As this is written, there are a little more than 700 members of the list. Many of them are lawyers and tax accountants who assist us in answering questions from the members. Most of the experts in our Editorial Advisory Group are contributors to the discussion. 

To keep the discussion on topic, to screen out spam advertising, to tone down potential flame wars, and to avoid potential lawsuits for libelous statements by the members, the discussion is actively moderated by Vernon Jacobs. Jacobs is an experienced editor, teacher and moderator of panel discussions at seminars. He sometimes participates in the discussion, but usually stays in the background and functions as a leveling influence on the discussion.
 
 

This Is An Open List.

Anyone can join at any time by sending an email message to majordomo@offshorepress.com, with the message subscribe apf or subscribe apf-digest. 

Yes, there is a daily digest option available as well as the individual message option. At present, this list generates about ten or 15 messages a day. 

Once you have subscribed to the list, you will begin to receive messages from apf@rpifs.com. APF stands for Asset Protection Forum and is the email address to which comments should be sent. If you want to send a message to the group, send it to apf@offshorepress.com.

If you want to send a message to the list moderator/owner, send it to vkj@offshorepress.com.

You can "sign off" of the list at any time by sending an email message to majordomo@offshore.com, with the message "unsubscribe apf" or "unsubscribe apf-digest" 

The only CONDITION FOR JOINING THIS LISTis that you must be willing to subscribe yourself and to unsubscribe from the list. Please do not send messages to the list or the list owner asking someone else to remove you from the list. All you have to do to sign off is to send a message to majordomo@rpifs.com with the message unsubsribe apf or unsubscribe apf-digest, depending on which service you are using.
 
 

This Is A Public List.

Although we do not make it easy for participants to secure the full list of participants in this discussion group, there are people who know how to acquire the list without our consent. 

Anyone can join the list and observe the comments between the participants. At the same time, they can collect the email addresses of anyone who sends a question or comment or response to the list. 

Sometimes list members act as if this were a private conversation and they disclose information that we would presume to be sensitive. That's their prerogative, but you are forewarned that there is no way that you or the list owner can know who is a member of this list. Discretion with respect to sensitive subjects is strongly encouraged. 

The list moderator will not permit questions or discussions about how to break any laws.

The focus of this discussion list is how to utilize the law to accomplish various financial or legal objectives. 

Please understand that the moderator does not edit or censor opinions that may be uninformed or based on flawed logic. The only censorship is with respect to spam advertising (defined by the list owner to be any advertising other than his own), libelous statements, grossly crude or vulgar language, advocacy of illegal acts or inflammatory statements about other list members.
 
 

Why You May Not Get The Answer You Are Seeking

We have had complaints from some members of this free, public discussion group because they did not get an answer to their question. Here are some of the reasons. 

Because the list is free, the moderator only answers questions when time permits or when he can provide an answer in a reasonably short time. 

Professionals who participate in the list do so partly as a public service but mostly to demonstrate their expertise to prospective clients. Their knowledge and time are their only stock-in-trade and they won't "give away the store" by answering complex or lengthily questions. 

List members sometimes submit long and detailed statements of fact about an obviously personal legal or financial matter, hoping they will get a free consultation from this list. The longer the question, and the more detailed the questions, the less likely you are to get an answer. 

No professional advisor who has any knowledge of the law will give personal advice to anyone on the list. The replies to any questions are in the nature of a public discussion and should not be construed as professional advice. If you want a legal opinion, you have to pay for it. If you want a professional opinion about some tax issue, you have to pay for it. You can get a lot of information and excellent education from this list, but don't expect this list to be a substitute for hiring a qualified professional to provide legal, tax, accounting or investment services.

Our Paid Subscriber List Is A Private List

We maintain a separate, private list for subscribers to any of our three email newsletters. The participation in this list is at least restricted to those who are willing to pay a modest fee to subscribe to one of our newsletters. Additions to the list and deletions to the list are handled by the list moderator. While we don't prevent anyone from becoming a paid subscriber, this list is much less likely to include curiosity seekers, spam advertisers or those who are trying to promote a specific point of view. The moderator is much more involved in this list and attempts to be sure that an answer of some kind is provided to any questions posed by subscribers. If the editorial advisors don't respond to a question, the moderator will make an attempt to secure an answer, even it's a reply that we don't know the answer to the question or that the question is too long or personal for a reply.

Further details about protecting your assets from future lawsuits  are available in our subscriber's web site. Changes in the tax laws and various federal and state laws affecting various asset protection devices are provided in our monthly newsletter on Asset Protection Strategies.

NOTICE: This Information is intended only for educational purposes and may be regarded as controversial by some legal experts. Readers should consult with a qualified  professional who is familiar with their specific financial and tax circumstances before adopting any ideas that are discussed in this article.

About the List Moderator:
 

Vernon Jacobs is a CPA/CLU who works as a tax author and consultant.  His email address is vkj@rpifs.com.  He can be reached by phone or fax at (913) 362-9667.

Your suggestions for improving this web site are most welcome.