U.S. Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Crack Down on Terrorism Financing Through Crypto Platforms

Introduction

Several U.S. lawmakers have taken a bipartisan approach to combatting terrorism financing by proposing a bill that would impose sanctions on foreign entities, including cryptocurrency platforms, that facilitate financial transactions for terrorist organizations. The legislation, known as the Terrorist Financing Prevention Act of 2023, aims to equip the Treasury Department with additional resources to counter terrorism and address emerging digital asset threats.

Cracking Down on Terrorism Financing

The bipartisan bill was introduced by U.S. Senators Mark Warner (D-VA), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Jack Reed (D-RI), and Mitt Romney (R-UT). The lawmakers aim to target terrorist organizations such as Hamas by imposing sanctions on foreign parties that facilitate financial transactions with terrorists.

Expanding Sanctions

Currently, sanctions are only imposed on limited occasions, primarily on Hezbollah, following the passage of the Hizballah International Financing Prevention Act in 2015. The Terrorism Financing Prevention Act seeks to expand these sanctions to cover all U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), including Hamas, as well as other foreign parties controlled by or acting on behalf of these FTOs.

Rooting Out Terrorism

Senator Rounds emphasizes the importance of cutting off funding for terrorist organizations at the source. The Terrorism Financing Prevention Act aims to achieve this by sanctioning foreign financial institutions and foreign digital asset companies that assist in these heinous acts. By doing so, lives can be saved.

Bolstering National and Economic Security

According to Senator Reed, strengthening the Treasury Department's tools is crucial in protecting national and economic security. The bill forces foreign financial institutions and foreign crypto firms to make a choice between doing business with terrorist organizations or maintaining access to the U.S. financial system.

Identification and Sanctions

The bill requires the U.S. Department of the Treasury to identify any foreign bank or foreign digital asset transaction facilitator that knowingly facilitates transactions with an FTO or related party. Once these actors are identified, sanctions must be imposed, either restricting their use of U.S. correspondent bank accounts (for banks) or barring their digital asset or other transactions with U.S. persons (for digital asset transaction facilitators).

Addressing Emerging Threats

The bill incorporates a key provision from the Crypto-Asset National Security Enhancement and Enforcement (CANSEE) Act previously introduced by the senators. This provision aims to provide the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) with appropriate tools to address threats involving digital assets and non-traditional finance networks.

Countering Cryptocurrency's Role in Terrorism Financing

Senator Romney highlights the urgency and necessity of countering the role played by cryptocurrency in funding terrorism, particularly in light of the recent attacks on Israel by Hamas. The proposed legislation seeks to expand financial sanctions to cover all terrorist organizations, including Hamas, while also equipping the Treasury Department with additional resources to counter terrorism and address emerging threats involving digital assets.

Conclusion

The bipartisan bill introduced by U.S. lawmakers aims to crack down on terrorism financing by imposing sanctions on foreign entities, including crypto platforms, that facilitate financial transactions for terrorist organizations. By equipping the Treasury Department with additional resources and strengthening measures to counter emerging threats, the legislation seeks to protect national and economic security.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Precious Metal IRA?

A precious metal IRA lets you diversify your retirement savings to include gold, silver, palladium, rhodium, iridium, osmium, osmium, rhodium, iridium and other rare metallics. These are called “precious” metals because they're very hard to find and very valuable. They make excellent investments for your money and help you protect your future from inflation and economic instability.

Bullion is often used to refer to precious metals. Bullion refers simply to the physical metal.

You can buy bullion through various channels, including online retailers, large coin dealers, and some grocery stores.

A precious metal IRA lets you invest in bullion direct, instead of purchasing stock. This allows you to receive dividends every year.

Precious metal IRAs have no paperwork or annual fees. Instead, you pay a small percentage tax on the gains. Additionally, you have access to your funds at no cost whenever you need them.

How much gold can you keep in your portfolio

The amount that you want to invest will dictate how much money it takes. You can start small by investing $5k-10k. As you grow, it is possible to rent desks or office space. This will allow you to pay rent monthly, and not worry about it all at once. It's only one monthly payment.

You also need to consider what type of business you will run. My company is a website creator. We charge our clients about $1000-2000 per monthly depending on what they order. So if you do this kind of thing, you need to consider how much income you expect from each client.

Because freelance work pays freelancers, you won't likely get a monthly income if you do freelance work. Therefore, you might only get paid one time every six months.

So you need to decide what kind of income you want to generate before you know how much gold you will need.

I suggest starting with $1k-2k gold and building from there.

Should You Buy Gold?

In times past, gold was considered a safe haven for investors in times of economic trouble. Many people today are moving away from stocks and bonds to look at precious metals, such as gold, as a way to diversify their investments.

While gold prices have been rising in recent years they are still low relative to other commodities, such as silver and oil.

This could be changing, according to some experts. Experts predict that gold prices will rise sharply in the wake of another global financial collapse.

They also mention that gold is becoming more popular due to its perceived worth and potential return.

These are some important things to remember if your goal is to invest in gold.

  • Consider first whether you will need the money to save for retirement. It's possible to save for retirement without putting your savings into gold. That said, gold does provide an additional layer of protection when you reach retirement age.
  • Second, ensure you fully understand the risks involved in buying gold. Each account offers different levels of security and flexibility.
  • Don't forget that gold does not offer the same safety level as a bank accounts. Losing your gold coins could result in you never being able to retrieve them.

Do your research before you buy gold. You should also ensure that you do everything you can to protect your gold.

Is buying gold a good option for retirement planning?

Buying gold as an investment may not seem very appealing at first glance, but when you consider how much people spend on average on gold per year worldwide, it becomes worth considering.

Physical bullion is the most popular method of investing in gold. However, there are many other ways to invest in gold. Research all options carefully and make an informed decision about what you desire from your investments.

For example, purchasing shares of companies that extract gold or mining equipment might be a better option if you aren't looking for a safe place to store your wealth. If you require cash flow, gold stocks can work well.

You can also put your money in exchange traded funds (ETFs). These funds allow you to be exposed to the price and value of gold by holding gold related securities. These ETFs may include stocks that are owned by gold miners or precious metals refining companies as well as commodity trading firms.

How much money should my Roth IRA be funded?

Roth IRAs are retirement accounts that allow you to withdraw your money tax-free. The account cannot be withdrawn from until you are 59 1/2. However, if your goal is to withdraw funds before that time, there are certain rules you must observe. First, you can't touch your principal (the initial amount that was deposited). This means that no matter how much you contribute, you can never take out more than what was initially contributed to this account. If you are able to take out more that what you have initially contributed, you must pay taxes.

The second rule is that your earnings cannot be withheld without income tax. You will pay income taxes when you withdraw your earnings. Consider, for instance, that you contribute $5,000 per year to your Roth IRA. Let's further assume you earn $10,000 annually after contributing. The federal income tax on your earnings would amount to $3,500. This leaves you with $6,500 remaining. The amount you can withdraw is limited to the original contribution.

If you took $4,000 from your earnings, you would still owe taxes for the $1,500 remaining. In addition, 50% of your earnings will be subject to tax again (half of 40%). So even though your Roth IRA ended up having $7,000, you only got $4,000.

There are two types if Roth IRAs: Roth and Traditional. Traditional IRAs allow you to deduct pretax contributions from your taxable income. When you retire, you can use your traditional IRA to withdraw your contribution balance plus interest. You can withdraw as much as you want from a traditional IRA.

Roth IRAs don't allow you deduct contributions. Once you are retired, however, you may withdraw all of your contributions plus accrued interest. Unlike a traditional IRA, there is no minimum withdrawal requirement. Your contribution can be withdrawn at any age, not just when you reach 70 1/2.

What are some of the advantages and disadvantages to a gold IRA

An Individual Retirement Account is a more beneficial option than regular savings accounts. You don't pay taxes on any interest earned. An IRA is a great option for those who want to save money, but don't want tax on any interest earned. There are some disadvantages to this investment.

If you withdraw too many funds from your IRA at once, you may lose all your accumulated assets. The IRS may prohibit you from withdrawing funds from your IRA before you are 59 1/2 years of age. You will likely have to pay a penalty fee if you withdraw funds from an IRA.

The downside is that managing your IRA requires fees. Many banks charge between 0.5%-2.0% per year. Other providers charge monthly management fees ranging from $10 to $50.

Insurance is necessary if you wish to keep your money safe from the banks. Most insurers require you to own a minimum amount of gold before making a claim. You may be required by some insurers to purchase insurance that covers losses as high as $500,000.

If you decide to open a gold IRA, it is important to know how much you can use. Some providers limit the amount of gold that you are allowed to own. Others allow you the freedom to choose your own weight.

Also, you will need to decide if you want to buy physical gold futures contracts or physical gold. Gold futures contracts are more expensive than physical gold. Futures contracts, however, allow for greater flexibility in buying gold. They enable you to establish a contract with an expiration date.

You'll also need to decide what kind of insurance coverage you want. The standard policy doesn’t provide theft protection or loss due fire, flood, or earthquake. However, it does cover damage caused by natural disasters. Additional coverage may be necessary if you reside in high-risk areas.

You should also consider the cost of storage for your gold. Storage costs are not covered by insurance. Safekeeping costs can be as high as $25-40 per month at most banks.

If you decide to open a gold IRA, you must first contact a qualified custodian. A custodian helps you keep track of your investments, and ensures compliance with federal regulations. Custodians cannot sell your assets. Instead, they must keep your assets for as long you request.

After you have decided on the type of IRA that best suits you, you will need to complete paperwork detailing your goals. Information about your investments such as stocks and bonds, mutual fund, or real property should be included in your plan. It is also important to specify how much money you will invest each month.

You will need to fill out the forms and send them to your chosen provider together with a check for small deposits. Once the company has received your application, they will review it and send you a confirmation email.

You should consult a financial planner before opening a Gold IRA. A financial planner is an expert in investing and can help you choose the right type of IRA for you. You can also reduce your insurance costs by working with them to find lower-cost alternatives.

Statistics

  • Gold is considered a collectible, and profits from a sale are taxed at a maximum rate of 28 percent. (aarp.org)
  • Instead, the economy improved, stocks rebounded, and gold plunged, losing 28 percent of its value in 2013. (aarp.org)
  • You can only purchase gold bars at least 99.5% purity. (forbes.com)
  • If you take distributions before hitting 59.5, you'll owe a 10% penalty on the amount withdrawn. (lendedu.com)
  • Contribution limits$6,000 (49 and under) $7,000 (50 and up)$6,000 (49 and under) $7,000 (50 and up)$58,000 or 25% of your annual compensation (whichever is smaller) (lendedu.com)

External Links

finance.yahoo.com

forbes.com

investopedia.com

law.cornell.edu

How To

Gold IRAs are a growing trend

As investors look for ways to diversify their portfolios and protect themselves against inflation, the gold IRA trend is on the rise.

Owners can invest in gold bars and bullion with the gold IRA. This IRA can be used to grow your wealth tax-free and is an alternative option to stocks and bonds.

A gold IRA allows investors the freedom to manage their wealth without worrying about volatility in the markets. They can use the gold IRA to protect themselves against inflation and other potential problems.

Investors also benefit from physical gold's unique properties, such as durability and portability.

The gold IRA also offers many other benefits, such as the ability to quickly transfer the ownership of the gold to heirs, and the fact the IRS doesn't consider gold a currency.

This means that investors who are looking for financial safety and security are becoming more interested in the gold IRA.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–
By: Kevin Helms
Title: U.S. Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Crack Down on Terrorism Financing Through Crypto Platforms
Sourced From: news.bitcoin.com/us-lawmakers-launch-bill-to-counter-terrorism-and-threats-involving-digital-assets/
Published Date: Sun, 10 Dec 2023 06:30:06 +0000

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https://altcoinirareview.com/bitcoins-stellar-2023-surge-outshines-golds-record-high/

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