See Google Open Directory here:

http://directory.google.com/Top/Business/Financial_Services/Banking_Services/Banks_and_Institutions/

and here:

http://directory.google.com/Top/Business/Financial_Services/Banking_Services/Banks_and_Institutions/Regional/

and list at EscapeArtist.Com http://www.escapeartist.com/offshore3/banks.htm.

Opening an offshore bank account is like opening one in your high street; meet their criteria, and you're in. The only difference is you're not there in person.

The first thing is to find out whether they will accept citizens or residents of your country. For example, Swiss banks tend not to want US customers; they don't want hassle from IRS.

You will need to prove your identity, and legal existence of your company, if you wish to open an account for it.

If applying by mail, DO NOT PART WITH ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS. Get copies notarised by a notary public. Originals can be used for fraud or identity theft. Or they can get lost.

A Notary Public is a public officer commissioned by State to perform notarial acts. A Notary is an impartial witness. The notary is empowered to issue an apostille.

Apostille - Is a method of certifying a document for use in another country pursuant to 1961 Hague Convention. With this certification by apostille, a document is entitled to recognition in country of intended use, and no certification or legalization by embassy or consulate of foreign country where document is to be used is required.

In practice this means you provide evidence to this man that you are who you say you are, and/or that your company is what you say it is. You take an oath on Bible. That's right, it's not a joke.

Due diligence: Banks need to show they have checked who their customers are, and how they came by their money.

Passport - If you apply by post a notarised copy is needed;

Information about yourself - name, date of birth, address, phone number etc.

Your economic background - documents showing how you earn your money (work contract, bank statement, tax return, company documents);

Origin of your deposits - documents showing how you earned them. If you sell a house, proof of sale, a copy of estate agent's listing, and so on;

Information about your deposits - how much you plan to deposit, and what you plan to do with money once you've banked it.

We understand small amounts of money; we know what they can buy. £200,000 is harder to grasp; you can't fit it in your pocket. The desire to acquire, combined with stress of purchase, can make people do funny things. With this in mind, here are a few tips to review when getting a mortgage.

Watch out for 'Deal Of A Lifetime', deal that seems too good to be true. The company may be saving money by cutting back on their level of service.

When getting a fixed rate: get a written statement which details interest rate, how long rate is fixed for, and conditions attached.

When interest rates fall: try and leave your repayments as they are. You will therefore be paying more than minimum each month. You'll repay your loan much earlier. When rates rise again you may not have to change your payment.

Consider a fifteen or twenty year term. Try to pay off your mortgage quickly. Use a mortgage calculator with an amortization function, and see what's possible.

Keep your mortgage as small as possible. Aim for *comfortable* affordability.

You will find mortgage lenders who will stretch your qualification ratios. They aren't doing you a favour. The qualification ratio is ratio of your total mortgage payment to your total income.

The traditional ratios are: The mortgage payment as 28% of your income; total of your mortgage payment plus your monthly debt payments as 36% of your income.

Try not to 'churn' your mortgage. Each time you refinance you'll probably incur completion costs and non-refundable fees.

Beware of prepayment penalties. Many 'no fee' credit lines have a pre-payment penalty. This can be very expensive if you are planning to refinance or sell your house in a few years time.