Archive for Uncategorized
December 5, 2008 at 3:06 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
Our
hearts go out to retirees and near-retirees who, over the past year,
and especially over the past two weeks, have seen their retirement
plans devastated through no fault of their own.
These are unnerving times. Even putting aside the current chaos on
Wall Street, the global bailout is truly a case of the bankrupt bailing
out the near-broke: One of the
biggest financial threats facing all Americans is the U.S.
government itself….
The federal government is now more than an estimated $90 trillion short (and rising) in meeting its future
obligations for Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and other
entitlements (Dallas Federal Reserve: Storms on the Horizon, March 2008). That dwarfs Wall Street’s massive failings. Forget your broker or
your bank. It’s Uncle Sam you should be most worried about, and he’s not
alone. Many U.S. states are also staring at gaping shortfalls in their
pension plans. This is at a time when the U.S. faces multiple external
and internal security threats that could prove very costly to deal with
in the future, from Iran to North Korea, from terrorism to the
environment.
America’s financial black hole (or rather, red hole) is
the cumulative result of decades of short-term thinking and “me-first”
misgovernment in D.C. and state capitols across the country that has
left these “authorities” dangerously underprepared for what might lie
ahead.
Many Americans
instinctively know this and are turned off by politicians at all levels
of government in the U.S. — state, federal and local. And it isn’t
just the U.S. Many people worldwide, including Western Europeans, have
lost faith in the capacity of their own governments to meet basic
obligations and responsibilities, confront serious long-term financial,
social, environmental and security challenges and make the tough,
responsible choices we used to expect of adults.
They’ve grown tired of the unending parade of incompetents and
self-serving opportunists who spend more time looking out for their own
short-term interests or the interests of their families, their parties
and favored interest groups, than looking out for the long-term
well-being of the general public they pledged to serve.
Our message to all of you, whoever you are, wherever you are
and whatever your political leanings: Don’t look to someone else, much
less a politician from any party. Take matters into your own hands.
Empower yourself.
Do more to insulate your family, your life and your future retirement
from the nonsense of bad government and bad policy. Get educated about
other retirement options within and outside the U.S.
Consider Nicaragua where a couple can live comfortably on as little as $1500 a month in a country that blends the best of the Old World with the creature comforts of The New World.
The globe has become a smaller place. A massive virtual shopping mall
of new lifestyle options is now more accessible than at any time in
human history. New technologies have
become powerful tools that make relocation much easier than in the past.
Serenity can help you build greater security against the chaos of today and the many big unknowns and disasters to come.
October 11, 2008 at 2:58 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
Our hearts go out to retirees and near-retirees who, over the past year, and especially over the past two weeks, have seen their retirement plans devastated through no fault of their own.
These are unnerving times. Even putting aside the current chaos on Wall Street, the global bailout is truly a case of the bankrupt bailing out the near-broke: One of the
biggest financial threats facing all Americans is the U.S.
government itself….
The federal government is now more than an estimated $90 trillion short (and rising) in meeting its future
obligations for Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and other
entitlements (Dallas Federal Reserve: Storms on the Horizon, March 2008). That dwarfs Wall Street’s massive failings. Forget your broker or
your bank. It’s Uncle Sam you should be most worried about, and he’s not
alone. Many U.S. states are also staring at gaping shortfalls in their
pension plans. This is at a time when the U.S. faces multiple external
and internal security threats that could prove very costly to deal with
in the future, from Iran to North Korea, from terrorism to the
environment.
America’s financial black hole (or rather, red hole) is
the cumulative result of decades of short-term thinking and "me-first"
misgovernment in D.C. and state capitols across the country that has
left these "authorities" dangerously underprepared for what might lie
ahead.
Many Americans
instinctively know this and are turned off by politicians at all levels
of government in the U.S. — state, federal and local. And it isn’t
just the U.S. Many people worldwide, including Western Europeans, have
lost faith in the capacity of their own governments to meet basic
obligations and responsibilities, confront serious long-term financial,
social, environmental and security challenges and make the tough,
responsible choices we used to expect of adults.
They’ve grown tired of the unending parade of incompetents and
self-serving opportunists who spend more time looking out for their own
short-term interests or the interests of their families, their parties
and favored interest groups, than looking out for the long-term
well-being of the general public they pledged to serve.
Our message to all of you, whoever you are, wherever you are
and whatever your political leanings: Don’t look to someone else, much
less a politician from any party. Take matters into your own hands.
Empower yourself.
Do more to insulate your family, your life and your future retirement
from the nonsense of bad government and bad policy. Get educated about
other retirement options within and outside the U.S.
Consider Nicaragua where a couple can live comfortably on as little as $1500 a month in a country that blends the best of the Old World with the creature comforts of The New World.
The globe has become a smaller place. A massive virtual shopping mall
of new lifestyle options is now more accessible than at any time in
human history. New technologies have
become powerful tools that make relocation much easier than in the past.
Serenity can help you build greater security against the chaos of today and the many big unknowns and disasters to come.
August 14, 2008 at 2:34 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
A staff member was recently asked a question on an international forum about Nicaragua's investment climate. This was the excellent answer:
———
According to a 2007 regression analysis of 150 countries using the
Index of Economic Freedom (Heritage Foundation) and per-capita income
(as a proxy for overall prices including real estate prices), Nicaragua
is 68% undervalued. Basically, prices here are 32% of Nicaragua's
peer-group average and would have to triple to reach “fair value.”
Nicaragua was globally heralded as the “next Costa Rica” and the “next
Panama” before Daniel Ortega's presidential victory. It still gets
praise in tourism articles across the U.S., Canada and Europe.
Ortega is a minority president (who won only 38% of the vote with current
approval ratings below 22%) who
has not made radical
economic policy moves. The World Bank and International Monetary Fund continue to maintain condition-based
financial support based on their rigid reform-minded policy criteria.
This is a virtual seal of approval. Nicaragua is more dependent than
ever on the U.S. and European Union — most Nicaraguans know this.
The
proximity and success of Costa Rica, Panama, Chile and Uruguay are,
long-term, powerful examples to Nicaragua about the right way to bolster growth and
job creation and reduce poverty. As real estate prices escalate in
Costa Rica and Panama (the “California” and “Florida” of Central
America); as baby boomers and entrepreneurs continue to seek more
cheaper, virgin markets outside North America and Western Europe; and
as Ortega approaches the end of his five-year presidential term (in
2011), Nicaragua will continue to attract investor attention.
Ortega
has created apprehension, but investment interest remains intense,
especially from Europeans and Canadians enjoying strong currencies, for
whom the region is a bargain. Ortega opened a window of opportunity for
smart, forward-looking investors with a five- to ten-year time horizon
to get in “before the herd”, before the end of his term unleashes
pent-up demand and a resumption of the boom that preceded him.
Nicaragua may now represent the kind of business opportunity Ireland
did when it was an economic basket case in the 1980's; that Argentina
did during its peso crisis in 2001; that Eastern Europe, reeling from
the end of Communism, represented in the early 1990's and that
Nicaragua itself represented in the early 1990's after the end of the
Sandinista's communist rule. Each of these periods eventually gave way
to fantastic booms.
Regarding the Atlantic coast: there are plans for a
new Atlantic-Pacific Highway, a deepwater port in Monkey Point,
expansion of the Bluefields airport to accommodate international
flights and for expanded oil exploration, all of which will encourage
infrastructure development. A note about a previous answer: Highway
quality between the capital, major cities and ports is excellent, in
many cases superior to Costa Rica and Panama. Major road-improvements
are underway to better connect smaller towns. The airport is new,
congestion-free and first-class (beats the heck out of Dulles, JFK or
LAX).
Nicaragua is one of the
most peaceful countries in Central America: moreso than the U.S.
according to The Economist (UK)-sponsored Peace Index. Another big
asset (amid global, current or pending resource shortages): its
massive, varied, untapped supply of alternative energy and freshwater.
The posted link provides more detail, original sources and independent
commentary from across the professional spectrum, from people who've
assessed the country thoroughly.
—–
'Nuff said. Discover Serenity.
August 6, 2008 at 1:37 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
Major breakthroughs are underway and up ahead in the world of solar power…breakthroughs that could substantially reduce if not eliminate our dependence on fossil fuels within as early as a decade…breakthroughs that could make living in Nicaragua even more appealing than it already is now. Nicaragua enjoys an unusual abundance and variety of untapped alternative energy, including solar.
The Massachusetts Instituste of Technology reports on MIT Professor Marc Baldo’s and MIT Professor Daniel Nocera’s surprising work on new technologies to absorb and store solar power in a new way that could make solar power much more useful, much cheaper and a lot more practical.
Congratulations professors…is that a Nobel Prize we see up ahead?
July 25, 2008 at 7:20 am · Filed under Uncategorized
The 2nd edition of Serenity’s popular comprehensive tourist maps of Leon & Matagalpa are now out, including a number of new businesses and groups that have popped up in Matagalpa and Leon over the past year. You can find more details and links to the Leon map here and links to the Matagalpa map here. The high-resolution computer images are free. Enjoy!
Discover Serenity.
June 28, 2008 at 11:35 am · Filed under Uncategorized
Canada’s contender for Miss Universe 2008 is giving Corn Island a higher profile. Her Miss Universe video features her on Corn Island, a place she’s fallen in love with. We believe this is just the beginning of the celebrity attention the islands will be getting over time, and (we expect) it will eventually mirror the experience of Costa Rica and Panama, especially if plans to open the islands to direct international flights come to fruition.
Miss Universe Canada in Corn Island (computer translated from Spanish)
Discover the Corn Islands…mon’.
June 22, 2008 at 7:31 am · Filed under Uncategorized
This Associated Press article summarizes better than anything we’ve read recently the extent of “The Great Unraveling” that appears to be taking place…
Associated Press: The Great Unraveling
He’s one chart (click to magnify) illustrating the dramatic change for the worse world events have taken over the past few years:
….and it’s not just about oil. This highlights why more Americans should consider other options they might not have considered before (see, among many other posts on this blog, such as “To Americans who want neither ‘choice’ ” and “Matagalpa birdsong”).
Source: WRTG Economics
We encourage you to read more of this blog and to visit our website.
There are other options. There is another way.
Discover Serenity.
June 20, 2008 at 2:46 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
This is the sort of birdsong residents wake up to in Matagalpa. If any of our dear readers is familiar with the name of this bird please let us know. Click the following link to hear beautiful birdsong:
Download birdsong-morning-matagalpa.MP3
Discover Serenity.
June 5, 2008 at 4:36 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
These are unnerving times for many Americans disturbed by the possibility of either a "President McCain" or a "President Obama."
Many Americans are dismayed by all options. Many have lost faith in government and in their own political parties. Many people worldwide, including Western Europeans, have lost faith in the capacity of their own governments to meet basic obligations and responsibilities, confront serious long-term financial, social, environmental and security challenges and make the responsible and difficult choices we used to expect of adults.
They've grown tired of the unending parade of self-serving opportunists — politicians and parties — who spend more time looking out for their own short-term interests than for the well-being of the general public they pledged to serve.
Our message to all of you, whoever you are, wherever you are and whatever your political leanings: Don't look to someone else. Take matters into your own hands. Empower yourself. Do more to insulate your family, your life and your future retirement from the nonsense of politics and misgovernance.
Serenity has attractive options that can help you look out for yourself — no matter who gets elected — including options you might not have considered before. We can tell you about possibilities that can help you build greater security against the many big unknowns and great disasters to come.
Consider this: a second home on a Central American beach, running partially on solar and wind, can be a pretty good hedge against the future nonsense. Vote for your own Serenity in '08.
May 24, 2008 at 7:34 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
CNN reports that a global index of peace sponsored by the respected Economist Intelligence Group ranks Nicaragua safer than the U.S. On a peace scale of 1 (most peaceful) to 5 (most violent), Nicaragua is 1.92. It’s highest sub-ratings are earned for its respect of human rights, very low odds of terrorist attacks and armed conflict, as well as treatment of foreigners and property rights. It’s one thing to see numbers like that. It’s another thing to experience the reality for yourself. In Leon, for example, female university students brag about how safe they feel walking the streets alone after a late Friday or Saturday night party. There is violent crime here and elsewhere in Nicaragua, as there is everywhere on this planet, but when it happens here, it’s the talk of the neighborhood and the talk of the town, which highlights how rare it is when it happens — and how special this place is. The comparisons are even more compelling when looking at specific Nicaraguan cities such as Leon versus specific U.S. cities such as Detroit, Boston, Los Angeles and New Orleans. Discover Serenity.
Discover Serenity 
