Hamilton Reserve Bank: Accounts, Custody and Deposit Recovery
Hamilton Reserve Bank in Nevis: licence, account minimums, custody, fees, deposit disputes, September 2026 court ruling and creditor coordination.
All materials
Certificate of Resident Status for a Hong Kong Company: How It Works in Practice
How a Hong Kong company run from abroad obtains a Certificate of Resident Status for Russia or Belarus: the form, timing, apostille and the offshore claim.
Captive insurance company: Bermuda, Cayman, Guernsey and Malta
Captive insurers in Bermuda, Cayman, Guernsey and Malta compared: licence classes, capital, managers, cells, 2026 fees, fronting, Solvency II and tax rules.
Crowdfunding platform in the EU: the ECSP licence
The EU crowdfunding licence under Regulation 2020/1503: business loans and securities placement up to €5 m per project owner, capital from €25 000, passport.
Broker and investment firm licences: a map of regimes
Broker licences in 16 regimes: MiFID II in seven EU states, FCA, SFC, MAS, SEC, the AIFC and offshore — capital, timelines, fees, compensation, passport.
Offshore Crypto Licences: Cayman, BVI, Bermuda and Seychelles
Cayman, BVI, Bermuda and Seychelles VASP regimes compared: status, capital, fees, local presence, travel rule and why none opens access to EU or UK clients.
Asset manager licence: SFC Type 9 in Hong Kong or a CMS licence in Singapore
SFC Type 9 or a Singapore CMS licence for an asset manager: capital, retail access, staffing and residence, timelines, fees, virtual assets and how to choose.
EU investment firm: Cyprus, Malta, Bulgaria or Lithuania
Cyprus, Malta, Bulgaria or Lithuania for a MiFID II firm: capital is the same, so fees, the clock, investor compensation, CFD rules, staff costs and tax decide.
CCD2: the new EU Consumer Credit Directive and BNPL
Directive (EU) 2023/2225 from 20.11.2026: BNPL in scope, 50- and 14-day tests, Article 37 creditor admission, no social-media scoring; Germany, NL, Bulgaria.
Lending licences: EU, UK, Hong Kong, Singapore and Kazakhstan
Lending licences in the EU (CCD2, AIFMD II), UK (FCA, BNPL), Hong Kong, Singapore and Kazakhstan: capital, timelines, rate caps and entry routes.
Banking licence in Kazakhstan under the new law: basic and universal
Kazakhstan banking licence under Law No. 258-VIII: basic (KZT 10bn, assets up to KZT 500bn) or universal (KZT 20bn); timelines, fees, owners, AIFC.
Broker licence in Kazakhstan: AFSA in the AIFC or ARDFM onshore
Kazakhstan broker licence: AFSA in the AIFC (base capital USD 10,000–500,000, 2–3 months) or ARDFM (10,000–50,000 MRP minimum capital, 30 working days).
Offshore Broker Licences: Seychelles, BVI and Cayman
Seychelles FSA dealer and BVI and Cayman SIBA licences compared: capital, fees, resident staff, retail CFD rules and why none gives access to EU or UK clients.
Singapore: CMS Dealing Licence and Financial Adviser's Licence
MAS licences for dealing (CMS) and financial advice: base capital from S$50,000 to S$5 million, resident CEO, review of up to six months, fees, client money.
Hong Kong: the new virtual-asset dealing and custody licences
Hong Kong VA dealing and custody licences under the AMLO: Type 1 scope, private-key test, HK$5 million and HK$10 million capital, no deeming; bill due Q4 2026.
Financial Licences: How to Choose, Obtain and Maintain One
Which product needs a PI, EMI, CASP, investment firm or bank licence; the EU, UK, Asia, UAE and US; capital from €20,000 to €5 million, FCA processing times, entry without own licence and EU sanctions for Russian UBOs.
US Broker-Dealer: SEC Registration, FINRA Membership and Net Capital
US broker-dealer: Form BD, FINRA new member application (180 days), Rule 15c3-1 net capital from $5,000 to $250,000, buying a firm under Rule 1017, SIPC cover.
SFC Licensing in Hong Kong: Types 1, 2, 4, 9 and Responsible Officers
SFC licensing under the SFO: Types 1, 2, 4 and 9, two responsible officers, FRR capital from HK$100,000 to HK$5 million, 10–15 week timelines, fees, substantial shareholders and virtual assets.
UK FCA Investment Firm: Part 4A, IFPR, CASS and SMCR
FCA authorisation for a UK investment firm: RAO activities, capital from £75,000 under IFPR, CASS audit, SMCR, threshold conditions, statutory and actual FCA timelines, FSCS £85,000, appointed representatives.
Cyprus Investment Firm (CIF): the CySEC Licence
Cyprus Investment Firm under Law 87(I)/2017: €75,000–€750,000 initial capital, CySEC application fee from €7,000, decision within six months, ICF cover up to €20,000, CFD limits and sanctions for Russian UBOs.
MiFID II Investment Firm: Services, IFR/IFD Capital Classes and the Passport
EU investment firm licence: the nine Annex I MiFID II services, €75k–750k initial capital under the IFD, IFR classes, €20k investor compensation, passporting, reverse solicitation and sanctions for Russian UBOs.
Listing Venues for Asian Issuers: HKEX, SGX, STAR, ChiNext, Tokyo, Seoul, New York and Dubai
Thirteen boards for Asian issuers compared: profit and cap gates, public float, lock-up, fees, timelines and the gatekeepers that stop high-risk deals.
Insurance Wrapper Jurisdictions: Where to Issue a Unit-Linked or PPLI Policy
Luxembourg, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Bermuda, Cayman, Singapore, Hong Kong, Isle of Man and Guernsey compared, and how FR, IT, ES, DE, UK and US tax the policy.
Banks in Armenia for Non-Residents: Which One to Choose
Armenian banks for non-residents: who owns them, the Evocabank remote route and its fees, and the AMD 16m dram vs AMD 7m currency deposit guarantee.
Banks in Georgia for Non-Residents: Which One to Choose
Georgian banks for a non-resident: TBC, Bank of Georgia, foreign-owned and digital banks on channel, ownership, GEL 50,000 deposit cover and sanctions exposure.
Operating Company for a Non-Resident Owner: US LLC, UK, Estonia, Ireland, Cyprus, UAE, Hong Kong, Singapore and Georgia
Nine vehicles for a non-resident owner compared: company tax, residence test, local director, payout tax, audit, fees, Stripe and bank access, worked example.
Dual Citizenship Map: Where a Second Passport Costs the First
Dual citizenship in 24 countries: who loses a passport on naturalising abroad, who demands renunciation, reporting duties, military and tax links.
Residence Total Cost Matrix: Five Years of Status in Twelve Jurisdictions
Five-year cost of residence in 12 jurisdictions for one family: state charges, locked capital, housing rules, tax on €300k passive income, PR horizon.
Relocating with a Trust: What Twelve Destination Countries Do on Arrival
What happens to a trust when its settlor or beneficiaries move to the UK, Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Portugal, Cyprus, UAE, US, Canada, Israel.
Investment Firm in Bulgaria: FSC Licence under MiFID II
Bulgarian MiFID II investment firm: FSC licence, €75 000–750 000 capital, IFR own funds, decision in 3–6 months, €20 000 investor cover, EU passport.