How Nomad Capitalist Built a Legacy by Avoiding Investment Trends
February 28, 2025
It’s human nature to follow the herd, yet being a Nomad Capitalist is all about finding your own way and living a different, better life.
The offshore world of residence and citizenship by investment (CBI) is full of lucrative opportunities to improve your lifestyle, lower your taxes and grow your business.
Citizenship programs promise to solve all your issues, while residency programs offer tons of corporate opportunities.
Meanwhile, digital nomad visa countries compete with each other by promising the sun, the moon, the earth, and the stars to location-independent freedom seekers.
But are the opportunities and various programs all equally good? Absolutely not.
You’ll find people and companies selling the idea that a particular program, whether it’s the UAE’s company formation options or Portugal’s Golden Visa, is the ultimate solution for anyone looking to move offshore.
Does that work for everyone? Once again, absolutely not.
At Nomad Capitalist, we do things differently by taking a holistic approach to offshore planning.
We help seven- and eight-figure investors and entrepreneurs acquire more wealth, freedom and opportunities by helping them go where they’re treated best. If you need a holistic Action Plan, set up a call with us today.
Examples of Horrible Global Investment Trends
There are always new surges in hot trends like European golden visas, Caribbean citizenship programs and the growing popularity of digital nomad visas.
These opportunities promise new freedoms – tax advantages, visa-free travel and diversified lifestyle and investment options.
However, just as you wouldn’t immediately rush to invest in a particular real estate market or business opportunity without weighing up the risks and returns, you should never follow the herd and blindly invest in second citizenship just because it’s trending.
What works for one investor may result in unforeseen risks for another, from legal restrictions to financial pitfalls.
Without proper due diligence, these seemingly attractive options can lead to regret instead of the benefits they promise to deliver.
To provide some context, here are some examples based on what we’ve experienced over the last decade.
Why Following Investment Trends Can Be Harmful
The hype around Estonia’s e-residency program led many to believe they were securing tax benefits and real residence rights.
However, the confusion between ‘e-residency’ and physical residence led to costly mistakes by some.
E-residency allows individuals to register businesses in Estonia, but it does not grant personal tax residence or the ability to live there.
In 2023, Estonia further clarified its policies, warning people about potential tax liabilities if they misuse the program.
Unfortunately, many companies took advantage of the confusion, pushing services that didn’t align with their clients’ goals. It’s a prime example of why clarity and research are crucial.
Riding the Crypto Investment Wave
Puerto Rico became the promised land for crypto investors, offering unique tax incentives under Acts 20 and 22.
Some US citizens moved to Puerto Rico because the fashionable crypto and hedge fund investors were going there. Yet, in 2023 and 2024, reality set in for many.
They discovered the requirements for maintaining these benefits, such as stricter residence audits and local income commitments, were more restrictive than advertised.
Additionally, the bear market in cryptocurrencies hit hard, leaving many of those who relocated without the financial upsides they were banking on.
Acquiring Over-Priced Passports
There was a time when US citizens queued up to get St Lucia citizenship. Even though the price had risen massively, many people figured that the spike in demand inevitably meant that it must be good.
Of course, they didn’t realise that everyone’s reasons for getting second citizenship or residence are different, and there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution.
Following the Bling Backfires
People flocked to Dubai to escape pandemic policies, making it the new panacea destination, even though the jurisdiction had nothing in particular to help their specific situation.
How to Create a Successful Investment Strategy
We’re not saying Estonia, Portugal, the UAE, Puerto Rico or any of the other trending destinations are bad.
However, we’ve seen too many people following the latest offshore fashion only to regret it later.
If you want to go to a place because it’s fun or seems right to you, do it.
However, at Nomad Capitalist, we help people consider all their options so they don’t have to stick a pin in a map or have their heads turned by places that are ‘cool’ now.
We understand every worthwhile residence and citizenship-by-investment program that’s out there. We help our clients by applying this in-depth knowledge to their unique circumstances and needs – an approach you won’t find anywhere else.
Solving Real-World Challenges
We help seven- and eight-figure entrepreneurs and investors go where they’re treated best.
If you understand the need for holistic planning and its importance in solving real-world challenges rather than collecting the latest shiny object, we’re here to help you.
We’re always hearing from people who want to reduce or eliminate their taxes legally but aren’t willing to relocate or spend at least some part of the year living offshore.
Saying goodbye to hefty taxes and staying where you are is not how the real world works.
We’re not going to sugarcoat it; if you want offshore tax benefits, you need to go offshore. That, however, can mean different things to different people.
In most cases, however, you have to be tax-non-resident in your home country to avoid its high taxes, and you simply can’t do that if you live there.
Why Nomad Capitalist is Different
Most companies feature one-size-fits-all services, selling shiny new programs that neither solve your problem nor address your longer-term needs.
You may want to move to Dubai to save taxes without realising that, in some cases, you could actually pay less in Greece. Nobody whose only product is Dubai will tell you that.
At Nomad Capitalist, through careful analysis and boots-on-the-ground experience, we help our clients uncover the ‘unknown unknowns’ to save them money and time.
In fact, we’ve helped our clients:
- Move to 31 tax-friendly countries
- Open bank accounts in 48 countries
- Get residence permits in 38 countries
- Obtain citizenship in 28 different countries.
We know the most cost-efficient solutions that work together to help you achieve ultimate personal and financial freedom.
We’ve built the industry’s largest database of up-to-date information on tax, residence and citizenship, banking and corporate structures in 100+ countries, all fueled by on-the-ground R&D and networking.
Avoiding Bad Investing Strategies: FAQs
The investment world is littered with examples of trendy investments that ultimately flopped. Do you remember when the dot-com bubble burst or the more recent craze around meme stocks and certain cryptocurrencies? These trends attracted hordes of investors, only to leave many with significant losses.
Before you consider a new investment trend, ask yourself these key questions:
Is there real underlying value? Or is the hype driven by speculation and FOMO?
Does it align with your personal goals and risk tolerance?
What do the experts say? Seek objective advice from trusted sources, not just those promoting the latest trend.
Are you in it for the long haul?
Having a trusted advisor in your corner can be a lifesaver – someone who can give you an objective view, not just try to sell you the latest thing. And, of course, never skip the due diligence. Dig deep into any investment, trendy or not, and make sure it truly aligns with your long-term goals. Remember, slow and steady wins the race.
While many are trying to predict the ‘next big thing,’ at Nomad Capitalist, we believe chasing trends can be detrimental to your long-term financial health. Instead of following the crowd, we focus on building personalised strategies that align with your specific goals and offer tried and true solutions.
Investing always comes with some risk, but there are definitely ways to reduce it. One of the best things you can do is spread your bets. Diversifying your portfolio across different asset classes can help cushion the blow if one takes a hit.
If you invest in assets that offer high returns and wild price swings, that carries more risk than an investment that grows steadily over time with less volatility. Any speculative investment with no proven value should also be considered high-risk.
Diversification is recommended because it spreads your money across different investments. This reduces your reliance on the performance of one or two assets, minimising your overall investment risk.
First things first, take a deep breath and try to avoid making emotional decisions. Panic rarely helps. Instead, take a step back and analyse what went wrong. Learning from your mistakes is the secret to becoming a better investor.
Remember, even the most seasoned investors have setbacks. In fact, most of them will tell you that without those mistakes, they wouldn’t be where they are now.
Some current investing trends include sustainability and ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance), cryptocurrencies and NFTs, thematic ETFs and technology-driven sectors such as artificial intelligence and renewable energy.
Real estate investment trends include smart and sustainable buildings, multi-family housing projects, real estate investment trusts (REITs) and mixed-use developments that combine residential, commercial and leisure spaces.
Some gold investment trends include gold ETFs, growing demand from emerging markets and a shift towards sustainable and ethical gold-sourcing practices. Gold is historically seen as a safe-haven asset and a reliable store of wealth.
Invest Where You’re Treated Best
At the outset of this article, we alluded to the fact that human nature often leads us to follow the herd.
But being a Nomad Capitalist is about charting your own path to a better life. At Nomad Capitalist, our expertise goes beyond current trends, ensuring clients are equipped against potential pitfalls.
Our goal is not to knock trendy jurisdictions or programs – rather, we focus on personalised strategies that suit individual circumstances.
We help clients navigate the complex world of residence and citizenship options to ensure they find the best fit for their needs.
From billionaires and celebrities to everyday investors and entrepreneurs, we’ve helped more than 2,000 successful clients create their own ‘Plan B’, grow their wealth and increase their peace of mind.
At Nomad Capitalist, we can help you create a bespoke plan for legal offshore tax reduction, financial diversification, international living and Plan B residence and citizenship – all under one roof.
To go where you’re treated best, get in touch today.
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