It seems that there are always holidays in Mexico. You can say, Mexicans love holidays -- but don’t we all? Here are some of the more important and their dates for 2016:.
Año Nuevo (New Year's Day) - Jan 1
Día de los Reyes Magos (Epiphany) - Jan 6 -- This is a fun celebration because it is just after Christmas and the children receive more toys. There is a ring-shaped cake called Rosca de Reyes...
It seems that there are always holidays in Mexico. You can say, Mexicans love holidays -- but don’t we all? Here are some of the more important and their dates for 2016:.
Año Nuevo (New Year's Day) - Jan 1
Día de los Reyes Magos (Epiphany) - Jan 6 -- This is a fun celebration because it is just after Christmas and the children receive more toys. There is a ring-shaped cake called Rosca de Reyes (Kings’ Cake) that is served. it contains a hidden figurine of the Christ child and the person who finds it gets to host a party for the Day of Candlemas. Naturally, the first time I was at the celebration, I was the one who found the cake and bought the traditional tamales for Candlemas. Dia de Candelaria (Candlemas) - Feb 2 This is normally a small family tradition ( with tamales) but in some communities there are major fiestas and even bullfights -- The state of Veracruz is one location.
Día de la Constitución (Constitution Day) - Feb 5
Miércoles de Ceniza (Ash Wednesday) - Feb 10 -- This is an important Christian holiday and to me it is interesting to see how many people can be seen that day with the ashes on their foreheads
Día de San Valentín (Valentine's Day) - Feb 14
Día de la Bandera (Flag Day) - Feb 24
Natalicio de Benito Juárez (President Benito Juárez's birthday) - Mar 21
Viernes Santo (Good Friday) - Mar 25
Domingo de Pascua (Easter) - Mar 27
Día del Niño (Children's Day) - Apr 30
Día del Trabajo (Labor Day) - May 1
Cinco de Mayo (battle of Puebla) -- May 5 Although many from the US and Canada think this is Independence Day -- it is not and is not an official holiday. It has been important in Puebla because it celebrates an important battle in that city. It is now becoming more important throughout the country with more US influence.
Día de las Madres (Mother’s Day) - May 10
Día del Maestro (Teacher's Day) - May 15
Día del Estudiante (Students' Day) - May 23
Dia de la Marina (Navy Day) - Jun 1
Día del Padre (Father’s Day) - Jun 19
Grito de Dolores (Shout of Dolores) - Sept 15 -- Typically the President of Mexico rings the bell and repeats the call for independence each year from the national Palace at 12 pm.
Día de la Independencia (Independence Day) - Sept 16
Descubrimiento de América (Columbus Day) - Oct 12
Dia de las Brujas (Haloween) - Oct 31 -- This day is becoming much more important to children with trick or treating.
Día de Todos los Santos (All Saints' Day - Day of the Dead) - Nov 1 A unique tradition in Mexico is to remember the dead. Ancient beliefs were that the dead returned and it was a time to be happy and to celebrate. This occurs on two days, Nov 1 and 2..
Día de los Fieles Difuntos (All Souls' Day - Day of the Dead) - Nov 2
Día de la Revolución (Revolution Day) - Nov 20
Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe (Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe) - Dec 12 -- This is a major religious celebration of the day that the Virgin of Guadalupe appeared to a native, San Juan Diego. People from all over Mexico make a pilgrimage to the Basilica of the Virgen of Guadalupe in the northern part of Mexico City for this holiday
Las Posadas - Dec 16 to Dec 24 -- This novena is normally held in the evenings and often special events for children.
Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) - Dec 24
Navidad (Christmas) - Dec 25
Dia de los Santos Innocentes (Day of the Innocents) - Dec 28 -- This is a day for pranks and practical jokes. The news media will often have phony stories. It is similar to April Fools’ Day -- and if someone asks to borrow money, WATCH OUT! They will not repay it.
Año Nuevo Vìspera (New Year's Eve) - Dec 31
And if these are not enough, there are always many more festivals and carnivals in local communities.
In Nicaragua the standard of living compared to other places in Central America and Latin America is very good for the average retiree. Your dollar goes a long way down here. Right now especially there’s a lot of land being made available and there’s a lot of sales of beachfront properties that would be ideal for a retired person.
This would be a good time to invest in Nicaragua. We are one of the top three countries in Latin America for...
In Nicaragua the standard of living compared to other places in Central America and Latin America is very good for the average retiree. Your dollar goes a long way down here. Right now especially there’s a lot of land being made available and there’s a lot of sales of beachfront properties that would be ideal for a retired person.
This would be a good time to invest in Nicaragua. We are one of the top three countries in Latin America for standard of living for what you get for your money. Also, the people here enjoy a very relaxed way of life, especially the retirees.
Here’s a comparison as an example. On an average pension check of about $2,000, in Nicaragua compared to California, you could buy about 4 or 5 times as much food, probably rent would be a quarter or a fifth of what it would be in Santa Barbara or probably less (it depends on where you’re looking).
In addition, the crime rates are super low in Nicaragua so people feel very safe going about their daily lives and traveling around the country.
The construction standards in Portugal are not on par as the standards in Scandinavian countries. The main concern here in Portugal is to build houses that will withstand an earthquake, so from that point of view, the basic structure is world class. The finishing and the insulation is where they fall short of the world class standard. They could not be compared to the Dutch standards, for example. Basically, Portuguese houses are cold in winter and hot in summer!
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The construction standards in Portugal are not on par as the standards in Scandinavian countries. The main concern here in Portugal is to build houses that will withstand an earthquake, so from that point of view, the basic structure is world class. The finishing and the insulation is where they fall short of the world class standard. They could not be compared to the Dutch standards, for example. Basically, Portuguese houses are cold in winter and hot in summer!
Some builders or contractors who have permits but do not have work, “rent” those permits up to other builders or contractors who don’t have permits. In a situation like that you have “cowboys” free to operate in the market. Fortunately, because of the severe recession in the building industry since 2007, most of these guys have run out of business.
In the US, you can rest assured that the home that you are buying met certain minimum standards because the contractors have to pull permits and the building gets inspected. That is not the case in Portugal. You don’t have to pull permits for electrical or any sort of requirement here in Portugal in order to build something. If you sell or rent a property, you have to get an Energy Certification, which is done by an engineer but it doesn’t really tell you much about the quality of the electrical installation of the building or the house.
It’s the local government that issues construction licenses and building permits, as opposed to the central government. Most of these guys are as corrupt as they come. You could find a builder who pays someone at the local municipality not to come around. If you are having an argument with your neighbor, you could probably go to the municipality and say, “Hey, look, these guys are putting this swimming pool in. Is this on the building permit?” It’s sort of like the “wild west.”
(Traditional houses in Algarve, Portugal, pictured.)
How do I become a permanent resident living in Belize?
Jaseth Bassaragh - The Alpha & Omega Group
To become a permanent resident of Belize, the entry requirements have to be met, which is you enter with permission under a visitor’s visa for 30 days thereafter. Every month you must get permission upon payment of $50 Belize (US $25; these fees are subject to change) with a stamp from the department of immigration to stay longer than 30 days. To stay permanently in Belize, you must be a resident of Belize for 12 months and paid 12 months’ worth of those permission stamps on...
To become a permanent resident of Belize, the entry requirements have to be met, which is you enter with permission under a visitor’s visa for 30 days thereafter. Every month you must get permission upon payment of $50 Belize (US $25; these fees are subject to change) with a stamp from the department of immigration to stay longer than 30 days. To stay permanently in Belize, you must be a resident of Belize for 12 months and paid 12 months’ worth of those permission stamps on your passport. Then you are qualified for a permanent residency. You are only allowed to leave the country in that 12-month period for a short stint or two weeks, except for emergency purposes.
It normally takes 3 to 6 months to get your residency. While your residency is being processed, you will remain as a visitor, but you will no longer be charged the fee each month and you basically would use your receipt from the application as proof that you have an application for permanent residence pending. Therefore, if you leave the country and you enter, they would not restrict you with a 30-day restriction anymore.
During that 3 to 6 months period, they do background checks on you through Interpol. There is an exchange of information between local authorities and international authorities and they will make sure that you are not on a list of persons which unsavory backgrounds. You also have to have a Belizean sponsor, who is a citizen, and who would post a bond on your behalf. If your Interpol checks out, along with your sponsorship, upon payment of the permanent residency fee (which is different, depending on the country from where you came), you should get the approval. Applying for a residency could be as much as US $ 750 depending, on where you are from.
If you don’t know anybody in Belize, then getting the bond posted might be a problem. One would have assumed that over a course of 12 months you would have some level of relationships somewhere to be able to get this done. Failing that, you could pay the government in cash, if you have the means.
(Greenbelt around government building in Belize's government district, pictured.)
In general, what do I need to know about FBAR (Foreign Bank Account Report)?
Jay Butler - Asset Protection Services of America
According to the Foreign Bank and Financial Authority (FBAR) regulations, the IRS must allow individuals to open private offshore bank accounts. So long as the aggregate value of all foreign financial accounts does not exceed $10,000 (USD) at any time during the calendar year, the assets need not be reported. Be mindful of interest bearing accounts, for if your total offshore accounts exceed $10,000 (USD) the IRS requires you to report it or risk facing a maximum penalty of five years in...
According to the Foreign Bank and Financial Authority (FBAR) regulations, the IRS must allow individuals to open private offshore bank accounts. So long as the aggregate value of all foreign financial accounts does not exceed $10,000 (USD) at any time during the calendar year, the assets need not be reported. Be mindful of interest bearing accounts, for if your total offshore accounts exceed $10,000 (USD) the IRS requires you to report it or risk facing a maximum penalty of five years in prison and the loss of up to 50% of your assets.
Properly executed, the benefit to such a strategy of moving money offshore lies in having a family open an offshore bank account in the name of each family member in the amount of $9,990 (USD) into a non-interest bearing account. Provided a person is careful to adhere to established guidelines this is a safe way to quickly move tens of thousands of dollars out of the country, depending on the number of family members in your household.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers all income reportable regardless of the source or location derived and most assets held offshore are reportable, however some are not. When looking to preserve your assets it is important to understand the difference between taxable income and reportable assets. As with all offshore structuring, consult with your legal or tax advisor to ensure your activities are in compliance with the laws of your resident country.
How corrupt are the police in Panama? Do I need to bribe the police in Panama?
David Whittington - Tucan Golf Club and Resort
The police are pretty good here in Panama. In my day-to-day life, I don’t ever feel that I’m in any danger of being treated unfairly.
Friends of mine have been stopped by police for infractions like speeding in Panama. They have told me that, from time to time, and only if the officer asks you, you can “pay the fine right there” (maybe $20 or so) and be on your way. However, you must be very careful not to be the one to be the one to...
The police are pretty good here in Panama. In my day-to-day life, I don’t ever feel that I’m in any danger of being treated unfairly.
Friends of mine have been stopped by police for infractions like speeding in Panama. They have told me that, from time to time, and only if the officer asks you, you can “pay the fine right there” (maybe $20 or so) and be on your way. However, you must be very careful not to be the one to be the one to offer anything or mention anything that can be considered a bribe. If you do, you can be charged with a crime.
Calling yourself an ex-patriot does not necessarily mean you renounce or reject your home country. An expatriate is any person living in a different country from where they were born as a citizen. Recently, the term "expat" is often used in the context of professionals working abroad such as oil workers or missionaries.
What About Obamacare and the Expat?
In the new Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax code, expats are...
For the final stretch, we followed the blue signs to Park Eden from the main road. The way was unpaved and bumpy, with rocks smoothed over by frequent travel, slowing us to peer into the gates and gardens of well-kept El Valle de Anton homes and jostling us so we were forced to look up at the handsome ridges of the caldera that were thick with riotous jungle. If I were a Victorian British memsahib arriving to the cooler regions of the hill stations, the grounds...
I absolutely love this part of Panama! Playa Venao is an excellent surf spot, a lovely beach, the crowds are very relaxed and chilled out. El Sitio is a great beach side bar restaurant with the best view of the surfing on the beach. If you plan on a visit to this part of Panama on the Azuero Peninsula, this is also where I would recommend you stay.