The 2024 election is causing immense stress to Americans as they watch the country violently divide. Half the population fears that the America they believe in will no longer exist come November. However, for liberal Americans, there are Plan Bs available that align with their values and ideals. 

Over the last 40 years, conservative and progressive America have evolved beyond just ideological differences. 

American democrats have made significant strides in progressing US society on several key issues, including:

  • LGBTQ+ rights
  • Closing the gender gap
  • The Affordable Care Act
  • Marriage equality
  • Marijuana legalization

However, recent events, such as the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision overruling Roe v Wade, have made many progressive families feel that not only the federal government turned on them but their state government as well.

Therefore, having a backup plan is not a luxury but a necessity for Americans who want to protect their families and wealth. 

While it may be difficult to imagine starting a new life elsewhere, it has become an option that cannot be ignored. 

Progressive Americans face a unique set of challenges when it comes to finding a Plan B destination where their values have both social and political sustainability. 

While there is no one-size-fits-all answer to what a Plan B should look like, having one has become increasingly important in today’s world. 

A Plan B is not just a backup option, but Plan A 2.0—your life in a new society that aligns with the values and dreams that you want for your family.

That is the foundation of a real-world Plan B and the requirement for its success.

It must provide the lifestyle that you and your family demand, along with aligning with your social values. 

Therefore, the specifics of a Plan B vary depending on:

  • Who you are
  • What you consider a perfect society
  • What kind of ‘event’ you are buffering against

Nevertheless, it is universally agreed upon that having a Plan B is necessary in today’s America.

A real-world American Plan B has three essential roles:

  1. The ability to implement the Plan B ahead of time without anyone knowing
  2. The ability to maintain your lifestyle while in Plan B mode
  3. The ability to benefit from your Plan B until you need it, such as:
    1. An income source

    2. A retirement plan
    3. Yearly vacations
    4. 
Enhancing global travel options & privacy

    5. Alternative legal identity for banking and business
    6. Access to medical rights and procedures

Simply stated: A real-world Plan B for American families must provide value and hope. 

Best Plan Bs for HNW progressive American families

While there are numerous viable and effective Plan Bs for Americans, what options rise to the top of the list for democratic HNW US families?

There are actually a few.

Option #1: Greece Golden Visa & EU residency

Greece is a balancing act—politically, it is liberal. There are some conservative neighborhoods in Greece and the older population have held onto their more conservative ideas, but the younger generation and the future voting demographic favors more progressive values.

Living a US lifestyle in Greece won’t feel out of place and it won’t take long to find the perfect neighborhood or island to call home. 

And, the fact that the Greek Golden Visa is the most affordable Golden Visa in the EU makes Greece a definite consideration for any American family. 

Why Greece is perfect for liberal US HNW families

Greek society has one foot in ancient history and the other foot in the modernity of tomorrow. 

It’s the origin story of democracy while a major player in the future of medicine – and public healthcare is free as it is a recognized right. 

Nevertheless, Greece’s private healthcare industry is state-of-the-art and attracts HNW medical tourists every year. 

Progressive elements of Greek society include:

  • Abortion is legal
  • Contraceptive medicine is legally considered Essential Medicine
  • Gun ownership, while officially illegal, possession is permitted in limited circumstances
  • Same-sex marriage is legal and accepted
  • Same-sex couples have adoption rights
  • Gender identity is protected from employment & housing discrimination
  • Sexual orientation is protected from employment & housing discrimination
  • Private and public health care are among the best in the world
  • Medical marijuana is legal

The Greece Golden Visa offers enormous value as a Plan B strategy:

  • It is real estate-based
  • Potential annual rental yields up to 7%
  • Offers two investment options – €250K and €500K [approx. $270K and $540K] – lowest-priced EU program
  • Chose between island living or a mainland lifestyle
  • Greek residency is EU residency
  • Can lead to citizenship – thus, an EU passport
  • Fastest approval time of EU programs – only 3-6 months
  • Most personal and financial privacy-focused due diligence of all EU programs
  • Fully remote program – can be done from the US
  • An effective Non-Dom Tax program
  • Provides ETIAS & EES exemption status

In March 2024, the Greek Golden Visa was updated from its 2023 prices and investment zones. 

The new 2024 Golden Visa:

  • €250K -> €400K
  • €500K -> €800K

Under the 2024 update, areas previously in the lower €250K zone are now in the €800K zone.

For example, under the 2023 program, Crete and Athens [Attica] were divided between the €250K and €500K zones—under the new 2024 updates, all of Athens [Attica] and Crete are in the €800K zone.

The 2023 prices and zones can be secured until 30 August 2024.

Option #2: The Caribbean Five

If you prefer to have a Plan B with proximity, you can be in the Caribbean in only 3-hours – by commercial or private jet.

Off the east coast of the US are the world’s most popular and most affordable Plan B citizenship programs – the Caribbean Five:

  • St. Kitts & Nevis
  • Antigua & Barbuda
  • Dominica
  • Grenada
  • St. Lucia

These are the world’s most trusted citizenship by investment programs – with decades of success and credibility.

The Caribbean programs are not really about relocating your residency to the islands – though there are some options for this. 

Primarily, the Caribbean programs provide Americans with five benefits:

  • A second citizenship
  • A legal alternative identity to travel, bank, and conduct business with
  • Access to some of the world’s more renowned offshore banking, outside the jurisdiction of US courts, and with citizenship protections
  • A Plan B that can generate financial ROI as well as provide an annual vacation plan
  • Prices begin at $100K for a family of four*

The Caribbean citizenship programs are the most affordable real-world Plan B citizenships in the world ranging from $100K to $300K – with no need to buy real estate if you don’t want to.

Citizenship in the Caribbean carries the right to hold a Caribbean passport which enables an American to depart the US as a US citizen and enter any other country as a Caribbean citizen.

Using the Caribbean identity, it would then be possible to get residency in that country, conduct banking with the residency identity, and go on living while the clock ticks away to become eligible for citizenship. 

*The Caribbean programs have signed a collective agreement to increase the minimum price to at least $200K, and the price increase must be implemented “no later than 30 June 2024.”

Option #3: Portugal: Residency with ROI

Most Americans know how liberal Spain is, but in reality Portugal shares a lot more with Spain than simply the Iberian Peninsula. 

Portugal is ranked higher than Spain on the Most Liberal Countries Index and the Human Freedom Index.

As many European countries, such as Hungary, Poland, and even Italy have been swept up in the right-wing wave, Portugal stands on solid liberal ground – as it has for years.

In fact, in the year 2000 the Lisbon Strategy of the European Union [named for Lisbon Portugal] was the foundational doctrine for the vision and direction for the first decade of the 21st century for the 30-nation pact.

The Lisbon Strategy, also known as the Lisbon Agenda or Lisbon Process, was a progressive plan to create a European Union that would have:

“the most competitive and the most dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world, capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion”

Though the Lisbon Strategy is considered a failure, its downfall coincides with the rise of right-wing agendas stemming from Eastern Europe.

Nevertheless, liberal ideology still represents the majority of the EU, and Portugal remains a shining light of the bloc’s progressive side. 

Portugal is a lifestyle paradise; the ability to be who you are in a community that nurtures everyone’s courage to be unique in the commercialized cookie cutter world of modern times.

For progressive American families, Portuguese society reflects them well, such as:

  • Abortion is legal [though the government does protect a doctor’s right to refuse to conduct abortions based upon their own values]
  • Conversion therapy has been banned
  • Gun laws are very restrictive – eligibility for ownership requires safety classes, background checks, and psychological evaluations
  • If ownership is approved, gun owners must register with the local police [hunting is essentially the only reason for gun ownership]
  • Gun licenses are intentionally extremely expensive 
  • In 2022, Portugal had 97 murders
  • In 2023, Portugal reported 90 murders
  • Same-sex marriage is legal and accepted
  • Same-sex couples have adoption rights
  • Changing genders is legally protected without restrictions
  • Sexual orientation is protected from employment & housing discrimination
  • Gender identity is protected from employment & housing discrimination
  • Private and public health care are among the best in the world
  • Portugal’s constitution provides family planning and access to contraceptives as a human right
  • Contraceptive medicines are free of charge
  • All drugs have been decriminalized since 2001

The Portugal Golden Visa offers one of the best residency with ROI opportunities in the EU.

The Golden Visa’s primary investment channel is equity funds – which essentially permit investors to gain residency with the potential to earn a significant return that could amount to their total investment.

And, Portugal has the fastest Golden Visa to citizenship option in the EU – only 5 years which begins from the date the Golden Visa application is submitted. 

As Portugal citizenship is EU citizenship, the entire EU opens up as an option for living, banking, and conducting business.

Since mid-2023 to present, US investors make up more than one-fifth of the applicant base for the Portugal Golden Visa Equity Fund. 

Option #4: Cyprus: A bit of both worlds

An unsung hero of EU Golden Visas, Cyprus provides one of the best investment-focused Plan B Golden Visas for liberally-minded American families. 

Cyprus is a multicultural island, with significant Greek, Turkish, and even some British fusion into what is uniquely Cypriot society. With that said, Cyprus is more aligned with Western policies and culture than it is with either that of Greece or Turkey:

  • Abortion is legal and available without age restrictions
  • Conversion therapy has been banned
  • Gun laws are very restrictive – eligibility for a license requires safety classes, acceptable reason to have the gun, background checks, and psychological evaluations
  • If ownership is approved, gun owners must register with the local police
  • Only 3 types of gun licenses available – shotgun [for hunting], sport shooting license [active adult members of shooting clubs only], collector [antique & deactivated guns]
  • Other than for sport shooting, handguns are essentially banned
  • Civil unions are legal and accepted
  • Changing genders is legally protected without restrictions
  • Sexual orientation is protected from employment & housing discrimination
  • Gender identity is protected from employment & housing discrimination
  • Medical marijuana is legal
  • Best non-dom tax program in the EU

While Cyprus is an EU member state, it is not a member of the Schengen Zone, but is in the process of joining. The Cyprus Golden Visa does provide ETIAS exemption and is real estate-based in one of Europe’s hottest property markets.

Option #5: Malta citizenship & EU passport

This may be a surprising pick, as Malta tends to be a bit more aligned with a US conservative’s idea of a Plan B, but current Maltese policies could send positive signals for progressive Americans as well, such as:

  • Recognition of same-sex marriage
  • Advances in recognizing gender identity rights 
  • Legalization of cannabis

But, the real beauty of the Malta citizenship program is the fact that you don’t have to live in Malta once you are finished with the program.

Malta’s citizenship by investment program is unique as it is actually an EU citizenship program. 

Maltese citizenship is EU citizenship, so once you are a citizen of Malta, you can live anywhere you please throughout the European Union.

That single benefits enables your family to move to Europe’s most progressive destinations, such as:

  • Spain
  • Germany
  • France
  • Scandinavia

And, the Maltese passport is far stronger than the US passport – in fact, it opens up more than 95% of the world.

The Malta program offers some options regarding time frame, but not investment choices. There are essentially two pathways:

  •  1-year expedited process
  • 3-years standard process 

Astons – Partnering with America’s best to keep their dreams alive

For more than three decades, Astons has been an industry leader and trusted partner for wealthy families from around the world; connecting them to solutions that provide:

  • Enhanced mobility
  • Access to medical procedures & healthcare rights
  • Legal protections from marginalization
  • Elevated levels of privacy
  • Alternative legal identities for conducting personal and professional affairs
  • Lifestyle security
  • Portfolio diversification
  • Enabling wealth preservation and generational wealth
  • The best Plan B strategies that money can buy

Never before, has Astons’ trademark service and internationally respected team been more responsive to the needs of our growing American clientele than now.

At Astons, we know what American families want and are concerned about, and we have already empowered dozens of American families with Plan B strategies that ensure their personal preservation long past November 2024.

Schedule your Free Confidential and Comprehensive Consultation with Astons’ team of experts today.