India is undergoing a transformation in its wealth landscape. As of 2023, there are over 13,000 Ultra-High-Net-Worth Individuals (UHNWIs) in the country, with this number expected to rise by more than 50% in the next four years (Knight Frank, 2024). As Indian families accumulate more wealth, they are also expanding their horizons. Their children are studying abroad, they are acquiring international real estate, and they are growing businesses with a global footprint.
But while wealth is expanding, so are the complexities. Many families have yet to adopt structured offshore planning. Without the right frameworks, wealth is exposed to excessive taxation, inheritance disputes, and limitations on cross-border movement. Global lives need global strategies – and that’s where bespoke, strategic wealth planning becomes essential.
Why Offshore Wealth Planning Matters
1. Protecting and Diversifying Assets
India’s regulatory landscape – especially with FEMA and RBI restrictions – can limit mobility of wealth. Economic uncertainty, changing tax policies, and rupee depreciation further motivate families to secure part of their wealth abroad.
Offshore structuring enables:
Geographic diversification across stable jurisdictions
Protection from domestic political and currency risk
Access to global banking, investment, and insurance tools
For example, setting up a trust in Singapore or a holding company in the UAE can provide both asset protection and capital deployment flexibility, while complying with Indian law.
2. Planning for Global Education
A growing number of Indian students now pursue undergraduate or postgraduate education in the U.S., U.K., Canada, or Australia. In 2023 alone, over 770,000 Indian students went abroad (Indian MEA, 2024).
Yet families often finance this in ad hoc ways – using LRS (Liberalised Remittance Scheme), NRE accounts, or family loans – without optimizing taxes or control structures.
With proper wealth planning, families can:
Pre-fund a U.S. trust or foreign bank account to cover multi-year education costs
Set up structures that allow children to access support while ensuring parental oversight
Avoid future gift/inheritance taxes in countries like the U.S. or U.K.
3. Real Estate Abroad: More Than Just a Home
Indian families are increasingly investing in global property for lifestyle, business relocation, or portfolio diversification. London, Dubai, New York, Lisbon, and Singapore are favored destinations.
But buying foreign real estate needs more than a transaction:
Who will own the property – individual, trust, company?
What’s the impact on inheritance tax (40% in the UK; 40% in the US over
$13.61M)?
What happens if the primary owner dies or is incapacitated?
A structured approach using SPVs (Special Purpose Vehicles), trusts, or joint ownership can protect assets from probate and litigation, optimize tax exposure and ensure a seamless transition to the next generation.
4. Legacy and Succession Planning
The U.S. estate tax applies to non-residents owning assets above $60,000 – without planning, families could lose millions. India, while not imposing an inheritance tax currently, could revisit the idea, especially as global norms evolve.
Bespoke helps structure:
Irrevocable overseas trusts: to ring-fence assets and reduce tax exposure
Dynasty trusts: to provide for multiple generations without the burden of probate or repeated taxes
Cross-border wills: aligned with Indian and foreign legal systems
From Complexity to Clarity: Bespoke’s Process
We begin by understanding each family’s global footprint and ambition:
Where are the children studying or settling?
Are there operating businesses or passive assets abroad?
Do they foresee citizenship/residency planning (EB-5, Portugal Golden Visa, UAE)?
Based on needs, we design:
International Trusts (e.g., Singapore, Mauritius, Jersey)
SPVs or holding companies (e.g., BVI, UAE, Delaware)
Philanthropic vehicles (e.g., U.S. 501(c)(3)–equivalent donor-advised funds)
Dual Wills and coordinated succession documents
We work with the client’s Indian legal and tax teams – or bring in our global partner network – to ensure seamless execution and compliance with:
RBI reporting (LRS, Form A2, Form 15CA/CB)
Global banking regulations (FATCA, CRS)
Real estate purchase guidelines (under RBI’s FEMA circulars)
We conduct family workshops to ensure heirs:
Understand the purpose of each structure
Are prepared to take over governance
Learn tax rules of their future countries of residence
Why Offshore, Why Now?
With global uncertainty, stricter tax enforcement, and growing family dispersion, the cost of not planning is rising.
Key trends:
OECD’s push for transparent global reporting (CRS)
India-U.S./U.K. tax treaties allow wealth structuring with proper planning
Rise in wealth taxes globally (OECD 2023 report)
Greater scrutiny of cross-border transfers post-2020
For Indian families seeking long-term security and global integration, the window to plan is now.
Why Bespoke?
At Bespoke, we offer more than expertise – we offer alignment. We understand the mindset of Indian HNWIs: ambition grounded in family values, a global outlook rooted in legacy. Our firm is built to serve that vision.
With offices and partners across the globe, we provide true cross-border continuity. We are not product-pushers. We are advisors, architects, and stewards of generational capital. Whether you’re planning to send your child to Harvard, buy a home in Mayfair, or simply shield your hard-earned wealth from unnecessary risk, Bespoke builds the bridge between your Indian roots and global aspirations.
We do this quietly, with discretion, and with a relentless commitment to doing what is right for your family’s future.
Wealth today knows no borders. And neither should your strategy. Offshore wealth planning is no longer a luxury for Indian HNWIs – it is a necessity. Bespoke is your trusted advisor in navigating this complexity, safeguarding your legacy, and enabling your family to thrive – wherever in the world they call home. With Bespoke, your wealth doesn’t just move. It evolves.
If you’re interested in learning more about Bespoke’s approach to private wealth management and how we can help you build a secure financial future, we invite you to reach out to us directly. We’d be happy to set up a confidential consultation at your convenience.
Thank you for considering Bespoke as your partner in wealth management. We look forward to the opportunity to work with you.
This information is intended for general educational purposes only and should not be construed as legal or investment advice.
For decades, the implicit “North Star” for Mexican investors has been clear: allocate toward the U.S. and take advantage of domestic opportunities when possible. But that formula is increasingly outdated. Global power is fragmenting, macroeconomic imbalances are deepening, and political risks—both in Mexico and abroad—are evolving in unpredictable ways. The question we seek to answer is: what should Mexican investors be doing today to prepare for tomorrow?
What’s on the Mind of the Mexican Investor?
Most Mexican investors are overexposed to the United States and Mexico, both geographically and psychologically. The U.S. has earned that confidence through decades of outperformance. But we are now entering an age where valuation, fiscal risk, and political uncertainty demand reassessment.
Simultaneously, Mexico is undergoing a complex transformation. While nearshoring, demographics, and geography position the country favorably, risks are rising. The current administration under Claudia Sheinbaum has thus far signaled pragmatic and business-friendly intentions. However, Morena retains high approval ratings, and the political opposition remains too weak to serve as a meaningful counterweight. This sets the stage for a future administration that could lean more radically populist.
Even in an optimistic scenario where Mexico grows rapidly due to nearshoring and industrial expansion, the resulting wealth inequality could fuel calls for redistribution. The real long-term risk for wealthy Mexicans isn’t just judicial reform or weakened democratic institutions—though those are serious—but a future government that sees fiscal reform and targeted taxation as necessary tools to address inequality.
Mexico’s Bright Future—With Shadows
At Bespoke, our outlook for Mexico remains structurally positive. The country benefits from:
Proximity to the U.S. and an active role in North American supply chains
Favorable demographics
A growing consumer class
Relative political and macroeconomic stability compared to peers
We believe the NAFTA legacy will extend through nearshoring, increased exports, and GDP growth. Global companies are no longer viewing Mexico solely as a manufacturing hub. They now see it as a vital market in itself—evident in recent investments from Mercado Libre, Unilever, BBVA, and others.
However, risks remain: insufficient infrastructure and energy policy, persistent insecurity, and inefficient public resource allocation. These risks, especially if left unaddressed, will create fertile ground for populist rhetoric and policy.
Strategic Asset Allocation in a New Era
“Decisions about how you own (planning structures), where you own (custody and private banking jurisdictions), and what you own (asset allocation) are increasingly consequential.”
This is the essence of a forward-looking strategy. Mexican families may be poised for extraordinary windfalls from their operating businesses or fixed assets, especially if the nearshoring trend plays out fully. But they are also exposed—both politically and economically.
In this environment, three themes must shape asset allocation:
1. Global Diversification
The traditional home bias toward Mexico and the U.S. now carries higher risk. In a multipolar world, ignoring opportunities in regions with strong fundamentals, favorable currencies, and undervalued assets is not just a missed opportunity—it’s a liability.
Swiss francs, gold, even bitcoin—once fringe instruments—are increasingly seen as hedges against monetary debasement. As investors in other jurisdictions adapt to these shifts, Mexican investors remain overly focused on familiar markets.
2. Reassessing Private Markets
Private markets, long the darlings of sophisticated portfolios, are showing signs of strain. The illiquidity premium has failed to materialize for many, and exit routes through IPOs have underwhelmed. Today:
Discounts in secondaries are widening
Endowments are exploring sales
Flexibility is becoming paramount
At Bespoke, we advocate for a “barbell strategy”: maintain core liquidity in public markets, and be selective with illiquid private investments—especially early-stage opportunities with asymmetric return potential.
3. Revaluing Liquidity and Flexibility
Liquidity is no longer a given. In a world marked by geopolitical shifts, technological disruption, and policy unpredictability, the ability to adapt is essential. Portfolios must be constructed with resilience in mind, not just upside.
The U.S. is Not Immune
Let’s be clear: America’s fiscal imbalance matters. Even if a Trump administration slows the growth of deficits (a relative improvement), the U.S. will still be operating under enormous debt burdens. At some point, the reckoning arrives—via taxation, inflation, or monetary debasement.
The post-Cold War period brought about a golden age for U.S.-centric investing. But today’s world is different. Power is more distributed. Economic policy is less predictable. And quality of life in other regions is catching up. The greenest grass may no longer lie across the northern border.
While Mexico is an emerging market with long-term potential, the risks it presents are deeply local: political concentration, institutional fragility, and the looming prospect of fiscal reform. These are not generic emerging market concerns—they are specific to a national context where many Mexican investors are already heavily exposed, both financially and psychologically.
This does not mean abandoning emerging markets altogether. In fact, one of the clearest implications of a multipolar world is that new growth centers are emerging—and they are no longer tied to the legacy West.
Emerging Opportunities
India combines demographic momentum, digital infrastructure, and institutional improvement.
Brazil, despite a volatile history, is reaping the benefits of macro stabilization, reindustrialization, and geopolitical repositioning as a commodity and energy powerhouse.
Vietnam, Indonesia, and parts of Eastern Europe are gaining relevance—not as speculative bets, but as deliberate recalibrations by capital and supply chains.
Underappreciated Developed Markets
At the same time, developed markets beyond the United States offer an underutilized source of institutional resilience:
Switzerland continues to set the global standard for custody, legal protections, and wealth preservation.
Germany and the Nordics lead in industrial reinvention, clean tech, and governance strength.
Australia and Canada blend resource depth with policy stability and rule of law.
A New Definition of “Safe”
For Mexican families, this isn’t about chasing exotic returns or turning portfolios upside down. It’s about broadening the definition of “safe” and rethinking where sustainable upside lies.
True diversification today means reallocating from overexposure to Mexico and the U.S., toward a global mix of select emerging momentum and developed discipline. This is how portfolios remain resilient—and relevant—in a world no longer anchored to a single North Star.
In Conclusion
We’re not suggesting abandoning Mexico or the U.S. But Mexican families need to:
Reassess the assumption that the U.S. will always outperform: For years, allocating heavily to U.S. markets felt obvious—strong returns, institutional trust, and global leadership. But today, that assumption deserves scrutiny. Rising political dysfunction, unpredictable policymaking, and unsustainable fiscal trends are undermining the clarity and reliability that once defined the American market. Future outperformance is no longer guaranteed.
Diversify internationally: Many Mexican families view international investing as complicated or risky. In reality, staying concentrated in just two countries—Mexico and the U.S.—is the greater risk. Today, building exposure to Europe, Asia, and select emerging markets is not only feasible through established structures and custody networks—it’s necessary to access growth, preserve capital, and hedge against local shocks.
Prioritize liquidity and structural flexibility over complexity and lock-in: In a more volatile, fast-changing world, liquidity becomes a premium—not an afterthought. Many Mexican families are overexposed to illiquid investments, rigid structures, or legal vehicles that were designed for stability, not agility. Today, being locked into multi-year commitments or outdated tax structures can become a liability when the reward no longer justifies the risk. The ability to pivot—across jurisdictions, asset classes, and planning vehicles—is becoming a defining trait of resilient portfolios.
For those willing to reassess and reposition, this transitional period could offer rare, once-in-a-generation opportunities.
At Bespoke, this is exactly what we help our clients navigate: building resilient, globally positioned portfolios that reflect today’s realities—not yesterday’s assumptions. If this perspective resonates with you, or if you’d like to explore what this would look like for your own strategy, feel free to reach out directly at [email protected].
This information is intended for general educational purposes only and should not be construed as legal or investment advice.
