In 2008, the world changed and so did the world’s population’s perspective, there was a strange, silent, almost undetected polar shift in popular understanding of the investment world around them…what was it? For many, both the risks and reward potential of investing in the “Western” versus “emerging” worlds were turned on their heads! Previously, the US, Europe and UK was viewed by most as the safest environment to keep your money. You were unlikely to get a double digit return, but not wanting to risk ones life savings, these were viewed as the most assured way to maintain your wealth, hard earned money that you had battled for. What happened? What changed? In short, the unthinkable!

A few weeks ago the United States Senate passed a piece of legislation called the “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act”, it is essentially a transportation bill focused on roads and bridges.  Title III of the act is a revenue provision concerning gas guzzling, cars leaking underground storage tanks, import duties and a number of other fees, taxes and other revenue enhancements.

We’re now in Nicaragua. We’ve been staying at a resort on the beach, called Gran Pacifica. This is where Garry’s brother Murray and wife Teena live. What a beautiful place. You can see the ocean from their backyard. The sunsets are especially beautiful. Garry and I have taken numerous walks on the beach. Not only are we getting good exercise but I’ve been finding great sea shells.

Listening to the waves against the shore is just one of those really relaxing sounds. Its like listening to a stream in the mountains. We’ve decided that this is a great way to spend the winter!

The seafood (fish, shrimp, lobster, clams) is really good and the fresh fruit and veggies taste like they’re supposed to. I’m now totally addicted to watermelon.

Gold ownership was made illegal on 1st May 1933. U.S. citizens, under Order 6102, were allowed to own up to $100 in gold coin [+5 ounces]. Today that would be worth under $8,400, a mere token gesture to real gold owners. It acted as a tiny escape valve to the general body of citizens and did not detract from the fact that effective gold ownership was abolished.

The privilege, not right, to own gold was restored to U.S. citizens on the 15th August 1974 not 1971, when Nixon floated the USD against gold and stopped foreign central banks from converting USD to gold).

With 78 million Americans now in the process of retiring from the work-a-day world -- and the cost of living in the U.S. out of control and getting worse -- the Western Hemisphere may well be on the verge of the greatest “population inversion” in modern history.

We all know that tens of millions of Latin Americans have moved north. But, what may surprise many is that well over a million Americans have already moved south. And the retirees’ trek to their place in the sun – to “the good life at a great price” -- has very likely only just begun.

Many investors continue to look for investment opportunities throughout the worldwide marketplace.

Freedom and responsibility are two sides of the same coin. In part one of this article, we looked at the macro factors and theoretical basis that underlie the challenge business owners and entrepreneurs in the region. In part two, we will dig into the specific issues that spring forth from these basic foundations.