The Countdown to the Nationalization of Retirement Savings Has Begun-

Internationalize Your Retirement Savings

It’s much more difficult for the government to convert your retirement assets if they’re outside of its immediate reach. If you have a standard IRA from a large US financial institution, it would only take a decree from the US government and Poof!: your dividend-paying stocks and corporate bonds could instantly be transformed into government bonds.
Obviously, this is much harder for the government to do if your retirement assets are sufficiently internationalized.
For example, you can structure your IRA to invest in foreign real estate, open an offshore bank or brokerage account, own certain types of physical gold stored abroad, and invest in other foreign and nontraditional assets.
In my view, owning an apartment in Switzerland and some physical gold coins stored in asafe deposit box in Singapore beats the cookie-cutter mutual funds shoved down your throat by traditional IRA custodians any day.
If and when there’s some sort of decree to convert or otherwise confiscate the assets in your retirement account, your internationalized assets ensure that your savings won’t vanish at the stroke of a pen.
There are important details and a couple of restrictions that you’ll need to be aware of, but they amount to minor issues, especially when weighed against the risk of leaving your retirement savings within the immediate reach of a government desperate for cash.
After placing a juicy steak in front of a salivating German shepherd, it’s only a matter of time before he makes a grab for it. The US government with its $17 trillion debt load is the salivating German shepherd, and the $20 trillion in retirement savings is the juicy steak.
Internationalizing your IRA has always been a prudent and pragmatic thing to do. And now that the US government has now officially set its sights on retirement savings, it’s truly urgent.
You’ll find all the details on how it to get set up, along with trusted professionals who specialize in internationalizing IRAs in our Going Global publication....http://www.internationalman.com/78-global-perspectives/1083-countdown-to-the-nationalization-of-retirement-savings#

Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying - The Shawshank Redemption -

   Recently, I was having a discussion with someone about making decisions and they used a quote that I had forgotten about from one of the best movies ever, The Shawshank Redemption. The line of course is, “It comes down to a simple choice, get busy living or get busy dying.” Whew, that’s is like cold water being splashed in your face! Sometimes, so many years and circumstances pass us by, we forget how short and precious life truly is. Then something jars us, presenting the opportunity for us to reexamine our life. However, most of the time unfortunately, it’s some sobering event like death, financial loss, illness or unemployment, etc..

  Choices.
  We ALL have choices in life. We can choose differently or we can accept what is right in front of us and remain as is. We can be so scared that it paralyzes us and we simply accept living in the institution and get busy dying. Or, we can get busy living by taking inventory of our life, our work or business, our relationships and make the necessary changes to breath greater meaning into our lives; making it what it was meant to be....read more>
http://websitesgiveback.com/blog/get-busy-living-or-get-busy-dying/

 Leave America Now- Published on Feb 27, 2013

We are only as free as we believe we are. We are in denial, we don't see the signs that are staring directly at us, keeping our minds turned off and busy with all the mundane affairs of daily life. If you would like to know the truth and wake up, it's too late, removing your blindfolds and pulling your head out of the sand will only show that reality is already here and very clear...

There are approximately 600 FEMA Camp prison sites around the country (and more literally popping up overnight). They are manned, but yet do not contain prisoners. What is going to be the nationwide panic to kick-off point to put these facilities into operation?

FEMA camps are a restricted area and surrounded by full-time guards, surrounded by miles of fences with the top razor points all directed inward. There is a railroad track that runs into the perimeter of this fence in all Camps. The loading docks also hold several railroad cars which have been manufactured in Oregon and outfitted with shackles.

Most FEMA Camps could easily fit 100,000 people.

FEMA Camps usually are in remote areas or have large mounds of dirt surrounding the central area so the area is not visible from the road. There are white vans as well as Police cars constantly patrolling the several mile perimeter of the areas, and will came out and greet you with a friendly wave if you come close enough to actually view the camp and follow you until you leave.

We just don't care enough to find out the real truth, and settle for the hand-fed stories that come our way over the major media sources television, radio, newspaper, and magazines. The time is fast approaching when we will be the ones asking "What happened to our freedom? To our free speech? To our right to protect ourselves and our family? To think as an individual? To express ourselves in whatever way we wish?"

You don't think it could happen to you? Obviously those rounded up and killed in Germany didn't think it could happen to them either. How could decent people have witnessed such atrocities and still said nothing? Why are we doing the same here? What happened to this country of ours? Where did we go wrong? How could we let it happen again...

Culture shock- Chapter 1: PROBLEMS OF MOVING (Abroad)

LIVING ABROAD by Psychologist Cathy Tsang-Feign Excerpt from Chapter 1: PROBLEMS OF MOVING
This represents just one partial excerpt from Chapter 1.

Culture shock

After selling or letting the house, shipping the furniture, and attending the farewell parties, most people feel they are all ready to go. However, moving abroad requires more than just physical preparations.
      An individual or family relocating overseas is about to undergo tremendous changes in their life. Besides the normal adjustments associated with moving -- setting up house, finding new friends, familiarizing themselves with new geography and climate -- new expatriates face a host of other changes.
      They will be intrigued -- and repelled -- by new sights, sounds, smells and ways of thinking and living. Changes in cultural identity, social position and etiquette will all take getting used to. Foreign languages, dress, food and customs are all part of the excitement and challenge of moving to a new land.
      An individual cannot help but react to all the new stimuli and influences in his or her life. The reaction is not a single event, but a mixture and series of emotions, ranging from elation to depression to infatuation to homesickness. This mixed bag of reactions is commonly known as "Culture Shock".
      Most people who move overseas expect to experience this phenomenon. Many believe it is something like jet lag: an adjustment you go through and get over with within a short period of time. In fact, the experience is better defined as acculturation, a process which can last from six months to more than a year.
      Anyone who moves to another country will inevitably go through acculturation. Immigrants expect to take on a new cultural identity and therefore are more willing to adjust and adapt. However, expatriates planning to stay only a set period of time usually have no intention to assimilate. For them, acculturation can be as unpleasant as it is unexpected.

"I've only been here four months, yet I just can't wait till my home leave in December!"

Benjamin, a marketing buyer, was transferred to Hong Kong on a two-year contract. A few weeks ago he began to complain about the crowds, the weather, not being understood by his staff and so on. All he talks about are how much better things were back home. He is homesick.......read more: http://www.cathyfeign.com/abroad/abroad01.htm

Three Skills Americans Need to Prosper in Latin America - 05 APR 2013

* Don't Culturally Isolate yourself!
* Don't be an Ugly American!!
1..Reach out to locals, believing they can teach you.
2...Leverage the power of your own cultural assets.
3..Build trust based networks throughout sectors.

* Don't Judge or become frustrated & impatient over perceived corruption & bureaucracy.
* Don't be arrogant. * Don't be culturally insensitive.
* Don't be Culturally Isolated.-(repetition)

"Wow this excellent Speaker Mr. Bruce Cudworth is such a Nice Gentleman and a Wealth of Information on Latin American Culture!: Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and Colombia before settling in Chile for 20 yrs. where he founded an ESL language institute.

I find what Mr. Cudworth has to say rings true in Ecuador as well.

Published on Apr 5, 2013

Maxwell School, Peer to Peer
Three Skills Americans Need to Prosper in Latin America
Bruce Cudworth, EMPA/EMIR candidate
As the world globalizes, Americans increasingly find themselves living and working in countries around the world. Creating a business and building a life in foreign country presents unique challenges and lessons. Four years ago Bruce Cudworth came back to the US after 20 years in Latin America. He is the founder of an ESL language institute in Chile, where he created bylaws, gained tax-deductible status for his nonprofit and navigated Latin American bureaucracy- including successfully dealing with the Chilean judicial system. He also organized a property owners' committee in a high-crime neighborhood, successfully petitioned City Hall for a zoning change, and chased a car thief. Bruce insists that there are three vital skills needed to succeed as an American expat in Chile: reaching out to authorities, building on-going rapport, and building networks across sectors.
Mr. Bruce Cudworth undertook university studies in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and Colombia before settling in Chile where he founded an ESL language institute. He is interested in improving Latin American-focused NGO programs through better program design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and leadership. He intends to use his skills pioneer new and better ways to address market failures in education, health and housing.

Volcano Tungurahua Erupts, Caution Advised when Traveling in the Area

Volcano Tungurahua Erupts, Caution Advised when Traveling in the Area
February 3, 2014
Department of State: USA
The U.S. Mission in Ecuador advises U.S. citizens living or traveling in Ecuador that the Tungurahua volcano, located near the tourist community of Baños in Tungurahua Province, central Ecuador, has reactivated with a period of high activity that includes emissions of ash and pyroclastic flows (fast-moving currents of hot gas and rock).

Ash has fallen over a wide area of central Ecuador, temporarily closing the airport in Cuenca, reaching as far south as Loja, and dusting the southern section of Quito. Past eruptions have affected air travel throughout Ecuador. Some airlines have already canceled individual flights as a precautionary measure. Quito airport remains open for all flights except those going to Cuenca. U.S. citizens planning to fly to, from, or within Ecuador should monitor news outlets, check their flight status, and have a plan in the event of flight cancellations.
Because Ecuador is in a region of frequent volcano eruptions and earthquakes, U.S. citizens residing in Ecuador should keep extra food and water at home and consider purchasing dust masks and heavy gloves to protect hands during ash clean-up.
For more information on current activity, visit the Spanish-language website of the Ecuadorian Geophysical Institute, which monitors volcanoes and earthquakes.
Americans living or traveling in Ecuador are encouraged to enroll with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate in order to obtain updated information on travel and security within Ecuador through the Department of State's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.
U.S. citizens should consult the Country Specific Information for Ecuador and the latest Travel Alerts and Warnings and Worldwide Caution at the Department's website. Updated information on travel and security in Ecuador may also be obtained from the Department of State by calling 1-888-407-4747 within the United States or by calling 1-202-501-4444 outside the United States.
The U.S. Embassy in Quito is located at Avigiras E12-170 y Eloy Alfaro. The telephone number for American Citizen Service (ACS) inquiries is (011 593-2) 398-5000. Within the same city use the last seven digits. Add the city code for intercity telephone calls. Email contact is available during business hours at ACSQuito@state.gov.
Public call-in hours are Monday through Thursday 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. and Friday 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.
For after-hours emergencies, contact the Embassy at (011 593-2) 398-5200. Appointments for ACS are available through our website.
The U.S. Consulate General in Guayaquil is located at Avenida Jose Rodriguez Bonin and Calle Santa Ana in the San Eduardo neighborhood. The telephone number for U.S. citizen inquiries is (011-593-4) 371-7000 from the United States, or (04) 371-7000 from within Ecuador, available 24 hours a day. Email contact is available during business hours at ACSGuayaquil@state.gov.
Anyone can follow the activities of the U.S. Embassy in Ecuador through the Embassy website, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube-

see more photos of Banos & Tungurahua: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.539412969459196.1073741841.112919505441880&type=1&l=df54605579

Moving to Ecuador in 2014

Gold and Silver… Why did I buy it before moving to Ecuador?

Do you have any doomsayer friends? You know the type. “The end is
near or the sky is falling” types. “9-11 was an inside job”.  All they
talk about is how we are being manipulated and that our government is a
cesspool of corruption… I used to be guilty of this.


I am always reading that the interest we pay on our national debt is
accruing so fast that money can’t be printed fast enough to keep up and
soon the dollar won’t be worth the paper it is written on. Is this true?
Are we building a house of cards that will crash and burn in our
lifetimes???

....read more: Moving to Ecuador in 2014

Ecuador - Beachfront Property Buyers Need to Know ...Gringo Tree-

Saturday, February 1, 2014 

 Excerpted from the forthcoming GringoTree Book,

   

Beachfront Property Buyers Need to Know ...

An important consideration for those purchasing beachfront property in Ecuador is beach stability. Ecuador has the highest rate of coastal erosion in South America and hundreds of residential and commercial properties have been washed into the ocean in recent decades. Unfortunately, buyers will hear little about this from developers, real estate agents and individual property sellers.

A 2010 report to the World Conference on Climate Change in Cancun, Mexico, showed that while Ecuador's beaches are eroding at an average rate of two to three meters per decade, some of the country's most popular beaches are eroding at a much faster rate. Among these are Atacames, Montañita and Salinas. The Montañita and Salinas areas have lost more than 300 buildings and seen more than 100 meters of beach disappear since the mid-1980s.

A factor contributing to the erosion is the tectnonic subduction of the Nazca Plate beneath the South American Plate, just off shore of Ecuador. The subduction not only means that the coast experiences the country's strongest earthquakes but that there is constant movement of the sea floor which, in turn, affects the shoreline.

Not all beaches in Ecuador are eroding. In fact, many have been stable for centuries and others have actually grown. Before putting down money on a lot, house or condominium, however, a buyer is well advised to check historical and geologic records. Talking to old-timers (who, most likely, will be locals) in the area isn't a bad idea either.

Excerpted from the forthcoming GringoTree Book, Ecuador Real Estate Buyer's Guide by David Morrill and Deke Castleman.

Jour-Ja Comments: at this time there is a major Crisis on the coast of Ecuador In Jama / El Matal at Coco Beach Village, they are having a meeting today to take action & save their homes: Stand together: I want to hold your hand - Saturday, February 1, 2014
Please join hands for El Matal and Coco Beach
Stand together at 3:30 p.m. hand in hand between La Esquina Del Cheo and El Punto de Víctor — See b4 photos from NOV 2012: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.432003030200191.101674.112919505441880&type=1&l=90d4a282dd 

...also a crisis in Mompiche, Esmealdas:
https://twitter.com/ECU911Esmeralda/status/429371092788973568/photo/1

Waves have also been pounding the malecón in Mompiche. There has been flooding and damage in several areas near the beach. The strongest waves were Friday around 16:00 when some of them hit buildings. ...See b4 photos from JUL 2012: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.403205069746654.94100.112919505441880&type=1&l=02ece6120a 

Jack Abercrombie --This could be a contributing factor to what is happening on the Ecuador shoreline as well as throughout the planet.-- How many supermoons in 2014? Therefore, the year 2014 gives us a total of five supermoons: two January new moons, and the full moons of July, August and September.

Spring tides accompany January 2014′s supermoons. Will the tides be larger than usual at the January 1 and 30 new moons? Yes, all new moons (and full moons) combine with the sun to create larger-than-usual tides, but perigee new moons (or perigee full moons) elevate the tides even more.

Each month, on the day of the new moon, the Earth, moon and sun are aligned, with the moon in between. This line-up creates wide-ranging tides, known as spring tides. High spring tides climb up especially high, and on the same day low tides plunge especially low.

The January 1 and 30 extra-close new moons will accentuate the spring tide, giving rise to what’s called a perigean spring tide. If you live along an ocean coastline, watch for high tides caused by the two January 2014 new moons – or supermoons.: http://earthsky.org/space/what-is-a-supermoon

When is the next supermoon? | EarthSky.org

earthsky.org