As every fourth November inches near, Americans brace for the uncertainty of how their fellow citizens will dictate the next four years of their family’s lives and the realization for US citizens to have a real-world Plan B becomes obvious to every HNW family.
While 2024 is not really any different than any other November terminus, the options for acquiring a genuine 2024 Plan B presents an unprecedented window of opportunity that will not be available the next time around.
Ironically, as immigration is a hot topic issue in US politics, it is also the best Plan B solution for HNW American families that demand to have – and keep – control over their family’s values; inside their homes and communities, contemporaneously and for generations to come.
It took 50 years before the Supreme Court could change America’s constitutional stance on abortion – just something to think about in regards to the long-term authority and control Supreme Court rulings have on your family.
That is not to say that an effective Plan B automatically means someone is relocating internationally, it simply must provide the option. Otherwise, what exactly is your plan?
Why do Americans need a Plan B in 2024?
The idea of Americans needing a Plan B is not unique to 2024, in fact, it dates back to the Cold War era.
But, each generation has its own valid reasons for wanting or needing a Plan B, which is the very question you need to begin with when building one.
Why do I need a Plan B – or stated another way, what is it you are trying to get away from:
- Alien invasion
- The apocalypse
- Social unrest
- Political uncertainty
- Marginalization on a national scale
- The fall of democracy
- Ongoing bank collapses
- National shift in social and community values
- Tax the rich takes effect
And that list is simply the tip of anyone’s iceberg.
Needless to say, you can see why a hole in the ground is not lifestyle security.
Best Plan B options for Americans
The perfect Plan B for US HNWIs is more about personal preferences than anything else.
Consider your lifestyle and your social expectations, more than that, it is a matter of how much you are willing to invest.
The Caribbean Five
The world’s most popular and affordable citizenship by investment programs conveniently lie just off the coast of Florida and are known as the Caribbean Five:
- St. Kitts and Nevis
- St. Lucia
- Grenada
- Dominica
- Antigua and Barbuda
All five of these Caribbean sovereigns offer citizenship in exchange for an investment into the nation’s community and economy.
All five programs offer:
- A donation option
- A real estate option
The donation option is exactly how it sounds. Each country maintains a fund from which capital is drawn to pay for various projects in the country; such as new hospitals, schools, road improvements, etc.
The real estate options, with some exceptions, tend to only be investments into luxury hotel developments in the form of either fractional or full ownership shares.
These shares can generate some financial ROI and do provide a set number of free days for investors to utilize the accommodation they have invested into.
The biggest advantage that the Caribbean programs have is that due to the fact the programs convey actual citizenship, once the citizenship program has concluded, the investor and family members are eligible to receive passports.
Possessing a second passport is, without any doubt, one of the most important tools and resources for a real-world Plan B.
For a US citizen, having a second [or backup] passport is the best insurance policy, as under US federal law, the US government maintains the authority to revoke passports, and can do so for issues such as:
- Unpaid taxes
- Unpaid child support
- Affiliation with a group the government deems is subversive
- Criminal convictions
In fact, while the Department of State issues US passports, the IRS and the justice system maintain significant authority in deciding to revoke or deny a passport to any American citizen.
The Caribbean programs provide many of the essential assets that a real–world American Plan B requires, including access to offshore banking with citizenship protections using a legal alternative identity instead of your US identity.
This places your banking outside the jurisdiction of US courts and thus provides a financial cache to access when, and if, needed.
Also, a second passport offers the ability to add privacy to your travel movements by making it far more difficult to unconstitutionally and illegally track a person without their consent.
All of the Caribbean Five nations recognize dual citizenship, so there is no requirement to renounce US citizenship to qualify for any of these programs.
It should be noted that one flaw with the Caribbean Five is traditional home ownership is not always an available option.
Europe – The ultimate American Plan B
Though the Caribbean Five all convey citizenship, Europe remains the best, most effective, and ultimate in lifestyle security and Plan B strategies for US HNWIs.
The primary reasons are, European programs typically:
- Include traditional real estate ownership
- Have a financial ROI element
- Offer rights of access and residency
- Double as the best retirement strategies
- Can lead to citizenship and a second passport
EU Golden Visas
Golden Visas, also known as residency by investment programs, are the most common options in the European Union.
These programs provide everything an HNWI wants in lifestyle security as well as providing everything a real-world Plan B must contain.
The most effective EU Plan B Golden Visa programs are:
Greece, Cyprus, and Hungary all provide real estate investment options, whereas Portugal is an equity fund investment.
The EU Golden Visas provide the right to enter and reside in the country as well as ETIAS-exemption for entering the entire Schengen Zone.
In addition, European bank accounts and business can be opened and conducted using the resident identity documents. This, alone, provides a significant advantage, as banking in Europe, by default, includes currency diversification which buffers wealth against the fall of the US dollar.
Since mid-2023, Greece and Portugal have been the most popular Plan B investments in the world.
All of the EU Golden Visa programs can lead to citizenship, and an EU passport, but takes on average between 5-8 years and involves an entire set of criteria and eligibility that is independent of the Golden Visa program.
European passport programs
While most of the available options in Europe are Golden Visas, there does exist two significant citizenship by investment programs that all US HNWIs must have at the top of their list: Malta and Turkey.
Malta
Easily the best US Plan B option, Malta provides EU citizenship and an EU passport.
Maltese citizenship is an alternative legal identity that not only permits you to bank, live, and conduct business in Malta with citizenship rights and protections, but as Maltese citizenship is EU citizenship, those same rights extend to all EU countries.
With Maltese citizenship, the EU Plan B includes the right to enter and live any EU country, including:
- France and the French Riviera
- Italy and the Italian Riviera
- Luxembourg
- Germany
- Ireland
- Spain
Finally, Malta recognizes dual citizenship, so there is no requirement to renounce US citizenship to qualify for Maltese/EU citizenship.
Turkey
Where millionaires can live like billionaires, Turkey presents a ground floor opportunity for US investors and families in addition to a backup passport and second citizenship.
Though not an EU Plan B, Turkey is a European Plan B that opens up more doors than most American investors realize.
The Turkey citizenship by investment program is not only a second citizenship and a second passport, but offers real estate investment in the hottest rental market in the world.
The Turkish real estate market has been kept a secret from American investors, and it genuinely is a ground floor investment opportunity.
The bad news, once US investors begin to pour USD into the country, it will be expected that both real estate values and the price of the Turkish citizenship program will increase significantly.
The Turkey citizenship program is real estate-based and provides access to four of the most sought-after coastal property markets in Europe.
With Turkish citizenship, US investors can bank and travel leveraging their Turkish passport and identity, as well as live in and enter Turkey at-will.
Turkey recognizes dual citizenship, so there is no requirement to renounce US citizenship to qualify for the Turkish citizenship program.
Thus, Turkey is not only a prime Plan B option for Americans, but one of the best real estate investment opportunities and European retirement strategies as well – again, a Plan B with real-world value.
How much does a real-world Plan B cost?
When you realize that Mark Zuckerberg is spending nearly $300 million for his Plan B, the thought about the price tag becomes very real.
The fact is, a perfect and extremely effective American Plan B can actually be had for investments of less than 0.5% of what Zuckerberg spent –
The ultimate and effective American Plan B only requires a cash investment of between $150,000 to $2,000,000.
Pending price increases with 2024 deadlines:
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”
Likewise, the Greece Golden Visa, which currently has two investment zones [€250K and €500K] is also implementing a price increase that will take effect on 31 August 2024 and not only increase the investment requirements to €400K and €800K, but also geographically changes the investment zones.
Currently, Crete and areas of Athens fall under the €250K investment zone, but will be re-assigned to the €800K zone in August 2024
The Caribbean Plan B options begin at only $100K [plus processings and service fees] – and for the Antigua & Barbuda program, that price includes the entire family [up to four people].
Again, it should be remembered, that as these are citizenship programs, the second passport is the most significant benefit that can be gained from these options.
The EU Plan B options provide a full-spectrum approach to lifestyle security and EU Golden Visas require a starting minimum investment of at least €250K [approx. $270K].
The Malta citizenship by investment program – easily the absolute best all around Plan B for any US HNWI – has an investment threshold of approximately $2,000,000 [which includes the real estate purchase].
Turkey’s second citizenship, second passport, and a luxury real estate investment begins at $400K.
It should be emphasized that, unlike the Caribbean programs in which the investment is merely a donation, in Europe, the investment is actually made into either an ROI generating fund or real estate.
Thus, the European Plan B options provide the right of access and the right to reside in the country along with the option to leverage the investment to potentially generate income when you are not in Plan B mode.
Furthermore, should your retirement years arrive before the need to implement your exit strategy, the European Plan B is also the ultimate retirement strategy.
An interesting note that is unique to US citizens, in general, for the world of Golden Visas and citizenship by investment programs – US citizens are essentially the only nationality on Earth that could secure a loan in order to pay for their perfect Plan B.
Astons – Purveyors of Plan B Strategies for 30 years
The second citizenship and alternative residency space has been around for over 30 years, and Astons has been at the heart of it from the beginning.
Originally a British law firm in the heart of London, 30-years on, Astons now has a global footprint and a team of industry, legal, and real estate experts seasoned in every aspect of the investment migration and real estate industries.
More than ever before, American HNWIs are investing and building their own perfect Plan B strategies at an unprecedented pace.
For US citizens, being a dual citizen, having a second passport, or acquiring an alternative residency is no longer solely about status or luxury – it is pure common sense and a necessary measure for lifestyle security.
As many Americans are growing increasingly concerned about alternative political influences impacting and derailing critical issues as well as deciding basic societal questions, such as; what is acceptable in [to name a few]:
- Schools
- Gun violence & violent crime
- Parks
- Banking
- Taxation
- Cost of living vs Quality of life
- Home ownership
- Self-defense
- Climate change
- Access rights to medical and health procedures
Plan B is the only real-world measure to have in place when the conversation switches from having your voice heard to having your vote count.
Astons team of seasoned Plan B strategists have over three decades of understanding and experience in partnering with HNW families from around the globe, during the course of every imaginable scenario, and connecting our clients to solutions.
For Astons clients, it’s not about hedging their bet, but about having the odds in their favor.
Schedule a Free Confidential and Comprehensive Consultation today.
