Given the fiscal crises many states — federal as well as provincial — are facing, it is only a matter of time before more politicians turn their pecuniary focus on private savings (since there is no such thing as public savings these days). The Eurozone finance minister Jerome Dijsselbloem said that the Cyprus deal will serve as a template or model for future bank restructurings. Argentina and Hungary have already moved to nationalize private pensions, and there have been rumblings about a mixing of private and public pension funds in the United States.

In 1992 Japan’s real estate bubble popped.  The Nikkei dropped 75% off its highs and the commercial real estate market dropped 85% from peak to trough.  What did Japanese policy makers do in response?  They lowered interest rates to zero, launched round after round of “Quantitative Easing” (monetization of debt), spent large amounts of yen in a series of economic stimulus measures, and amassed government debt to do it.  Is this story sounding familiar yet?

The biggest concern of most investors today is having enough monthly income to support their lifestyle through retirement.  Far too many people are forced to liquidate their equities, and unfortunately outlive their available money. In fact, a Wells Fargo Bank report indicates that 60% of the middle class will outlive their money.

Business passive income is the number one investment of the wealthiest two percent in the world. Business income is how the rich keep getting richer by living off passive income while compounding their equity holdings.

1- April 15, 2012. Individual reporting requirements of offshore assets begin subject to new IRS form 8938 on foreign financial assets held as of December 31, 2011. (Even though this is in the past, this is where I would start).

2- January 1, 2013. Original implementation date for foreign banks to report to IRS on their US customers. This deadline has been extended.

3- June 30, 2013. Deadline for foreign financial institutions (FFIs) to enter into agreement with IRS that they intend to comply with FATCA and begin reporting effective January 1, 2014.

Being the head of a real estate development business in Latin America, I hear quite a few comments about the price of real estate abroad. People frequently say to me, “I can buy a condo in Florida for less than what you are selling them for” and they are right. The simple truth is that it is possible to buy a condo in Miami Beach for as little as $76 per sq.ft. One such offer I located is a condo built in 1968 located at 1601 NE 191 St. just a little over a mile from the beach.

In 2012 Brazil is the joint sixth biggest (together with the UK) global economy, and by 2016 the IMF and World Economic Outlook forecast that Brazil will have left the UK behind, and will be the world’s fifth largest economy with a GDP of $3.1Tn/$3.1Trillion Brazil’s growth rate over the past decade has been staggering. In 2000 Brazilian GDP was a mere $0.6Tn, a third the output of the UK, and ranking the country globally at number ten.

Entrepreneurs, investors, retirees – expats and future expats, all of those headed to Nicaragua for business, retirement, or to buy that vacation home by the beach, the Nicaragua Lifestyle Conference May 15, 2013 in Managua is designed with these people in mind.

Over the next few weeks I will be publishing a series of columns to help investors understand what I believe will be the global economic drivers for the next 10 years. I will discuss their effects on our lives and how to profit from the changes ahead through a series of 10 investment themes.

CharletonHeston isn't Moses but try telling my parents that. Similarly, Nicaragua's President, Daniel Ortega, isn't a villain but try telling the average U.S. citizen that. And so the reality vs. image crisis in Nicaragua continues. Since his return to power in a Democratic election nearly four years ago, President Ortega has become a caricature of what he is supposed to be rather than the leader he has become. News coverage tends to be focused on the relationships he maintains with world leaders opposed to US policy rather than on the positive substantive actions of his term as President. Listening only to these reports, one would assume the worst about this country and its leadership.

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