The Six Principles Video Suite – The 6 principles of the United Nations Global Compact

The Six Principles Video Suite

At EWP Financial we use our own unique brand of asset structuring that incorporates the six principles of Expanded Worldwide Planning (EWP). Wikipedia features the six principles of EWP in its article on International Tax Planning. There is also a section on Expanded Worldwide Planning in Wikipedia’s article on Private Placement Life Insurance.

The six principles are privacy, asset protection, tax shield, succession planning, compliance simplifier, and trust substitute. Each of these six principles provide essential benefits to wealthy families throughout the world. The relevance of each of these principles varies according to where in the world the family holds their assets and does business, so it is essential to work with someone that has a global worldwide grasp of this complex situation, as we do at EPW Financial.

We have created six videos, each less than one minute in length, to provide you with the essential elements of these six principles. The six principles form the building blocks of our unique asset structures. A wide variety of asset classes can be maximized for tax efficiency, asset protection, and privacy by employing these six principles.

You can view these six short videos by going to our YouTube channel, EWP Financial, and clicking on Videos, then The Six Principles Video Suite.

This week we continue our series on the United Nations Global Compact with a short video on the importance of Purpose for an EWP asset structure.

 

by Michael Malloy, CLU TEP RFC.
CEO, Founder @EWP Financial

~ Your best source for PPLI and EWP

Michael Malloy-CLU-TEP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did You Know This About #PPLI & #EWP? – Episode – 5 – EWP: The Deep Internal Design

Did you know this about Private Placement Life Insurance
&
Expanded Worldwide Planning?

EWP: The Deep Internal Design

PPLI Is a Cornerstone of Stability

In this Episode we explain the elements that comprise a successful EWP Asset Structure. We also reveal why an EWP Asset Structure always outperforms a taxable investment. Our conservative and straightforward approach to asset structuring gives you the maximum amount of tax efficiency, asset protection, and privacy. This is why an EWP Asset Structure has the reputation as the best asset structure available today for wealthy families worldwide.

Key to an EWP Asset Structure is how the investments are handled. To give you excellent insights into this key topic, we bring you an article by Bradley Barros from The Street: C Suite Advisors. Mr. Barros describes PPLI as “the ultimate ownership structure for high-networth families and individuals.” Here is how Mr. Barrors outlines the investment components of EWP Asset Structures:

  • An Insurance Dedicated Fund (“IDF”) holds the majority of the policy investment assets. The IDF is a preferred vehicle to hold assets within a policy structure. Separately Managed Accounts (“SMA”), properly administered, are permissible.
  • The creation of the IDF and the manager you choose is client need driven.
  • Based upon performance and consultation with the insurance carrier.
  • Flexibility is built into the policy and the investment strategy, allowing changes when desired.
  • The IDF or SMA are designed to achieve a diversified portfolio.
  • The portfolio will become more diversified over time as earned dividends are reinvested without deductions for taxes.
  • In addition, the manager can sell appreciated assets without capital gains exposure. This would be done confidentially due to the policy asset protection.
  • The policy structure is designed to both protect assets and maintain anonymity.

Investing Through a Customized Private Placement Policy

  • PPLI policies, and the contract structure and terms, are customized to suit the client, their needs, and their situation.
  • These policies can hold traditional bankable assets, as well as a variety of business interests in nearly any type of industry, commercial and residential investment real estate, intellectual property rights, music catalogs, artwork, oil and gas holdings, and other holdings as part of the Cash Value.
  • The policy Cash Value can be structured to grow tax advantaged, accessed tax-free through withdrawals and policy loans that do not need to be repaid during life, and tax-free death benefits
  • Policy holders may suggest their own trusted investment advisors to oversee and manage the policy cash value holdings, subject to communication with the PPLI insurance carrier, and investments may be held in custody at the selected investment manager’s firm.
  • There is complete transparency of costs on a pre-arranged term sheet. There are generally no commissions, only fully disclosed management fees charged by the PPLI Insurer.
  • The policies can be owned by trusts and other structures that are regulated by state law and provide valuable privacy and protection to policy owners and beneficiaries.
  • The policy Death Benefit may be acquired at a much-lower net cost, versus mass-marketed and retail insurance policies.
  • Policies may distribute life insurance proceeds “in-kind”. In-kind assets can include the actual stock or ownership interests in private equity and real estate”.

We invite you to join our long list of satisfied clients by contacting us on our worldwide toll-free number, 877 811 5846. We welcome your comments and questions.

by Michael Malloy, CLU TEP RFC.
CEO, Founder @EWP Financial

~ Your best source for PPLI and EWP

Michael Malloy-CLU-TEP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did You Know This About PPLI & EWP? – Episode 4 – Life Insurance: The Magic Ingredient

#PPLI & #EWP FUNDAMENTALS

Did you know this about Private Placement Life Insurance and Expanded Worldwide Planning?

Private Placement Life Insurance (PPLI) In Action

EWP and PPLI: A Unity of Assets and Life Insurance

To truly appreciate what Private Placement Life Insurance (PPLI) can accomplish, you first must forget everything you currently know about life insurance. Yes, it is life insurance, but so radically different in cost and benefits, it has its own Wikipedia page, International Tax Planning.

On this page, you will read about the six principles of Expanded Worldwide Planning (EWP). We give you a short description of these six principles from the Wikipedia page later in this article.

First, let us list the key benefits of PPLI, so you can appreciate why Bloomberg said in a recent article:

“Athletes, celebrities, and family offices are embracing private placement life insurance, or PPLI, as a way to preserve wealth for their heirs. It’s a strategy that’s perfectly legal and has existed for decades.”

This is why Bloomberg is so excited about PPLI. In a properly structured policy:

  • All cash value growth grows tax-deferred, and is paid out as a tax-free death benefit;
  • No income taxes, and this includes capital gains tax;
  • Ability to access the cash value through tax free loans;
  • Adds asset protection and privacy;
  • Limited reporting;
  • Ability to avoid estate taxes;
  • No surrender charges.

An outstanding singular feature that catapults PPLI above any other life insurance policy is that all asset classes can be placed in a policy:

  • Real Estate/Physical assets
  • Hedge Funds/Alternative Asset classes
  • Private Equity
  • Intellectual Property
  • Art
  • Yachts and Private Jets
  • Alternative Currency denominations

Now let’s discuss the low-cost of this unique wealth structure tool. Depending upon the assets inside the policy, the total fees for a PPLI are 1-2% of the asset value in the policy. The cost of insurance charges are institutionally priced at the wholesale reinsurance company rates.

The death benefit is insured with these same reinsurance companies, the largest insurance companies in the world like Swiss Re and Munich Re with trillions of dollars in assets.

“To be eligible for a PPLI policy one must generally be what the SEC terms a Qualified Purchaser, having not less than $5M of investments. Most companies’ minimum premiums are also $5M.”

From the Wikipedia page, International Tax Planning, we give you the six principles which are making PPLI such a sought after wealth structuring technique.

Privacy

EWP gives privacy and compliance with tax laws. It also enhances protection from data breach and strengthens family security. EWP allows for a tax compliant system that still respects basic rights of privacy. EWP addresses the concerns of law firms and international planners about some aspects of CRS related to their clients’ privacy. EWP assists with the privacy and welfare of families by protecting their financial records and keeping them in compliance with tax regulations.

Asset protection

EWP protects assets with segregated account legislation by using the benefits of life insurance. This structure uses asset protection laws in the jurisdictions of residence to shield these assets from creditors’ claims. A trust with its own asset protection provisions can still receive additional protection with the policy.

Succession planning

EWP includes transfers of assets without forced heirship rules directly to beneficiaries using a controlled and orderly plan. This element of EWP provides a wealth holder a method to enact an estate plan according to his/her wishes without complying with forced heirship rules in the home country. This plan must be coordinated with all the aspects of a properly structured PPLI policy together with other elements of a wealth owner’s financial and legal planning.

Tax shield

EWP adds tax deferral, income, estate tax benefits and dynasty tax planning opportunities. Assets held in a life insurance contract are considered tax-deferred in most jurisdictions throughout the world. Likewise, PPLI policies that are properly constructed shield the assets from all taxes. In most cases, upon the death of the insured, benefits are paid as a tax free death benefit.

Compliance simplifier

EWP adds ease of reporting to tax authorities and administration of assets, commercial substance to structures. In addition, the insurance company is considered the beneficial owner of the assets. This approach greatly simplifies reporting obligations to tax authorities because assets in the policy are held in segregated accounts and can be spread over multiple jurisdictions worldwide.

Trust substitute

EWP creates a viable structure under specific insurance regulations for civil law jurisdictions. It also creates a new role for commercial trust companies. In most civil law jurisdictions, trusts are poorly acknowledged and trust law is not well developed. As a result, companies with foreign trusts in these civil law jurisdictions, face obstacles.

Conclusion

A PPLI asset structure is arguably the most efficient structure available today for wealthy families who wish a conservative and efficient structure to integrate tax-free investment growth, wealth transfer, and asset protection.

by Michael Malloy, CLU TEP RFC.
CEO, Founder @EWP Financial

~ Your best source for PPLI and EWP

Michael Malloy-CLU-TEP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did You Know This About PPLI & EWP? – Episode 3 – EWP’s Foundation Is The Six Principles

Fundamentals of Private Placement Life Insurance
&
Expanded Worldwide Planning

 

Did You Know This About PPLI & EWP?

EWP’s Foundation Is The Six Principles

Video 3

It makes sense to partner with a concept that is recognized as a cornerstone of financial stability—the six principles of Expanded Worldwide Planning, or EWP for short. The six principles are recognized as such by Wikipedia in its article on International Tax Planning. You too can employ these principles to grow and strengthen your own financial assets. How can you accomplish this? By using an asset structure that has at its very roots the six principles of EWP.

Here is the text from Wikipedia’s article on International Tax Planning which features the Six Principles of EWP

International Tax Planning

International tax planning, also known as international tax structures or expanded worldwide planning (EWP), is an element of international taxation created to implement directives from several tax authorities following the 2008 worldwide recession.

History

In 2010, the United States introduced the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). Later the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) expanded these directives and proposed a new international system for the automatic exchange of information – known as the Common Reporting Standard (CRS). The organization also attempted to limit companies’ ability to shift profits to low-tax locations, a practice known as base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS). The goal of this worldwide exchange of tax information being tax transparency, it requires the exchange of a significant volume of information. As a result, there are concerns about privacy and data breach in interested industries. EWP has been an important element on the agenda of the OECD following the succession of leaked revelations about various jurisdictions, including the Luxembourg Leaks, Panama papers and Paradise papers. In December 2017, European Union finance ministers blacklisted 17 countries for refusing to cooperate in its investigation on tax havens

Principles

EWP allows a tax paying entity to simplify its existing structures and minimize reporting obligations under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) and CRS. At the heart of EWP is a properly constructed Private placement life insurance (PPLI) policy that allows taxpayers to use the regulatory framework of life insurance to structure assets along the client’s planning needs. These international assets can also comply with tax authorities worldwide. EWP also brings asset protection and privacy benefits that are set forward in the six principles of EWP below. The other elements in the EWP structure may include the client’s citizenship, country of origin, actual residence, insurance regulations of all concerned jurisdictions, tax report requirements, and client’s objectives.

Planning with trust and foundations frequently offer only limited tax planning opportunities whereas EWP provides a tax shield. Adding a PPLI policy held by the correct entity in the proper jurisdiction creates a notable planning opportunity.

Features

Privacy

EWP gives privacy and compliance with tax laws. It also enhances protection from data breach and strengthens family security. EWP allows for a tax compliant system that still respects basic rights of privacy. EWP addresses the concerns of law firms and international planners about some aspects of CRS related to their clients’ privacy. EWP assists with the privacy and welfare of families by protecting their financial records and keeping them in compliance with tax regulations.

Asset protection

EWP protects assets with segregated account legislation by using the benefits of life insurance. This structure uses asset protection laws in the jurisdictions of residence to shield these assets from creditors. A trust with its own asset protection provisions can still receive additional protection with the policy.

Succession planning

EWP includes transfers of assets without forced heirship rules directly to beneficiaries using a controlled and orderly plan. This element of EWP provides a wealth holder a method to enact an estate plan according to his/her wishes without complying with forced heirship rules in the home country. This plan must be coordinated with all the aspects of a properly structured PPLI policy together with other elements of a wealth owner’s financial and legal planning.

Tax shield

EWP adds tax deferral, income, estate tax benefits and dynasty tax planning opportunities. Assets held in a life insurance contract are considered tax-deferred in most jurisdictions throughout the world. Likewise, PPLI policies that are properly constructed shield the assets from all taxes. In most cases, upon the death of the insured, benefits are paid as a tax free death benefit.

Compliance simplifier

EWP adds ease of reporting to tax authorities and administration of assets, commercial substance to structures. In addition, the insurance company is considered the beneficial owner of the assets. This approach greatly simplifies reporting obligations to tax authorities because assets in the policy are held in segregated accounts and can be spread over multiple jurisdictions worldwide.

Trust substitute

EWP creates a viable structure under specific insurance regulations for civil law jurisdictions. It also creates a new role for commercial trust companies. In most civil law jurisdictions, trusts are poorly acknowledged and trust law is not well developed. As a result, companies with foreign trusts in these civil law jurisdictions face obstacles.

by Michael Malloy, CLU TEP RFC.
CEO, Founder @EWP Financial

~ Your best source for PPLI and EWP

Michael Malloy-CLU-TEP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Metaverse – PPLI and EWP – Episode 1

The Expanded Worldwide Planning Video Series

Our Journey Together: An Exceptional World of Asset Structuring – Episode One

Beyond Facebook and Apple’s Metaverse with PPLI and EWP

Welcome. The metaverse envisioned by companies like Facebook and Apple entails an augmented, virtual reality where users are not just scrolling, posting, and commenting, but interacting in a fully-realized computer-generated world. This type of metaverse is being defined today, but the final outcome is something nobody knows.

The transformative metaverse that an EWP Asset Structure creates for your assets is analogous to one of nature’s most miraculous events: the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly. Once your assets are placed into a properly designed EWP Asset Structure, they are shielded from taxation, while simultaneously achieving maximum privacy and asset protection. A stunning financial transformation indeed!

The caterpillar world that your assets previously occupied has been freed into the new reality of the butterfly. Your assets remain the same. What these same assets can achieve for you has been fundamentally altered.

This type of financial metaverse has been in existence in various forms since the 1980s. You don’t have to wait for it to define itself. An EWP Asset Structure creates a new reality for your assets by using a simple and straightforward financial tool–life insurance, in the form of Private Placement Life Insurance, or PPLI for short.

This series of videos introduces you to the Metaverse of EWP Asset Structures and how you can use them to achieve maximum tax efficiency, privacy and asset protection.

As the Forbes article below states, some are calling 2022 the year of the metaverse. With this in mind, we bring you an example of how high-end real estate is working with the metaverse.

ONE Sotheby’s Is Selling The First Real-World Home Through The Metaverse Using NFT Technology

Emma Reynolds,Senior Contributor

I cover home design and luxury real estate.

Some might argue that 2022 is the year of the metaverse, and specifically, metaverse real estate.

Together, ONE Sotheby’s International Realty and Voxel Architects, along with general contractor and NFT collector Gabe Sierra, are introducing the first ever ‘MetaReal’ mansion that includes a real-world home and a virtual counterpart in the metaverse. The virtual home will live within The Sandbox metaverse, a community-driven platform where creators can monetize voxel assets on the blockchain.

The buyer of the NFT asset will also acquire ownership rights of the physical home, set to be completed in Miami in Q4 of 2022. This is the first time something like this has been done.

The home in Miami will be built on a one-acre lot in one of the city’s most prestigious neighborhoods. It will span 11,000 square feet and include seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms. The virtual property will exactly mirror this, and Voxel Architects is helping to create it. The ‘MetaReal’ Mansion will be auctioned off in 2022 at a yet-to-be disclosed reserve price. The exclusive sales agent for the property is Michael Martinez of ONE Sotheby’s, who plans to execute the transaction on the Ethereum blockchain.

The metaverse counterpart of the home will serve as an extension of the real-world home, allowing the buyer to host in-home meetings, events and parties with guests from around the world,” Meta Residence founder Gabe Sierra tells Forbes. “By mimicking the real-world environment of the buyer, we are creating an experience that blends the lines between metaverse and reality. Imagine fighting off a dragon, traversing over a mountain range, and finally arriving at your metaverse property, where you are greeted by your friends who are visiting to check out your new Bored Ape NFT. After interacting in your virtual living room, you exit the metaverse, and you are now sitting inside that same real-world house. That is the experience we are creating.”

NFTs as they pertain to real estate are relatively new, and for those who have a hard time making sense of the concept, you’re not alone. In short, the metaverse is a virtual world and there are more than one. Facebook, for example, hopes to be the largest. The tech company changed its name to Meta earlier this year.

Please watch our FIRST NFT COLLECTION

by Michael Malloy, CLU TEP RFC.
CEO, Founder @EWP Financial

Michael Malloy-CLU-TEP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tax Shield 4 – Episode 4 – Part 3 – The EWP Stories Video Series

Tax Shield Video 4 – The Expanded Worldwide Planning Video Series

 International Tax Planning

Introduction

Welcome. As advisors, we concentrate on the ‘shield’ aspect of the term Tax Shield. A Tax Shield is a main principle of Expanded Worldwide Planning, or EWP for short. We will now speak about the ‘tax’ aspect of our subject. What is the history of this thing we wish to shield? Here is a very brief history of taxation, mostly in the U.S. context.

We begin in the ancient world. There is recorded a system of taxation in Egypt around 3000 BC. Oddly enough, the United States was tax-free for much of its early history. This changed at the time of the Civil War, when large debts were incurred to fund the war against the South. In 1913, the 16th Amendment to the Constitution was introduced to pave the way to an income tax.

World War I led to three Revenue Acts that raised tax rates and lowered the exemption levels. The number of people paying taxes in the U.S. increased to 5%.

By 1940, the need for the U.S. to prepare for war and support its allies led to more aggressive taxation. People with incomes of $500 faced a 23% tax and the rates climbed up to 94%. The average annual income at this time was $1,000. By 1945 43 million Americans paid taxes and the yearly receipts were in excess of $45 billion. Today annual tax revenue in the U.S. is approximately $3.7 trillion dollars

In this video we find George Allbirght debating with himself on whether he should proceed with the conservation easement offered by the company, Conservation for Nature. A telephone call from his old college acquaintance Jay Edwards forces a definite decision from George.

—————————————————————————————————-

George had spent the last evening researching conservation easements, and concluded that they were a good thing. He had also reviewed his tax situation, and realized that the tax deductions that they offered would reduce his tax bill significantly. Perhaps he should work with Conservation for Nature? He had plenty of land, and they had the years of experience. A good combination, he thought.

Later in the morning, Jack telephoned. He spent nearly an hour telling George that the promoters at Conservation for Nature were crooks, and that George should definitely stay clear of them.

Now George was perplexed. He trusted Jack; they had been good friends ever since their time in Detroit. Jack was giving him very concrete reasons why he should not do business with this company. He decided to reevaluate.

A few minutes after his call with Jack, his cell phone buzzed noisily. He jumped up suddenly. He had survived serving in Afghanistan, that is where he learned to fly a helicopter, but loud, sudden noises were still a problem for him.

“Hello, George?”

“Yes?” George said in a wary tone.

“I am calling you back from Conservation for Nature. I heard in the office that you were interested….”

The voice was no longer polished and sophisticated. The caller was drunk, and George knew who it was. An old college friend of his, they used to go out drinking together. Jay could barely articulate his words.

He knew Jay well. Jay still owed him money. Jay was the kind of guy who would sleep with his best friend’s wife.

Jay was desperately trying to launch into his well rehearsed sales pitch about the company he was doing appraisals—Conservation for Nature, but was hardly intelligible. That was enough for George.

“Good bye, Jay. Don’t ever call me again.”

—————————————————————————————————-

Conclusion

In our next video, George is again aboard his state-of-the-art helicopter cruising over his 5,000 acre property. George was safe in the knowledge that he must find a simple and straightforward solution to his tax problem.

If you found this video useful, please give us a Like, and click on the subscribe button below. We look forward to connecting with you in part five of our Tax Shield story. Thank you for watching.

To learn how the wealthiest families in the world conduct their financial affairs, please call +1 530 692 1007, or email us at info@expandedworldwideplanning.com.

At your convenience, we can arrange a call to discuss how our unique blueprint can vastly enhance your asset structure.

Disclaimer

The opinions expressed in this video are for general informational purposes only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual on any financial structure, investment, or insurance product.

by Michael Malloy, CLU TEP RFC.
CEO, Founder @EWP Financial

Michael Malloy-CLU-TEP

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tax Shield 3 – Episode 3 – Part 3 – The EWP Stories Video Series

Tax Shield Video 3

The Expanded Worldwide Planning Stories Video Series

International Tax Planning

Introduction

Welcome. For real estate investors, there are very substantial benefits to using an asset structure that embodies the principles of Expanded Worldwide Planning, or EWP for short. This is true for U.S. persons and non-U.S. persons alike. A properly designed EWP structure both eliminates tax on rental income and tax on the sale of real estate. This is a very powerful result.

Our video details the disreputable methods used by Conservation for Nature’s appraiser, Jay Edwards. Jay’s inflated appraisals give investors unwarranted tax deductions, while the pressure to achieve these inflated appraisals exact an unhealthy influence on Jay’s life in the form of his increased consumption of alcohol and cigarettes. Jay also finds himself in trouble with the Department of Justice and the Tennessee state real estate appraiser board.

———————————————————————————————–

Part 3

When Jay Edwards began a land appraisal project, he had a single goal—to produce the highest valuation possible. He had had 30 years to hone his skill of inflating appraisals. When he had done retail appraisals at the height of the refinancing boom in the early part of this century, his services were in high demand.

The promoters at Conservation for Nature, want a high valuation, because that in turn produces a large tax deduction for its investors. On one deal in South Carolina, they had acquired a property of 28 acres for $1M, then raised about $9M from investors who bought the property.

The investors made an easement donation based on a claimed value for what the land would be worth if developed as a multifamily resort. Jay’s appraised projection produced a tax deduction of about $39M. The tax write off for investors: $4.00 for every $1 invested.

Of late, the promoters at Conservation for Nature, were pressing Jay for higher and higher numbers. His increased consumption of cigarettes and alcohol was keeping pace with these higher numbers. A number that was going in the opposite direction were his hours of sound sleep. He could not remember when he had last had a restful night’s sleep.

Jay had become a character in an old joke; the one the Mafia hired. It went like this.

The Mafia needed a new accountant, so they interviewed three people. They asked the first interviewee, “How much is 2 + 2?”

“Four,” he answered.

“Sorry, that’s not right,” said the Mafia boss.

They asked the next candidate, “How much is 2 + 2?”

“Four, of course,” he said.”

“That’s not right,” said the Mafia boss.

They asked the third accountant the same question.

He responded, “What number do you want it to be?”

The Mafia boss said, “You’re hired.”

The joke was now becoming stale. Conservation for Nature was being investigated by the Department of Justice. The Tennessee state real estate appraiser board brought a formal complaint against Jay, after a detailed review of one of his easement appraisals found an inflated valuation riddled with errors and omissions.

Threatened with the loss of his Tennessee license, Jay voluntarily surrendered it instead. However, he continued to work for Conservation for Nature in states where the appraiser for a conservation easement was not required to be licensed by the state, and so continued to ply his disreputable trade.

———————————————————————————————-

Conclusion

In our next video, we find George Allbright at crossroads on whether to do business with Conservation for Nature. George is able to firmly decide against doing business with Conservation for Nature after the appraiser, Jay Edwards, telephones George in a very drunk condition. George knew Jay from college days, and describes him as a guy who would sleep with his best friend’s wife.

If you found this video useful, please give us a Like, and click on the subscribe button below. We look forward to connecting with you in part four of our Tax Shield story. Thank you for watching.

To learn how the wealthiest families in the world conduct their financial affairs, please call +1 530 692 1007, or email us at info@expandedworldwideplanning.com.

At your convenience, we can arrange a call to discuss how our unique blueprint can vastly enhance your asset structure.

Disclaimer

The opinions expressed in this video are for general informational purposes only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual on any financial structure, investment, or insurance product.

by Michael Malloy, CLU TEP RFC.
CEO, Founder @EWP Financial

Michael Malloy-CLU-TEP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CRYPTO – PPLI and EWP – Episode 3 – The EWP Stories Video Series

Cryptocurrency, Private Placement Life Insurance and Expanded Worldwide Planning

Episode 3

The Expanded Worldwide Planning Video Stories

Introduction

Welcome. Since you have invested in crypto coins and/or tokens you are familiar with the blockchain concept. You are at the forefront of a worldwide, game changing movement, which lately has morphed into NFTs and the metaverse. Throughout the world governments are struggling to define crypto assets. Different governments throughout the world define crypto assets in terms of traditional assets like money, property, a commodity, or an unregulated asset class.

Please take a look to our first NFT COLLECTION

Recently the United States has subjected crypto assets to what some have called the draconian reporting requirements for cash transactions with severe penalties for violations. In our written article, we have excerpts from an article by Simon Chandler of Cointelegraph which details how governments worldwide are working with the classification of crypto assets.

In the first two videos in our crypto asset series, we introduced you to our firm, EWP Financial. This video focuses on three important questions that our most sophisticated investors ask us.

These three questions pertain to any asset class, and they are very pertinent to crypto assets. It is our hope that the answers to these questions will give you the assurance you need to place your own holdings into this simple, straightforward, and very powerful asset structure, an EWP Asset Structure.

—————————————————————————————————

Excerpts from Cointelegraph Article

Money or Assets? How World Governments Define Cryptocurrencies

The world’s governments want to see cryptocurrencies as everything but what they really are.

By Simon Chandler
Cryptocurrencies — what are they? Money? Commodities? Securities? Utility tokens? Or something else? Few national governments seem to be in any kind of agreement on this question, and for now, at least, their divisions have given such currencies as Bitcoin and Ethereum a floating, indeterminate status on the global stage.

As a result, cryptocurrencies lack a single, definite existence, with some nations treating them as money (e.g., Japan, Germany) and others treating them as an unregulated, speculative asset (e.g., Mexico, Denmark), making them the financial equivalent of Schrödinger’s cat. However, as this review of classifications of crypto throughout the world will show, cryptocurrencies are all these things and more, which is why they deserve to be classified by future legislation according their own, unique qualities.

United States: securities, commodities, property, money

As an indication of how difficult it may be for world governments to ever reach a global consensus on the status of cryptocurrencies, it’s worth pointing out that there’s currently little consensus within nations — let alone among them. This is nowhere more evident than in the United States, where five separate agencies have all had their own competing classifications of cryptocurrencies.

First up is the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which — up until June — defined cryptocurrencies in general as securities, meaning assets in which someone invests in the expectation of receiving a return. In March, for example, it issued a public statement indicating that it would regulate anything being traded via an exchange platform as a security.

“A number of these platforms provide a mechanism for trading assets that meet the definition of a ‘security’ under the federal securities laws. If a platform offers trading of digital assets that are securities and operates as an ‘exchange,’ as defined by the federal securities laws, then the platform must register with the SEC as a national securities exchange or be exempt from registration.”

Bitcoin declined by 10 percent following this announcement, yet the statements of other American authorities and agencies differ with the SEC’s assertion that cryptocurrencies are securities. Because, also in March, a New York federal judge ruled that the Commodities and Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) can regulate BTC and other currencies as commodities, putting them on the same level as gold, oil and coffee.

If this wasn’t already confusing enough, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has defined cryptocurrencies as taxable property since March 2014, when it declared:

“For federal tax purposes, virtual currency is treated as property.”

Observers would be forgiven for supposing that three separate definitions were enough, yet two additional agencies treat cryptocurrencies as money. The U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is the bureau of the U.S. Treasury Department responsible for enforcing economic sanctions, which can include sanctions against certain cryptocurrencies (e.g., the Petro). In April, it announced that it would be treating “virtual currencies” in the same way as fiat currency, making any individual who handled a cryptocurrency covered by an economic sanction liable for prosecution.

Canada, Mexico and South America: commodities, virtual assets, legal tender

Like the U.S., Canada doesn’t regard cryptocurrencies as legal tender. However, its approach to virtual currencies is slightly more unified, with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) currently defining them as commodities — a definition which would appear to apply in general throughout most government agencies.

In Mexico, the emphasis is also on cryptocurrencies as commodities. On March 1, the government passed the Law to Regulate Financial Technology Companies, which includes a section on “virtual assets,” — aka cryptocurrencies.

Travelling farther south, the picture is mixed. In Venezuela, the government (in)famously announced the oil-backed Petro in December, and in April, it decreed that the cryptocurrency must become legal tender for all financial transactions involving government ministries.

While classifications of one kind or another generally apply in the above American nations, cryptocurrencies suffer from a partial non-existence in others. In Brazil, the Securities and Exchange Commission (CVM) declared in January that cryptocurrencies cannot legally be classed as financial assets, despite the fact that the Brazilian Revenue Office had previously stipulated in 2017 that they’re to be regarded as such for tax purposes. In Chile, cryptocurrencies are neither securities nor money, although the central bank has recently begun considering specific regulation.

And in Colombia, the Financial Superintendent has also declared that digital currencies don’t count as money or securities, while, for tax purposes, it can be considered a ‘high-risk investment.’

While South America often takes a restrictive stance toward cryptocurrencies, some nations within the continent are slightly more accepting. In Argentina, cryptocurrencies aren’t legal tender and they don’t have any regulation specifically applied to them. That said, they are treated as goods under the terms of the nation’s Civil Code, while a December update to tax regulation classifies them as income derived from shares and securities.

What such variations indicate is that, when it comes to the classification of cryptocurrencies, the economic and political situations of the nations concerned make a difference. The inherent abstractness of cryptocurrencies makes them adaptable in terms of their function, so their particular classification and usage all depends on the political and economic conditions prevailing in a particular nation, and what that nation wants to use them for. This is why, in countries where the national currency and economy are relatively weak — or where freedoms are restricted — cryptocurrencies tend to be denied legal status.

Europe: private money, units of account, contractual means of exchange, transferable value

This tendency becomes more apparent when the status of cryptocurrencies in Latin America is compared with their status in Europe. In Germany, the continent’s biggest economy, Bitcoin has been recognized as “private money” since April 2014.

In the U.K., cryptocurrencies have generally been left undisturbed by regulation, and what’s interesting to note is that the government has recognized that comparing them to pre-existing currencies, commodities, securities or any other financial instrument would be inaccurate. In 2014, its HM Revenue & Customs department wrote:

“Cryptocurrencies have a unique identity and cannot therefore be directly compared to any other form of investment activity or payment mechanism.”

Across the English Channel, France has also held off applying any specific regulation to cryptocurrencies, although it has been making concerted efforts with Germany to propose laws that would be international in scope.

In the Netherlands, the central bank also denies the currency status of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, having written in a January position paper:

“We do not consider cryptos as money.”

In contrast, a Dutch court ruled in March that Bitcoin can be considered a “transferable value,” making it equivalent to property. This bears some resemblance to a definition being worked on by the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance in a draft decree, which describes cryptocurrencies as a “digital representation of value […] used as a tool of exchange for purchasing goods or services.”

Beyond the EU, Switzerland is perhaps the most significant European nation when it comes to crypto, not least because it has aggressively positioned itself as a desirable place for crypto traders and businesses. In 2014, its federal government published a report in which cryptocurrencies were defined as assets, rather than as currencies or a means of payment. But since then, the landlocked nation has introduced several “regulatory simplifications” in order to attract fintech companies, and it’s in this climate that new approaches to cryptocurrencies have emerged. In November 2017, the regional district of Zug began accepting Ethereum and Bitcoin as payment for administration costs and municipal services, effectively recognizing both as money. It was soon followed by the city of Chiasso (in Ticino), which announced in February that it would start accepting Bitcoin as payment for tax on amounts up to 250 Swiss francs.

Such examples from Europe offer two major takeaways. The first is that EU (and non-EU) nations — much like the U.S. and Canada — are holding back on specific crypto-focused regulation, thereby giving cryptocurrencies the space and time to solidify into definite, stable forms. As such, nations are reluctant to attribute any single ‘definition’ or ‘status’ to digital currencies. Correspondingly, the current application of numerous different categorizations is merely the result of attempts to apply any relevant pre-existing laws that, in lieu of specific legislation, might curb abuses of crypto. These categorizations are stop-gaps and shouldn’t generally be taken for what certain nations or governments ‘really think’ about crypto.

But secondly, even though many European states are gearing toward the announcement of bespoke cryptocurrency legislation, it would seem unlikely that many will advance so far as to actually recognize Bitcoin, Ethereum or any other major coin as legal tender. With the notable exceptions of Switzerland and Germany, the majority of European states deny that cryptocurrencies are money and given how jealously governments and central banks tend to guard their financial powers, it’s unlikely they’ll shift from this stance anytime soon.

China and East Asia

Jealousy is particularly acute in China. In December 2013, the Chinese government issued a notice proclaiming that Bitcoin is not a currency.

“In terms of nature, Bitcoin is a specific virtual commodity that does not have the legal status equivalent to currency and cannot and should not be used as currency in the market.”

Nonetheless, the same notice also acknowledged that “[Bitcoin] transactions act as a way of buying and selling goods on the internet,” and given that it made no attempt to prohibit or discourage such activity, it’s arguable that the announcement acted as a tacit recognition of cryptocurrencies as a means of payment (i.e., as money).

Unfortunately, the Chinese government’s position has hardened considerably since 2013. It banned ICOs in September 2017, while it also prohibited crypto exchanges that same month and later blocked foreign exchanges, citing “financial risks” as its motivation for both acts. In other words, it effectively denied that cryptocurrencies are legitimate securities, assets or commodities in China, just as it had denied their status as currency four years previously. And given that it has also been taking steps to make mining more difficult this year, the current political and regulatory climate in China is now denying cryptocurrency any kind of official status.

Things aren’t so gloomy for crypto elsewhere in Asia. In Japan, the government has gone through an opposite process to China’s, classing Bitcoin as “not currency” in 2014 and then correcting its position in March 2016, when the Payment Services Act finally recognized cryptocurrencies as money. However, as an indication of the uniqueness of crypto, the actual definition included in the act described cryptocurrency more specifically as a “property value” that can be used to buy goods and services, rather than as a currency.

Over in South Korea, cryptocurrencies are recognized as an “asset with measurable value,” a verdict furnished by the nation’s supreme court on May 30. It is consistent with the regulation and guidelines issued by South Korean authorities to date.

In Singapore, the government is also inclined to view cryptocurrencies as assets rather than money. In August 2017, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) warned ICOs and crypto exchanges that it has jurisdiction over those tokens falling under the definition of securities, a warning it repeated in September and also this May to eight exchanges that hadn’t yet registered with it.

Unique identity

Again, what such stances underline is that most developed nations are cautiously open to cryptocurrencies as a new financial instrument, as a new means of generating income and raising capital and as the basis of a new technology — i.e., blockchain. However, it’s clear that few currently want to recognize Bitcoin or any other decentralized coin as money, especially if their governments happen to be more authoritarian. This reluctance is particularly evident in certain examples we’ve skipped over: In Russia, cryptocurrencies are “not a legal method of payment” but rather property, while the government in Turkey has previously stated that Bitcoin is “not considered as electronic money” under current law and isn’t compatible with Islam.

Because most governments are still unsure of how cryptocurrencies will develop in the future, and possibly because they don’t want to recognize the radical implications of decentralized money, they’ve shied away from establishing a distinct legal identity for cryptos. Instead, many have attempted to apply whatever relevant pre-existing laws they can, in the hope that this will curb those effects of cryptocurrencies that may be undesirable from the perspective of a national government. This is why, on an international level, cryptocurrencies have been swamped by a flood of miscellaneous categorizations, from private money to property and ‘transferable value.’

On the other hand, the variation in classifications is also a product of the versatility of cryptocurrencies. Because they generally aren’t issued and control by a central body, there are few restraints on how they can be used. Some holders may therefore use them as a means of payment, others may treat them as a speculative financial instrument or as property, while the future could bring yet even more functions. This adjustability to the needs of holders is one of crypto’s defining characteristics, which is why the U.K. government was probably right to say in 2014 that cryptocurrencies have a “unique identity.” And it’s also why, when the world’s governments finally get around to introducing specific legislation for cryptocurrencies, they’d be well advised not to attempt to subsume them entirely under existing legal categories.

—————————————————————————————————-

Conclusion

In our next video we explore in depth the Six Principles of EWP, and why Wikipedia discusses them in their article on International Tax Planning. These Six Principles are at the core of any properly designed EWP asset structure, and explain why Private Placement Life Insurance is best suited to protect your crypto assets from evasive government regulation and taxation.

If you found this video useful please give us a Like, and click on the Subscribe button. We look forward to connecting with you in Episode Four in our Crypto Series.

To learn how the wealthiest families in the world conduct their financial affairs, please call +1 530 692 1007, or email us at info@expandedworldwideplanning.com.

At your convenience, we can arrange a call to discuss how our unique blueprint can vastly enhance your asset structure.

Disclaimer

The opinions expressed in this video are for general informational purposes only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual on any financial structure, investment, or insurance product.

by Michael Malloy, CLU TEP RFC.
CEO, Founder @EWP Financial

Michael Malloy-CLU-TEP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The EWP Stories Video Series – Part 2 – Episode 3 – Asset Protection 3

The Expanded Worldwide Planning Stories Video Series – Part 2 Episode 3 – Asset Protection 3

Asset Protection Planning

International Tax Planning

INTRO

Our asset protection model is called The EWP Da Vinci CodeWe call it The EWP Da Vinci Code for two reasons: the first is because Leonardo Da Vinci said, “Simplicity is ultimate sophistication, and second, our asset protection model is the opposite of the convoluted plot of the popular film, The Da Vinci Code. Our model is a simple, straightforward, and highly effective technique.

In today’s world of financial transparency, there is no hiding of financial assets. The EWP Da Vinci Code brings you peace of mind through a long-established and secure financial structure—life insurance, in the form of Private Placement Life Insurance, or PPLI for short. Our model is highly effective, yet conservative, and offers more asset protection than the recently invented options available to wealthy families.

In this video, we follow the plight of Janice Johanson, who through poor asset protection planning must forfeit a substantial part of $100M that she received from the sale of her business. We encourage you to learn from Janice’s mistake, and protect your own businesses and assets with an EWP asset structure.

Watch more Asset Protection Videos

by Michael Malloy, CLU TEP RFC.
CEO, Founder @EWP Financial

Michael Malloy-CLU-TEP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Expanded Worldwide Planning Stories Video Series – Part 1 – Episode 1

EWP : Insures: PRIVACY – 1

Welcome! Here we begin a new series of stories to dramatize the six principles of Expanded Worldwide Planning, or EWP for short. This story will teach you how an EWP asset structure could have prevented the kidnapping of the journalist daughter of a billionaire Mexican-American businessman.

 

Note: The opinions expressed in this video are for general informational purposes only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual on any financial structure, investment, or insurance product.

We appreciate your comments and questions.

Thank You.

~ Michael Malloy

 

by Michael Malloy, CLU TEP RFC.
CEO, Founder @EWP Financial

Michael Malloy-CLU-TEP