A Personal Invitation…

At a lavishly restored, 800-year-old castle set on a private island in southern Ireland, I've reserved and paid for the 15 exquisite guest rooms… to accommodate a small group of us for five days this December.

I'd like to invite you to join me there…

Dear International Living Reader,

With stories such as these—it's best to start at the beginning…

"I'm going into exile," a close friend confided a few weeks back at a cocktail party.

I couldn't believe he'd found himself in this position—and neither could he.

"Laura and the children are staying in Paris, and I'm leaving for London later this week. According to the attorneys, I don't dare come back until they've sorted out the mess… could take the better part of a year. I've made the boys promise they'll take the Eurostar over to see me once a month…"

This American gentleman has been living with his family in France for more than a decade. They have a chateau they've renovated in the countryside and an apartment where they live in Paris. He owns a very successful business there (indeed, businesses around the world). He's a savvy guy. The kind of guy this sort of thing shouldn't happen to.

Yet early on, it turns out, he got some bad advice. And as a result, made some critical mistakes in regards to his residency and tax situation.

Now, the consequences were monumental. He's had to completely up-end his life.

Eventually, no doubt, it will all be resolved (though not without inconvenience and considerable expense).

That's why I'm writing to you today.

It's doubtful you'll find yourself in the same situation as my friend did. Each of our situations is unique… with its own set of risks and solutions.

But it's why I'm traveling to Waterford shortly. And why I've arranged accommodation for fifteen couples to join me at a private castle, which I've reserved in its entirety.

Assembling there—flying in, literally, from points around the globe, Abu Dhabi, Mexico, Nicaragua, France, England, the States, and beyond—will be a handful of the world's "ivy league" advisors in matters of tax, residency, wealth protection, international investment, and overseas living.

And they're coming to meet one-on-one with a very small circle of discrete individuals. You could be one of them.

It's a chance for you to hash out with them, in private, a plan tailored for your individual situation. A plan that will ensure your international lifestyle is safe… your wealth is secure for generations to come… and you're positioned to take best advantage of your international lifestyle.

As you know, countless resources exist to help you manage your international affairs. But to sort through them all can be incredibly time consuming… and they often  produce as many questions as they answer.

On the other end of the spectrum, you have the option of hiring experts—but first you have to identify the right ones. You need a tax specialist, somebody who knows real estate in the various jurisdictions of interest to you, attorneys in each country, and so on.

And then you face the task of managing all of them… and getting them to talk to one another.

It very quickly becomes expensive—hundreds of dollars an hour. You can't ever be sure they're not working at cross-purposes. And there's always the worry that something will "fall through a crack."  Something that could cause you a lot of trouble later on.

This December, I'd like to offer you the perfect solution. It's a way to spread the cost of top-level advisors across 15 couples. World-renowned experts you'd have a hard time engaging on your own.

In other words, you're guaranteed cohesive, top-notch advice. But you're not personally paying to fly all these people in to meet with you alone. And because these meetings are limited to 15 couples over five days, you're guaranteed personal attention and plenty of time to get answers to your own individual questions.

Plus, you're likely to gain immeasurably from the experiences of the other people present. Sure, their specific goals will be unique to them. But like you, they are seeking to ease their situations.

They want to be sure they're positioned to take advantage of profit opportunities overseas when they see them. They want to ensure that their wealth is well-protected. That they aren't overlooking anything. My point is: you'll find yourself among like-minded folks.

I can assure you, you've never received an invitation like this before. And I've never extended one.

This may be the only time we'll bring these experts together under one roof. (It's nearly impossible for this many busy, high-powered people to get their schedules to mesh.)

Now, you may be content with your international affairs. Things may be flowing smoothly. But the truth is, this meeting may be even more important than you think. How can I say this?

I'm speaking from experience…

Revelations of a Die-Hard
International Investor and Traveler

You know, part of the problem in all of this "international living"—a big part, I think—is that most folks come upon it piecemeal. I know we have in my family. You don't set out, in a very tidy and methodical way, to "internationalize" yourself.

It just happens.

First you buy a little house in one place where you plan to spend a month or two a year. And then you open a trust someplace else. And then you hear about some land in yet another jurisdiction that seems too good to pass up.

And the next thing you know, it's complicated. You're spending way more time than you want to (or need to) attending to this "administration" of your life.

You know Joe your accountant back home isn't up to the task of sorting it all out. And so you're at a loss for where to turn or whom to trust.

You need somebody who will make sure you're not just getting answers to your questions—but that you're asking the right questions to begin with. And really, you probably need more than one "somebody."

Life gets overwhelmingly complicated if you have interests overseas. And things can go wrong.

When we first moved to Ireland from the U.S., we did so with the understanding that we'd be able to get our Irish passports within a certain number of years. (We'd come to Ireland under a business-incentive program.)

Our eight-year-old son was born in Ireland, so his legal papers are all in order. But my husband and I find ourselves, today, in a limbo of sorts. The passports we should have had years ago haven't materialized (despite untold attempts to ferry the paperwork through, each guided by an attorney through one government office or another). 

And all the while, with our various visas in hand, we worry that we'll trip over ourselves in some way. We worry we'll make some unforgivable bureaucratic gaff that will render it impossible to ever get Irish citizenship.

And that would have a rippling impact on our long-term residency plans, our investment holdings, our tax situation, and more…

In other words, things could unravel at any time.

Maybe, like us, you own real estate in several countries… maybe you have other assets or holdings in different jurisdictions… maybe you've got bank accounts, foreign corporations, trusts, and investments…

If you do… you've also got headaches and hassles.

You've got tax liabilities you want to mitigate, estate-planning questions you need to resolve.

Where should you keep your money… how do you ensure you can protect and preserve it? How do you make sure your family gets it when you're gone… and not the State?

Plus, there are all the questions associated with how to manage your money—and your life—day to day. Reporting, filing, structuring… in what jurisdictions are you liable for what taxes, and based on what income? 

If you're like most people, eventually you'll come to the same conclusion I have:  "We need help. We need to simplify. We need to be sure we have a cohesive plan. And we need to be sure we're protected."

And you're right. You do.  That's what I'm offering you a rare opportunity to do here…

A Rare Chance to Eliminate
Your Worries Altogether

What if, over the course of just five days—five days spent in luxury and comfort—you could "get your house in order"?

What if you could immediately breathe easier, sleep better, and be confident that you're maximizing the benefits available to you? What if you could be sure you're adequately protecting your wealth for generations to come, and investing for pleasure and profit in the destinations around the world that make the most sense for you and your family?

Imagine, one week's retreat… and you come away positioned confidently for a lifetime of profits… and peace of mind.

That's precisely what I've envisioned for this December…

Here's My Invitation to You

As editor and publisher of International Living, I've been in the fortunate position of getting to know and work with some of the world's premier authorities in matters of tax, residency, wealth protection, international investment, and overseas living.

These are internationally regarded experts who I myself trust. And I've personally invited them to meet me—and 15 International Living couples—in Ireland at Waterford Castle, from December 1-5, 2007 for an intimate and private retreat.

While you certainly could get in touch with any number of these experts on your own and engage their services, it would cost you tens of thousands of dollars to meet with them in private.

But given my position at International Living, I've been able to prevail upon them to clear their schedules, pack their bags, and fly to Ireland in early December for what I have assured them will prove an enjoyable, pampered… and extremely productive week.

I'd like to invite you to take advantage of my connections and join us there as well. We're calling this special retreat our Global Wealth and Wisdom Summit. I must stress: this is not one of our standard-issue conferences. We won't be handing out name badges and speakers won't be lining up to talk at a podium.

This is, quite simply, a private gathering of experts who will be on hand to meet with a small circle of readers, one-on-one, to help them arrange their international affairs to best advantage and immediately lighten the burden of administering them.

Join Me on a Private Island in Ireland…

I'll introduce you in a moment to the experts we'll have in residence for our week's retreat. But first, let me tell you a little more about where we'll be meeting…

We've reserved Waterford Castle for our own exclusive use.

You'll find it an appropriately luxurious accommodation, an ivy-covered fortification set on its own private island, accessible by ferry, a short ride across the Kings Channel from the quays of Waterford City in the deep green south of Ireland.

Between private sessions, you're invited to play a round of golf on the property's course or enjoy a spa treatment. It's on us. Or perhaps you'd prefer clay pigeon shooting or archery or a ride on horseback. You can use any of the castle facilities -- our treat.

Here at Waterford Castle, behind studded oak doors that have kept 800 years of history… amid original tapestries and Jacobean-style antiques… we'll enjoy cocktails together, fine meals, and good conversation in the company of folks who share your interests.

We'll take care of every detail. Rest assured you'll be pampered in one of Europe's finest boutique resorts. Your every comfort is our concern.

And, of course, secure inside wood-paneled rooms with warm fires blazing, we'll help you find solutions that are tailored to your own situation.

As I've discovered over the years, one of the most difficult things about administering an international lifestyle is finding advisors who are truly trustworthy. You need people who possess a deep enough understanding of the issues (both pitfalls and advantages) that you can trust them to give you sound advice that takes into account a global outlook.

Naturally, those are the attributes you can expect in the experts you'll meet in Ireland.

Gain Entrée into a Global Family of
"Ivy League" Experts You Can Trust

We have gathered what I think of as the "ivy league" of advisors. And that means you benefit not only from their acknowledged expertise, but from that of their extended network of colleagues around the globe, as well.

I can assure you, you'll find this an invaluable advantage. For instance, if one doesn't know the answer to a question about a particular jurisdiction, you can be sure he'll know who he can trust to ask.

The experts I've hand-picked to join us for this exclusive, private retreat are precisely the experts you need. Among them are…

Richard Leonard, who will be flying in from Abu Dhabi. He is the author of The Expatriate's Tax Bible, which is a complete guide to U.S. and foreign taxes for the American abroad. This December, he'll be with us to help you better understand the tax issues you need to be most aware of. He'll show you how you can best navigate U.S. tax regulations so you're staying within the law but minimizing your obligations.

Richard worked for 28 years as an IRS agent, concentrating primarily on international issues in France, Canada, and Senegal. Today he specializes in providing tax services to American citizens and residents working overseas and to small firms doing business in the United States and abroad. You could not find a person with a more global outlook or a better understanding of how to stay on the right side of the law.

Our legal counsel here at International Living, Robert E. Bauman, will be joining us as well. He is a former Member of the United States House of Representatives from Maryland. Today he edits The Sovereign Society Offshore A-Letter and is author of The Complete Guide to Offshore Residency, Dual Citizenship and Second Passports.

He'll be on hand at the castle to offer you advice about what will make the most sense for you in terms of residency, citizenship, and domicile.

With him in your corner, you can be sure you're asking the right questions and taking the right precautions. He'll help ensure you're maximizing the opportunities available to you to protect your privacy and your wealth for generations to come.

Larry Grossman will be with us, too. Larry is one of only about 1,500 Certified Investment Management Analysts in the United States. He was one of the first financial advisors to develop a compliant method for helping clients take their IRAs and pension plans offshore. You've probably read articles he's written in International Living. He's a forward-thinking gentleman. And he's exactly the sort of advisor you need.

In Ireland, he'll introduce you to the financial structures that will make the most sense for you.  And he'll help you to integrate them into your overall management plan. That way you can be simplifying your life while you're maximizing your asset-protection and profit opportunities internationally.

I'm pleased that Bill Bonner will be on hand with us for the first evening of our retreat. Bill, as you probably know, is President of Agora Publishing, founding publisher of International Living, and father of The Daily Reckoning.

Over a gourmet dinner, he'll share his own story and talk about the choices he's made over the past 25 years in living and investing in destinations from Europe to South America. You're sure to find in his experiences both cautions and inspiration.

Naturally, I'll be at Waterford Castle, too. My name is Kathie Peddicord, and I've been the editor and publisher of International Living for more than 21 years. I've traveled to more than 40 countries, started businesses in 6, and owned property in 13.

We'll have a chance to sit down and discuss the destinations around the world that can best meet your "lifestyle" needs. I mean places that don't just provide some "administration" benefit… but where, too, you'll enjoy the day-to-day living, the culture, the natural beauty, and the quality of life.

I won't be coming alone. My husband, Lief Simon, will be joining me as well. He's the founding editor of Global Real Estate Investor. Lief travels most of the year. He's constantly in search of real estate opportunities that provide diversification or asset protection or both.

This December, he'll talk to you about where the next smart buys are. And he'll chat, too, about the smartest ways to diversify your real estate holdings.

You're sure to enjoy the good company (and lively stories) from our Latin America experts, Suzan Haskins and Dan Prescher. For nearly four years now, they have been exploring and researching lifestyle and investment opportunities in Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Mexico.

At Waterford Castle, they'll talk to you about how they, personally, have gone about reinventing themselves overseas. They'll share their experiences (and hard-won advice) about living, retiring, and investing as an American expatriate. I guarantee that in ten minutes with them you can save yourself ten months worth of frustration. They're savvy… and they're incredibly generous when it comes to sharing their own experiences.

Plus we've invited several other experts as well. A few RSVPs are still out—folks trying to rearrange their schedules so they'll be available to join us. I dare not mention their names until I have a final confirmation from them. Rest assured, we've invited only highly knowledgeable, well-respected, and trustworthy experts we know and work with ourselves.

Don't Underestimate
the Importance of Sound Advice

When you default to a piecemeal approach to managing your international affairs (as most folks, understandably, do) you leave yourself vulnerable to troubles you can't even predict. Need I remind you about my friend whose attorneys have ordered his exile to London?

That's why this retreat is so important. It provides you the perfect solution—a tidy, expedient way to eliminate that nagging worry about your own international holdings.

A way to quickly "clean up" your affairs. Even if you've got just one toe tentatively in international waters… this is a way to ensure that, when you take the full plunge, you can be confident that you're doing so the "right" way.

Over one positively enjoyable week spent at a luxurious castle retreat, you and your spouse can work with our experts to create a tailored and cohesive international strategy that will ensure you sleep well at night.

You'll know that your wealth is safe. And you can be sure that you'll be smartly positioned to take advantage of the best opportunities as they come your way.

Quality expert advice pays for itself many times over.

Recently I was chatting with one of the advisors who will be with us at the castle. He told me about a client of his, Tom.

When Tom's wife, a Foreign Service Officer, was assigned overseas, he planned to launch a computer-programming business. He'd be freelance, essentially. A CPA had told him that his business income would not qualify for a tax-exemption based on the foreign earned income exclusion.

But our savvy advisor was able to help him set up an offshore company. That allowed him to avoid U.S. Social Security taxes on the salary he drew over the five years he lived overseas. In that time, Tom saved $30,000 in taxes that he'd have had to pay as a self-employed individual or an employee of a U.S. company.

Sure, it cost him about $5,000 to maintain the offshore company over the five years. But Tom's net savings was $25,000. That's precisely the kind of result good advice can produce for you.

Small Gatherings and Impromptu Meetings

During our week's retreat, in addition to private one-on-one sessions you'll have with the experts on hand, we'll also host a few small gatherings.

These won't be formal meetings or anything like that. And, in fact, the details of these gatherings are up to you. They'll be tailored to your specific needs, your specific situations, and the best solutions for them.

The idea is simple: You'll take full advantage of the international experts and have them teach you things that you'll find helpful—no matter what your individual concerns and situation may be.

These small gatherings will be somewhat informal. They're a time when you might sit with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine in a comfortable leather chair and listen in as one of the experts shares a lesson or a caution or some hard-won insight. Something most folks will never have the benefit of learning.

This is another way to ensure you're on solid footing. You'll have a better sense for the types of questions you should be asking, advantages you should be vying for, and pitfalls you should do your best to avoid. 

For instance, we'll likely focus on residency, citizenship, domicile, and taxes… why certain jurisdictions make more sense than others… what your U.S. tax obligation is and how to minimize it… ways you can take best advantage of the "system" by splitting your time among various destinations… and more.

And I imagine we'll focus, too, on what I think of as "life questions." I know well that it's not easy to figure out the right place (or places) to go in the world. And sometimes the place you thought you'd love turns out to be not-quite-right. We'll talk about what our top-choice destinations at International Living have to recommend them in terms of quality of life, cost of living, and ease of living, too.

Sure, we'll be gathered at Waterford Castle to help you make sense of the "administrivia" of your international life…

But if part of your international dream is to spend all or some of each year overseas, then you already know: You don't just move someplace for the tax benefits. That might come into play, sure. But you also move because you want to spend time there.

It's all about trade-offs. We'll help you put into words what's most important to you and then help you identify the destinations around the world that are most worth your time and attention, given your individual wants and needs.

And, too, I suspect we'll devote at least one of these informal sessions to a discussion of what sort of real estate investment portfolio you should have. Buying real estate overseas is only part of the issue. It's critically important when it comes to asset protection and to diversifying your portfolio outside of stocks.

But just as important is what kind of real estate you own—a rental condo, raw land, a villa—and where you have these properties. Our experts have learned the ins-and-outs of this stuff the hard way. And this December, if you're among our guests, you can learn from both our successes and our mistakes.

An Unusual and Valuable Opportunity

This will be an informal and intimate week. A week when you'll have a chance to chat with not only our gathered experts in your private meetings with them, but also informally over cocktails and at dinner or lunch.

And it's a chance to meet and talk with a select group of like-minded people who have chosen, as you have, to retreat in luxury and comfort and get their "international lives" in order.

I think it's fair to say you'll come away feeling a burden lifted, feeling confident you've gotten sound advice, and feeling relaxed and well-rested, too.  

I should make clear that we're looking for certain qualities in the people who choose to participate. And I would caution you carefully to consider whether this retreat is, indeed, right for you.

It's designed for somebody who has a certain international presence already—however small—but who would like to take more (and better) advantage of the opportunities available around the world for profit, savings, wealth protection, international living, and more…

This is for somebody who isn't looking for reams of information—but, instead, for personalized, tailored solutions to fit their own wants and needs.

Naturally, it's for somebody who is ready to take immediate action. Somebody ready to eliminate—in just five days—the anxiety and uncertainty they associate with managing their international affairs.

It's for somebody ready to feel confident their international investments and holdings are working well for them, not leaving them exposed in any way. Somebody ready to trade the nagging anxiety for the joys and freedom of an international life.

What's the cost of attending our private gathering in Ireland? Before I get to the details, you must understand one important thing…

How to Know if This
Private Retreat is Right for You

This opportunity isn't meant for everyone.

We're not looking for hundreds of participants. In fact, we can accommodate no more than 15 couples at the castle.

And so we're really looking only for serious, internationally-minded people who understand the valuable benefit of an investment in a transformative five days. Five days that will allow you to position yourself confidently for a lifetime of profits… and peace of mind.

Remember, the benefits you'll gain from this week's retreat could save you tens of thousands of dollars… and untold months (even years) of worry. 

It can position you handily for profits you wouldn't otherwise find. And it can relieve, instantly, the specter of uncertainty that so often comes along with international investments made piecemeal.

You bring your concerns, your worries, and your goals. In one convenient place, over one truly enjoyable week, you'll work closely with our world-renowned experts. It's  a chance to set your mind at ease and ensure your financial house is in order. A chance to  plot a path that will position you for an international lifestyle you can enjoy, profit from, and pass along to your heirs.

Now I have to make something clear: I won't be giving you any personalized investment advice. Nor will any of the experts gathered at this retreat. None of them are licensed brokers, and their fields of expertise lie outside that sphere of knowledge.

Their only mission is to help you in their specific areas of expertise. To help you make your own decisions based on full understanding of all the opportunities available to you.

Please understand, too, that it's not only the private consultations and impromptu sessions, which are included. It's everything else, as well. You can rest assured you'll be well attended to in every way while you're with us.

As I mentioned, this gathering is only available to our most discerning members. And I can assure you… you'll be treated, catered to, and pampered accordingly.

Whether you choose to fly into Dublin Airport or Shannon Airport in Ireland, we'll send a chauffer for you and deliver you directly to Waterford Castle.

Naturally, your overnight stays are included. And throughout the retreat, we'll enjoy full Irish breakfasts, and excellent lunches and dinners prepared with fresh, local ingredients by award-winning chefs.

And, certainly, we'll savor it all in good company and in warm, oak paneled rooms with fires crackling.

You're welcome to take advantage of the Castle's recreational offerings between private sessions. Play a round of golf, enjoy a spa treatment, go for a ride on horseback. It's on us.

And we have in the works, as well, a cocktail reception at our local International Living offices, a tour of the Waterford Crystal factory, a shopping excursion, and several other extras, too, we hope you will enjoy, with our compliments.
                             
You can expect nothing but white-glove service this week.

In fact, at Waterford Castle itself, many of the staff are second-generation, following in the time-honored service of their forebears. So you can be certain you will be pampered and the staff will be discreet.

We've also arranged for a special concierge to be at your service throughout the retreat—this is not somebody who works at the Castle but, rather, for us.

Should you need anything faxed, have any special requests, or if there's anything at all we can do to help make this retreat more comfortable or productive for you, please do not hesitate to ask.

Finally, there is the matter of the fee. It's not inexpensive. To participate in this private retreat, our Global Wealth and Wisdom Summit, the fee is $14,990 per couple. (We can arrange a single-participant fee of $9,995.)

When you reserve your place before October 12, 2007, we'll deduct $500. That means your fee (as a couple) is just $14,490 when you reserve your place today.

Now, if that makes you nervous, then there's a good chance that this retreat isn't for you. And I apologize for taking up your time.

If this event is something that may benefit you, I urge you to make your decision to attend prudently, but quickly.

I want you to be absolutely sure that the level of personalized attention I guarantee you'll receive at Waterford Castle is, indeed, what you're after. We're looking for just 15 serious-minded couples—not hundreds of people to fill a vast hotel meeting room. This isn't for you if you're at all uncomfortable with the intimate retreat I've described.

So please, don't rush in if you think it might not be right for you. Give it serious consideration. And if you find, a few days from now, that all the places have been reserved… rest assured, we will keep your name on a waiting list and let you know immediately if a room at the castle opens up.

I do hope you'll choose to join us. As far as I'm concerned, you can't put a price on peace of mind…

To ensure that you're one of the 15 couples with us at Waterford Castle, December 1-5, 2007 for our Global Wealth and Wisdom Summit, please call Brigid Darragh today at 1-866-381-8446 or 1- 410-895-7967 or email her at vipsummit@internationalliving.com.

Brigid can answer any of your questions, take the necessary information, and reserve your place on the spot.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Peddicord
Publisher, International Living

P.S. And remember: Reserve your place by October 12, and you may deduct $500 per couple.