Hide Your Assets and Disappear: A Step-by-Step Guide to Vanishing Without a Trace (Hardcover)

by Edmund Pankau (Author) "If you have come to the big decision that you want out of your old life and into a new one, you now have many..." (more)
Key Phrases: hide your assets, ordinary money, financial privacy, United States, Costa Rica, Uncle Sam (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
In Hide Your Assets and Disappear, a master gumshoe gives some straight information about how to cover your trail and protect your money from the government and creditors. Edmund J. Pankau, a writer and acclaimed private investigator, believes that individual rights, privacy, and benefits are slowly eroding in the United States, but that there are ways--legal and illegal--to beat the authorities. "The choice is yours to make," writes Pankau, "Don't be the one that someday says, 'I wish I could have done that.'"

Pankau despises domestic tax laws. He urges people to hire a good attorney to help plan a move offshore to a sunny clime with low taxes, bank-privacy rules, and simpler, cheaper living. He recommends New Zealand, Belize, Costa Rica, and Honduras, where the island of Roatan is his own personal hideaway. And for those who truly need to disappear, Pankau explains how amazingly easy it is to obtain a second or third passport, become a new person or stage a phony death.

Pankau is also a powerful advocate for asset-protection planning. The book features some nifty moves to block creditors with bankruptcy laws. There are also methods to maximize state and federal tax exemptions and maneuvers to shield a personal residence, real estate, stocks, or pension accounts from taxes and potential creditors or lawsuits.

The book is for hard-core freedom seekers. It's also recommended for people interested in more conventional techniques for protecting money, property, and other valuables. --Dan Ring

Review
"A real nuts-and-bolts guide that puts all aspects of offshore planning in the hands of U.S. citizens planning worldwide transactions. A must have book for everyone's library." -- Walter C. Wilson, International Tax and Financial Planning Attorney

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: HarperBusiness; 1 edition (February 17, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060183942
• ISBN-13: 978-0060183943
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #625,147 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

134 of 142 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Useless fantasy book, February 9, 2000

By	Mark Henning "dixieproductions" (Atlanta, Ga) - See all my reviews

This book does show you how the government finds ways to keep your money, but it does VERY little to show you how to stop them. It tells you to open up an account offshore and move your assets off to that account. Unfortunately it does not tel you how. It doesn't tell you how hard it is opening an offshore account. Or how most banks require ID and references. And how do you move the money offshore without the government finding out, well thats for you to figure out. The guy who wrote this book is a absolute joke. He knows very little about the subject except for how the government attempts to catch you, but gives no real answers as to how to get around it. Most of the information in this book can be found out with very little research, which is what I think this guy did. He claims to be the best detective in the US, but I seriously doubt a Paladin Press writer is anything more than a sorry writer, who lacks the know how to actually attempt anything they write about. This guy claims Belize is the greatest country to live in for little money and without government interference. Has he ever been to Belize. I honestly don't think he has. Belize is horribly crime ridden in the cities. And the nice areas are all tourist areas. Not a great place to live. Don't buy this book, just do a little internet research on offshore banking and you will have more information than is in this book. And you'll probably know alot more than the author on the subject.

52 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Mostly a waste, December 27, 1999

By	Hal S. Gettings (USA) - See all my reviews

I bought this book at the discount counter on a whim -- it sounded like a fun read. I read it cover to cover, and ended up doing something I've never done before: I threw it in the trash.

To be fair, there were some things about the book I enjoyed. It pointed out how much of our personal information is available across so many databases, and how we leave distinctive trails of ourselves in so many ways.

The book could have been a lot of fun for the average person to read, and it could have been concretely instructive for the serious escapist. But its treatment of the main subject was too light and non-specific to serve as a real "how-to" checklist. As for the "fun" factor, the author comes across as a macho boor, with a cliche' attitude towards the government, women, and others that he considers "stupid jerks." Any modern woman would label him as an M.C.P. I felt like I was reading the work of a 1950s throwback, a Mickey Spillane wannabe.

The worst thing to me was the lack of proofreading. I'd guess there was an average of one grammatical or typographical error per page, and I really don't think I'm exaggerating. The guy really needs to hire an editor before he publishes another word.

In summary, the book is poorly written, it isn't very interesting, and it has no redeeming literary or social value. Into the trash it goes.

43 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don,t judge a book by its cover, October 14, 1999

By	GARY MALMBERG ([e-mail]) "kkona" (StPaul) - See all my reviews

This book has a much broader range of appeal to the comman person than the title indicates. Everyone is affected by the privacy issues discussed in the book. The terms "hide" and "disappear" should'nt scare anyone off. Mr.Pankau lays out invaluable information in the context of someone "vanishing without a trace", but most of it relates directly to all of us. After reading his book I'm much more aware of the value of my privacy,and the steps to take to protect it in the future.The section on "the best places disappear to" is valuable to anyone thinking of retiring in a foreign country, regardless of "criminal" issues. Numerous countries and areas are rated for livability followed by recommendations and warnings.Mr Pankau's credentials are solid. He is highly respected internationally as an author(two bestsellers), speaker and most impressively, one of the top private investigators in the country. This is a man who has built a solid business and reputation. I trust the advice in this book because I have considered the source. Enough said.