The World's Top Tax Havens

The World's Top Tax Havens
When it comes to top tax havens, Panama and Switzerland are
the favorite offshore jurisdictions of investors. For many
years, investors viewed Switzerland as the go-to place when
desiring to place money in an offshore account. Panama has
joined Switzerland in these ranks and now the two are the
most sought after jurisdictions for investors world wide.

Both countries offer a high level of security for both your
financial and personal information, though in recent years,
Panama has come to offer a higher level of security and
anonymity. When opening a bank account in Switzerland, one
must now provide such information as a social security
number, whereas in Panama this information is not required.

Due to the high pressure from other countries, and tax
treaties with certain countries, Switzerland has undergone
changes in its banking policies and security laws. Panama
however, does not have tax treaties with other countries
(except in a limited capacity with the US) and operates
independently, so it is able to uphold the laws that it has
in place.

This should not deter you from choosing to bank in
Switzerland though. Compared to the other offshore
jurisdictions that you have to choose from, both Panama and
Switzerland are still the best offshore companies for tax
breaks. Most Swiss banks are long standing, well
established facilities that provide a measure of protection
for investors if for no other reason than the fact that
they have a long business history of providing safe
banking. With so many offshore scams popping up and
stealing money from investors, the many people feel secure
using Swiss banks because of the long history they provide.

Though Panamanian banks do not have as long of a history as
the Swiss, many people are so impressed with their level of
bank secrecy laws and practices that they are willing to
take a chance and invest their money in Panama instead. For
those that are highly concerned about their tax information
being exchanged with other agencies or authorities, Panama
banks can provide the level of protection and anonymity
that they are looking for.

Panamanian banks do provide a higher level of asset
protection, if only for the fact that they operate without
any tax treaties from other countries and will not release
an individual's information. The only case of bank secrecy
being lifted in Panama is in the case of a severe criminal
investigation, and even then the agency looking to lift the
secrecy will have to make a strong case and go through the
proper channels including the Panama court system.

There are of course many other countries and jurisdictions
available for you to establish an offshore banking account
or an offshore incorporation. While many of these countries
are also viewed as tax havens and top choices for
investment, if you are looking for the best you should
consider placing your investment into a facility that is
located in a Switzerland or Panamanian jurisdiction. That
way, you can rest assured that your money is in an
established facility that will offer you the protection
that your assets need.

----------------------------------------------------
For more information about reducing your taxes through
offshore techniques please visit:
http://www.offshorelegal.org/

I have no credit scores ' How do I establish credit scores?

I have no credit scores ' How do I establish credit scores?
If you have no credit scores due to being new to the credit
arena or you have just been a cash person all your life
there is hope for you. There is one sure way to get the
credit score calculated in about 4 to 5 months. In this
article I will talk about how to establish good credit
scores for a healthy credit report.

Secured Credit Cards
A lot of people don't know this but secured credit cards
are the quickest way to establish credit. The reason for
this is you give the bank money to secure credit that
reports to all 3 credit bureaus. Typically you need about
two cards to get the ball rolling. After 4 to 5 months of
reporting "bam" you have credit scores. Typically creditors
like to see 3 lines of credit reporting for a minimum of 12
months with good payment history. With this type of
activity on your credit report, reporting to Experian,
TransUnions and Equifax is one of the recipes for success.
You will not achieve credit scores if you can not get
someone to extend credit to you. That is the secret behind
applying for a secured credit card to start the road to
establishing this wonderful three digit life altering
number.

Buy a house
Once you have about 12 months of rental history, with
paying your utilities, and your secured credit cards
on-time you will be able to buy a house. Of course you need
to qualify for a loan with your current income. Getting a
house is not as hard as one might think. If you have a two
year work history and have 3 lines of credit like I
mentioned earlier you can buy a home. Typically the type of
loan you will qualify for is FHA. This is a great first
time buyers program. Buying a house will help you get a mix
of credit reporting on your credit report. This is around
10% of your overall score. When creditors extend credit to
you they like to see that you own a home as opposed to
renting.

Keep Credit Card Balances low.
Once you have got secured credit cards reporting on your
credit report make sure you keep the balances below 30% of
a your secure credit amount.
Example:
Secured Amount: $300.00
Balance at 30%: $90.00

This will keep your scores where they need to be once you
establish them. After about 6 to 12 months you can request
a limit increase. This is another sure way to increase your
credit scores.

Get a car loan.
Getting a car is actually easier than getting just about
any other credit. There are all types of lenders out there
willing to loan you money on a car loan. You might try
getting a loan for a car to establish credit as well. Most
car lenders report the note to all 3 credit bureaus. This
is another way to get your scores rolling as well. Make
sure it's not some small tote the note establishment that
does not report to the bureaus. Make sure the loan is
reported to all 3 credit bureaus.

Conclusion: If you follow this advice you will be well in
your way to establishing your credit scores. If you are
unsure if you have scores get a copy of your free credit
score report today.

----------------------------------------------------
About the Author: Mike Clover is the owner of
http://www.creditscorequick.com/ . CreditScoreQuick.com is
the one of the most unique on-line resources for free
credit score report, fico score, Internet identity theft
software, secure credit cards, and a BlOG with a wealth of
personal credit information. The information within this
website is written by professionals that know about credit,
and what determines ones credit worthiness.

UK Cash Habits Revealed

UK Cash Habits Revealed
Cash transactions now account for only 29 per cent of all
spending that takes place around the UK, according to a new
report assessing the way the nation pays.

The typical Briton carries close to 33 pounds on his or her
person at any given time but almost half of all consumers
now only withdraw cash on a weekly basis, figures from the
Motley Fool have demonstrated.

Relatively few people now carry large sums of cash around
with them and one in six of those polled recently by the
financial comparison firm said they only kept enough money
on their person to address emergency financial situations.

However, with increased spending seeming to take place
using plastic cards, it could be that people are accruing
higher levels of debt when out on shopping sprees.

British men tend to carry more cash around with them than
their female counterparts and the amounts that people keep
in their pockets tend to increase with age, while elderly
consumers are among those most likely to visit a cashier
rather than a cashpoint to access their assets.

Generally, UK consumers are becoming more comfortable with
using their debit and credit cards as a way of spending,
with the former becoming particularly prevalent. Those who
find that spending on a number of credit cards has left
them with unmanageable repayments to make might like to
consider loans as a means of improving their financial
position. Millions of Britons now use credit card debt to
fund their lifestyles and in many cases this can lead to
serious financial problems and the need for debt
consolidation.

In fact, the Motley Fool's research has shown that a third
of all consumers around the country now use their credit
card to fund their everyday activities and to cover their
ordinary living expenses, which for many will result in
debt troubles in the long run. While many people use
plastic to spend in a manageable fashion, those who find
themselves in difficulties might take on a debt
consolidation loan in order to become free of the arrears
they racked up through irresponsible use of credit cards.

David Kuo, head of personal finance at the Motley Fool,
commented: "Plastic can be fantastic but relying on money
we can't see is a reflection of how easy it has been to
rely on credit in recent years.

"But since you are not paying in cash, it is all the more
reason to take care as credit becomes more difficult to
obtain."

And while many Britons choose to take out a loan in order
to deal with their debt problems, Mr Kuo is keen to see
more people contribute to a savings account in order to
avoid these kinds of issues and the need for such action.

Meanwhile, research conducted recently on behalf of Abbey
Insurance showed that around 48 per cent of consumers in
the UK are worried about their personal finances in light
of the problems affecting the economic climate. And recent
observations from another financial commentator have
suggested that people should increase the amount of time
spent addressing financial pressures. Moneyfacts has said
that, in the wake of recent months' overspending, many
consumers would be well advised to look for the most cost
effective borrowing products to minimise the financial
impact of their debts.

----------------------------------------------------
Abbi Rouse writes for AllAboutLoans.co.uk, a personal loans
comparison site, visit us today for information on all loan
topics including secured UK loans applications and cheap
loans from all leading UK providers. Our Site:
http://www.allaboutloans.co.uk