshore financial centers and the so-called "enablers" that support them.