Chapter 2
Hiding Money and Assets in Your Home
“The best way of keeping a secret is to
pretend there isn't one.”
―Margaret Atwood,
The Blind Assassin
THERE IS NO SUCH THING as a burglar-proof home, nor is there a security
system that cannot be bypassed. However, the average burglar remains inside a
house for less than ten minutes. Your goal will be to prevent your cash from being
found during that period of time .
Burglars will almost invariably head straight for the master bedroom, so I
suggest you keep a small amount of cash there, perhaps hidden beneath some
underclothes in the bottom of a chest of drawers. Leave enough to make the
intruder think that he’s already found whatever cash you keep in the house.
Burglars aside, your goal should be to hide money from anyone who might be
after it—whether these be relatives, guests, repairmen, babysitters, a
kleptomaniac parent, a teen son or daughter addicted to drugs, or a spouse who
likes to exercise iron control over every dollar you spend….
Chapter 3
Invisible Money When You Travel
One who lives well,
lives unnoticed.
—Ovid
Pay cash whenever possible. (You’ll need to keep a credit card in reserve, of
course, for car rentals, hotels stays, and Internet purchases.). You’ll be far safer
from identity theft when you pay cash in restaurants, when you shop, and when
you fill up the gas tank. As long as you never advertise the fact you are carrying
some serious money, you’ll be in no greater danger than if you were carrying just
a couple of dollars and change.
Invisible Pockets on Your Person
As a youth, when I hitchhiked home from college, I carried a
few one-dollar bills in my pocket and a $20 bill in my shoe.
Later, however, I began to carry larger bills in a money belt.
For men, any normal money belt—the kind with a zipper on
the inside—will do.
If you are good with a needle and thread, stitch some
pockets about midway up the inside of pants or jeans legs.
Pockets can also be sewn into the armpit area of a shirt or jacket , or the inside
back of a coat. Women might sew money-hiding pockets inside their bras, or they
can order one of those special panties shown here….
Chapter 4
Open a Secret U.S. Bank Account
A simple fact that is hard to learn
is that the time to save money is
when you have some.
- Joe Moore
If you are fleeing a stalker, or if you fear a three-letter government agency may be
after you, close all your U.S. accounts immediately. Do not open any more in your
own name. (If a bank account is for some reason desperately needed, try to find a
friend who will open an account for you in his or her own name, and let you
control it.) The information that follows assumes you merely wish to avoid having
some law firm that may hire a PI to see if you have “deep pockets” and are
therefore worth suing.
Which—if any—Account(s) Should You Keep?
If you currently have an account with one of the big boys such as Wells Fargo or
Bank of America, and/or a money market account or an account with a credit
union, keep it for these reasons:
1. You may have opened the account long ago, when requirements were not
as strict. For example, some of the older accounts are in merely a first and
last name. This is in contrast to current regulations which require every
signer’s complete name as shown on their passport and driver’s license.
2. This may be the brokerage or bank that originally issued you your credit
card, and you will need the credit card when you travel. What you do not
need, however, is a large balance in that account. Keep it low enough so as
not to attract attention….
Chapter 5
Open an Invisible Bank Account in Canada
A bank book makes good reading—
better than some novels.
—Harry Lauder
For both Americans and Europeans, no country is easier to access than our
northern neighbor. An advantage for Americans is that they can enter the country
on foot as well as by car, boat, train or plane. The language is English and the
natives are friendly. Further, Canada does not have a "tax haven" reputation.
Tens, if not hundreds of thousands, of Americans and Europeans have Canadian
bank accounts.
Why not Open an Account in Switzerland, Singapore, or
Liechtenstein?
Since the 2010 passage of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA),
which seeks to prevent tax evasion by Americans with offshore accounts, opening
a foreign bank account has become mission impossible. On May 24, 2012, The
Christian Science Monitor ran an article “Offshore Bank Accounts: No
Americans Allowed.” Here are just two paragraphs; they suffice to answer this
question.
The 2010 law, to be phased in starting Jan. 1, 2013, requires financial
institutions based outside the U.S. to obtain and report information about
income and interest payments accrued to the accounts of American clients. It
means additional compliance costs for banks and fewer investment options
and advisers for all U.S. citizens living abroad, which could affect their ability
to generate returns….
Chapter 6
A Time to Keep Quiet
I had the right to remain silent...
but I didn't have the ability.
—Ron White
The War Advertising Council's "Loose Lips Sink Ships" posters, produced during
World War II, reminded Americans of the dangers of revealing too much
information to the enemy. Those of you who lived through those times may
remember some of them:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Button Your Lip
Closed for the Duration
Keep It Under Your Hat!
Loose Talk Can Cost Lives
Careless Talk Got There First
Sh-h-h, Silence Means Security
Don't Kill Her Daddy with Careless Talk
Don't Be a Sucker! Keep your Mouth Shut
Watch Yourself Pal! Be Careful What You Say or Write
Don't Let the Little Birds Snap Up Your Confidential Words
At that time, of course, the enemy consisted of Nazi Germany and Imperial
Japan. When it comes to keeping your private information private today,
however, a comic strip character said it best: “Yep, son,” said Pogo to his friend
Porkypine back in 1971, “we have met the enemy and he is us.” And the enemy is
indeed “us” if we talk to others about our invisible money or our faraway bank
accounts. Do not tell anyone your secrets unless they have a need to know—such
as the executor of your trust. Even then, you may decide to leave him only sealed
instructions, to be opened only after you die….
Chapter 7
Choose Your Level and Set a Date
Promises are like the full moon, if they are not
kept at once they diminish day by day.
—German Proverb
Unless you at least do something to hide your cash or other assets, you’ll have
read this ebook in vain. For that reason, I urge you to promise yourself that you
will set a specific date to start on Level One. Order some can safes so you’ll have
them on hand for the Level One Day. Draw a big red circle around the LOD. Now
back up three days from that date. Write “3 days till action!” Write something
similar for the next two days. And when the Level One Day arrives, start hiding
things come heaven, hell, or high water.
Level One
1. Hide some cash in your home—small bills as well as large.
2. Use a can safe to hide cash in your car, pickup, or SUV.
That wasn’t too hard, was it? When it come to an emergency required cash, you
are already ahead of 99 percent of your neighbors, right? Set a date for the next
step up.
Level Two
1. Obtain a ghost address far from where you live.
2. Travel to a faraway state and open an account with your ghost address.
That took more time and a bit of money, but it was worth it, was it not? If you’re
ever hit with a frivolous lawsuit, your hidden bank account will be harder to find
than the accounts of 99.9 percent of your neighbors!
Level Three
1. Open an account in Canada with Canadian dollars. Get an ATM card.
2. Purchase gold and silver. Hide it well.
Now you’re ahead of 99.99 percent of your neighbors. Sleep well!
Level Four….
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