Introducing Ecuador At Your Service

Ecuador At Your Service represents a network of professionals in Ecuador specializing in real estate sales and rentals, travel, legal and relocation services.

Whether you are interested in visiting Ecuador for vacation, purchasing a second home, starting a business, or relocating permanently to Ecuador, Ecuador At Your Service is a great place to start your

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Introducing Belize At Your Service

Belize At Your Service represents a network of professionals in Belize specializing in real estate sales and rentals, travel, legal and relocation services.

Whether you are interested in visiting Belize for vacation, purchasing a second home, starting a business, or relocating permanently to Belize, Belize At Your Service is a great place to start

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Where Do You Go If Your Currency Sucks?

Image Source: soundofcannons.blogspot.com

In response to our previous post about Panama being the place to go when your country sucks, one of our readers responded with this comment:

Michael…

Panama: The Place to Go When Your Country Sucks discussed the momentum that is developing there, information I

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Panama: The Place You Go When Your Country Sucks

The Carnaval Queen celebrates in Pedasi, Panama

Only in Panama could you meet an Argentine school teacher turned Panamanian yoga instructor, a Russian diplomat turned Panamanian real estate agent, an American retiree turned Panama sport fishing tour operator, a Venezuelan billionaire turned Panamanian banker, a Mexican manufacturer turned Panamanian hotel manager,

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American Dream Or Nightmare?

Photo Source: http://obrag.org

If anyone (other than our politicians) is still wondering why U.S. unemployment remains near record highs, why the economy remains stagnant, or why U.S. real wages have gone nowhere for over 30 years, look no further than this comment, on our past post “Has The West Lost It’s

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Past Predictions and Wish List For 2012

For the past three years, around this time, we like to foolishly extend our economic and geopolitical “predictions” for the coming year, knowing full well we will be at least partly, if not completely, wrong.

Here are our predictions from 2010 and 2011 so you can make

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A Special Invitation To Ecuador In 2012

The architecture in Cuenca is stunning, in a cool mountain setting, where a unique blend of cosmopolitan meets ancient Andean wisdom.

If you are planning a visit to Ecuador in 2012, we’d like to introduce you to our friends Ashley Rogers and Michel Blanchard, based in Cuenca, Ecuador.

Ashley and Michel are

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Social Unrest And You

Why Is Social Unrest Relevant? Image Source: http://jafrianews.files.wordpress.com

Wow, we sure took a lot of flak for our recent comments about the OccupyWallStreet movement.  Many of you misinterpreted our article to mean that we defend big business and Wall Street, as though they have done no wrong (not at all the

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How To Travel Panama By Rental Car

Driving in Panama City during a festival? Not a good idea…

(This article was originally published on EscapeArtist.com)

Dear Michael,

My wife and I want to take a 1-2 week vacation in Panama in the month of December. We want to land in Panama City, rent a car, and travel from the Pacific

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A Word About Occupy Wall Street

Who is to blame for a cat this fat?

In the case of a fat cat – who is at fault?  The cat, or the “provider”?

The protesters, while their effort is valiant and ought to be applauded for at least making their voices heard, need to realize who are really to blame

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Reader Comments About Social Security And Philippines

Welcome To The Philippines! Photo Credit: Mats Karochkin http://www.flickr.com/people/karochkin/

Reader Comment: I am an Australia pensioner, I receive approx $1500 a month pension.. I would like to know if I could live perhaps 5 to 6 months of the year in Panama, or Costa Rica or Uruguay…and still keep my Australian pension, and

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Receiving U.S. Social Security Payments Overseas

Welcome To The Philippines! Photo Credit: Mats Karochkin http://www.flickr.com/people/karochkin/

Contributed By Retire Worldwide Member Living In Cebu, Philippines:

US citizens can draw their social security in any country on the planet except for Cuba and North Korea, and as far as I can determine, have it deposited locally.

The country lists below are

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Ecuador Lifestyle Update

A previous post about Ecuador continues to attract a lot of comments so I will make a few updates.

Bahia de Caraquez

I neglected to include the name the town in Ecuador with the beach view condos for $40,000.  The town is called Bahia de Caraquez and it is one

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Part 3 – Is Your Money More Important Than Your Mattress?

In Part One of this series we covered what to do with petty cash (keep it in your house, not in a bank) and we covered the benefits of gold as a long term store of value.  To have neither gold nor hard cash on hand or readily accessible means you are

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Part 2: Is Your Money Smarter Under Your Mattress?

"In light of your unique situation, here is my advice: Give me your money"

Yesterday we wrote about the idea of holding your petty cash at home rather than in a bank, because the rates of interest on savings is so low, it’s not worth the risk.

Here is

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Is Your Money Safer Under Your Mattress?

Image Source: http://www.fredwelchlaw.com/bankruptcy.html

Most people put their money in the bank because it’s safer than under their mattress.

Banks even have a vault in the back room, high tech security systems, guards, and other safety features… after all, the bank’s job is to keep your money safe, right?

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Community Review: Sayulita, Mexico

Sayulita, Mexico

Above:  Sayulita is a laid-back beach town on Mexico’s Pacific Coast, just north of Puerto Vallarta

Sayulita Lifestyle Highlights

* Rub shoulders with an eclectic mix of expats, tourists, locals, artists, musicians.

* Catch a sunset or sunrise from your rooftop palapa overlooking the Pacific Ocean

* Enjoy a wide range

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Mexican Drug Cartels vs. Middle Class America

The sun still rises in Mexico, but far too many have lost their lives battling drug cartels.

“Mexico’s southern border awash in crime and violence” reads a headline in the Miami Herald.  The article examines the alarming spread of crime and violence inspired by Mexican drug cartels into

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How To Spot Special Situations

In our continuous effort to spot trends before they become trends, generally we try to look where no one else is looking.

One fine afternoon in San Telmo, Buenos Aires, while watching a couple dance the tango, we managed to capture this special situation, when nobody else was

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Photo Of The Week – Colonia, Uruguay

The historical village of Colonia, Uruguay, a living museum on the banks of Rio de la Plata