The Recession that so many countries are currently experiencing has led to an increase in off shore banking requests.  One of the major side effects of the onshore financial dilemma is the overwhelming number of people who are looking for ways out of their onshore financial institutions as well as an overwhelming number of countries trying to enforce their tax laws.  This has created a sense of urgency in both companies and private individuals to find a solution.  The solution to this complex problem is simple – off shore banking.  Due to the fact that off shore banks are held to much higher standards than onshore banks the level of financial safety and security is much higher.  Most offshore banks are not allowed to participate in offshore investments and are strongly regulated in the area of loaning out money to private individuals, governments, and businesses.  This adds a layer of protection to the operation guaranteeing that the mortgage and investment crises do not affect the deposits.  Currently anyone holding what they consider a Swiss Offshore Account can attest to the fact that the Swiss Banks are not able to cash out client;s requests for funds as they have heavily invested in programs that are less than favorable and they have also loaned great portions of their funds out to others.  Even thought the balance on your onshore account may be visible it does not mean nor guarantee that the funds are readily available.  In order to avoid all of this calamity, offshore banks are bound by law to protect client funds by limiting the investments in which they can participate in, the percentage of funds in which the bank must hold as liquid assets, as well as the amount and type of loans if any that the bank may offer to the public and private sector.  With that being said, off shore banking is far better prepared than most onshore banks for financial dilemmas such as the one most nations are experiencing currently.