Advice on where to Invest $1,000,000 RD?

S

Susie Q

Guest
I live in the DR and have $1,000,000 Pesos that I would like to invest, please advise on the best place to put this money?
Please no Sanki jokes...
 
A

Anny Mosity

Guest
First convert it to US$ ASAP. There is serious talk of a devaluation of the peso to RD 20 per dollar. It may not stop there. Ignore anyone who wants you to invest it in the DR. They are desperate for people in your situation.

Next invest it in your home country through a reliable bank or investment firm.
 
M

MaxxJaxx

Guest
Susie Q - I Love YOU!!!

Nice Canadian Guy looking for wealthy Dominican Republic Woman.

Just Joking......

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I am moving to DR in a couple of months and I am looking for investment opportunities. A small business that I can start from scratch and build it up, so I can relate.

Why are so many people negative about setting up in the DR.

I have lived in Calgary, Canada all my life and I can't stand it here.

You want to start a business and you have to go through 10 feet of bureaucratic bullshit, development permits, zoning restrictions, 15 types of taxes - Business tax, property tax, GST, school tax and on and on... Not to mention employee deductions for health care, worker compensation, etc...

I have seen more people take $100 000 and lose it in Canada than anywhere else. Many asian investors who came here in the 80's and 90's lost fortunes believing that because we have strong legal system that they would make money. Most I knew went back to Hong Kong where they could make real money.

The reason people lose money is because they fail to research their investment ideas and have an effective business plan.

Good planning with minimal government red tape and minimal government taxes will be your advantage.

GOOD LUCK.
 
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Gerd

Guest
To my knowledge Banco Osaka still gives you the most interest.
Ask there for details.
Last year in June, the RD$ was predicted to be at 18 to the US$ by the end of last year...
However the exchange rate hasn't changed since then.
The RD$ isn't as bad as everybody says or maybe wants.
 
O

Onions and carrots

Guest
You'd better listen to Anny Mosity or soon you won't be a millionaire. A friend of mine didn't listen when the peso to the dollar was at 5 to 1. today his 100k dollars is worth about 8K.
 
G

Gerd

Guest
How many decades ago was that?

100k US$ put on the bank 4 years ago in RD$ is now 200k US$.
Why would you refuse to see this?
 
D

David

Guest
Go to www.mojadasa.com -----present interest rates on US investments yield anywhere from 1-4% a month depending on the length of the term and the amount invested--you would qualify for 4% for either a 5 or 10 yr term
However, under no circumstances will your money be returned prior to the expiration of the term.

good investing
 
K

KenDP

Guest
I agree with Anny; if you can, you should turn the money into US dollars as your first step.

Regardless of what Gerd says, I think the potential for devaluation is great. For one thing, the present administration has borrowed a tremendous amount of money--equal in one year, according to a Dr1 news item last week, to amount borrowed in four years by previous administration.

Secondly, the tourism industry is in trouble. Reason most often given is that rates are too high since they are pegged to the dollar. This was given by those in government proposing to let peso float, estimating that it would end up about 20 to 1, thus making the DR more attractive to foreign tourists.

To postings about how many decades have passed since there was a significant change in value of peso, I can only look at my own experience. When I arrived in the Dominican Republic in 1986, the rate of exchange was RD$2.50/2.75 to US$1. True that wasn't yesterday, but there have been a lot of devaluations.

The time to exchange your money to dollars, if you can, is now. It will never be worth more.

Regarding putting your money in a dollar account in the DR, my attorney has always advised caution. He points out that if the government gets in serious trouble with respect to foreign exchange reserves that these accounts could be frozen for the emergency. This doesn't mean you would lose the money; eventually you'd be able to get it. But who knows how long you would have to wait for the government to get its financial house in order.
 
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Marc

Guest
1-4%?

USDollar checking accounts at Banco Osaka pay a minumum of 3.5% interest. Not sure why anyone would go for a 1-4% return on $1million RD, especially with a 5-10yr locked in term deposit.

a $10kUSD 3 month term earns 5% per annum, paid monthly. Dominican Peso investments pay 2 to 3 times the rates that USD investments (with the banks) do, but you are then exposed to the peso..not sure what kind of risk take you are, but we just flipped all of our savings here on the island to USDollars! With as much money you are talking about, even in a USD investment you should be able to get double digit returns with some kind of CD.

Have fun on the island!
marc
 
G

Gerd

Guest
17%!!!

Of course I agree that you shouldn't leave such an amount in a checking account.

You'll get 17% on "Certificados Financieros RD$"
These start with a 30 day deposit.

Interest is paid monthly (17% divided by 12) and can be left for capitalization.

Still doesn't make sense?

For more information go to the bank and speak with someone in charge.
I'm not getting commission for it.
 
O

Onions and carrots

Guest
Hindsight is always 20-20. After the fact it looks wonderful but the fact remains that the peso aint a hard currency and you don't know what the future holds. Recently the dollar has gone under alot of selling pressure and its also unknown where the world economy is heading.Japan (2nd largest economy) is heading for a 4th recession. Its truly a risky business to want to make money in DR investments.
 
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Grahame Bush

Guest
Hey Susie - You finally made it then. I have e-mailed you many times over the last 3 years, ICQ'd you too direct & via our mutual friend in Canada, but never got a reply.
Where are you in the DR?
Did you get all the things we spoke of 3 years ago sorted out?
I will gladly show you where & how Ginnie & I invest. Despite what others say on this subject, we have been VERY happy with the returns we are getting AND it has always been secure. Drop me a line on the above e-mail or Bedggood.Bush@codetel.net.do if you want to resume contact. Best regards to all - Grahame
 
O

Onions and carrots

Guest
How about 8,16 or 2o years ago? Where do you get this incredible foresight to know when to bail out? Or are you blessed with supernatural powers to know the end of something before it happens?
 
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Anny Mosity

Guest
Re: Buy a Victorian house in POP!

Susie Q. I love it! Whenever someone looking for advice in investing in the DR is told not to do it, they get angry and accuse the advisor of being negative. Don't worry, there are lots of people like Ascot investments here who will help you invest your money. The fact that their "facts" are distorted won't bother you if you hold onto your dream!

Leaving Calgary to come here is a great idea. It doesn't follow
that you have to invest serious money here. There are other investments than CD's and bank accounts in Canada. You can always supplement your investment income using your computer here. Look at DR1! If you want to do something here, try something that takes a very small investment. Work, or start a website.

I will bet that you will bring the money here and invest it no matter what people on this board tell you.
 
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MaxxJaxx

Guest
Anny Mosity vs. Reality

I NOT AN ANGRY GUY!!! @#$%^*! @#&%&$

just having fun....
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You are right I am NOT going to invest serious money in the DR until the research is done.

Your right, Start something small and build it up.

The problem I have is that many Canadians and Americans talk about North America as some type of paradise when in fact it is not. The North American economies are in very serious trouble.

People have lost billions in the North American markets. Some people have lost over 90% of their equity over the last year alone. Talk about RISKY. Losing 15% in Devalution doesn't seem all that bad if you are getting 20-30% return on your money. You are still ahead.

Losing money through bad investing sucks at any time. Saying it is risker to keep it in the DR instead of sending back to Canada or America is just too simplistic an answer.
 
G

Grahame Bush

Guest
Re: Buy a Victorian house in POP!

Hey, I have a Victorian House in the centre of Puerto Plata for sale - Anyone want to buy that?? I wouldn't call it a GREAT investment though Anny Mossity - just sure & comfortable. I suppose ONE day it will be much in demand as a piece of Puerto Plata's heritage, but not until the DR Government starts to take a greater interest in it's history rather than thinking only of today. Photos available if someone IS interested!!
 
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mark

Guest
Re: 17%!!!

17% on an unstable currency that is capable of deflation swings of 10/15/20% is probably not recommendable. I'd prefer to deal in a stable currency, and chose my investment (fixed rate investments, equities, bonds, tax sheltered/unsheltered, etc.) based on a thorough assessment of my investment requirements (time frame, liquidity needs, risk tolerance, age, etc). I'd suggest finding a trustworthy financial planner or investment banker and get "professional" advice. Just my opinion!
 
K

Keith

Guest
Re: Anny Mosity vs. Reality

MaxxJaxx,
True, North America may not be the investor's paradise some portray it to be, and certainly many have lost big in the last year or two -- but many of these were folks who gambled big on the high tech/dot.com bubble. If one was more diversified one was not so hard hit. Luckily I was (I had toyed with the idea of becoming more weighted in techs, but luckily hesitated), and even with significant losses in some investments in the last 1-2 yrs, I'm still ahead in the 5- 10-yr timeframes.

The DR does indeed pose a currency risk for any investment that requires investment in pesos, and it's not insignificant. For example, we invested in some property in a solid Santo Domingo neighborhood when we moved to the DR in 1995. Had to import dollars from the US to do so, and in the process were forced to covert them to pesos at about 12:1. When we left the DR in 1999 the exchange rate was about 16.5:1 and now it is 18:1 and worsening. No matter how much that property may have appreciated in the last six years, it had to overcome a 50% currency loss. I could have left that money in US-based mutual funds in 1995, and even with the losses of 2000-2001, I'd still have a better total return now.

Most folks' response to such risk is invest their money in a Dominican CD or commercial paper in US dollars. For the last few years that has looked okay. But I am still wary of doing so, unless perhaps it would be through Citibank or BanReserva, the two most likely to survive any future crisis of confidence in Dominican banking. You see, I've seen the Dominican banking scene since 1986. My suegra had her savings frozen during the wave of Dominican savings & loan collapses in the late 1980's. It took 10 years for the government to give it back to her. And during my time living in Santo Domingo (1995-99) I saw at least one bank declare bankruptcy (just try to claim your CD during such proceedings!) and stories circulated the banking community about the Central Bank quietly helping several big name Dominican banks to keep them from following suite.

Ascot & others disparage the FDIC, and perhaps Americans are too trusting of its assurances. Certainly I remember the S&L crisis here and the taxpayer-funded bailout called the Resolution Trust Corp.

But at least in the US -- I suspect in Canada as well -- the individual investor has a chance of recourse in the event of fraud, freezes, seizures and other troubles with their investment. Having seen the Dominican legal system in action over four years of living there, I have serious doubts I can say the same about protection for investors in the DR.

Also, folks, if you really believe that the US & Canadian markets are in trouble, then stop and think a moment about what this implies for the DR economy. The DR is heavily vulnerable to an economic downturn in these markets -- in terms of export earnings, sources of tourist spending, and sources of job-creating investments. If you think your DR-based investment -- of ANY sort -- will be relatively unaffected while a prolonged US recession draws the rest of the world into the doldrums, you're dreaming.
Best Regards,
Keith