I was in Wisconsin visiting a friend for the Thanksgiving holidays when she pulled out a bottle of O.P.I. nail polish called “Belize It or Not” out of her cosmetics bag. So cool. I couldn’t wait to use it and flaunt it ’bout dih place.

That was 10 years ago, and it wasn’t until just this past month that the “Belize” name popped up again somewhere unexpected.

This time — on a sizzling hot Beach Bunny. The high end women’s swimwear brand launched their new “Belize Beauty” bikini this year for their 2015 summer collection, and it’s already been spotted on a couple celebrities. (I know this because I follow their Instagram page. Don’t ask me why I like to torture myself watching slender women in bikinis.) Like O.P.I., Beach Bunny also gets a kick out of using the names of different destinations for their products. There’s Panama Animal, Damascus Seas, Montego Moment and Bahama Mama among other itty bitty scanty pieces. (I’ve got to tell you. Panama Animal is beating us as a bestseller this summer. Not cool.)

The names, however, just don’t come out of some marketing team’s imagination. Apparently Beach Bunny founder and former swimsuit model Angela Chittenden finds inspiration during her personal travels for her racy pieces, and she was quoted on the About Us page of her bikini empire saying she used the colors of a tree bark she saw during her visit here for the “Belize Beauty.”  And actually, the first time I ever heard of the brand was when Chittenden’s team visited the Placencia Peninsula along with Kate Upton to shoot their 2012 collection at Robert’s Grove Resort. On that same trip they also shot at Sanctuary Belize — a mysterious real estate development not too far away from the Peninsula.

Just last year the Bunnies were back again in Southern Belize shooting model Irina Shayk’s swimwear collaboration with Beach Bunny at Sanctuary Belize, as well model Chrissy Teigen’s bridal wear collaboration. Yeah. I think it’s safe to say Beach Bunny loves Belize and our gorgeous tropical backdrops.

But I’m not sure how much you can love Beach Bunny. The “Belize Beauty” in white, yellow or black can be yours for just US$275 or to bloat it up even more, that’s BZ$550. When I lose 30 pounds, I might consider treating myself to a “Belize Beauty” and skipping on my month’s rent. I kid, landlord, I kid!(But really, Angela, can you send one down to me please when I lose 30 pounds and begin looking something like Chrissy Teigen? I’ll pair it with my special O.P.I. color.)

Source: Jolie Pollard

#ILiveYouWhereYouEscape — that was the clever hashtag I saw on a friend’s post in my Facebook newsfeed commenting on a “Belize” mention in a recent episode of “Ray Donovan.” Billionaire Andrew Finney had just murdered Varick Strauss in a strange lover’s quarrel and as a part of the clean up under Donovan’s direction, it was decided that the public would learn that Strauss had stolen Finney’s money and escaped to Belize.

The hit Showtime series isn’t the first Hollywood production to use Belize as a getaway destination when things go awry. The highly successful “Breaking Bad” that aired on AMC, even got a carefully crafted PR response from the Belize Tourism Board when Saul, the sleazy attorney of Walter White, a chemistry professor-turned-meth dealer, suggested Belize as the place for White’s brother-in-law and local Drug Enforcement Agency official to be assassinated. The “send him to Belize” line in the 2013 episode, “Buried”,  became so popular that it has even secured its place in the Urban Dictionary as a “euphemism for “whacking” or “liquidating” a problematic individual or rival.”

But prior to my home country getting its notorious moments of glory in these Emmy-award winning American TV thrillers, Belize also got its seconds of fame on the big screen.

In the 2011 smash hit “Ocean’s 11,” Rusty Ryan played by Hollywood mega star Brad Pitt tells Danny Ocean played by George Clooney, “I’d never been to Belize.” Pitt rolled out the line just as he and Clooney left lunch with their wealthy friend and former casino owner Reuben Tishkoff who gave them some advice and caution with robbing Las Vegas casinos. Even though it just lasted for a blip, it immediately caught the attention of Belizean fans everywhere. Catch Pitt’s line two minutes into this fun clip.

And in what is my first recollection of Belize making it in a big Hollywood script, Christian Slater’s character Tom, an armoured truck guard in “Hard Rain (1998)” who tries to safeguard a few million dollars from robber Morgan Freeman, tells his nemesis as they battled in the well, hard rain, that if he were the bad guy and took a million dollars, he would escape to Belize. Slater even continues to give audiences a little education about Belize highlighting the two to one ratio of the Belize dollar to the U.S. dollar.

But aside from stretching a dollar for an American bad guy, Hollywood’s fixation with Belize could also be our country’s close proximity to the United States, English being a widely spoken language and our sparse and small population allowing bad guys some time to hide and create new identities or a good guy getting a hit without a hitch. One thing for certain, however, is that Breaking Bad has made Belize part of the American cultural lexicon, and you can be sure we’ll be popping up in more scripts continuing with this season of Ray Donovan.

Stay tuned.

Source: Jolie Pollard

Belize (and other South American countries like Panama and Nicaragua) is gaining recognition as excellent expatriation zones — a few thousand American citizens enjoy living in Belize, in addition to people from around the world who go for better quality of life.

It may be less known that Belize is gambling-friendly. This is not really apparent in the top tourism sites, or even Wikipedia’s material about countries with online gambling. This fact contributes to its desirability as a place to live because the country’s economy is strengthened by tax revenues from its licensing of online casinos. For some who like playing casino games, it is also a lifestyle-oriented draw.

Betting on Fun

Belize’s economy is based upon some key exports like sugar and bananas, as well as tourism. There are several world-class resort casinos, some with spa facilities. These properties happen to be some of the most upscale available in the nation. They are part of country’s income, as is revenue from the online casinos that it allows to operate.

The country has a progressive attitude towards its relationship with gambling entertainment, judging from the fact that its newest casinos (announced by press releases to open in 2014) offer full integration between land-based gaming and its online games available throughout the resort complex. The design of the casino — this is a first — facilitates and highlights access to the online gaming resources.

Investments in Belize

The nation is also a haven for all sorts of offshore businesses. This means that it is an economy, and a society, that seeks to maintain stability essential for the smooth operation of its foreign investors, which include the top brands and companies in the world. Individuals who retire in Belize or who simply seek to decrease their expenses and increase personal enjoyment of life are interested in the same stability as big corporations looking to do business, invest, build factories and units.

The fact that some of the newest online casino brands of the highest quality are choosing Belize for licensing and the operation of their gaming servers, with the associated customer service personnel, in a real sense verifies the country as politically and economically safe for investments. When a nation’s foreign investors are diverse it adds credence to its reputation for stable, business-friendly conditions.

Because Belize already has stakes in offering high-quality, fully regulated online gaming entertainment and services, it is poised to take full advantage of the boom in online gaming. The popularity of these games has skyrocketed since the introduction of many safe ways to play including PayPal casinos. The newest Web-powered financial tools that progressive casinos embrace make funding a player’s bankroll as easy and private as handing over money to the cashier at a land-based casino.

Top online casino guides including http://www.paypal-casinos.co/ are helping players find the best sites and games, many of which are made possible by Belizean laws toward gambling — a global extension of its tourism industry. Each country that hosts these games does it in their own way; Belize has a relatively quiet, discreet relationship with gambling and this undoubtedly is a plus for many who love the country.

After all, statistics say that most people play casino bonus, first of all for their own pleasure, and then for the sake of winning.

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Nobody wants to think about a marriage not working out before the ceremony even takes place. But one must consider the real possibility that all marriages are not a “together forever” bond. This is especially important if the individuals in the relationship have significantly high wealth or net worth individually. Often times this wealth comes, in large part, from the individual’s family fortune which is at risk should the marriage end in divorce.

You may be wondering why a regular prenup isn’t as good as an offshore trust since the legal agreement has long been used to protect assets acquired by individuals before entering into a marriage. But a prenuptial agreement has many drawbacks that can make it loose its validity in court.

Your prenup can lose validity in a legal battle if your spouse claims any of the following:

• the agreement was signed under duress;
• the agreement was unreasonable;
• there wasn’t full disclosure provided by the other spouse;
• he/she was not given independent legal counsel.

Any one of these claims can make a costly and lengthy divorce process which does no good for either party involved.

Additionally, assets protected in a prenuptial agreement may be protected against any legal action taken against you by your spouse; but the prenup does not protect you against government imposed appropriation. Should there be any legal action taken against you by any other person or entity, all your assets are at risk.

By moving your assets to a Belize offshore trust, the assets will then be guarded by the rules set out in the trust agreement and would only be disbursed to the beneficiary named in said agreement. Should there be any legal action taken against you in your home country, the assets in the offshore trust will remain unaffected as the trust is governed by the laws of the country it was established. Therefore, your local government would have no say over the administration of those assets once they were placed in the offshore trust before any legal proceedings began.

If you feel that an offshore trust in Belize would be beneficial to you, contact the Belize offshore financial experts at ICS.

Offshore trusts pack a big punch in a very simple legal agreement. Although there are similar agreements like wills or prenuptial agreements that can appoint a set beneficiary for certain assets, these agreements still carry many caveats that can make them null and void.

An offshore trust guarantees that there is no government intervention when the time comes to distribute your assets to your beneficiaries. When using an offshore trust in place of a will, your beneficiaries would not have to worry about any forced heirship laws interfering with what was left for them.

Unlike a prenup, offshore trusts are straight forward and leave no room for contest by your spouse in the event of a divorce. Because the offshore trust will be established by yourself for the benefit of a beneficiary, there is no way your spouse can challenge you for the assets in the trust once the trust is established before the marriage takes place. Since a prenup is an agreement between you and your spouse, there are many ways your spouse can challenge its validity, making your assets vulnerable in the event of a divorce.

If you think an offshore trust would be beneficial to you, don’t hesitate on consulting with an offshore trust provider since the time you choose to establish the trust can change the entire scope of the agreement.

These offshore financial services experts will not only help you to establish your offshore trust, but they’ll also be able to provide you with excellent trustee administration services that can offer added benefits. Belize trusts provide the settlor with preservation of wealth, asset protection, tax benefits, estate planning and confidentiality.

Continue reading to learn about some trustee administrative services that these offshore financial services providers offer.

Estate Planning

We had already mentioned the benefits of replacing the will with an offshore trust. But these offshore providers can also assist in ensuring that your assets are distributed efficiently throughout your loved ones so that the trust performs in accordance with your intentions.

As such, choosing an appropriate trustee is imperative when forming a trust. In the event of your passing, your friends and family members may be disoriented with grief causing them to become overwhelmed with the responsibility of handling your estate. The offshore financial provider that you establish the trust with can provide a corporate trustee that would ensure impartiality so that your intentions are fully carried out.

Estate Administration

In addition to helping you choose a corporate trustee, the offshore providers can also assist with estate administration tasks. These tasks include notifying the beneficiaries of the trust, collecting the assets, locate the trustee, probate assets, and distribute the assets.

Financial Planning

Moving away from estate planning, trustee administration services also include financial planning. This involves retirement planning, tax planning and education planning for your kids.

The offshore providers can assist you with various saving and investment options that are tax-efficient and cover long-term expenses.

Deciding to invest offshore is a crucial decision, but also, a smart one that many investors are turning to lately. By investing offshore, you’re affording yourself many financial benefits and security for your assets and personal information that would otherwise be privy to your government. These benefits include currency diversification, asset protection, less tax, wealth management, and increased privacy protection.

Making the decision that offshore investing is best for you is merely just the tip of the iceberg.  Next, you’ll need to determine which offshore jurisdiction and what financial service best suits your needs.

How do you choose the best offshore jurisdiction?

Offshore jurisdictions are also referred to as tax havens and provide a wealth of benefits to international investors. Here are some characteristics a good offshore jurisdiction should have.

• No taxation in place for offshore companies operating outside the offshore jurisdiction.
• The offshore company laws in the jurisdiction protect the company and shareholders.
• There is no obligation to present any annual financial statements or accounting records.
• Offshore banking is readily available.
• Banking secrecy laws are in place.

Offshore jurisdictions like Anguilla and Belize provide all these benefits. Both countries are tax havens with strict privacy laws to protect foreign investors. They have also become very modernized in its internet and international calling services which ensure that you have total access to your offshore financial institution from wherever you are, whenever you need to. Anguillan investors can enjoy instant and secure offshore company formation services with ACORN (Anguilla Commercial Online Registration Network), a state of the art company registration system.

After deciding upon a jurisdiction for your investment, you must select an offshore company formation that fits your situation best.

Which offshore company is better, the IBC or LLC?

Most offshore tax havens provide offshore investors with two types of companies – IBC (International Business Company) and LLC (Limited Liability Company). Both types of companies protect their members from any personal liability incurred from the debts of the entity by creating a layer of legal separation between the owners of the company and the company itself. But, there are still many notable differences between the two that give each company a distinctive edge depending on what your goals are.

IBC

The IBC or International Business Company is a tax-neutral offshore company that is formed under the laws of a jurisdiction. The IBC cannot conduct any business within the jurisdiction it was formed. Any profits earned by the IBC are free from any corporate taxes in the offshore jurisdiction.

IBC’s provide complete confidentiality for the owner of the company since no personal information of the owner is necessary to be publicly filed with the government. Instead, only the information for a registered agent is required. As a legal entity, IBCs are free to engage in different businesses and activities such as buying real estate.

IBCs are the most commonly used companies for offshore banking in order to conduct international trade and investment activities.

Here are some activities IBCs are free to conduct:

• Buying and selling goods and services;
• Hold bank accounts;
• Operate businesses;
• Ownership of real estate and intellectual property.

LLC

An LLC or Limited Liability Company is a hybrid between a partnership and a corporation. An LLC has the same flow-through characteristics of a partnership where all income of the company flows through to the owners or investors; but it is like a corporation since it is limited liability and the owners are not personally liable for any debts of the company.

An LLC doesn’t issue shares and is managed by its members. Unlike an IBC, an LLC isn’t limited to conducting business solely outside of the jurisdiction of which it was established. An LLC has no restrictions on where it can conduct business.

Because an LLC doesn’t issue shares, it distributes dividends to its members. The distribution of these dividends is set out in an operating agreement and is not directly related to the value of a member’s contribution.

If you’d like to further discuss how each of these companies can benefit you, or which offshore jurisdiction will suit you best, contact the offshore financial experts at ICS.

An offshore foundation is one of the major ways for savvy investors to get the ultimate tax benefits and privacy protection. There are popular offshore tax havens, like Belize, that provide unmatched tax benefits for international investors like no capital gains tax, no income taxes and other tax exemptions.

Here are the main benefits of establishing a Belize offshore Foundation.

Asset Protection

Ensuring that your assets are managed in the right manner is a big concern for many people. In order to avoid having any legal rulings imposed on your assets and risk losing the rights to them, investing the assets in an offshore foundation would ensure that you remain total control over their administration.

Tax Breaks

Offshore foundations in Belize provide a wide range of tax breaks that make them very desirable to investors. Some tax benefits Belize offers founders of offshore foundations are exemptions from any income tax, business tax, withholding tax, asset tax, gift tax, profits tax, capital gains tax, distributions tax, inheritance tax, estate duty tax, and stamp duties.

Inheritance Planning

This is probably the first reason that comes to mind for establishing an offshore foundation. Offshore foundations are the ideal way to set money aside for your children after you’ve passed without having them accrue any of the taxes listed above. Also, by placing assets for your heirs in an offshore foundation, you get the security of knowing that your assets are totally protected and will only benefit the beneficiary listed in the bylaws.

Retirement Program

Many large corporations use offshore foundations as a vehicle for their employees’ pension schemes. By utilizing the offshore foundation for this purpose, employees are ensured that their funds are secure and can be easily disbursed via the rules in the foundation’s bylaws. Because the pensions’ funds will be placed in the offshore foundation, employees will receive a higher interest rate on the money since it is not taxable.