Author Archives: swisspinoy

Survey results show that the majority of American expat polled do not feel fairly represented by the US Government. Implications of the dissatisfaction may play a role in the upcoming elections as an estimated 6 million US citizens currently living overseas cast their votes in the hopes of having their concerns and needs addressed.

For years, we’ve been hearing from our customers a mounting swell of frustration and dissatisfaction with the government as it relates to addressing their concerns, particularly when it comes to their expat tax preparation.

New York, NY (PRWEB) October 04, 2012

New survey results show that more than 72% of U.S. expatriates polled do not feel fairly represented by the U.S. Government. The survey also found that, of those polled, 74% were either prepared or planning to vote. Conducted by Greenback Expat Tax Services, which specializes exclusively on American expat tax services, the results represent a growing dissatisfaction among Americans living overseas with the lack of support and attention paid to their unique needs.

“We’re not surprised by our survey’s results,” said David McKeegan, Greenback Expat Tax Services President. For years, we’ve been hearing from our customers a mounting swell of frustration and dissatisfaction with the government as it relates to addressing their concerns, particularly when it comes to their expat tax preparation.”…

Read more

Some rules make more sense than others while some make no sense at all, like rules on voting for Americans living abroad.  The rule for Americans living abroad is that they may only vote where they last lived, or where their parents last lived, or where their parent’s parents last lived, or something odd like that, assuming that they once lived in the States or know where their parents, grand parents or great grand parents lived.  Never mind their possible plans of returning, the place where they may feel attached or the area where they actually have a voting interest.  Americans abroad must vote where they may have no interest in voting, they are told.  Boy, that sure encourages one to vote!

You must vote in the state/county where you last established residence (domicile) in the U.S., and typically, where you developed a real connection.

Under traditional rules and state law, a person living overseas is permitted to register and vote only in the place that constitutes his/her previous residence/domicile. This is the last real home you had in the US and is referred to by election officials as your voting residence address. That defines the state and the jurisdiction.
Overseas Vote Foundation

Continue reading →

Government is always the single greatest threat to society & the economy. It was the greed of the Democrats that caused them to raise taxes when there was a real estate boom in the late 1980s.They reduced the amortization benefits in real estate and caused investors to bail out. That resulted in a one-way market – no bid! All sellers! They had regulated the S&Ls directing them to lend in primarily the real estate market. They caused that financial crisis, locked up some high profile owners of S&Ls and blamed their “greed” for the whole crisis they instigated.

Then they created the 1987 Crash by forming the G5 in 1985 and publicly stated they wanted the dollar down by 40%. Foreigners panicked and began to sell everything from stocks to bonds and real estate.

This time it is the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). If a foreign entity (bank) had an account from an American in Switzerland, they had to report whatever that American was doing there or else all their assets would be confiscated in America. Even if an American is just a major beneficial owner.

This one act is destroying the world the economy in a single bound. Americans can no longer have an account in Switzerland or anywhere else. That even includes a safe deposit box. A rare collection of ancient coins was held by an American for decades in a safe deposit box in Switzerland. The bank gave the American 3 days to get out. The American had no choice but to call a coin dealer and auction it off.

FATCA presumes any American having an account overseas is for illegal tax purposes…

Read more…

I came across this article because I was searching for an English variation of the following article, titled “The Mafia as the Crisis Winner”:

August 31, 2012
Die Mafia als Krisengewinner
Source

I found this article while looking for more recent information on”Organized crime is booming – Mafia is the largest bank in Italy”

January 11, 2012
Organisierte Kriminalität boomt
Mafia ist größte “Bank” Italiens
Source

Is FATCA promoting and strengthening the very thing that it was designed to oppose?  While FATCA is working hard to push innocent US persons out of Swiss banks, the Mafia bank is booming, bringing large sums of illegal money into the legal economy.

Die Einnahmen des organisierten Verbrechens würden somit immer häufiger nicht nur in Steueroasen in der Karibik, sondern auch in Banken in London und in New York gewaschen.
Source

Translation: The income of organized crime is being increasingly washed more often in banks in London and New York  as well as in the Caribbean.

At a first look, the Obama store is quite impressive.  It’s got goodies for all kinds of people, many of which were discriminated against in the past.  A google on “women” returns 1’980 hits.  “African” scores 1’950 hits.  Nurses, Latinos and environmentalists just barely trailed behind with 1’940 listings each.  “Jewish” returns 1’930 listings.  “Veterans” is listed 1’920 times.  While the word “Gay” only returned the home page, “LGBT” was found 1’840 times.  Quite impressive!  Pets are listed 1’820 times.  There is even an “LGBT for Obama Dog Bandana“!  Dogs are very important voters in presidential elections, with a relevance of 470 results.   “Asian“, being less profitable for the campaign than dogs, returned 198 listings linked 194 times to “Pacific Islanders”.  However, AAPI‘s do have their own collections page listing 4 items, unlike dogs.   For babies, 198 listings were returned, but nothing for Mormons, for whatever reason, even though they are not Muslims who also have nothing to buy.

But, that’s not why I went to the store.   I want to the store to see how valuable Americans abroad are for campaign contributions and I looked and looked, but could not find.  No abroad, no overseas, no expat, no nothing.  Not even “US person“, FATCA, FBAR, or offshore.  Foreign, however, popped up 1’760 times, but that’s only to say:

This contribution is not made from the funds of an individual registered as a federal lobbyist or a foreign agent, or an entity that is a federally registered lobbying firm or foreign agent.

So, what does this show?  It shows that Americans abroad, Mormons and Muslims are not shopping at the Obama store.  I certainly could shop at the Obama store and wouldn’t mind doing so, but what have Democrats offered Americans living abroad?  Nothing that I could find.  Yet, even if I could find something for Americans living abroad, the billing page only accepts the United States in the country dropdown.

ZKB cancels the mortgages of Swiss citizens who live in the USA

By Bruno Schletti. Aktualisiert um 31.08.2012 08:38

The following was reported yesterday in BankNewsCredit

Asian regulators express concern regarding overseas application of Dodd-Frank rules

Published on August 30, 2012 by Pat Dulnier

Asian regulators have requested that U.S. regulatory authorities review proposed derivatives rules to ensure that the new requirements do not conflict with those rules established by sovereign nations…

…“The impact from any resulting (likely significant) increase in compliance costs and the potential reduction in liquidity of [over-the-counter] derivatives markets should not be underestimated,” the groups said in the letter, according to Reuters.

The definition of a “U.S. person” by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which applies to any person or entity that will have an effect on American commerce, has elicited criticism and caused some unease in foreign markets that have trading relationships with the U.S.

Read more: BankNewsCredit

You have a computer with Microsoft Windows on it?  You then  are a US Person and banks may close your checking account or refuse to refinance your mortgage, since the act of purchasing Windows has an effect on American commerce.  Maybe this sounds extreme, but America is not known for acting logically these days.

A little while back, I wrote about my US home purchase adventure.  The latest thing on the topic is that I can’t purchase the home from abroad and would have to fly to the US or get a power of attorney.  Thoughts?  I’m quite clueless on legal matters.

I was talking to a bank today and they stated that if I have property in the US, then I’m considered to be “taxed by the US”, which could still possibly classify me as being a “US person” even if I don’t have US citizenship and am not taxed on non-US-income, meaning that banks could still deny me banking services.  I’ll have to clarify this, but it’s probably to soon in the process to get an answer.  Some banks are still unsure if they will provide US persons with banking services and it is not yet established who exactly is a “US persons”.

Continue reading →

On the July 23, 2012, I filed a complaint on housing discrimination with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.  On housing discrimination, HUD writes:

Housing discrimination based on your race, color, national origin, religion, sex, family status, or disability is illegal by federal law. If you have been trying to buy or rent a home or apartment and you believe your rights have been violated, you can file a fair housing complaint.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

In Switzerland, one has to refinance one’s mortgage every few years.  Yet, as a direct result of US policy, the following banks personally told me that they will not refinance my mortgage since I am a “US Person”:

• Raiffeisen
• Bank Coop
• AXA Bank
• Migros Bank
• NAB
• Valiant Bank AG
• SwissLife
• Hypothekarbank Lenzburg
• Swissquote Bank
• FinanzZentrum Jungfrau AG

Concerning my mortgage history, the current lender wrote:

All experiences with [SwissPinoy] and the bank have been very positive.  There has never been a problem with any of their business relations.  We are very pleased with all of our dealings with [SwissPinoy].  Our experiences would indicate that there is a high degree of integrity and responsibility in the way [SwissPinoy] conducts their financial affairs.  Therefore, we consider them to be respectable, honest, trustworthy and of good standing and repute.  This data is based on actual data and experience.

The Swiss government informed me that banks have the legal right to deny individuals mortgages based on national origin.  However, since this action is the result of US policy, I filed a complaint with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.  After several days, I received no response and so I called HUD and was advised to call back in about 3 weeks.  Today, I was finally able to reach someone and was informed that my complaint was not on file.  It had vanished.  I explained that I’m probably the only US person in Switzerland who has a mortgage and was advised to resubmit the complaint.

HUD will only help Americans who are harmed by US policy in the 50 States and US territories.  Americans citizens who are harmed by the US government in other nations are ignored by the US government and left on their own.

Well, no worries.  I’m a US veteran and the US Home Loan program allows veterans to purchase their primary residence.

The VA Home Loan program allows veterans with qualifying income and credit to purchase a primary residence without putting any money down towards the sale price of the home, as long as that sale price does not exceed the appraised value of the home.
US Department of Veterans Affairs

So, I called VA to inquire if they would help me to refinance my mortgage since banks are refusing to lend me money simply because I’m a US veteran.  Well, the US Department of Veterans Affairs informed me that it does not help American veterans who are denied mortgages for being US persons as a result of US policy.  This shows that the US government is not only willing to harm innocent American citizens who served the country and are living abroad, but that it will then do nothing for them afterwards.

One the 10th of August, The Isaac Brock Society reported difficulties in making donations from abroad to the Romney campaign, with one being unable to select the country where one lived.  The Obama campaign appears to be experiencing the same issue.  Did Romney hear Americans living abroad after the issue was reported?  On his donation page, there is now an option to donate from abroad:

Continue reading →

The subtitle translation of this song attempts to reflect how some Americans abroad may feel or view the situation, or how America may be increasingly seen beyond US borders, in response to some recent changes in US foreign policy.  The subtitles attempt to show the impact such policy may have on innocent persons abroad while questioning its nature.  Yet, each individual may interpret the information presented here as they see fit.

Warning: It is strongly prohibited for US persons or those taxed by the US government to view the subtitles of this song.  This warning is in place since this warning has been increasing in popularity with many firms globally in response to US policy.  Thus, it is only natural and normal for US persons to be restricted as usual.

——————————————————

Disclaimer: This is for entertainment purposes only, with about 90% of the song being translated into English and the other 10% being modified to match the current American political situation for Americans abroad in the context of the song.